Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:2108] From: Mr Thomas Mack / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Miss (Patient) / 5 December 1781 / (Incoming)

Letter from Thomas Mack, concerning a three-year-old girl with a 'swelling upon the region of the stomach which increases to a very great hight so as to render it necessary to unloose her stays and other cloaths'.

Facsimile

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 2108
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1183
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date5 December 1781
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from Thomas Mack, concerning a three-year-old girl with a 'swelling upon the region of the stomach which increases to a very great hight so as to render it necessary to unloose her stays and other cloaths'.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting Yes

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1322]
Case of a three year old girl with a swollen stomach region.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:197]AuthorMr Thomas Mack
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:4927]PatientMiss
[PERS ID:197]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryMr Thomas Mack
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:4928]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMr

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Berwick-upon-Tweed (Berwick) North-East England Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Place of Handstamp Berwick-upon-Tweed (Berwick) North-East England Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]

Sir


I am aquested by a gentleman in this
country to state the case of his daughter for your opinion? - She is
three years of age 1 , of a delicate constitution, & has once or twice been subject
to a slight hectic fever, but has been free of that complaint for several months.
the symptoms that alarms the family most at present is a swelling upon the
region of the stomach which increases to a very great hight so as to render it
necessary to unloose her stays and other cloaths - when the swelling continues
she is tolerabley easy, her breathing free, but complains of a pain in her belly
& that but slightly, her appetite is tolerable, sleeps in her usual way, & her
discharge by stool & urine both are very regular, some time ago when she had
the hectic complaint I have mentioned her keeper 2 told us that she voided some
worms which by her description I find to have been ↑of↑ the Ascarides kind but at
present she has no symptom of that sort the swelling frequently comes on towards



[Page 2]

evening and is subsided in the morning but not all together; the family have
supposed that it might be owing to a collection of water but by applying the
palm of my hand to the one side of the swelling & popping my fingers on the
other I have not been able to discover any fluctuation or if were water can I
possibly account for its sudden absorption and its equaly sudden return, I
have rather refered it to some injury the coats of the stomach my have received
and a habit in general relaxed, with a view to obviate these circumstances I have
ordered her regular exercise in the carriage the use of sound port wine in small
quantitys & a powder twice ↑a day↑ with a small quantity of steel Rhubarb & cinnamon
her diet which used chiefly to consist of broths I have changed in some degree
by allowing her less broth a little animal food at dinner and light pudding
but as these regulations has not been so successful as I wished would be glad
to be favoured with your opinion on the subject. I am with great respect


Sir
Your most Obedient servant

Thos. Macks

Berwick
5th. December 1781



[Page 3]


Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh


Mr Mack
Concerning a young Lady
Concerning 1781
V. XIII. p. 229

Notes:

1: It is surprising, as he goes on to say below, that the child wears stays, but the subsequent mention of a "keeper" (in this context usually indicates a nurse), seems to confirm that the patient is indeed a young child.

2: In this context presumably means "nurse".

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]

Sir


I am aquested by a gentleman in this
country to state the case of his daughter for your opinion? - She is
three years of age 1 , of a delicate constitution, & has once or twice been subject
to a slight hectic fever, but has been free of that complaint for several months.
the symptoms that alarms the family most at present is a swelling upon the
region of the stomach which increases to a very great hight so as to render it
necessary to unloose her stays and other cloaths - when the swelling continues
she is tolerabley easy, her breathing free, but complains of a pain in her belly
& that but slightly, her appetite is tolerable, sleeps in her usual way, & her
discharge by stool & urine both are very regular, some time ago when she had
the hectic complaint I have mentioned her keeper 2 told us that she voided some
worms which by her description I find to have been ↑of↑ the Ascarides kind but at
present she has no symptom of that sort the swelling frequently comes on towards



[Page 2]

evening and is subsided in the morning but not all together; the family have
supposed that it might be owing to a collection of water but by applying the
palm of my hand to the one side of the swelling & popping my fingers on the
other I have not been able to discover any fluctuation or if were water can I
possibly account for its sudden absorption and its equaly sudden return, I
have rather refered it to some injury the coats of the stomach my have received
and a habit in general relaxed, with a view to obviate these circumstances I have
ordered her regular exercise in the carriage the use of sound port wine in small
quantitys & a powder twice ↑a day↑ with a small quantity of steel Rhubarb & cinnamon
her diet which used chiefly to consist of broths I have changed in some degree
by allowing her less broth a little animal food at dinner and light pudding
but as these regulations has not been so successful as I wished would be glad
to be favoured with your opinion on the subject. I am with great respect


Sir
Your most Obedient servt.

Thos. Macks

Berwick
5th. December 1781



[Page 3]


Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh


Mr Mack
C. a young Lady
Decr. 1781
V. XIII. p. 229

Notes:

1: It is surprising, as he goes on to say below, that the child wears stays, but the subsequent mention of a "keeper" (in this context usually indicates a nurse), seems to confirm that the patient is indeed a young child.

2: In this context presumably means "nurse".

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