Cullen

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

 

[ID:2130] From: Mr Joseph Harris / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Miss Stanger (Patient), Miss Hannah Stanger (Patient) / 12 January 1782 / (Incoming)

Letter from Joseph Harris, concerning the case of Miss Stanger. The letter mentions that she had also been seen by Dr Cleghorn.

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 2130
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1205
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date12 January 1782
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 Joseph Harris, concerning the case of Miss Stanger. The letter mentions that she had also been seen by Dr Cleghorn.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting Yes

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:299]
Case Miss Stanger [sister? of Hannah Stanger] , whose uterine disorder is attributed to a general debility.
4
[Case ID:2270]
Case of Miss Hannah Stanger who has an eye inflammation.
4


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:214]AuthorMr Joseph Harris
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:2714]PatientMiss Stanger
[PERS ID:2729]PatientMiss Hannah Stanger
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:214]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryMr Joseph Harris
[PERS ID:1626]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr George Cleghorn
[PERS ID:2727]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMr Stanger

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Whitehaven North-West England Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Therapeutic Recommendation Bath South-West England Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Dublin Mid Ireland Ireland Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]

Whitehaven January 12th. 1782
Dear Sir


About this time three years I wrote for your
Advise respecting a young Lady who laboured under a
Weakness in her Eyes & also in one Knee both in con¬
sequence of Strains. As her Disease has in some Measure
taken a new turn at last the increased sensibility and
Weakness on which the Complaint was supposd to depend
have become more universal, affecting in a greater or less
Degree her whole Body she requests you will please to favour
her with your further advise. -- The Remedies you prescribed
at that time were Cold Bathing externally & Tonics in¬
ternally in which she persisted for a considerable time without
any sensible alteration. By the advise of some Friends
she was prevailed on to go to Dublin where she remained
near a Twelve month under the Care of Dr. Cleghorn who
employed perpetual Blister to her knee but without any
Advantage. On her Return in the Summer -- 70 she renewed
her Sea Bathing & with a sensible difference for the better
and especially as the Winter advanced she found her Knee
grow stronger. Last Summer she took to her Bathing
again but instead of finding her Recovery established as was
expected she grew daily worse, attacking at first her other Knee



[Page 2]

with pain and Weakness & in a short time spreading to the
rest of her Body but more particularly in the Joints, especially
those of the Shoulders & Fingers. On Attempt to grasp any
thing with her Hand causes considerable pain & the weakness
in this part is such that she can't win hold up a com¬
mon Teapot. The young Lady is in other Respects very (↑as↑) well
all her Evacuations as can be supposed from her great
Confinement; all her Evacuations are natural, her appetite
good & her pulse regular. - It is much to be feared tho that
this Complaint is owing to some hereditary Disposition as
two of the Ladys sisters partake ant account a good deal of
her Infirmities. One of them having had frequent Inflam¬
mations
in her Eyes which recover their strength exceedingly
slowly after the Inflammation goes of. It is now near six
Months since she had was confined for the above Complaint
& she is not yet able to read or use her needle for half an hour
The other from a very slight Sprain in her Knee finds a
very great Weakness & Pain in the Course of a Mile or two
walking tho' it is near two Years since this slight accident
happened. I have had some thoughts of making Tryal of
Electricity to the Lady ↑in question↑ but as I was apprehensive that the
State might do harm and as there required some Address
in administering it by drawing the Sparks &c thro [Dlicacy?]


[Page 3]

I declined it till I had your Opinion of the Probability of servicing (↑its↑)
being of service. Her going to Bath has been recommended to her
but she waits your advise respecting this & every other mode
of Proceeding; which I dare say she will strictly adhere to
Mr. Stanger the Gentleman who will deliver this to you is
the Lady's Brother from whom you will be able to get any
further Information that may be thought necessary.


I am with the greatest Respect
your very humble Servant

Joseph Harris



[Page 4]


Doctr. Cullen


Dr Harris
Concerning Miss Stanger.
January 1782
V.XIII p.259.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]

Wehaven Jany. 12th. 1782
Dr Sir


About this time three years I wrote for your
Advise respecting a young Lady who laboured under a
Weakness in her Eyes & also in one Knee both in con¬
sequence of Strains. As her Disease has in some Measure
taken a new turn at last the increased sensibility and
Weakness on which the Complaint was supposd to depend
have become more universal, affecting in a greater or less
Degree her whole Body she requests you will please to favour
her with your further advise. -- The Remedies you prescribed
at that time were Cold Bathing externally & Tonics in¬
ternally in which she persisted for a considerable time without
any sensible alteration. By the advise of some Friends
she was prevailed on to go to Dublin where she remained
near a Twelve month under the Care of Dr. Cleghorn who
employed perpetual Blister to her knee but without any
Advantage. On her Return in the Summer -- 70 she renewed
her Sea Bathing & with a sensible difference for the better
and especially as the Winter advanced she found her Knee
grow stronger. Last Summer she took to her Bathing
again but instead of finding her Recovery established as was
expected she grew daily worse, attacking at first her other Knee



[Page 2]

with pain and Weakness & in a short time spreading to the
rest of her Body but more particularly in the Joints, especially
those of the Shoulders & Fingers. On Attempt to grasp any
thing with her Hand causes considerable pain & the weakness
in this part is such that she can't win hold up a com¬
mon Teapot. The young Lady is in other Respects very (↑as↑) well
all her Evacuations as can be supposed from her great
Confinement; all her Evacuations are natural, her appetite
good & her pulse regular. - It is much to be feared tho that
this Complaint is owing to some hereditary Disposition as
two of the Ladys sisters partake ant account a good deal of
her Infirmities. One of them having had frequent Inflam¬
mations
in her Eyes which recover their strength exceedingly
slowly after the Inflammation goes of. It is now near six
Months since she had was confined for the above Complaint
& she is not yet able to read or use her needle for half an hour
The other from a very slight Sprain in her Knee finds a
very great Weakness & Pain in the Course of a Mile or two
walking tho' it is near two Years since this slight accident
happened. I have had some thoughts of making Tryal of
Electricity to the Lady ↑in question↑ but as I was apprehensive that the
State might do harm and as there required some Address
in administering it by drawing the Sparks &c thro [Dlicacy?]


[Page 3]

I declined it till I had your Opinion of the Probability of servicing (↑its↑)
being of service. Her going to Bath has been recommended to her
but she waits your advise respecting this & every other mode
of Proceeding; which I dare say she will strictly adhere to
Mr. Stanger the Gentleman who will deliver this to you is
the Lady's Brother from whom you will be able to get any
further Information that may be thought necessary.


I am with the greatest Respect
your very humble Servant

Joseph Harris



[Page 4]


Doctr. Cullen


Dr Harris
C. Miss Stanger.
Janry 1782
V.XIII p.259.

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