The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:215] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr Alexander Douglas (Sir Alexander Douglas of Glenbervie) / Regarding: Mrs Wortley Moir (Stuart) (Wortlie Moir; of New Grange) (Patient) / 31 October 1781 / (Outgoing)
Letter to unnamed physician - identifiable as Dr (Sir) Alexander Douglas - regarding Mrs Moir, who has stayed with/near Cullen for observation over a suspected consumption (phthisis). Cullen is being hopeful but cautious with his prognosis.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 215 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/101 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 31 October 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter to unnamed physician - identifiable as Dr (Sir) Alexander Douglas - regarding Mrs Moir, who has stayed with/near Cullen for observation over a suspected consumption (phthisis). Cullen is being hopeful but cautious with his prognosis. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1349] |
Case of Mrs Wortlie Moir who has cold 'fits', a bad cough and breathing problems. |
4 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:546] | Addressee | Dr Alexander Douglas (Sir Alexander Douglas of Glenbervie) |
| [PERS ID:181] | Patient | Mrs Wortley Moir (Wortlie Moir; of New Grange) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:546] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Alexander Douglas (Sir Alexander Douglas of Glenbervie) |
| [PERS ID:588] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Alexander Wood |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Dundee | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
Mrs Moir
I intended to have written to you along
with Mrs Moir but happening to be called out of town the day
before she went away it was omitted but am now much obliged
to you for your letter and shall answer it as well as I can.
From the circumstances you mention I think a phthisis
was to be apprehended and yet there is no absolute security against
it, but her mending so much as she had done at a season when her
growing worse was to be expected, and her being so well while she was
here gave me hopes that the worst was not to be feared. She had some
days hardly any cough and some days none at all and for eight
days together she had no spitting and but once in that time I could
not a sight of any and that was so inconsiderable that I could make
no judgement of it. Her pulse was generally 80 and hardly ever
above it, and she had not the night sweats as before. Her appetite
was better, she slept better and she seldom had any thirst. All these
circumstances allowed Mr Wood and me to give what we wished
to give the to herself and friends the most favourable opinion we
possibly could. But I must tell you that I still thought the
[Page 2]
Case of an ambiguous kind. The breathing was easily disturbed by
any bodily motion, she did not lie easily on one side and she some¬
times had chilly fits and some heat after them, but except once {illeg}
two days before she went away she had no evident paroxysm and on
the contrary she was little affected before that in comparison of what
she had been before and for most days she had none at all. We
thought it necessary at any rate to give herself hopes and we did
not even ↑think it↑ necessary to alarm her friends. ↑very much↑ But you will please to
observe that in ↑the↑ directions we gave her and which we presume you
have seen we advised every measure that could be proper upon
the supposition of her being much threatened with a phthisis.
We thought it safest to proceed upon that ground and if you
can add either precautions or measures that may be farther neces¬
sary it will be extremely agreeable to us. I am with sincere
regard
Dear Sir
Your most obedient servant
Edinburgh 31st October
1781
Diplomatic Text
Mrs Moir
I intended to have written to you along
with Mrs Moir but happening to be called out of town the day
before she went away it was omitted but am now much obliged
to you for your letter and shall answer it as well as I can.
From the circumstances you mention I think a phthisis
was to be apprehended and yet there is no absolute security against
it, but her mending so much as she had done at a season when her
growing worse was to be expected, and her being so well while she was
here gave me hopes that the worst was not to be feared. She had some
days hardly any cough and some days none at all and for eight
days together she had no spitting and but once in that time I could
not a sight of any and that was so inconsiderable that I could make
no judgement of it. Her pulse was generally 80 and hardly ever
above it, and she had not the night sweats as before. Her appetite
was better, she slept better and she seldom had any thirst. All these
circumstances allowed Mr Wood and me to give what we wished
to give the to herself and friends the most favourable opinion we
possibly could. But I must tell you that I still thought the
[Page 2]
Case of an ambiguous kind. The breathing was easily disturbed by
any bodily motion, she did not lie easily on one side and she some¬
times had chilly fits and some heat after them, but except once {illeg}
two days before she went away she had no evident paroxysm and on
the contrary she was little affected before that in comparison of what
she had been before and for most days she had none at all. We
thought it necessary at any rate to give herself hopes and we did
not even ↑think it↑ necessary to alarm her friends. ↑very much↑ But you will please to
observe that in ↑the↑ directions we gave her and which we presume you
have seen we advised every measure that could be proper upon
the supposition of her being much threatened with a phthisis.
We thought it safest to proceed upon that ground and if you
can add either precautions or measures that may be farther neces¬
sary it will be extremely agreeable to us. I am with sincere
regard
Dear Sir
Your most obedient servant
Edinr. 31st Octor.
1781
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