The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2479] From: Dr John Alves / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs Jane Fraser (of Relick) (Patient) / 1 July 1784 / (Incoming)
Letter from John Alves, concerning the case of Mrs Fraser. Alves reports Mrs Fraser has suffered intermittent returns of all her complaints (side pain, breathlessness, cough and spitting of blood). On Sunday 13th June, Mrs Fraser fell down eight steps, without suffering any material injury.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
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Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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[Page 2]
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 2479 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1532 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 1 July 1784 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from John Alves, concerning the case of Mrs Fraser. Alves reports Mrs Fraser has suffered intermittent returns of all her complaints (side pain, breathlessness, cough and spitting of blood). On Sunday 13th June, Mrs Fraser fell down eight steps, without suffering any material injury. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:788] |
Case of Mrs [Jane] Fraser of Relict [Relig/Reelig], who suffers from breathlessness and pain in her side; she subsequently falls down stairs, becomes pregnant and is then dissuaded from suckling her child for fear of her catching milk fever and a cold. |
21 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:148] | Author | Dr John Alves |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:857] | Patient | Mrs Jane Fraser (of Relick) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:148] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Alves |
| [PERS ID:858] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr Fraser (of Relick) |
| [PERS ID:4503] | Other | (Gutuley. Going south from Inverness and delivered John Alves' letter concerning Mrs Jane Fraser to Cullen. LMcC (Cannot find record of place or specif) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Inverness | North Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Sometime after I receiv'd your last,
a return of our Patient Mrs Frasers Oppress'd breathing,
and pain with spitting of blood, oblig'd me to repeat
the bleeding and to apply a small blister to the side.
These Operations, she bore pretty well, but they only
gave a temporary relief: she has, at times, had returns
of all her Complaints. The Breathlessness however, is
often altogether away and at such times the Respiration
is as easy & slow as natural, but suddenly upon a change
of the Weather to cold & damp, or going in to a warm
room it will come on again, tho' perhaps it will -
only continue for half an hour or an hour. sometimes
it comes on with a palpitation of the heart, but I think
seldomer in that way since the last bleeding. The spitting
of blood is still in the same manner I formerly describd
it, that is, in the morning only, and without any effect of
Coughing, or, even hawking: for two or three mornings
[Page 2]
the quantity was much greater than usual, that is,
between Mucus, Spittle & blood, these might be about
a small tea cup full;- for ordinary the quantity is not
a fourth part of that;- Sometimes it only gives a
brownish tinge to the Mucus from the throat. -
The pain of her side has always continued more or less,
sometimes, so slight however as to give her very little
uneasiness; at other times more considerable. At present
she thinks it occupies a larger space than it did.
She very seldom has any cough, and generaly is in
pretty good Spirits.
On Sunday the 13th. June, she fell headlong down eight
steps of a stair, but most providentially without
receiving any Material Injury; neither her breast, nor
any part of the Abdomen touched the stair, and next
morning she only felt her Arms a little pain'd, from
their exertion in supporting the weight of her body.
The weather having been cold & wet last week, she
had more uneasiness from her Complaints than she had
for a week before, and Relick told me two days
[Page 3]
ago that for two mornings she had spit more blood
than usual, ↑that is, about half a cupfull of mixt stuff↑ but that the quantity was daily diminish¬
ing.
She has lately taken a little Asses milk in the
mornings, The only Medicine she has us'd is small
doses of Nitre thro' the day as her Stomach would
bear. Her Apetite is generally pretty good, &
her Diet consists chiefly of Milk and vegetables
but she eats some White Meat at Dinner.
She takes no spiritous or fermented Liquor
but drinks whey & buttermilk. Her belly is
pretty regular, sometimes rather open.
As I suppose you will be anxious about
Mrs Fraser I take the opportunity of [Gutuleys?]
going South to give you this Account of her,
If any thing Occurs, your Communicating it
will be very much oblige
Your most Obedient Servant
[Page 4]
Doctor Wm Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Mrs Fraser
July 1784
XVI. p. 40, 50, 95, 103, 174, 267
Diplomatic Text
Sometime after I receiv'd your last,
a return of our Patient Mrs Frasers Oppress'd breathing,
and pain with spitting of blood, oblig'd me to repeat
the bleeding and to apply a small blister to the side.
These Operations, she bore pretty well, but they only
gave a temporary relief: she has, at times, had returns
of all her Complaints. The Breathlessness however, is
often altogether away and at such times the Respiration
is as easy & slow as natural, but suddenly upon a change
of the Weather to cold & damp, or going in to a warm
room it will come on again, tho' perhaps it will -
only continue for half an hour or an hour. sometimes
it comes on with a palpitation of the heart, but I think
seldomer in that way since the last bleeding. The spitting
of blood is still in the same manner I formerly describd
it, that is, in the morning only, and without any effect of
Coughing, or, even hawking: for two or three mornings
[Page 2]
the quantity was much greater than usual, that is,
between Mucus, Spittle & blood, these might be about
a small tea cup full;- for ordinary the quantity is not
a fourth part of that;- Sometimes it only gives a
brownish tinge to the Mucus from the throat. -
The pain of her side has always continued more or less,
sometimes, so slight however as to give her very little
uneasiness; at other times more considerable. At present
she thinks it occupies a larger space than it did.
She very seldom has any cough, and generaly is in
pretty good Spirits.
On Sunday the 13th. June, she fell headlong down eight
steps of a stair, but most providentially without
receiving any Material Injury; neither her breast, nor
any part of the Abdomen touched the stair, and next
morning she only felt her Arms a little pain'd, from
their exertion in supporting the weight of her body.
The weather having been cold & wet last week, she
had more uneasiness from her Complaints than she had
for a week before, and Relick told me two days
[Page 3]
ago that for two mornings she had spit more blood
than usual, ↑that is, about half a cupfull of mixt stuff↑ but that the quantity was daily diminish¬
ing.
She has lately taken a little Asses milk in the
mornings, The only Medicine she has us'd is small
doses of Nitre thro' the day as her Stomach would
bear. Her Apetite is generally pretty good, &
her Diet consists chiefly of Milk and vegetables
but she eats some White Meat at Dinner.
She takes no spiritous or fermented Liquor
but drinks whey & buttermilk. Her belly is
pretty regular, sometimes rather open.
As I suppose you will be anxious about
Mrs Fraser I take the opportunity of [Gutuleys?]
going South to give you this Accot. of her,
If any thing Occurs, your Communicating it
will be very much oblige
Your most Ob Sert
[Page 4]
Doctor Wm Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Mrs Fraser
July 1784
XVI. p. 40, 50, 95, 103, 174, 267
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