The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:282] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr J. Spens / Regarding: Mr J. Spens (Patient) / 28 February 1782 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mr J. S.' Cullen chides him for not following earlier directions, adding that 'I cannot suppose you live like a monk in the midst of a gay metropolis', and recommends that if he wishes the advice of a physician or surgeon in London he should consult the Hunters.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 282 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/171 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 28 February 1782 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Mr J. S.' Cullen chides him for not following earlier directions, adding that 'I cannot suppose you live like a monk in the midst of a gay metropolis', and recommends that if he wishes the advice of a physician or surgeon in London he should consult the Hunters. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1468] |
Case of Mr J. Spens who is thought to have gout, but his primary problem is a urinary stricture associated with a venereal infection which he has discussed with the surgeon John Hunter. |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2782] | Addressee | Mr J. Spens |
| [PERS ID:2782] | Patient | Mr J. Spens |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:526] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Mr John Hunter |
| [PERS ID:2689] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr William Hunter |
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 | London | London and South-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mr J. S.
I was favoured with yours two days ago
but as no post went out yesternight I could not answer it till
now. But now I have sat down I am truly at a loss what to
say. I perceive that you are now & then troubled with your -
ailments but I am doubtfull whether to impute this to circum¬
stances in your manner of living or on the insufficiency of my
remedies. I cannot suppose that you live like a monk in the midst
of a gay metropolis and cannot judge what lengths you go in eat¬
ing drinking and ------- I know that you can do nothing in
worse than dreams and I am surprized that you have escaped so
well as you have done. I must tell you that you must ↑not↑ expect
benefit from medicines when either accidents or your own doings
are counteracting them and in Such circumstances you should
perhaps let them alone altogether. With respect to the medicines
I advised I suspect that you have taken more of them than
I wished and particularly the Solution which I wished you to
be sparing of. It is impossible for me without being near
[Page 2]
to you to know your State from day to day to give you any
positive directions. You must consult what I gave you in
writing when you left this and apply what I have said there
with the best judgement you can and especially mind this that
you may readily take much. My opinion at present is that
unless some very urgent Stricture occur you may be better to take
no medicine for a month to come but at the same time you
must be as temperate and regular in the whole of your conduct
as you possibly can. However it is possible that you might
be the better for having a person to consult with upon every
new occurrence but I suspect you might also be the worse for
it. There are certainly Physicians and Surgeons who could ad¬
vise you better than I can but I don't know them and there -
are so many weak, wrongheaded, quackish and careless ones -
that I am afraid of putting you in their hands. There are
two persons at the west end of the town whom I could trust and
these are the two Hunters. If you shall be pleased to consult
with either of them you may probably be the better for it
[Page 3]
and I shall be glad to know what advice they give you. When¬
ever mine can be of Service to you you may depend upon the
most earnest attention of
Dear Sir
your most faithfull & obedient servant
Diplomatic Text
For Mr J. S.
I was favoured with yours two days ago
but as no post went out yesternight I could not answer it till
now. But now I have sat down I am truly at a loss what to
say. I perceive that you are now & then troubled with your -
ailments but I am doubtfull whether to impute this to circum¬
stances in your manner of living or on the insufficiency of my
remedies. I cannot suppose that you live like a monk in the midst
of a gay metropolis and cannot judge what lengths you go in eat¬
ing drinking and ------- I know that you can do nothing in
worse than dreams and I am surprized that you have escaped so
well as you have done. I must tell you that you must ↑not↑ expect
benefit from medicines when either accidents or your own doings
are counteracting them and in Such circumstances you should
perhaps let them alone altogether. With respect to the medicines
I advised I suspect that you have taken more of them than
I wished and particularly the Solution which I wished you to
be sparing of. It is impossible for me without being near
[Page 2]
to you to know your State from day to day to give you any
positive directions. You must consult what I gave you in
writing when you left this and apply what I have said there
with the best judgement you can and especially mind this that
you may readily take much. My opinion at present is that
unless some very urgent Stricture occur you may be better to take
no medicine for a month to come but at the same time you
must be as temperate and regular in the whole of your conduct
as you possibly can. However it is possible that you might
be the better for having a person to consult with upon every
new occurrence but I suspect you might also be the worse for
it. There are certainly Physicians and Surgeons who could ad¬
vise you better than I can but I don't know them and there -
are so many weak, wrongheaded, quackish and careless ones -
that I am afraid of putting you in their hands. There are
two persons at the west end of the town whom I could trust and
these are the two Hunters. If you shall be pleased to consult
with either of them you may probably be the better for it
[Page 3]
and I shall be glad to know what advice they give you. When¬
ever mine can be of Service to you you may depend upon the
most earnest attention of
Dear Sir
your most faithfull & obedient servant
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