The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:365] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Captain Thomas Fraser (Frazer) (Patient), Mr Robert Grant (Patient) / 29 November 1775 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'To Mr Duncanson about Mr Grant'. This letter is addressed to Mr Thomas Duncanson regarding the case of the servant Robert Grant, further to his master Captain Urquhart's report of his case as conveyed via Duncanson in a previous letter. Cullen warns that the outcome in such cases is seldom favourable, but gives directions for his care.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There is 1 image for this document.
[Page 1]
Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 365 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/6/64 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 29 November 1775 |
Annotation | None |
Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
Autopsy | No |
Recipe | Yes |
Regimen | Yes |
Letter of Introduction | No |
Case Note | No |
Summary | Reply, 'To Mr Duncanson about Mr Grant'. This letter is addressed to Mr Thomas Duncanson regarding the case of the servant Robert Grant, further to his master Captain Urquhart's report of his case as conveyed via Duncanson in a previous letter. Cullen warns that the outcome in such cases is seldom favourable, but gives directions for his care. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:25] |
Case of Robert Grant, a servant suffering from a cough, feverishness and other symptoms. |
3 |
[Case ID:185] |
Case of Captain Thomas Fraser [Frazer] who now has a fever having long taken to his bed after a long history of real and, possibly imagined, complaints. |
5 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1341] | Patient | Captain Thomas Fraser (Frazer) |
[PERS ID:1566] | Patient | Mr Robert Grant |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1564] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Thomas Duncanson |
[PERS ID:1565] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Captain Urquhart |
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 | Forres | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
To Mr Duncanson about Mr Grant.
Matters seem to be in a threatening way to Robt. Grant. Capt. Urquh. 1
information only confirms my fears of the faint being laid deeper than we
at first imagined. His hectic, advances very fast & if his spittle be not
already purulent, will soon be. Of such cases, the event seldom favourable.
A case such as Capt. Frazer's, not once in 1000 times. I write all this at
Capt. Urquhart's desire, but whatever our fears, we will take all the
pains &cc. For this
I cannot bid you return to the Tartar Emetic but there may be occasion
for the Anodynes. Night fever & sweatings are [inc?] aggravated by the
coughings & an anodyne given early in the Evening by quieting the cough renders
the fever & sweating more moderate. Therefore, such anodynes as your
discretion &c. You may fear difficulty from Costiveness but this is
rare & a tendency to Diarrhoea comes on always, sooner or later & even with
the anodyne, plenty of subacid fruits, which are now proper, will obviate
all Costiveness. If he get plenty of fruit the Elixir will be less needful
but at any rate it can do no harm. The Issue in his back is now as
necessary as ever & must be continued The low diet formerly recommended
is now even more necessary. A little gentle exercise on horseback
or rather in a carriage, but his strength not sufficient to benefit by it,
& this season &cc. However I leave that to your discretion. If the
Balsam do no harm, it will probably do good & you may increase the
dose as it will sometimes quiet the cough when Opiates cannot properly
be employed. Tho I have little faith in Pectorals & they will come
in this case too late, I offer you a very innocent one which has often
been of service.
Take three ounces of dried Leaves of Coltsfoot boil with a liquid measure of two pounds to one pound of spring water until complete. Add two drachms of Aniseed, three drachms of Extract of Liquorice. Strain etc. Label: Pectoral Apozem, two tablespoonfuls two or three times a day.
bring him thro the winter we may have better opportunity of doing something
for him in the Spring. &cc.
Notes:
1: Presumably an abbreviation for 'Urquhart's', as repeated later in this opening paragraph.
Diplomatic Text
To Mr Duncanson about Mr Grant.
Matters seem to be in a threateng. way to Robt. Grant. Capt. Urquh. 1
information only confirms my fears of the faint being laid deeper than we
at first imagined. His hectic, advances very fast & if his spittl. be not
already purulent, will soon be. Of such cases, ye event seldom favourable.
A case sc as Capt. Frazer's, not once in 1000 times. I write all this at
Capt. Urquhart's desire, but whatever our fears, we will take all ye
pains &cc. For this
I cannot bid you return to ye Tart. Emet. but there may be occasn.
for the Anodynes. Night fever & sweatgs. are [inc?] aggravated by ye
coughs. & an anodyne given early in ye Eveng. by quietg. ye cough renders
ye fever & sweatg. more moderate. Therefore, such anodynes as your
discretion &c. You may fear difficulty from Costiveness but this is
rare & a tendency to Diarrhoea comes on always, sooner or later & even w
ye anodyne, plenty of subacid fruits, wc are now proper, will obviate
all Costiveness. If he get plenty of fruit ye Elixir will be less needful
but at any rate it can do no harm. The Issue in his back is now as
necessary as ever & must be contd. The low diet formerly recommend.
is now even more necessary. A little gentle exercise on horseback
or rather in a carriage, but his strength not sufficient to benefit by it,
& this season &cc. However I leave that to your discretion. If the
Balsam do no harm, it will probably do good & you may increase ye
dose as it will sometimes quiet ye cough wn Opiates cannot properly
be employed. Tho I have little faith in Pectorals & they will come
in this case too late, I offer you a very innocent one wc has often
been of service.
℞ Fol. tussil. sicc. ℥ij Cogue ex aq. font. ex lbij ad lbi addendo
sub finem Semin. anis. ʒij Extr. glycyrrh. ʒiij Cola &c. Signa Pector. Apozem
two table spoonf. 2 or 3 times a day as his Stom. bears it.
bring him thro ye winter we may have better opportunity of doing something
for him in the Spring. &cc.
Notes:
1: Presumably an abbreviation for 'Urquhart's', as repeated later in this opening paragraph.
XML
XML file not yet available.
Feedback
Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:365]
Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...