The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3704] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr George Skene / Regarding: Mr Alexander Dingwall (Dingwal) (Patient) / 30 August 1774 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mr Dingwal', probably to Dr George Skene in Aberdeen. After considering the whole of his complaints, Cullen does not believe them gouty 'but think they have been owing to 'fatigue cold & wet' and provides advice for his respiratory problems.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 3704 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/4/29 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 30 August 1774 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Mr Dingwal', probably to Dr George Skene in Aberdeen. After considering the whole of his complaints, Cullen does not believe them gouty 'but think they have been owing to 'fatigue cold & wet' and provides advice for his respiratory problems. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:147] |
Case of Mr Dingwall who has breathing problems. See later Case 922. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:64] | Addressee | Dr George Skene |
| [PERS ID:192] | Patient | Mr Alexander Dingwall (Dingwal) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:64] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr George Skene |
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 | Aberdeen | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mr Dingwal
After considering the whole of Mr
Dingwals complaints I can Perceive nothing
ascertaining them to be gouty but think
they have been owing to fatigue cold & wet.
As these have thrown a great deal of
Phlegm upon his breast and that determination
has now taken Place for a long time it will not
be easy to remove it or to Prevent less or more
of it returning upon any fresh cold but I
think it very Possible to moderate all his
complaints & to prevent their ever being
very troublesome. --
For this Purpose his first cure must
be to avoid cold. -- He should always be well
cloathed & all winter wear a flannel
shirt next his skin At the same time he
must avoid being heated by exercise or
warm Chambers & never to change cloaths.
In Diet he must use a middling kind
take a little meat at Dinner, none at supper
[Page 2]
At Dinner he should take the lighter kinds
only and even these sparingly making up
his Dinner with Broth pudding and vegetables
In Drink he should have water alone or
with a little wine in it abstaining from all
kind of malt liquors. He may take 2 or 3
glasses of wine at Dinner but never more
as being in the least heated will always do
harm All kind of spirituous liquors as very
bad for him. Nothing more necessary or
can be more usefull than frequent exer¬
cise on Horseback or in a carriage and
twice a year he should make a regular
Journey of two or three hundred miles
at other times he should ride frequently
but in a regular way choosing the forenoon
as the mornings are precarious and afternoon
do less service and may do harm
He must be moderate in his appli¬
[Page 3]
cation to business and never sit long at one
time never any after supper and never sit
late at night
These precautions observed will I
am certain do a great Deal to preserve Mr
Dingwals Health but in case accidents
should bring on his Disorder that tis bring
much Phlegm on his breast with Difficult
expectoration and Breathing Let Him keep
close at home for some days and even lie
much abed Drinking a weak sassafras Tea
to favour Perspiration.
If that Dont immediately succeed
let him take a gentle vomit and if he bears
this easily nothing will releive his breast
more than gentle vomits now and then
In more urgent cases he should put a
Blister on his Back but not to keep it open
& a a fresh Blister will always be of more ser¬
vice. In slighter attacks he may use
[Page 4]
either the squill Pills or those I have ordered
in a paper apart For Mr Dingwal
Take half a drachm each of Balsam of Tolu and hard white lump sugar. Rub together well and then add a drachm each of powdered Elecampane root and Elder, and enough Gum Arabic paste as to make a mass to be divided into individual pills of four grains each.
Label: Pectoral pills two or three to be taken every night and morning.
1774
Diplomatic Text
For Mr Dingwal
After considering the whole of Mr
Dingwals complaints I can Perceive nothing
ascertaining them to be gouty but think
they have been owing to fatigue cold & wet.
As these have thrown a great deal of
Phlegm upon his breast and that determination
has now taken Place for a long time it will not
be easy to remove it or to Prevent less or more
of it returning upon any fresh cold but I
think it very Possible to moderate all his
complaints & to prevent their ever being
very troublesome. --
For this Purpose his first cure must
be to avoid cold. -- He should always be well
cloathed & all winter wear a flannel
shirt next his skin At the same time he
must avoid being heated by exercise or
warm Chambers & never to change cloaths.
In Diet he must use a middling kind
take a little meat at Dinner, none at supper
[Page 2]
At Dinner he should take the lighter kinds
only and even these sparingly making up
his Dinner with Broth pudding and vegetables
In Drink he should have water alone or
with a little wine in it abstaining from all
kind of malt liquors. He may take 2 or 3
glasses of wine at Dinner but never more
as being in the least heated will always do
harm All kind of spirituous liquors as very
bad for him. Nothing more necessary or
can be more usefull than frequent exer¬
cise on Horseback or in a carriage and
twice a year he should make a regular
Journey of two or three hundred miles
at other times he should ride frequently
but in a regular way choosing the forenoon
as the mornings are precarious and afternoon
do less service and may do harm
He must be moderate in his appli¬
[Page 3]
cation to business and never sit long at one
time never any after supper and never sit
late at night
These precautions observed will I
am certain do a great Deal to preserve Mr
Dingwals Health but in case accidents
should bring on his Disorder that tis bring
much Phlegm on his breast with Difficult
expectoration and Breathing Let Him keep
close at home for some days and even lie
much abed Drinking a weak sassafras Tea
to favour Perspiration.
If that Dont immediately succeed
let him take a gentle vomit and if he bears
this easily nothing will releive his breast
more than gentle vomits now and then
In more urgent cases he should put a
Blister on his Back but not to keep it open
& a a fresh Blister will always be of more ser¬
vice. In slighter attacks he may use
[Page 4]
either the squill Pills or those I have ordered
in a paper apart For Mr Dingwal
℞ Balsam Tolutan:
Sacchar alb. Duriss @ ʒſs
Terito simul probe dein adde
Pul. rad. Enul. Camp
Rob Sambuc @ ʒi
Mucilag G. Arab. q. s ut f. massa
Dividenda in pil. sing. gr. iv.
Signa Pectoral pills two or three to
be taken every night and morning.
1774
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