
The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3716] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: John Whyte / Regarding: Mr Spittall (Spittel) (Patient) / 3 January 1775 / (Outgoing)
Reply for 'Mr Spittal contd.'. The follow-up letter promised in ID:3715. The addressee can be inferred as being John Whyte at Dysart. A case of mania, for which Cullen advises on regimen, medicines, and the need for having someone someone 'of authority' manage the patient. He also mentions the possible need for using a restraining waistcoat.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.

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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 3716 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/4/41 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 3 January 1775 |
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 Spittal contd.'. The follow-up letter promised in ID:3715. The addressee can be inferred as being John Whyte at Dysart. A case of mania, for which Cullen advises on regimen, medicines, and the need for having someone someone 'of authority' manage the patient. He also mentions the possible need for using a restraining waistcoat. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:179] |
Case of Mr Spittal, annotated 'Mania'. |
3 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:487] | Addressee | John Whyte |
[PERS ID:1331] | Patient | Mr Spittall (Spittel) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:487] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | John Whyte |
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 | Dysart | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
I believe he may be the better for cold bathing but it
cannot be employed at present for several reasons.
The season is unfavourable & it cannot be tried untill
his present cough is quite gone & even then some re¬
gard must be had to the eruption which might happen to be
upon him in the mean time I think he can go no
farther than keeping his head close shaven & washing it
with cold water every morning.
The putting his feet & legs in warm water for
1/2 an hour or more before bedtime [might?] certainly be of
service but it should not be too constantly practised.
Twice a week must be enough & take care that his feet
& legs be always well dried & wrapt in a piece of dry
warm flannel till he is warm in bed.
I think it necessary to open some Issue &
you must either make a perpetual Issue in his back
or put a pea Issue in his arm.
I would still keep his diet low by giving him
chiefly milk & farinacea & abstaining from animal food.
He would certainly be the better for being much in the fresh
air & having some exercise both in walking & going
in a carriage & it might be tried when the weather allows
but if you find that the motion & variety of objects
confuse his head too much you must let it alone.
[Page 2]
I expect that the Soluble Tartar must be so managed
as to keep his Belly regular without purging & if it
does no more than keep him regular you must give
him once a week a dose of your pills of aloes
Asa fœtid. & Calomel. If the Soluble Tart. be dis¬
posed to purge him he may let the pills
alone.
If you find him at some times liable to
have restless nights you [must?] try him with the anodyne
pill ordered on the other page. You [must?] begin with 2. but
must go to 3 or 4 for a dose according to the effects. You
[must?] repeat them for 3 or 4 nights following at one time
but hardly more as a frequent repetition of
them will render them useless.
In such cases the Patients being more or less
pliable is very uncertain & it is of great use to have
some who have authority over them If at any
time they are disposed to be outrageous it is necessary
to restrain them & nothing is so easy & convenient as the
waistcoat with long sleeves.
When he is at liberty he should hardly be left
alone, the windows of his chamber should be
screwed down & care should be taken that there
is nothing within his reach by which he can hurt himself.
Take half a drachm each of Camphor and Asafoetida. Adding a drop of rectified wine, grind the Camphor then add the Asafoetida and with mucilaginous gum arabic make a mass to be divided into five pills. Label: Cephalic Pills.
3 January
1775
Diplomatic Text
I believe he may be ye better for cold bathing but it
cannot be employed at present for several reasons.
The season is unfavourable & it cannot be tried untill
his present cough is quite gone & even yn some re¬
gard must be had to ye erupt. wc m. happ. to be
upon him in ye mean time I think he can go no
farther yn keepg his head close shaven & washg it
w cold water evy morng.
The puttg his feet & legs in warm water for
1/2 an hour or more bef. bedtime m. certy. be of
service bt it shd not b. too consty. practised.
Twice a week m b. enough & take care yt. his feet
& legs be alwys well dried & wrapt in a piece of dry
warm flannel till he is warm in bed.
I think it necessary to open some Issue &
you must either make a perpetual Issue in his back
or put a pea Issue in his arm.
I would still keep his diet low by givg him
chiefly milk & farinacea & abstg. fm animal food.
He would certy. be ye better for bg. mc in ye fresh
air & havg some exercise bth. in walkg. & going
in a carriage & it m. b. tried when ye weather allows
but if you find yt ye motion & variety of objects
confuse his head too much you must let it alone.
[Page 2]
I expect yt ye Soluble Tartar m. b. so managed
as to keep his B. regular w out purgg. & if it
does no more yn keep him regr you m. give
him once a week a dose of your pills of aloes
Asa fœtid. & Calomel. If ye Soluble Tart. be dis¬
posed to purge him he may let the pills
alone.
If you find him at some times liable to
have restless nights you m. try him w ye anodyne
pill ordd on ye oth. page. You m. begin w 2. bt
m go to 3 or 4 for a dose accordg. to ye effets. You
m. repeat ym for 3 or 4 nts followg. at one time
but hardly more as a frequent repetition of
ym will render ym useless.
In sc cases ye Patients being more or less
pliable is very uncertn. & it is of gt use to have
some who have author. ov. ym. If at any
time yy are disposed to be outrags. it is necessy.
to restrn. ym. & nothing is so easy & convt. as ye
waistcoat w long sleeves.
Wn he is at liberty he should hardly be left
alone, the winds. of his chamb. should be
screwed down & care should be taken that there
is nothing within his reach by wc he can hurt himself.
℞ Camph. As. foetid. aa ʒſs. Adijecta Sp.
Vin. rect. guttula terito Camph. dein adde As. foetid. &
cum mucilag. gumm. arab. q. s. mass. divda. in pil.
sing. gr. v. Signa Cephalic Pills
3 Jany
1775
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