The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3723] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mrs Willoughby (Willobie) (Patient) / 17 February 1775 / (Outgoing)
Reply, in answer to Thomas Hall, 'For Mrs Willoughby' (Hall's niece), who Cullen has visited in person, 'both night and morning for two days' and who he considers to be in an advanced state of consumption and beyond any hope of recovery. Includes four recipes designed to bring her some relief.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 3723 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/4/48 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 17 February 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, in answer to Thomas Hall, 'For Mrs Willoughby' (Hall's niece), who Cullen has visited in person, 'both night and morning for two days' and who he considers to be in an advanced state of consumption and beyond any hope of recovery. Includes four recipes designed to bring her some relief. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:16] |
Case of Mrs Willoughby (Willobie), with advanced consumption. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1468] | Patient | Mrs Willoughby (Willobie) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1467] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Thomas |
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 | Berwick-upon-Tweed (Berwick) | North-East | England | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Willoughby
Phthisis
I have now visited Mrs W. both night &
morning for 2 days & I know as much of the nature of
of her case as if she was to stay here for a month.
&c on this account I have advised to go home immediately
lest she soon be not able &c.
I am sorry &c but I must tell you what I
think & I have a worse opinion of it than when I
wrote you first. Her spitting is purulent her hectic
considerable & her emaciation & weakness great, &
I think I never knew one in such &c recover.
Having this opinion you will not expect that I
will prescribe much for all we can do is to make
her mind & body as easy as possible. Let her
milk in the morning be continued. Let her diet also be
continued without animal except it may be a little broth
a little hartshorn or even calves head jelly & perhaps
a little bit of white meat when she is on the road.
Her anodyne draughts will become more necessary &
[yres?] must be continued & even the dose increased
As they were to be renewed here & I did not know exac¬
tly your receipt I have given her a new one as
below which you may continue or change at pleasure. I have
put her on the use of an oily mixture which while her stomach bears
it easily [idem.?] continue. For the sake of some variety
[Page 2]
have ordered below an Electuary & Decoction which may be
employed at your discretion. They are not of much conse¬
quence & may be of some service. There is no little
hope of benefit from any Issue that in her present
state of weakness I cannot advise any thing of that
kind. While she can conveniently go out in a
carriage it may give her some relief but at this time
of the season it requires a great deal of caution to avoid
cold. This all at present but if any amend¬
ment or new circumstances &ccc Dr Thomas
Edinburgh 17. February
1775.
Take half an ounce of each of Rose Water simple cinnamon, fifteen drops of Thebaic Tincture, two drachms each of Diacodium Syrup and Balsamic. Mix. Label: Anodyne Drops to be taken at bedtime.
Take one ounce of sweet almond Oil and one and a half ounces of Gum Arabic mucilage. Rub together & steadily add one ounce of Syrup of balsam, two ounces of rose water, caustic Spirit of ammoniac salt or thirty drops of caustic volatile alkaline salts. Label: Pectoral Mixture. A tablespoonful to be taken several times a day.
[Page 3]
Take one scruple of Balsam of Tolu, two drachms of spermaceti, two drachms of rough white sugar. Rub together, test, then add an ounce and a half each of Gum Arabic mucilage and Elderberry Rob and a sufficient quantity of Syrup of balsam to make an Electuary [tertue?]. Label: Pectoral Electuary. A teaspoonful to be taken several times when she is not using the oily mixture.
Take two ounces of dried Coltsfoot Leaves boil in two pounds of spring water to one pound then strain & disolve in the strained water half an ounce of extract of purified liquorice. Signa: Pectoral Decoction. Two tablespoonfuls to be taken several times a day.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Willoughby
Phthisis
I have now visited Mrs W. both nt &
morng for 2 ds & I know as mc of ye nature of
of her case as if she was to stay here for a month.
&c on ys acct I have advised to go home immed.
lest she soon be not able &c.
I am sorry &c but I must tell you wt I
think & I have a worse opinion of it than wn I
wrote you first. Her spitting is purul. her hectic
considerable & her emaciatn & weakn great, &
I think I never knew one in such &c recover.
Hav.g ys opinion you will not expect that I
will prescribe mc for all we can do is to make
her mind & body as easy as possible. Let her
milk in ye morng be contd. Let her diet also be
contd w out animal except it may be a little broth
a little hartshorn or even calves head jelly & perhaps
a little bit of white meat wn she is on ye road.
Her anod. drts will become more necess. &
[yres?] must be cont.d & even the dose increased
As yy were to be renewed here & I did not know exac¬
tly your receipt I have given her a new one as
below wc you m. cont. or change at pleasure. I have
put her on ye use of an oily mixt. wc wle her stom. bears
it easily [idem.?] cont.. For ye sake of some variety
[Page 2]
have ordered below an Elect. & Decoctn wc m.b.
employed at your discretion. They are not of mc conse¬
quence & may be of some service. There is no little
hope of benefit from any Issue yt in her present
state of weakness I cannot advise any thing of yt
kind. While she can conveniently go out in a
carriage it m. give her some relief but at ys time
of ye season it requires a gt deal of caution to avoid
cold. This all at prest. but if any amend¬
ment or new circumstances &ccc Dr Thomas
Edinr 17. Feby
1775.
℞ Aq. rosar. cinnam. simpl. aa ℥ſs
Tinct. Theb gtt. XV
Syrup Diacod.
Balsamic aa ʒj
M. Signa Anod. Drt: to b. tak. at bedt.
℞ Ol. amygdal. dulc. ℥j
Mucil. G. Arab. ℥iſs
Terito simul & paulatin adde
Syrup balsamic. ℥j aq. rosar. ℥ij
Spt sal. ammon. caust. sive
alcali volat. caust. gtt XXX
Signa: Pector. ℳ. a tablespoonf. to b. taken several
times a day.
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℞ Balsam. Tolut. ℈j sperm. cet. ʒjj
sacch alb. duriss. ʒij
Terito simul probe dein adde
Mucil. G. Arab. Rob. Sambuc. aa ℥jſs
Syrup balsam. q.s. ut f. Elect. [tertue?]
Signa Pectoral Elect. a teaspoonf. to b. tn several
times wn she is not using ye oily ℳ.
℞ Fol. tussilag. siccat. ℥ij
coque ex Aq. font. lbij ad lbj dein cola & in cola¬
to solve
Extr. glycyrrhir. puriss. ℥ſs
Signa Pectoral Decoction two tablespoonf.
to be taken several times a day.
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