The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3753] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr David Bethune (of Kilconquhar; of Balfour) / Regarding: Mr David Bethune (of Kilconquhar; of Balfour) (Patient) / 5 January 1774 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For David Bethune of Balfour'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 3753 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/5/16 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 5 January 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 David Bethune of Balfour'. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:260] |
Case of Mr David Bethune of Balfour who consulted Cullen previously over stomach complaints (See Case 34). Now also has an eye problem, head-pains, abdominal pains and increasing weakness. |
20 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:11] | Addressee | Mr David Bethune (of Kilconquhar; of Balfour) |
| [PERS ID:11] | Patient | Mr David Bethune (of Kilconquhar; of Balfour) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
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 | Kilconquhar House | Kilconquhar | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
| Mentioned / Other | Balfour House / Milton of Balgonie | Glenrothes | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For David Bethune of Balfour ? Esqre
I am very concerned to find you still ailing and am
the more so as I find that stomachs which have been long
ailing are difficultly restored. However we must not des¬
pair and I am confident you may still be releived. I still
think the regimen I formerly recommended to you is of
consequence and that the neglect of it may occasion
the recurrence of your ailments. I leave you to judge
from your experience what is in this and to be guided
accordingly. With regard to Medicine I would willingly
keep you as free from them as possible but they cannot be a¬
voided altogether. You must still take your Rhubarb at times
but if possible seldomer for it is the frequent repetition of it that
[Page 2]
has made it lose its effects. We have lately got a Medicine
which is commonly more effectual than most things we had
used before. 1 I think it is well suited to your Complaints &
I have accordingly ordered it on t'other page. It is however
not yet common in the Country and therefore if your Apoth¬
ecary is not provided with it, I beg he may send over here
and I shall take care that he has it good. Tho it should suc¬
ceed with you must not take it too long at one time not
above eight or ten days. You should then intermit for
a week or two, in the interval taking the Rhubarb and only
return to the bitters on some return in or threatening of your
Complaints.✍ In this way I hope you will get through the
winter and in Spring you must get upon your horse or into your Carriage
and in Summer take a long Journey. After considering now and for¬
merly all the circumstances of your Complaints this is the best measure
I can think of. I am not much surprized at your flying to the Brandy
Bottle for some releif but I cannot approve of the measure not only
from the danger of a bad habit but because I am certain that frequent
repetition not wears out the tone of the Stomach and in time that
of the whole body.
1774
[Page 3]
For Mr Bethuse of Balfour Esq
Take ten grammes of powdered Columbo root, a scruple of powdered calcined magnesia, two grammes of allspice. Mix and let the powder be taken twice a day, in the hour before dinner or it be attempted to be taken with a cup of water or in a piece of it folded into a ball with common syrup. Note: If this dose proves troublesome, you may be able to add fifteen to twenty grammes of columba root but not real magnesium together with the pepper and vinegar.
Take two drachms of columba root, one drachm of orange peel, half a drachm of each white cinnamon and ginger. Crush it together with six ounces of French brandy. Let it rest for two hours. Then mix it with twelve ounces of cold spring water. Let it rest over night and then strain it. Label it: Stomachich Infusion
after every does of the Powders.
Notes:
1: Cullen presumably refers to Columbo or Columba, the powdered root of the American or Yellow Gentian (Swerta Carolieniesis), which was being imported from Ontario.
Diplomatic Text
For David Bethune of Balfour ? Esqre
I am very concerned to find you still ailing and am
the more so as I find that stomachs which have been long
ailing are difficultly restored. However we must not des¬
pair and I am confident you may still be releived. I still
think the regimen I formerly recommended to you is of
consequence and that the neglect of it may occasion
the recurrence of your ailments. I leave you to judge
from your experience what is in this and to be guided
accordingly. With regard to Medicine I would willingly
keep you as free from them as possible but they cannot be a¬
voided altogether. You must still take your Rhubarb at times
but if possible seldomer for it is the frequent repetition of it that
[Page 2]
has made it lose its effects. We have lately got a Medicine
which is commonly more effectual than most things we had
used before. 1 I think it is well suited to your Complaints &
I have accordingly ordered it on t'other page. It is however
not yet common in the Country and therefore if your Apoth¬
ecary is not provided with it, I beg he may send over here
and I shall take care that he has it good. Tho it should suc¬
ceed with you must not take it too long at one time not
above eight or ten days. You should then intermit for
a week or two, in the interval taking the Rhubarb and only
return to the bitters on some return in or threatening of your
Complaints.✍ In this way I hope you will get through the
winter and in Spring you must get upon your horse or into your Carriage
and in Summer take a long Journey. After considering now and for¬
merly all the circumstances of your Complaints this is the best measure
I can think of. I am not much surprized at your flying to the Brandy
Bottle for some releif but I cannot approve of the measure not only
from the danger of a bad habit but because I am certain that frequent
repetition not wears out the tone of the Stomach and in time that
of the whole body.
1774
[Page 3]
For Mr Bethuse of Balfour Esq
℞ Rad: Columbae pulv. gr. x
Magnes alb. pulv ℈j
piper Jamaicens pulv gr ij
ℳ: f. Pulvis bis die seilicet hora ante prandium et conam
sumendus vel ex cyatho Aqua vel cum syr. com: in bolum
factus et obolo involutus.
N.B. Si hec dosis nequaquam venticulo molesta fuerct.
aguer poterit ad Rad Columbo gr xv vel xx. magnesia
vero et pipere non simul acetis
℞ Rad Columb ʒij
Cort aurantior. ʒj
Canell alb.
Zingiber @ ʒſs.
Contusis affunde Spir vin Gall ℥vj Digere res horas duas
Dein affunde aq. font. frigid. ℥xij Digere iterum
per noctem et cola
Sig Stomachich Infusion
after every does of the Powders.
Notes:
1: Cullen presumably refers to Columbo or Columba, the powdered root of the American or Yellow Gentian (Swerta Carolieniesis), which was being imported from Ontario.
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