Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:3847] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr George Skene / Regarding: Miss Eleanor Fraser (Honble Miss Fraser) (Patient) / 28 June 1776 / (Outgoing)

Reply concerning Miss Fraser, presumably to Dr Skene. Cullen says that from what he saw of the patient, 'I am persuaded that if not the whole the greatest part of her ailments are feigned'; he wrote the preceding letter (ID:3846, which was presumably enclosed with this one) 'to be ostensible, and here I give you my real opinion', as it might put her mother 'out of countenance'.

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 3847
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/7/68
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date28 June 1776
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) Enclosure(s) present
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply concerning Miss Fraser, presumably to Dr Skene. Cullen says that from what he saw of the patient, 'I am persuaded that if not the whole the greatest part of her ailments are feigned'; he wrote the preceding letter (ID:3846, which was presumably enclosed with this one) 'to be ostensible, and here I give you my real opinion', as it might put her mother 'out of countenance'.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:827]
Case of Miss Fraser who is suspected of feining her fits.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:64]AddresseeDr George Skene
[PERS ID:1349]PatientMiss Eleanor Fraser (Honble Miss Fraser)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:64]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr George Skene
[PERS ID:925]Other Physician / SurgeonDr Herman Boerhaave
[PERS ID:1816]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendLady Eleanor Fraser (Lady Salton, Lady Saltoun of Abernethy, Helen)
[PERS ID:1817]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMrs Hamilton

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
Mentioned / Other Haarlem The Netherlands Holland Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Dear Dr


From what I saw of Miss Fraser I am persuaded that if not the whole
the greatest part of her ailments are feigned & Mrs Hamilton with whom she
lodged is of the same opinion, but as Lady Salton might be out of countenance
&c. &c. I wrote the cover of this to be ostensible, 1 and I here give you my
real opinion & to tell you what you will probably perceive that my advice
proceeds entirely upon that opinion. At the same time I could vindicate
my remedies upon the supposition of either a real or feigned disease.
But if either of you from your longer acquaintance with the Case shall
differ from me either with regard to the nature of the ailment or
the remedies adapted to it I shall be glad to have your further
information & correction. If you join with me in opinion, your own
discretion will adjust the remedies better than I can do in a general
advice. With regard to last remedy propose, you will pleas recollect
Dr Boerhaave's case of the Haerlam Epilepsy and I am of opinion
that you may find that merely the threatening as happened
to him will prove the remedy. 2 I beg to hear of the event of
this Case.

WC.
Edinburgh 28th June 1776.

Notes:

1: Secret: i.e. not to be shown to the patient, Miss Fraser, who is thought to be falsifying symptoms, nor to Lady Salton who might be offended by this accusation.

2: The Dutch physician and botanist Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738). Although Boerhaave discusses epilepsy and mentions Harlem (a town in Holland), several times in his numerous published works, this precise allusion is untraced. The implication is, however, that the case concerned a placebo effect.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Dr Dr


From what I saw of Miss Fraser I am persuaded that if not the whole
the greatest part of her ailments are feigned & Mrs Hamilton with whom she
lodged is of the same opinion, but as Lady Salton might be out of countenance
&c. &c. I wrote the cover of this to be ostensible, 1 and I here give you my
real opinion & to tell you what you will probably perceive that my advice
proceeds entirely upon that opinion. At the same time I could vindicate
my remedies upon the supposition of either a real or feigned disease.
But if either of you from your longer acquaintance with the Case shall
differ from me either with regard to the nature of the ailment or
the remedies adapted to it I shall be glad to have your further
information & correction. If you join with me in opinion, your own
discretion will adjust the remedies better than I can do in a general
advice. With regard to last remedy propose, you will pleas recollect
Dr Boerhaave's case of the Haerlam Epilepsy and I am of opinion
that you may find that merely the threatening as happened
to him will prove the remedy. 2 I beg to hear of the event of
this Case.

WC.
Edinr 28th June 1776.

Notes:

1: Secret: i.e. not to be shown to the patient, Miss Fraser, who is thought to be falsifying symptoms, nor to Lady Salton who might be offended by this accusation.

2: The Dutch physician and botanist Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738). Although Boerhaave discusses epilepsy and mentions Harlem (a town in Holland), several times in his numerous published works, this precise allusion is untraced. The implication is, however, that the case concerned a placebo effect.

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