The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:389] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mrs (Patient) / 4 June 1768 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mrs -', concerning mercury treatment for a suspected venereal infection.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 389 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/2/10 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 4 June 1768 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Mrs -', concerning mercury treatment for a suspected venereal infection. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:279] |
Case of Mrs --- which is suspected of being venereal. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1168] | Patient | Mrs |
| [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 |
Normalized Text
For Mrs
Having now all the circumstances of the Case ↑very fully↑ before me I can be
more explicit in my opinion & advice. I wished to have got clear of any
suspicion of Venereal Infection but am sorry I can not nor can I say that
it is yet entirely washed out. However ↑disagreable↑ this Opinion may be to the
patient it is not so bad as amusing a person with false security & allowing
a pernicious mischief to remain in the body. I am clearly of
Opinion that something more is necessary to be done and I still think that
the Pills advised in my last one very proper & if properly employed may
be of great service. But I cannot advise {illeg} trusting to these alone
I am perswaded that it is necessary ↑to↑ throw in a little more mercury
In the manner of using it there is no choise, the anointing in most cases
is proper {illeg} Here it is the only measure admissible & during
the present warm weather it can be employed without any confinement.
I would advise the bigness of a small bean of the ointment formerly employed
to be anointed on the thighs at bedtime. This may be done for two or three
nights together but it will always be proper after a second or third night
to intermitt it for one night or two. A close watch must be kept over the
mouth & as soon as any Copper taste or other unusual nauseous taste
is observed or the least taint on the breath is perceived the ointment
must be intermitted for several nights & only returned to as these symptoms
wear of. This is not only necessary to prevent any discourg of
bystanders but is also prudent with respect to cold as it is never safe to
push the Mercury far without close confinement. But even such a
slight course when continued a long time will do as well & sometimes
better than a Course pushed further faster to a higher degree. I hope
at this season it may be employed with secresy & safety and I hope and trust
[Page 2]
it will in the Course of this Summer wash out every remain of
Venereal Taint. I percieve how desireable it is to manage this matter
without confinement & I think it may but I would however advise that in {illeg}
cases of wet & colder weather the Air is avoided as much as possible and
especially when the Length Mercury has come the length of Producing sweats
or of threatening the mouth. In this Course perhaps the Diet must perhaps
of necessity take the common run of the family or must perhaps be regulated
by the Peculiar circumstances of the Lady's stomach but so far as consistent
with these I advise the Diet to be very light & as much as possible of Milk
& Milkmeats. This is the whole of the advice I can offer with regard to the
symptoms I am consulted about, but I now percieve there are many
other ailments in this constitution that require attention attention and
management, but I neither know enough of these to prescribe for them
nor to a person otherwise provided with medical friends is my advice
necessary & I have only to say that as far as I can percieve there is no part
of what I have advised that is incompatible with the constitution
The Pills I advised in my last seem rather proper for it and with regard to the
Mercury nothing more occurrs to be observed but that the disposition of the
& constitution to feverish fits and the readiness of the mercury to incite
these requires more caution in pushing this than would be required in
other cases. I must conlude with observing thre are many circumstances
in this affair that touch me with much concern and if I can on {illeg} any
occasion or with regard to the smallest doubt or difficulty to be of further service
I shall from my heart give the best advice I can
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs
Having now all the circumstances of the Case ↑very fully↑ before me I can be
more explicit in my opinion & advice. I wished to have got clear of any
suspicion of Venereal Infection but am sorry I can not nor can I say that
it is yet entirely washed out. However ↑disagreable↑ this Opinion may be to the
patient it is not so bad as amusing a person with false security & allowing
a pernicious mischief to remain in the body. I am clearly of
Opinion that something more is necessary to be done and I still think that
the Pills advised in my last one very proper & if properly employed may
be of great service. But I cannot advise {illeg} trusting to these alone
I am perswaded that it is necessary ↑to↑ throw in a little more mercury
In the manner of using it there is no choise, the anointing in most cases
is proper {illeg} Here it is the only measure admissible & during
the present warm weather it can be employed without any confinement.
I would advise the bigness of a small bean of the ointment formerly employed
to be anointed on the thighs at bedtime. This may be done for two or three
nights together but it will always be proper after a second or third night
to intermitt it for one night or two. A close watch must be kept over the
mouth & as soon as any Copper taste or other unusual nauseous taste
is observed or the least taint on the breath is perceived the ointment
must be intermitted for several nights & only returned to as these symptoms
wear of. This is not only necessary to prevent any discourg of
bystanders but is also prudent with respect to cold as it is never safe to
push the Mercury far without close confinement. But even such a
slight course when continued a long time will do as well & sometimes
better than a Course pushed further faster to a higher degree. I hope
at this season it may be employed with secresy & safety and I hope and trust
[Page 2]
it will in the Course of this Summer wash out every remain of
Venereal Taint. I percieve how desireable it is to manage this matter
without confinement & I think it may but I would however advise that in {illeg}
cases of wet & colder weather the Air is avoided as much as possible and
especially when the Length Mercury has come the length of Producing sweats
or of threatening the mouth. In this Course perhaps the Diet must perhaps
of necessity take the common run of the family or must perhaps be regulated
by the Peculiar circumstances of the Lady's stomach but so far as consistent
with these I advise the Diet to be very light & as much as possible of Milk
& Milkmeats. This is the whole of the advice I can offer with regard to the
symptoms I am consulted about, but I now percieve there are many
other ailments in this constitution that require attention attention and
management, but I neither know enough of these to prescribe for them
nor to a person otherwise provided with medical friends is my advice
necessary & I have only to say that as far as I can percieve there is no part
of what I have advised that is incompatible with the constitution
The Pills I advised in my last seem rather proper for it and with regard to the
Mercury nothing more occurrs to be observed but that the disposition of the
& constitution to feverish fits and the readiness of the mercury to incite
these requires more caution in pushing this than would be required in
other cases. I must conlude with observing thre are many circumstances
in this affair that touch me with much concern and if I can on {illeg} any
occasion or with regard to the smallest doubt or difficulty to be of further service
I shall from my heart give the best advice I can
XML
XML file not yet available.
Feedback
Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:389]
Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...
