The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:398] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mrs Gordon (of Ardmealie) (Patient) / 17 July 1768 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mrs Gordon of Ardmealie', recommending travel to Scarborough.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
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[Page 2]
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 398 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/2/19 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 17 July 1768 |
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 Mrs Gordon of Ardmealie', recommending travel to Scarborough. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:164] |
Case of Mrs Gordon who has a uterine condition. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1228] | Patient | Mrs Gordon (of Ardmealie) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:7] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr David Skene |
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 | Ardmeallie House | Aberchirder | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Therapeutic Recommendation | Scarborough | North-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Gordon of Ardmealie
As Mrs. Gordons Ailments have continued a long time & proceeded to a great
degree of weakness in certain parts, they must be difficult to cure, & cannot at
any rate be recovered but in a length of Time, but by Attention & Pains I hope a great
deal may be done for her -- Much indeed has already been very judiciously advised
& must be persisted in, but I shall endeavour also to contribute what I can in the follow¬
ing Directions --
Being much in the fresh Air & a Change of Air will certainly be of great
Service, for this purpose she must travel about; but her Exercise must be very gentle &
never pushed the length of Fatigue - One stage a day travelled slowly will commonly be
enough, & she should never go more than two short ones --
Towards the End of the Month upon the feeling of any approaching
alterations, she should rest entirely till that is over, when it is she may always use more
Freedom in Travelling & gradually lessen it again as the End of the Month approaches --
I think she cannot take a better Course than towards Scarborough
& may remain there for two or three Months Weeks if she finds Circumstances agree¬
able to her - As there is great Conveniency for Sea Bathing she may try it & at the
same time try the Scarborough Mineral Water but in no quantity to purge her
nor with any Salts to make it have that Effect -- She may continue this Course
longer or shorter as she finds it agree with her -- During the whole Time of her
being there she should take an Hour or two's airing every Forenoon except at
the End of the Month as above mentioned ~
While she is upon the Rhoad let her take every day a
Tea spoonfull or two of the Elixir of Vitriol in a glass of Water both before
dinner & supper, & she need not interrupt this at any time & she may also conti¬
nue it at Scarborough --
The only other Medicine I can advice upon the RRoad is a Tea
spoonfull of the salts cooling salts ordered below to be taken in a glass of Water
every Morning before Breakfast -- These besides having other good Effects will
I hope continue to keep her Belly regular, but if they fail to do so &
[Page 2]
any Costiveness comes on it must immediately be obviated by taking a Tea spoonfull
of Flower of Sulphur instead of the salts in the Morning - The sulphur may be in a
little syrup Gruel or Panada ~
If at any time the stomach should be much disordered or loaded
a gentle vomit may be taken, but I would not wish the practice more frequent
than necessary ~
At all times I would wish to keep Mrs Gordons Diet as low as
possible - She may seem to require support & a strengthening Diet, but everything
of that kind is heating & what ever heats in any degree does her much harm & I
am persuaded she will be better & even stronger on Vegitable than Animal Food ~
Her Stomach may seem & truely does require some solid
animal food, & a bit of that kind she may take every day ↑at↑ after dinner, but I wish
it may be both the lightest & the least possible - I would recommend to her all kind of
Grain, or what is made of it, as Bread & Wheat Flower, Rice & flower of Rice, Millet,
Barley & even Oatmeal - These she may have prepared in what ever Manner she
likes best & she may join with them Raisins or Currants - I wish she could also
join Milk with them -- It should seem that hitherto she has not digested this
easily, but if she will try milk churned in a Bottle soon after it comes from the
Cow & when the Butter is taken from it, I expect she will bear it for a part of her
supper -- It is to be observed that if she can be brought to bear grain & Milk by
themselves for a Little Time that she will then digest them much better than
when she takes Meat along with them --
At present I suppose Mrs Gordons stomach will hardly di¬
gest anything from the Garden, & I would not insist on her making much tryal
at present, but if she can bring herself to bear Grain very well I expect she
will also bear some Garden things & particularly what I hope will be agreeable
to her a little fruit --
Upon the same Plan I am against her taking any kind of
strong Drink either of one kind or other - However if she has been in any
Habits of this kind they must be changed by degrees - Water is the only drink
I can approve of --- Tea & Coffee I think both very bad for Mrs. Gordon
she should take no warm Drink except at the End of the Month & then it should
[Page 3]
only have the Cold taken off --
At all times Mrs Gordon must take particular Care to avoid being
heated -- She must not travel in the Middle of the day when the sun is very warm -
She must avoid a Crowd of Company or a warm chamber & in the right time
let her Bed Cloaths be as light as they safely may --
These are Medicines I have to offer to Mrs Gordon while she is
travelling & when she returns home I have some others to offer with regard to Cold
Bathing & drinking a Chalybeat Water & some other Remedies all which I shall
communicate to D Skene --
Take one ounce of polychrest salts, one and a half drachms of {illeg} salts, half an ounce of white sugar, and one drachm of crystal tartar. Rub all together well, dry and powder, then preserve in a well-stopped wide-mouthed vial.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Gordon of Ardmealie
As Mrs. Gordons Ailments have continued a long time & proceeded to a great
degree of weakness in certain parts, they must be difficult to cure, & cannot at
any rate be recovered but in a length of Time, but by Attention & Pains I hope a great
deal may be done for her -- Much indeed has already been very judiciously advised
& must be persisted in, but I shall endeavour also to contribute what I can in the follow¬
ing Directions --
Being much in the fresh Air & a Change of Air will certainly be of great
Service, for this purpose she must travel about; but her Exercise must be very gentle &
never pushed the length of Fatigue - One stage a day travelled slowly will commonly be
enough, & she should never go more than two short ones --
Towards the End of the Month upon the feeling of any approaching
alterations, she should rest entirely till that is over, when it is she may always use more
Freedom in Travelling & gradually lessen it again as the End of the Month approaches --
I think she cannot take a better Course than towards Scarborough
& may remain there for two or three Months Weeks if she finds Circumstances agree¬
able to her - As there is great Conveniency for Sea Bathing she may try it & at the
same time try the Scarborough Mineral Water but in no quantity to purge her
nor with any Salts to make it have that Effect -- She may continue this Course
longer or shorter as she finds it agree with her -- During the whole Time of her
being there she should take an Hour or two's airing every Forenoon except at
the End of the Month as above mentioned ~
While she is upon the Rhoad let her take every day a
Tea spoonfull or two of the Elixir of Vitriol in a glass of Water both before
dinner & supper, & she need not interrupt this at any time & she may also conti¬
nue it at Scarborough --
The only other Medicine I can advice upon the RRoad is a Tea
spoonfull of the salts cooling salts ordered below to be taken in a glass of Water
every Morning before Breakfast -- These besides having other good Effects will
I hope continue to keep her Belly regular, but if they fail to do so &
[Page 2]
any Costiveness comes on it must immediately be obviated by taking a Tea spoonfull
of Flower of Sulphur instead of the salts in the Morning - The sulphur may be in a
little syrup Gruel or Panada ~
If at any time the stomach should be much disordered or loaded
a gentle vomit may be taken, but I would not wish the practice more frequent
than necessary ~
At all times I would wish to keep Mrs Gordons Diet as low as
possible - She may seem to require support & a strengthening Diet, but everything
of that kind is heating & what ever heats in any degree does her much harm & I
am persuaded she will be better & even stronger on Vegitable than Animal Food ~
Her Stomach may seem & truely does require some solid
animal food, & a bit of that kind she may take every day ↑at↑ after dinner, but I wish
it may be both the lightest & the least possible - I would recommend to her all kind of
Grain, or what is made of it, as Bread & Wheat Flower, Rice & flower of Rice, Millet,
Barley & even Oatmeal - These she may have prepared in what ever Manner she
likes best & she may join with them Raisins or Currants - I wish she could also
join Milk with them -- It should seem that hitherto she has not digested this
easily, but if she will try milk churned in a Bottle soon after it comes from ye
Cow & when the Butter is taken from it, I expect she will bear it for a part of her
supper -- It is to be observed that if she can be brought to bear grain & Milk by
themselves for a Little Time that she will then digest them much better than
when she takes Meat along with them --
At present I suppose Mrs Gordons stomach will hardly di¬
gest anything from ye Garden, & I would not insist on her making much tryal
at present, but if she can bring herself to bear Grain very well I expect she
will also bear some Garden things & particularly what I hope will be agreeable
to her a little fruit --
Upon the same Plan I am against her taking any kind of
strong Drink either of one kind or other - However if she has been in any
Habits of this kind they must be changed by degrees - Water is the only drink
I can approve of --- Tea & Coffee I think both very bad for Mrs. Gordon
she should take no warm Drink except at the End of the Month & then it shd
[Page 3]
only have the Cold taken off --
At all times Mrs Gordon must take particular Care to avoid being
heated -- She must not travel in the Middle of the day when the sun is very warm -
She must avoid a Crowd of Company or a warm chamber & in the right time
let her Bed Cloaths be as light as they safely may --
These are Medicines I have to offer to Mrs Gordon while she is
travelling & when she returns home I have some others to offer with regard to Cold
Bathing & drinking a Chalybeat Water & some other Remedies all which I shall
communicate to D Skene --
℞ Sal. Polychrest. ℥i
-- {illeg} ʒiſs
Sach. Alb. Duriss. ℥ſs
Crystal. Tartar. ʒi
Terentus omnia bene siccate in Pulverem & servautur in Phiala
Patulis oris probe obturata
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