Cullen

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

 

[ID:4044] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Sir James Dunbar (of Mochrum, 3rd Bt.) / Regarding: Sir James Dunbar (of Mochrum, 3rd Bt.) (Patient) / 19 April 1777 / (Outgoing)

Reply to 'Sir James Dunbar'. Although it is uncertain whether he is suffering from the stone, Cullen advises Sir James to take soap, and describes how to prepare it from a piece of Spanish soap ('called Castile tho some of the best is from Alicant'). He also supplies him with an anodyne oil recipe, to ease the pain in his back.

Facsimile

There are 2 images for this document.

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[Page 2]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 4044
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/9/17
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date19 April 1777
Annotation None
TypeScribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry)
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe Yes
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply to 'Sir James Dunbar'. Although it is uncertain whether he is suffering from the stone, Cullen advises Sir James to take soap, and describes how to prepare it from a piece of Spanish soap ('called Castile tho some of the best is from Alicant'). He also supplies him with an anodyne oil recipe, to ease the pain in his back.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:613]
Case of Sir James Dunbar with gravel and a pain in the back.
3


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:1888]AddresseeSir James Dunbar (of Mochrum, 3rd Bt.)
[PERS ID:1888]PatientSir James Dunbar (of Mochrum, 3rd Bt.)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr 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 Dunbar House Woodside Mid Scotland Scotland Europe inferred
Mentioned / Other Spain Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Sir James Dunbar


My fears not so great as yours & it is by no means cer¬
tain that you are ever to be affected with Stone.
Every precaution however is necessary, as first, the use
of Soap & lime water. Get some of the best Spanish
soap of Castile soap the some of Soap called Castile
tho
some of the best is from Alicant. Scrape off & throw
away the outer surface of this to the thickness of
half a quarter of an Inch, then from the inner solid
scrape down the quantity you are to take which
at first may be a dram or the eighth part of an
ounce which scraped small may be swallowed in a spoon¬



[Page 2]

ful of water, tea, or garlic as you like best. This
done twice a day but increase by degrees each dose till
double the quantity mentioned, that is a quarter of
an ounce. The Dose is sometimes carried much
farther but this must be as the Stomach bears it
& as it affects the belly more or less. It should never
go farther than giving one stool a day. Every dose
of the Soap
should be washed down with a draught
of Lime water which almost every body knows how
to make. The draught with each dose of soap
may be from a gill to half a muchkin and if the
draught with the soap cannot be made conveniently
so large as half a muchkin it would be proper for
you to take a draught of it at other times so
that upon the whole you take at least a muchkin
every day. These remedies will I hope secure
you against concretions either in kidnies or blad¬
der
& are also fitted to dissolve any already formed.
For the pain of your back employ the Oil, below,
anointing the pained part every night & morning with it, keeping the part constantly covered with a piece of flannel.
You may judge of the goodness of the oil you get
by this. It should be very white, & should not rea¬
dily separated into an oil & a thinner liquid lying
below.

Take 4 ounces of best Olive Oil, ↑an ounce of Camphor, and half an ounce of the most caustic Spirit of Ammoniac Salts. Mix. Label: Anodyne oil.

Edinburgh April. 19. 1777.
W.C.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Sir James Dunbar


My fears not so great as yours & it is by no means cer¬
tain that you are ever to be affected with Stone.
Every precaution however is necessary, as first, the use
of Soap & lime water. Get some of the best Spanish
soap of Castile soap the some of Soap called Castile
tho
some of the best is from Alicant. Scrape off & throw
away the outer surface of this to the thickness of
half a quarter of an Inch, then from the inner solid
scrape down the quantity you are to take which
at first m. b. a dram or the eighth part of an
ounce wc scraped small m. b. swallowed in a spoon¬



[Page 2]

ful of water, tea, or garlic as you like best. This
done twice a day but increase by degrees each dose till
double the quantity mentioned, that is a quarter of
an ounce. The Dose is sometimes carried much
farther but this must be as the Stomach bears it
& as it affects the belly more or less. It should never
go farther than giving one stool a day. Every dose
of the Soap
should be washed down with a draught
of Lime water wc almost every body knows how
to make. The draught with each dose of soap
m. b. from a gill to half a muchkin and if the
draught with the soap cannot be made conveniently
so large as half a muchkin it would be proper for
you to take a draught of it at other times so
that upon the whole you take at least a muchkin
every day. These remedies will I hope secure
you against concretions either in kidnies or blad¬
der
& are also fitted to dissolve any already formed.
For the pain of your back employ the Oil, below,
anointing the pained part every nt & morng w it, kee¬
ppg the part constantly covered w a piece of flannel.
You may judge of the goodness of the oil you get
by this. It should be very white, & should not rea¬
dily separated into an oil & a thinner liquid lying
below.

Edinr. April. 19. 1777.
W.C.

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