The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4046] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Anonymous / Regarding: Miss Gordon (of Kennethmont) (Patient) / 27 April 1777 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Miss Gordone'. Advice on drinking sea-water, exercise and sea-bathing. Cullen takes into consideration the elaborate hair-dressing of the period: 'As she wears her hair [i.e. not a wig] & cannot wet she should both before wash g & bathg wash her face w cold water & covering her head w a cap of oiled silk, pour some cold water on it'.
- 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 | 4046 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/9/19 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 27 April 1777 |
| 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 Miss Gordone'. Advice on drinking sea-water, exercise and sea-bathing. Cullen takes into consideration the elaborate hair-dressing of the period: 'As she wears her hair [i.e. not a wig] & cannot wet she should both before wash g & bathg wash her face w cold water & covering her head w a cap of oiled silk, pour some cold water on it'. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:611] |
Case of Miss Gordon who is advised to try sea-bathing. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1890] | Addressee | |
| [PERS ID:2315] | Patient | Miss Gordon (of Kennethmont) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1890] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary |
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 | Kennethmont | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Miss Gordone.
The weather has been so bad that going to the sea
shore has been impossible; but now the year is so
advanced that she may go now, but taking care that
the lodging be well seasoned & that she go little abroad
morning or evening, in bleak North East winds --
She must prepare for going into the sea should
Take by exact measure 3 Scotch pints of sea water
&
[Page 2]
add to it a scotch pint of boiling seawater & use these
immediately, she being set in a washing tub naked,
& it poured over her neck & shoulders -- This to be
repeated every day, withdrawing half a muchkin of boiling
water every day & when all the boiling water is thus
withdrawn, she may take the Sea.
She should take her bath in the Sea every day
before breakfast and when the tide does not an¬
swer for this, should delay it till 2 hours after
breakfast, & at any rate (↑least↑), take it an hour before din¬
ner. If any day she cannot have it before dinner
she should put it off altogether for that day.
As she wears her hair & cannot wet she should
both before washing & bathing wash her face with cold
water & covering her head with a cap of oiled silk,
pour some cold water on it.
After washing or bathing, be well dried with coarse
towels, should put on her cloaths & if she do not recover
immediately her heat, walk about briskly till she do.
During this, she should every day drink as much
sea water as keeps her regular without purging. The
water should be taken up at high water & at some
distance from the mouth of any brook or river --
Take it by a gill or more at a draught, repeating
this every half hour to the quantity that she finds
answers the above purpose. She should take
it after having bathed, unless those days the bathing
is delayed till near dinner time, on which she should
drink it before breakfast.
During this her diet may be as usual but
[Page 3]
avoid fish, eggs, cheese & salted meat. Her ordi¬
nary drink should be water & no malt liquor.
She may take a glass or two of wine or punch at
dinner. She should take any Exercise she can,
but especially on horseback. She may walk but
never to heat herself.
If she by accident take cold, she must in¬
terupt her drinking & bathing.
Diplomatic Text
For Miss Gordone.
The weather has been so bad that going to the sea
shore has been impossible; but now the year is so
advanced that she may go now, but taking care that
the lodging be well seasoned & that she go little abroad
morning or evening, in bleak N.E. winds --
She must prepare for going into the sea should
Take by exact measure 3 Scotch pints of sea water
&
[Page 2]
add to it a scotch pint of boiling seawater & use these
immediately, she being set in a washing tub naked,
& it poured over her neck & shoulders -- This to be
repeated every day, wdrawg half a muchkin of boilg
water every day & when all the boilg water is thus
wdrawn, she may take the Sea.
She should take her bath in the Sea every day
before breakfast and when the tide does not an¬
swer for this, should delay it till 2 hours after
breakfast, & at any rate (↑least↑), take it an hour before din¬
ner. If any day she cannot have it before dinner
she should put it off altogether for that day.
As she wears her hair & cannot wet she should
both before washg & bathg wash her face w cold
water & covering her head w a cap of oiled silk,
pour some cold water on it.
After washg or bathing, be well dried w coarse
towels, should put on her cloaths & if she do not recover
immediately her heat, walk about briskly till she do.
During this, she should every day drink as much
sea water as keeps her regular wout purging. The
water should be taken up at high water & at some
distance from the mouth of any brook or river --
Take it by a gill or more at a draught, repeatg
this every half hour to the quantity that she finds
answers the above purpose. She should take
it after having bathed, unless those days the bathg
is delayed till near dinner time, on which she should
drink it before breakfast.
During this her diet may be as usual but
[Page 3]
avoid fish, eggs, cheese & salted meat. Her ordi¬
nary drink should be water & no malt liquor.
She may take a glass or two of wine or punch at
dinner. She should take any Exercise she can,
but especially on horseback. She may walk but
never to heat herself.
If she by accident take cold, she must in¬
terupt her drinking & bathing.
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