The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4075] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mrs Nasmith / Regarding: Mrs Nasmith (Patient) / June? 1777? / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mrs Nasmith', giving directions on cold bathing and other regimen, with two prescriptions for laxatives and an original cross-refernece back to a recipe for a 'strengthener' already noted down in the same volume.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
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- People
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Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 4075 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/9/48 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | June? 1777? |
| 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 Nasmith', giving directions on cold bathing and other regimen, with two prescriptions for laxatives and an original cross-refernece back to a recipe for a 'strengthener' already noted down in the same volume. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:906] |
Case of Mrs Nasmith who has 'a weakness of nerves', and is given directions on regimen and cold bathing. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2007] | Addressee | Mrs Nasmith |
| [PERS ID:2007] | Patient | Mrs Nasmith |
| [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 Nasmith
Complaints depend on a weakness of nerves & general
debility of body.
Avoid being much heated - warm chambers &c
Not to lye much in her naked bed and if her weakness
requires it, let her lye above the bedcloaths or on a Couch
Gentle Exercise & fresh air. - Walking proper
if very gentle & on level ground &c. Going on
horseback or ina Carriage will always be of Service
& sailing is perhaps the best Exercise she can employ.
Cold bathing very proper, but w unless the Sea was
just at her door I would not advise it. - & she may
have as much benefit from the following -
Let her sit down naked upon a stool in a wide &
Shallow Tub & in this situation let her have
water throwin by small basonfulls upon her head
neck & Shoulders. In doing this - At first take
three Pints of cold water & one of boiling water
but on the third or fourth day let her withdraw
half an English Pint of the boiling water & thus
much every day till the whole be withdrawn.
Continue this for a year both Summer & Winter
[Page 2]
or till she finds herself considerably Strengthened
There are only a few days at the end of the month when
it should be interrupted. -- During her this course of bathing
she should drink no Tea or Coffee - but if she requires
something in the shape of Tea let it be Cocoa Tea or
weak Chocolate - or Watergruel & fresh Cows
milk well sweatened with sugar equal parts -
To these she may take dry toast & a very little
butter. but never Jelly Marmalade Honey or
other Sweetthings & no butter toast nor [warni?]
bread with butter. --
At Dinner Sparingly of Animal food. & only of
the lightest kind - filling up with plain Soup -
pudding or pancake & garden things when very young
in great moderation ---
Ordinary drink plain water or toast water. No
Malt liquors. & every day she may take a glass of
wine, of the Strongest kinds & it maybe diluted with
water - No Supper - if any the very lightest
Avoid cold most carefully - if liable to cold
in her feet & legs - use warm stockings & Shoes
[by?] & weare stockings & or foot socks in the night
[Page 3]
Never lye down with her legs or feet cold - but
have the chafed with warm flannels before
lying down & have well wrapped up.
Extremes of either heat or cold are both very bad.
The Nervous Symptoms she is liable to &
particularly those that disturb her in the night
are only to be Cured by Laudanum and
sometimes this is to be employed, but it should
as seldom as possible ---- Costiveness [must?]
be avoided or obviated. Not to use Andersons
or what is called the Scotch Pill, but rather
the Oil or Electuary on the Paper apart
& she may try them alternately or Magnesia
but I am not fond of the constant use of this
last - I have also prescribed some Strengthening
Medicines to be employed for a fortnight at one time &
for this she should take the middle of a Month &
then intermit a week or so & this by another course
& this for two or three Courses ----
The Laxatives are never to be employed till
after the cold bathing ----
[Page 4]
For Mrs Nasmith
Take: four ounces of fresh Castor Oil and an ounce of Jamaica Rum; Mix and Label: Laxative oil
Take two ounces of crystals of tartar, two drachms of powdered composite jallop as found in the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia half an ounce of lenitive electuary, and enough simple syrup to make a gentle Electuary. Label Laxative electuary, a tea spoonfull or two in the Morning
Strengthening Medicines Lim. Mart. &
Bark Infusion vid. p. 25. -- 1
Notes:
1: This is Cullen's own cross-reference to p.25 in this casebook, Volume 9, which is Letter ID:4055.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Nasmith
Compts depend on a weakness of nerves & general
debility of body.
Avoid being much heated - warm chambers &c
Not to lye much in her naked bed and if her weakness
requires it, let her lye above the bedcloaths or on a Couch
Gentle Exercise & fresh air. - Walking proper
if very gentle & on level ground &c. Going on
horseback or ina Carriage will always be of Service
& sailing is perhaps the best Exercise she can employ.
Cold bathing very proper, but w unless the Sea was
just at her door I would not advise it. - & she may
have as much benefit from the following -
Let her sit down naked upon a stool in a wide &
Shallow Tub & in this situation let her have
water throwin by small basonfulls upon her head
neck & Shoulders. In doing this - At first take
three Pints of cold water & one of boiling water
but on the third or fourth day let her withdraw
half an English Pint of the boiling water & thus
much every day till the whole be withdrawn.
Continue this for a year both Summer & Winter
[Page 2]
or till she finds herself considerably Strengthened
There are only a few days at the end of the month when
it should be interrupted. -- During her this course of bathing
she should drink no Tea or Coffee - but if she requires
something in the shape of Tea let it be Cocoa Tea or
weak Chocolate - or Watergruel & fresh Cows
milk well sweatened with sugar equal parts -
To these she may take dry toast & a very little
butter. but never Jelly Marmalade Honey or
other Sweetthings & no butter toast nor [warni?]
bread with butter. --
At Dinner Sparingly of Animal food. & only of
the lightest kind - filling up with plain Soup -
pudding or pancake & garden things when very young
in great moderation ---
Ordinary drink plain water or toast water. No
Malt liquors. & every day she may take a glass of
wine, of the Strongest kinds & it maybe diluted with
water - No Supper - if any the very lightest
Avoid cold most carefully - if liable to cold
in her feet & legs - use warm stockings & Shoes
[by?] & weare stockings & or foot socks in the night
[Page 3]
Never lye down with her legs or feet cold - but
have the chafed with warm flannels before
lying down & have well wrapped up.
Extremes of either heat or cold are both very bad.
The Nervous Symptoms she is liable to &
particularly those that disturb her in the night
are only to be Cured by Laudanum and
sometimes this is to be employed, but it should
as seldom as possible ---- Costiveness [must?]
be avoided or obviated. Not to use Andersons
or what is called the Scotch Pill, but rather
the Oil or Electy on the Paper apart
& she may try them alternately or Magnesia
but I am not fond of the constant use of this
last - I have also prescribed some Strengthening
Med.s to be employed for a fortnight at one time &
for this she should take the middle of a Month &
then intermit a week or so & this by another course
& this for two or three Courses ----
The Laxatives are never to be employed till
after the cold bathing ----
[Page 4]
For Mrs Nasmith
℞ Ol. ricin. recent. ℥iv
Spir. Sacch. Jamaic. ℥i
ℳ. S. Laxative oil ----
℞ Crystall. tartar. ℥ij
Pulv. e jal. comp. Ph. Ed. ʒij
Elect. lenitiv. ℥ſs
Syr. simpl. q. s. ut f. Elect. [tenue?]
S. Laxative Elect. a tea spoonfull or two
in the Morning ----
Strengthening Meds. Lim. Mart. &
Bark Infusion vid. p. 25. -- 1
Notes:
1: This is Cullen's own cross-reference to p.25 in this casebook, Volume 9, which is Letter ID:4055.
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