The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4319] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mr John Askew (Patient) / 24 September 1778 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mr [John] Askew'
- 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 | 4319 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/11/57 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 24 September 1778 |
| 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 Mr [John] Askew' |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:993] |
Case of Mr John Askew whose symptoms are attributed to an inward gout. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2428] | Patient | Mr John Askew |
| [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 |
| Destination of Letter | Berwick-upon-Tweed (Berwick) | North-East | England | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mr Askew.
His complaints depend all upon a disposition to the Gout which
has not yet taken its proper course. In the mean time it has
not taken any dangerous course & I hope may be prevented & made
to take its proper form. To obtain this I must recommend
chiefly a proper Regimen.
Mr Askew is in no habits of intemperance in strong
drink & I do not advise to lay aside the moderate use of it,
but any considerable tresspass may be of very bad consequence.
But full living in eating is no less dangerous. It is not
easy to resist a sharp appetite but we can deceive it by gi¬
ving such things as satisfy without giving any durable load
to the Stomach or inflaming the blood. At the beginning
of dinner taking a large mess of broth will damp the ap¬
petite, as will draughts of small liquor in the time of dinner.
Some solid meat must be taken but it should be od the lighter
& less fat things & indulge in variety as little as possible.
Make up the meal with Pudding and vegetables. The
lighter kinds of fish may be taken sometimes but much
fish is improper as all kinds of them are ready to fill
too much. At dinner the ordinary draught should be
wine & water, and a few glasses of plain wine may be
intermixed but the quantity after dinner should be very
moderate. While his Stomach continues firm claret will
be the safest, but if his stomach should become liable to
indigestion, lay aside the claret entirely, & take to Port
or Madera. I hold all malt liquors to be bad for him
& especially the stronger kinds.
With this diet, he should take as much exercise as
he can. In the state I see his right ancle in at present I think
it need not restrain him from moderate walking, but let
[Page 2]
him observe the effects of it & manage accordingly. It appears
that sitting long in a carriage is bad for his leg and to
be therefore avoided & in every view exercise on horseback
is the best he can employ & he should always employ it as
much as the Season will allow. Sitting up late at night
& lying long in the morning are both vey bad for him.
Cold will always do him harm & therefore he ought al¬
ways to be well cloathed and to keep dry. In these respects
he should take particular care of his feet & legs & his at¬
tention to this is especially necessary about the beginning
of winter. I have no medicine to advise except that
once a week or oftener if costiveness require it he should
take a dose of Harrowgate water. If the Harrowgate water
which he has at home do not answer let him take a dose
of the solution prescribed below.
Take two ounces of Soluble Tartar, one of Glauber's Salt, half an ounce of Spanish Sea-salt, half of polycrest Salts, eight of spring water and four of simple cinnamon Water. Dissolve and label it as Aperient Solution. One, two or three tablespoons to be taken in half a pint of spring water in the morning before breakfast.
Edinburgh September 24. 1778.
W.C.
Diplomatic Text
For Mr Askew.
His complaints depend all upon a disposition to the Gout wc
has not yet taken its proper course. In the mean time it has
not taken any dangerous course & I hope m. b. prevented & made
to take its proper form. To obtain this I must recommend
chiefly a proper Regimen.
Mr Askew is in no habits of intemperance in strong
drink & I do not advise to lay aside the moderate use of it,
but any considerable tresspass may be of very bad consequence.
But full living in eating is no less dangerous. It is not
easy to resist a sharp appetite but we can deceive it by gi¬
ving such things as satisfy without giving any durable load
to the Stomach or inflaming the blood. At the beginning
of dinner taking a large mess of broth will damp the ap¬
petite, as will draughts of small liquor in the time of dinner.
Some solid meat must be taken but it should be od the lighter
& less fat things & indulge in variety as little as possible.
Make up the meal with Pudding and vegetables. The
lighter kinds of fish may be taken sometimes but much
fish is improper as all kinds of them are ready to fill
too much. At dinner the ordinary draught should be
wine & water, and a few glasses of plain wine may be
intermixed but the quantity after dinner should be very
moderate. While his Stomach continues firm claret will
be the safest, but if his stomach should become liable to
indigestion, lay aside the claret entirely, & take to Port
or Madera. I hold all malt liquors to be bad for him
& especially the stronger kinds.
With this diet, he should take as much exercise as
he can. In the state I see his right ancle in at present I think
it need not restrain him from moderate walking, but let
[Page 2]
him observe the effects of it & manage accordingly. It appears
that sitting long in a carriage is bad for his leg and to
be therefore avoided & in every view exercise on horseback
is the best he can employ & he should always employ it as
much as the Season will allow. Sitting up late at night
& lying long in the morning are both vey bad for him.
Cold will always do him harm & therefore he ought al¬
ways to be well cloathed and to keep dry. In these respects
he should take particular care of his feet & legs & his at¬
tention to this is especially necessary about the beginning
of winter. I have no medicine to advise except that
once a week or oftener if costiveness require it he should
take a dose of Harrowgate water. If the Harrowgate water
which he has at home do not answer let him take a dose
of the solution prescribed below.
℞ Tart. Solub. ℥ij. Sal. Glauber. ℥j. Sal. mar. Hispan.
Sal. polychrest. @ ℥ss. Aq. font. ℥viij Aq. cinnam. simpl. ℥iv
Solve et S. Aperient Solution one, two, or three table spoon¬
fuls to be taken in half a pint of spring water in the morning
before breakfast.
Edinr. Septr. 24. 1778.
W.C.
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