Cullen

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

 

[ID:5008] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr / Regarding: Mr Alexander Low (Law?) (Patient) / 17 March 1785 / (Outgoing)

Reply, for 'Mr Low'. Addressed to an unnamed medical professional under whose care Mr Low is shortly to be placed. Cullen believes Mr Low 'labours under a Schirrosity in the bottom of the Stomach or Colon' and considers it 'a very unfavourable, perhaps a desperate Case'. Cullen recommends cicuta to attempt the patient's relief.

Facsimile

There are 2 images for this document.

[Page 1]


 

[Page 2]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 5008
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/17/202
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date17 March 1785
Annotation None
TypeMachine scribal copy
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply, for 'Mr Low'. Addressed to an unnamed medical professional under whose care Mr Low is shortly to be placed. Cullen believes Mr Low 'labours under a Schirrosity in the bottom of the Stomach or Colon' and considers it 'a very unfavourable, perhaps a desperate Case'. Cullen recommends cicuta to attempt the patient's relief.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1132]
Case of Mr Low [Law] who has a serious chest complaint.
6


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:4879]AddresseeDr
[PERS ID:195]PatientMr Alexander Low (Law?)
[PERS ID:4879]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr
[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

Normalized Text

[Page 1]

Mr. Low

Sir


I have been advised by Mr Low and have
recommended him to be your Patient.


I am of opinion that he labours under
a Schirrosity in the bottom of the Stomach or
Colon which has become or is ready to become
Ulcerated. From the nature of the disease and
especially from its long standing I consider it
as a very unfavourable, perhaps a desperate Case.
But we must not decline attempting his relief
and I would have you immediately put him
upon the Cicuta. I prefer the use of the leaves
when they have been properly dried to any
other form. You will please make a mass
of pills consisting of three parts of Powder
and one part Extract of Gentian or of the
{illeg} if you have it and the whole
{illeg} into a mass with a strong mucilage of



[Page 2]

Gum Arabic
and divided into five grain Pills. Of
these let him begin by taking One twice a day but
the dose must be increased by degrees till it comes
to have some Sensible effect and at such a dose
he must continue for Several weeks. To conduct
this properly you should at first see him every
two or three days.


I have no other medicine to propose at
present unless some new and troublesome symptoms
should occurr upon which I would desire to
hear from you. In the mean time if he [bears]
milk easily or if it does not induce Costiveness
I would have his diet to be chiefly of milk
and farinacea abstaining entirely from every
kind of Strong drink taking for his ordinary
drink water Gruel or barley water. Wishing
you heartily success I am Sir


your most
obedient Servant

William Cullen -

Edinburgh 17th. March
1785 -

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]

Mr. Low

Sir


I have been advised by Mr Low and have
recommended him to be your Patient.


I am of opinion that he labours under
a Schirrosity in the bottom of the Stomach or
Colon which has become or is ready to become
Ulcerated. From the nature of the disease and
especially from its long standing I consider it
as a very unfavourable, perhaps a desperate Case.
But we must not decline attempting his relief
and I would have you immediately put him
upon the Cicuta. I prefer the use of the leaves
when they have been properly dried to any
other form. You will please make a mass
of pills consisting of three parts of Powder
and one part Extract of Gentian or of the
{illeg} if you have it and the whole
{illeg} into a mass with a strong mucilage of



[Page 2]

Gum Arabic
and divided into five grain Pills. Of
these let him begin by taking One twice a day but
the dose must be increased by degrees till it comes
to have some Sensible effect and at such a dose
he must continue for Several weeks. To conduct
this properly you should at first see him every
two or three days.


I have no other medicine to propose at
present unless some new and troublesome symptoms
should occurr upon which I would desire to
hear from you. In the mean time if he [bears]
milk easily or if it does not induce Costiveness
I would have his diet to be chiefly of milk
and farinacea abstaining entirely from every
kind of Strong drink taking for his ordinary
drink water Gruel or barley water. Wishing
you heartily success I am Sir


your most
obedient Servant

William Cullen -

Edinr. 17th. March
1785 -

XML

XML file not yet available.

Feedback

Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:5008]

Type
Comments
 

Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...