The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5051] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Colonel George Clerk (Clarke, Clark) (Patient) / 14 May 1785 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'Col. Clarke'. In response to a letter from Mrs Clarke, Cullen provides advice on going abroad, on taking the waters, regimen, and laxative medicines.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 7 images for this document.
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 5051 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/18/34 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 14 May 1785 |
Annotation | None |
Type | Machine scribal copy |
Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
Autopsy | No |
Recipe | No |
Regimen | No |
Letter of Introduction | No |
Case Note | No |
Summary | Reply, 'Col. Clarke'. In response to a letter from Mrs Clarke, Cullen provides advice on going abroad, on taking the waters, regimen, and laxative medicines. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:1473] |
Case of Colonel George Clerk [Clark, Clarke, Clerke] who becomes excessively weak and feeble from chronic costiveness, breathlessness, and other chronic complaints. In New York he has a perpetual fever and stomach complaint and mentions consulting Cullen before but no firm evidence traced unless he is the same patient as Case 283 in 1768. |
24 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:2507] | Patient | Colonel George Clerk (Clarke, Clark) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:137] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Sir Richard Jebb |
[PERS ID:3217] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs Clerk (Clarke, Clark) |
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 | Rooks Nest | Godstone | London and South-East | England | Europe | inferred |
Therapeutic Recommendation | Buxton | Midlands | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Col Clarke
I have with the utmost attention considered
the whole of Mrs. Clarkes letter and shall give
you upon every part of it the best advice I
can.
With respect to the Colonels going abroad
I wrote in my last letter addressed to him that
if he had Consulted me upon the point in the
month of September or October I should
certainly have [advised?] him to have gone to the
south but as then when I wrote the winter
was pretty far advanced and set in very
severe I could not possibly advise him to
attempt such a [measure?] {illeg} now as a
very promising Summer has {illeg} I
think he will be much safer in Britain
[Page 2]
than he would be in any warmer Climate. But [if]
it shall happen that the Colonels infirmitie[s]
should continue through the Summer [and]
I am much afraid that in part they {illeg}
I shall be clearly of opinion that he may
be much safer and in better health {illeg}
the winter somewhere in the South of C{illeg}
and for that purpose he should set out
the end of September travelling slowly [to¬]
wards his destined place.
I am sorry to find that the Colonel {illeg}
had a fit of fever and has been so much
enfeebled by it and it is probably owi{illeg}
to his {illeg} not {illeg} sufficiently for
some time after that Sir Richard [Jebb?]
had advised a light and [cool?] regimen a{illeg}
{illeg} Circumstances I should have a{illeg}
[Page 3]
entirety of Sir Richards opinion but by Mr
Clarkes account of the present state of his pulse
I hope his regimen need no be so rigorous but
that he may take a bit of meat and a glass of
Wine. I am indeed clear that great modera¬
tion both in Eating and Drinking is absolutely
proper for Col. Clarke and that his being
either heated by the one, or heated by the
other will always do him harm but at the
same time from the notion I have always
had of the Colonels complaints and constitu¬
tion and from the present state of his
weakness I should be afraid of a very low
regimen for him. I know [not?] these g{illeg}
opinions but [must?] [now?] put {illeg}
upon the spot are in the {illeg} condition
{illeg}these matters.
[Page 4]
With respect to Mineral waters I don't
remember of my giving any particular advice with
regard to Harrowgate and I am not very confi¬
dent in saying that he would be the better
of any but if any purging water was to be
tried I think Harrowgate the most
promising and must observe that if he has
gone no further in his trial of it than
half a pint, the trial was not sufficient.
I shall not however advise his going fur¬
ther because if I am to advise any water
at all I must, as I have done before, adv¬
ise Drinking and Bathing at Buxton
preferably to every other. Bristol might
perhaps be a safe measure but I should
think Buxton as safe if the Colonel be
[Page 5]
not exposed to the bad weather that sometimes
[infects?] that place.
I am sorry to observe that the Colonel still
labours under that obstinate costiveness which
has always troubled him so much and done
him so much harm and I wish with all
my Soul I could give him relief but I can
think of nothing to add to what I have
several times said in my former letters
and if I mistake not in my very last I
spoke of some improvement with respect
to the Castor oil. I shall say further now
that if Jalaps be very well ↑suited↑ and for some
time wi rubbed with Creams of tartar it
becomes a mild and very effectual medicine
and especially with some further addition
of Cream of Tartar or flowers of Sulphur
[Page 6]
it affords an excellent laxative and if the Colonel
has never made any trial of this kind I would
advise him to try it now.
With respect to the Colonels former and
present state of weakness I think it can
hardly be mended by any medicines and it
must especially be mended as far as possible
by his being much in the open air and
in gentle exercise in a Carriage or on horse¬
back and at the same by all the lighte{illeg}
kinds of the most nourishing things.
If {illeg} by a hint of Mrs. Clarkes
that the Colonel is still much distressed by
[lack?] of Sleep and I wish it had been
{illeg} if any trials of Laudanum had
been made in consequence of my last
[Page 7]
letter and I shall here say again that if by
any means it can be contrived to obviate the
costiveness which Laudanum induces the
use of this is the only certain means of
procuring him Sleep.
I have now as well as I can touched
every particular of Mrs. Clarkes letter and
wishing it heartily success I am
Dear Colonel
Your most Obedient humble Servant
Edinburgh 14th. May
1785
Diplomatic Text
Col Clarke
I have with the utmost attention considered
the whole of Mrs. Clarkes letter and shall give
you upon every part of it the best advice I
can.
With respect to the Colonels going abroad
I wrote in my last letter addressed to him that
if he had Consulted me upon the point in the
month of September or October I should
certainly have [advised?] him to have gone to the
south but as then when I wrote the winter
was pretty far advanced and set in very
severe I could not possibly advise him to
attempt such a [measure?] {illeg} now as a
very promising Summer has {illeg} I
think he will be much safer in Britain
[Page 2]
than he would be in any warmer Climate. But [if]
it shall happen that the Colonels infirmitie[s]
should continue through the Summer [and]
I am much afraid that in part they {illeg}
I shall be clearly of opinion that he may
be much safer and in better health {illeg}
the winter somewhere in the South of C{illeg}
and for that purpose he should set out
the end of September travelling slowly [to¬]
wards his destined place.
I am sorry to find that the Colonel {illeg}
had a fit of fever and has been so much
enfeebled by it and it is probably owi{illeg}
to his {illeg} not {illeg} sufficiently for
some time after that Sir Richard [Jebb?]
had advised a light and [cool?] regimen a{illeg}
{illeg} Circumstances I should have a{illeg}
[Page 3]
entirety of Sir Richards opinion but by Mr
Clarkes account of the present state of his pulse
I hope his regimen need no be so rigorous but
that he may take a bit of meat and a glass of
Wine. I am indeed clear that great modera¬
tion both in Eating and Drinking is absolutely
proper for Col. Clarke and that his being
either heated by the one, or heated by the
other will always do him harm but at the
same time from the notion I have always
had of the Colonels complaints and constitu¬
tion and from the present state of his
weakness I should be afraid of a very low
regimen for him. I know [not?] these g{illeg}
opinions but [must?] [now?] put {illeg}
upon the spot are in the {illeg} condition
{illeg}these matters.
[Page 4]
With respect to Mineral waters I don't
remember of my giving any particular advice with
regard to Harrowgate and I am not very confi¬
dent in saying that he would be the better
of any but if any purging water was to be
tried I think Harrowgate the most
promising and must observe that if he has
gone no further in his trial of it than
half a pint, the trial was not sufficient.
I shall not however advise his going fur¬
ther because if I am to advise any water
at all I must, as I have done before, adv¬
ise Drinking and Bathing at Buxton
preferably to every other. Bristol might
perhaps be a safe measure but I should
think Buxton as safe if the Colonel be
[Page 5]
not exposed to the bad weather that sometimes
[infects?] that place.
I am sorry to observe that the Colonel still
labours under that obstinate costiveness which
has always troubled him so much and done
him so much harm and I wish with all
my Soul I could give him relief but I can
think of nothing to add to what I have
several times said in my former letters
and if I mistake not in my very last I
spoke of some improvement with respect
to the Castor oil. I shall say further now
that if Jalaps be very well ↑suited↑ and for some
time wi rubbed with Creams of tartar it
becomes a mild and very effectual medicine
and especially with some further addition
of Cream of Tartar or flowers of Sulphur
[Page 6]
it affords an excellent laxative and if the Colonel
has never made any trial of this kind I would
advise him to try it now.
With respect to the Colonels former and
present state of weakness I think it can
hardly be mended by any medicines and it
must especially be mended as far as possible
by his being much in the open air and
in gentle exercise in a Carriage or on horse¬
back and at the same by all the lighte{illeg}
kinds of the most nourishing things.
If {illeg} by a hint of Mrs. Clarkes
that the Colonel is still much distressed by
[lack?] of Sleep and I wish it had been
{illeg} if any trials of Laudanum had
been made in consequence of my last
[Page 7]
letter and I shall here say again that if by
any means it can be contrived to obviate the
costiveness which Laudanum induces the
use of this is the only certain means of
procuring him Sleep.
I have now as well as I can touched
every particular of Mrs. Clarkes letter and
wishing it heartily success I am
Dear Colonel
Your most Obedient humble Servant
Edinr. 14th. May
1785
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