The Cullen Project | [ID:5277] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) / Regarding: Reverend William Burnside (of Dumfries) (Patient) / 28 May 1786 / (Outgoing)

[ID:5277] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) / Regarding: Reverend William Burnside (of Dumfries) (Patient) / 28 May 1786 / (Outgoing)

Reply, for the 'Rev. Mr Burnside'. Cullen apologises to Gilchrist for his delay in replying as he 'was obliged to be often in the Country' (possibly relating to his wife's health). He says he has refused the fee for this case. He regards the headaches and sweating as 'very entirely Rheumatic' and gives advice for treatment. Dr Gilchrist should tell Mr Burnside that the sensation he reported of 'the opening of his suture [i.e. of the bones of his skull] is a pure imagination, but let me tell you, that I believe it may have a meaning, and express a distention of the extremities of the numerous arteries which [...] have numerous inosculations along the course of the sagittal suture'.

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Diplomatic Text
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Case
People
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Facsimile

There are 3 images for this document.

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Metadata

Field	Data
DOC ID	5277
RCPE Catalogue Number	CUL/1/1/19/89
Main Language	English
Document Direction	Outgoing
Date	28 May 1786
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, for the 'Rev. Mr Burnside'. Cullen apologises to Gilchrist for his delay in replying as he 'was obliged to be often in the Country' (possibly relating to his wife's health). He says he has refused the fee for this case. He regards the headaches and sweating as 'very entirely Rheumatic' and gives advice for treatment. Dr Gilchrist should tell Mr Burnside that the sensation he reported of 'the opening of his suture [i.e. of the bones of his skull] is a pure imagination, but let me tell you, that I believe it may have a meaning, and express a distention of the extremities of the numerous arteries which [...] have numerous inosculations along the course of the sagittal suture'.
Manuscript Incomplete?	No
Evidence of Commercial Posting	No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID	Description	Num Docs
[Case ID:965]	Case of the Reverend Burnside who is left weak from a history of headaches and attacks of sweating.	6

People linked to this document

Person ID	Role in document	Person
[PERS ID:1]	Author	Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:115]	Addressee	Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch)
[PERS ID:4348]	Patient	Reverend William Burnside (of Dumfries)
[PERS ID:1]	Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary	Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:115]	Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary	Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch)

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		Dumfries	Borders	Scotland	Europe	inferred

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Revd. Mr Burnside

Dear Sir

Your long though by no means too long letter of the
22d. came upon me a little unluckily when I was obliged
to be often in the Country, and otherwise very much
occupied. Hence the delay of this Answer which tho'
I have refused thes fee I give most willingly and
earnestly.

I consider his disease both formerly and now
as consisting in the headach and sweatings, and
think them very entirely Rheumatic, brought on
originally by cold in the manner he supposes
and supported in the recurrences by full living
as you allege. The sore throat I consider as an
accidental incident now nearly over, no further
to be regarded, than as it may retard a little the
measures we may propose for the principal ail¬
ment.

What these shall be I cannot at present
positively determine, but in the future correspondence

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which I would desire and I expect you will agree to
I shall be ready to give farther advice. In the meantime
I would propose as I think his former habits of full
living must during the sore throat be entirely done
away I would propose that he should go entirely
into a diet of milk, farinacea and Vegetables, and
without any fermented or spirituous liquors. If this
as I expect it will give any intervals of his headach
I would have him brought by degrees to the open
air, and to take what exercise he can bear, at first
in a carriage, and afterwards on horseback, and befor[e]
I would take any other measures I would have him
brought to some strength. The washing of his head
with cold water, or the application of blisters may
be proper measures, but I would not say so till I
have a further report. If his bowels should require
any laxative and I would wish to keep them rather
open, the medicine I would prefer is the Guaiacum
in substance suspended in a watery vehicle by

[Page 3]

mucilage.

When you write again Please let me know
if his fits of headach have (↑are (↑have↑)↑) pointed at observing any
period, or if you have observed any Occasional exciting
causes. Please tell me also if his fits are attended
with any flushing of the face, redness of the eyes, or
stronger pulsation of the temporal arteries.

My Compliments to Mr. Burnside
and tell him that the opening of his suture
is a pure imagination, but let me tell you,
that I believe it may have a meaning, and express
a distention of the extremities of the numerous arteries
which arising from each side of the head have nu¬
merous inosculations along the course of the sagittal
suture. I am ever