The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5283] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mrs Elizabeth Murray (de Montolieu) (at Darnhall/Blackbarony) / Regarding: Mrs Elizabeth Murray (de Montolieu) (at Darnhall/Blackbarony) (Patient) / 8 June 1786 / (Outgoing)
Reply to Mrs [Elizabeth] Murray of [Darnhall] who is soon to travel to Moffat, giving detailed advice on how to take the waters there.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 5283 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/19/94 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 8 June 1786 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply to Mrs [Elizabeth] Murray of [Darnhall] who is soon to travel to Moffat, giving detailed advice on how to take the waters there. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1348] |
Case of Elizabeth Murray of Darnhall who in 1781 is already taking powders for her stomach and who suffers 'flying pains'. In 1786 she visits Moffat to use the waters to treat a skin 'eruption' on her neck and face. |
10 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2802] | Addressee | Mrs Elizabeth Murray (at Darnhall/Blackbarony) |
| [PERS ID:2802] | Patient | Mrs Elizabeth Murray (at Darnhall/Blackbarony) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:743] | Other | Mrs Anna 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 | Blackbarony / Black Barony Castle / Darnhall / Darn Hall | Peebles | Borders | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
| Mentioned / Other | Moffat | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Mrs. Murray
Madam
As you was pleased to tell me that you
did not propose to Set out for Moffat before Monday
next I have taken the advantage of that to delay any
letter till I should expede a piece of anxious business.
I have gotten my Wife carried to the Country and
established in Air and Exercise there with some
difficulty and which could not have been executed
at all without my personal care and attention 1
I am now at leisure to attend other Peoples
affairs and am intent upon none more than
upon yours.
I am quite satisfied with your making a
trial at Moffat waters, doing it cautiously and
by degrees. You must begin with taking for the
first day only a quarter of a pint, and increasing
{illeg} as much every day till you go the length of a
{illeg} and I doubt if you should ever go beyond
that quantity, although if it should sit very light
[Page 2]
on your Stomach and otherwise agres with you, you may
go a little further, but I have no opinion of the benefit
or safety of larger quantities which some people
take.
Whatever quantity you take, should be taken
only in the morning before breakfast, and if the
weather and your habits will allow, it should be
drank at the Spring, but if it should be very
disagreeable to you, to go abroad early and the
weather should be unfavourable for it, you
may have the water brought to your Lodgings
but always in close corked Pint bottles.
Whatever quantity you take, it should be {illeg}
in divided draughts, and these not large, and in
the intervals you should walk about, or move
about in your Carriage.
If the winter makes your [belly?] {illeg}
it is enough, but if it does not you {illeg}
take a dose of the Powder I formerly {illeg}
[Page 3]
for you every third day taking it in a Cupful of
the Moffat water in the morning after finishing
the usual quantity of your Moffat water.
These are the only directions I have to offer
with respect to drinking the Moffat water, but
you may also twice a week take a Bath in the
same. You are to take the Bath only in the Evening
betwixt Six and Seven oClock, taking care that
the Bath is not very warm, that you continue
in it for about a quarter of an hour only, and
that in coming out of it, you are very well dried
and put on your ordinary cloathing, or what is
equal to it, keeping your Chamber for the rest
of the Evening.
In the whole of your living at Moffat, you
are in diet & Exercise to observe the same di¬
rections I have formerly given, but you must
lay aside the whole of the medicines I have for¬
merly ascribed, except the lotion for the itchiness
of your Skin if it should be necessary; The
[Page 4]
other lotion and the mixture you Should let alone
entirely. You must also let alone the Ointment for
your mouth and Eyes, but if they should be dry and
Scaly instead of my liniment, you may anoint with
a little Lip Salve.
If after a trial of the Moffat water in the
manner mentioned for a fortnight any particular
circumstances occurr, or if you have any questions
to put, you may depend upon my punctual attention
who am very respectfully
Madam
Your most Obedient Servant.
Edinburgh 8th. June
1786
Notes:
1: Cullen's wife, Anna, who died two months later at the family farm, Ormiston Hill on 7 August, 1786.
Diplomatic Text
Mrs. Murray
Madam
As you was pleased to tell me that you
did not propose to Set out for Moffat before Monday
next I have taken the advantage of that to delay any
letter till I should expede a piece of anxious business.
I have gotten my Wife carried to the Country and
established in Air and Exercise there with some
difficulty and which could not have been executed
at all without my personal care and attention 1
I am now at leisure to attend other Peoples
affairs and am intent upon none more than
upon yours.
I am quite satisfied with your making a
trial at Moffat waters, doing it cautiously and
by degrees. You must begin with taking for the
first day only a quarter of a pint, and increasing
{illeg} as much every day till you go the length of a
{illeg} and I doubt if you should ever go beyond
that quantity, although if it should sit very light
[Page 2]
on your Stomach and otherwise agres with you, you may
go a little further, but I have no opinion of the benefit
or safety of larger quantities which some people
take.
Whatever quantity you take, should be taken
only in the morning before breakfast, and if the
weather and your habits will allow, it should be
drank at the Spring, but if it should be very
disagreeable to you, to go abroad early and the
weather should be unfavourable for it, you
may have the water brought to your Lodgings
but always in close corked Pint bottles.
Whatever quantity you take, it should be {illeg}
in divided draughts, and these not large, and in
the intervals you should walk about, or move
about in your Carriage.
If the winter makes your [belly?] {illeg}
it is enough, but if it does not you {illeg}
take a dose of the Powder I formerly {illeg}
[Page 3]
for you every third day taking it in a Cupful of
the Moffat water in the morning after finishing
the usual quantity of your Moffat water.
These are the only directions I have to offer
with respect to drinking the Moffat water, but
you may also twice a week take a Bath in the
same. You are to take the Bath only in the Evening
betwixt Six and Seven oClock, taking care that
the Bath is not very warm, that you continue
in it for about a quarter of an hour only, and
that in coming out of it, you are very well dried
and put on your ordinary cloathing, or what is
equal to it, keeping your Chamber for the rest
of the Evening.
In the whole of your living at Moffat, you
are in diet & Exercise to observe the same di¬
rections I have formerly given, but you must
lay aside the whole of the medicines I have for¬
merly ascribed, except the lotion for the itchiness
of your Skin if it should be necessary; The
[Page 4]
other lotion and the mixture you Should let alone
entirely. You must also let alone the Ointment for
your mouth and Eyes, but if they should be dry and
Scaly instead of my liniment, you may anoint with
a little Lip Salve.
If after a trial of the Moffat water in the
manner mentioned for a fortnight any particular
circumstances occurr, or if you have any questions
to put, you may depend upon my punctual attention
who am very respectfully
Madam
Your most Obedient Servant.
Edinr. 8th. June
1786
Notes:
1: Cullen's wife, Anna, who died two months later at the family farm, Ormiston Hill on 7 August, 1786.
XML
XML file not yet available.
Feedback
Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:5283]
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...
