The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5295] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr Robert Brown (Broun) / Regarding: Mrs Elizabeth Watt (McCall) (of Stranraer) (Patient) / 11 July 1786 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mrs Watt'. The letter is probably addressed to her relative, Robert Brown. Cullen sends prescriptions, with advice on anointing her painful joints and on treating her heats and abdominal pains, which he believes to be caused by her piles. He wishes to hear from her directly, writing: 'if Mrs. Watt will be pleased to write me soon an account of her state for the time I shall certainly without any further fee most willingly advise her as well as I can'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 5295 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/19/106 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 11 July 1786 |
Annotation | None |
Type | Machine scribal copy |
Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
Autopsy | No |
Recipe | Yes |
Regimen | No |
Letter of Introduction | No |
Case Note | No |
Summary | Reply, 'For Mrs Watt'. The letter is probably addressed to her relative, Robert Brown. Cullen sends prescriptions, with advice on anointing her painful joints and on treating her heats and abdominal pains, which he believes to be caused by her piles. He wishes to hear from her directly, writing: 'if Mrs. Watt will be pleased to write me soon an account of her state for the time I shall certainly without any further fee most willingly advise her as well as I can'. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:1594] |
Case of Mrs Elizabeth Watt of Stranraer, whose various symptoms over the course of ten years include a chest complaint, a sore mouth, and rheumatism. |
18 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:4171] | Addressee | Mr Robert Brown (Broun) |
[PERS ID:2120] | Patient | Mrs Elizabeth Watt (of Stranraer) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:4171] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr Robert Brown (Broun) |
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 | St Andrews Street | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mrs. Watt
I very willingly take a concern in Mrs. Watt.
I am very sorry for her present distress and will g[ive]
the best advice I possibly can for her relief. As she
was so much affected with Rheumatism before, the
fall she has had lately has been very unlucky and
will make it more difficult to relieve the pains
of her Loin now, but I have sent her the most effe¬
ctual remedy that I know of. It is an Oil with
which the loin and knee, and especially the former
is to be anointed every night and morning keeping
it afterwards constantly covered with flannel.
The anointing is to be with the two fore fingers
dipped in the oil, and the fingers are to be moved
over the whole joint for two or three minutes [together.?]
I hope this oil will both remove the pain and strengthen
the joint, but I do not find it so easy to cure her inward
ailments which I believe are chiefly from the piles which
I dare say are inward as well as outward. I know very
well that [she?] is not able to bear very strong medicines
and I will not order any such for her, but I have pre¬
scribed a medicine which I hope will relieve her both
from the hot fits she is liable to and likewise of the pain
in her bowels. She is to take two table spoonfuls of it every
night or at least every second night at bed time and let
her [observe?] that this medicine is particularly proper while
[her ?] laxative disorder continues, but that if the looseness {illeg}
{illeg} the medicine would not be so proper unless She takes
as much flowers of Sulphur as will serve to keep her
[Page 2]
belly open with this precaution she may continue
my mixture as often as her heats and pains may seem
to require
The management of such an ailment can only be
properly directed when we know from time to time the
particular circumstances of it as they may cast up and
if Mrs. Watt will be pleased to write me soon an
account of her state for the time I shall certainly with¬
out any further fee most willingly advise her as well
as I can.
[Page 3]
For Mrs. Watt
Take two ounces of best Olive Oil, two drachms each of Amber Oil and thoroughly caustic Spirit of ammoniac Salt, and half a drachm of distilled Sassafrass oil. Mix and make in this way four Phials. Label: Anodyne Oil for anointing the pained joints.
Take two drachms of tartar Salts, 3 ounces or a sufficient quantity of lemon Juice, an ounce of simple Syrup, two ounces each of simple cinnamon Water and Rosewater, and one-hundred and sixty drops of Thebaic Tincture. Mix. Label: Cooling mixture two table spoonful to be taken every night or at least every second night at bed time
11th. July
1784
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs. Watt
I very willingly take a concern in Mrs. Watt.
I am very sorry for her present distress and will g[ive]
the best advice I possibly can for her relief. As she
was so much affected with Rheumatism before, the
fall she has had lately has been very unlucky and
will make it more difficult to relieve the pains
of her Loin now, but I have sent her the most effe¬
ctual remedy that I know of. It is an Oil with
which the loin and knee, and especially the former
is to be anointed every night and morning keeping
it afterwards constantly covered with flannel.
The anointing is to be with the two fore fingers
dipped in the oil, and the fingers are to be moved
over the whole joint for two or three minutes [together.?]
I hope this oil will both remove the pain and strengthen
the joint, but I do not find it so easy to cure her inward
ailments which I believe are chiefly from the piles which
I dare say are inward as well as outward. I know very
well that [she?] is not able to bear very strong medicines
and I will not order any such for her, but I have pre¬
scribed a medicine which I hope will relieve her both
from the hot fits she is liable to and likewise of the pain
in her bowels. She is to take two table spoonfuls of it every
night or at least every second night at bed time and let
her [observe?] that this medicine is particularly proper while
[her ?] laxative disorder continues, but that if the looseness {illeg}
{illeg} the medicine would not be so proper unless She takes
as much flowers of Sulphur as will serve to keep her
[Page 2]
belly open with this precaution she may continue
my mixture as often as her heats and pains may seem
to require
The management of such an ailment can only be
properly directed when we know from time to time the
particular circumstances of it as they may cast up and
if Mrs. Watt will be pleased to write me soon an
account of her state for the time I shall certainly with¬
out any further fee most willingly advise her as well
as I can.
[Page 3]
For Mrs. Watt
℞ Ol. oliv. opt. ℥ij
–– Succin
Sp. Sal. ammon. probe caust. @ ʒij
ol. still. Sassaf. ʒſs
ℳ. et f. h. m. Phialæ № IV.
Sig. Anodyne Oil for anointing the
pained joints.
℞ Sal. tart. ʒij
Succ. limon. ℥iij vel q. s.
Syr. simpl. ℥j
Aq. cinnam. simpl.
–– rosar. @ ℥ij
Tinct. Thebaic. gtt. centum ↑CLX↑ et sexaginto
ℳ. Sig. Cooling mixture two table
spoonful to be taken every night
or at least every second night at
bed time
11th. July
1784
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