The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5589] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr / Regarding: Mr Alexander Dirom (of Muiresk) (Patient) / 24 December 1787 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mr. Dirom', probably to his 'country' practitioner. Cullen does not approve of his new doctor's advice, and is glad he does not know who he is. He hopes that he will be able to obtain by Aberdeen fly the apparatus required to make the alkaline mephitic water, and refers again to Falconer's appendix to Dobson on its use.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 5589 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/20/208 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 24 December 1787 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Mr. Dirom', probably to his 'country' practitioner. Cullen does not approve of his new doctor's advice, and is glad he does not know who he is. He hopes that he will be able to obtain by Aberdeen fly the apparatus required to make the alkaline mephitic water, and refers again to Falconer's appendix to Dobson on its use. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:787] |
Case of Alexander Dirom, who has a urinary tract ailment. |
16 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:5911] | Addressee | Dr |
| [PERS ID:5422] | Patient | Mr Alexander Dirom (of Muiresk) |
| [PERS ID:5911] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr |
| [PERS ID:5913] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3494] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr William Falconer |
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 | Turriff | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Aberdeen | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Aberdeenshire | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mr Dirom
From the note of the 19th. I have learned
nothing new with respect to Mr. Diroms
disease. The discharge of slime in his urine
I know of before, as in some measure inse¬
parable from such a complaint. I have
therefore the same opinion of his disease that
I had when I wrote last, and am thoroughly
persuaded that the Alkaline Mephitic
water or ↑as↑ in the advertisement I sent you
this morning the Alkaline aerated water
is the best measure I can propose. I am sorry
to find the North so ill provided for this as
it seems to be, but I hope you are now in a
condition to find him the Apparatus by
the first opportunity of an Aberdeen fly. I am
sorry I cannot send him Dr. Falconers pamphlet 1
as I proposed, but I hope that is of little
consequence, as it was chiefly as an encourage¬
[Page 2]
ment to his taking it that I meant to send
the Pamphlet. For the manner of preparing
the water he will find directions in the 9th. page
of the Glass house publication which I sent
you this morning, and which you must
send to him by post, or along with the machin[e].
I imagine that in the Box in which the
machine is put up at the glass house, they
will put up a Copy of their Publication, but
do you take care to make sure of this.
The only other particular Mr. Dirom
can desire is a direction for the use of the
water when it is prepared and this I can
give him in two words. That he is to take
a gill of the water three times a day, One in
the morning an hour or two before breakfast
a Second at Noon or a little after it, and the
third at [Seven?] of the Evening. These [doses?]
may be afterwards increased, but I would
[Page 3]
delay determining [it untill?] I shall know how
[these?] doses have [operated?], and I beg you (↑he↑) will
mark exactly how they affect his stomach
and most particularly the state of his urine.
The medicine has been of singular service
to many, and I hope will prove as to Mr.
Dirom. The use of it requires no other diet
than what I formerly advised, and I only desire
he m[ust] let alone the Claret which his new
Doc[tor] has recommended. I am glad not to
kn[ow w]ho this Doctor is, for I must give
[ou]t [m]y opinion that his prescription
[is] absolutely improper, and I hope Mr.
[Dirom] from his own feeling has laid it
[entire]ly laid aside.
[Edinburgh] 24th. December
1787
Notes:
1: Dr William Falconer, On the Use of the Solution of Fixed Alkaline Salts, published as an appendix to Dr Matthew Dobson, A medical Commentary on Fixed Air (2nd ed., 1785), as mentioned in Doc [ID:5581].
Diplomatic Text
For Mr Dirom
From the note of the 19th. I have learned
nothing new with respect to Mr. Diroms
disease. The discharge of slime in his urine
I know of before, as in some measure inse¬
parable from such a complaint. I have
therefore the same opinion of his disease that
I had when I wrote last, and am thoroughly
persuaded that the Alkaline Mephitic
water or ↑as↑ in the advertisement I sent you
this morning the Alkaline aerated water
is the best measure I can propose. I am sorry
to find the North so ill provided for this as
it seems to be, but I hope you are now in a
condition to find him the Apparatus by
the first opportunity of an Aberdeen fly. I am
sorry I cannot send him Dr. Falconers pamphlet 1
as I proposed, but I hope that is of little
consequence, as it was chiefly as an encourage¬
[Page 2]
ment to his taking it that I meant to send
the Pamphlet. For the manner of preparing
the water he will find directions in the 9th. page
of the Glass house publication which I sent
you this morning, and which you must
send to him by post, or along with the machin[e].
I imagine that in the Box in which the
machine is put up at the glass house, they
will put up a Copy of their Publication, but
do you take care to make sure of this.
The only other particular Mr. Dirom
can desire is a direction for the use of the
water when it is prepared and this I can
give him in two words. That he is to take
a gill of the water three times a day, One in
the morning an hour or two before breakfast
a Second at Noon or a little after it, and the
third at [Seven?] of the Evening. These [doses?]
may be afterwards increased, but I would
[Page 3]
delay determining [it untill?] I shall know how
[these?] doses have [operated?], and I beg you (↑he↑) will
mark exactly how they affect his stomach
and most particularly the state of his urine.
The medicine has been of singular service
to many, and I hope will prove as to Mr.
Dirom. The use of it requires no other diet
than what I formerly advised, and I only desire
he m[ust] let alone the Claret which his new
Doc[tor] has recommended. I am glad not to
kn[ow w]ho this Doctor is, for I must give
[ou]t [m]y opinion that his prescription
[is] absolutely improper, and I hope Mr.
[Dirom] from his own feeling has laid it
[entire]ly laid aside.
[Edinr.] 24th. Decr.
1787
Notes:
1: Dr William Falconer, On the Use of the Solution of Fixed Alkaline Salts, published as an appendix to Dr Matthew Dobson, A medical Commentary on Fixed Air (2nd ed., 1785), as mentioned in Doc [ID:5581].
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