
The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5910] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr James Hay (of Laxfirth) / Regarding: Mr James Hay (of Laxfirth) (Patient) / 5 November 1789 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'Mr Jas. Hay'. Cullen advises against going to sea at this season, and recommends keeping warm, with the use of laxatives for his piles and tussilago for his breast complaint.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.

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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 5910 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/21/180 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 5 November 1789 |
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, 'Mr Jas. Hay'. Cullen advises against going to sea at this season, and recommends keeping warm, with the use of laxatives for his piles and tussilago for his breast complaint. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:2278] |
Case of Mr James Hay. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:5672] | Addressee | Mr James Hay (of Laxfirth) |
[PERS ID:5672] | Patient | Mr James Hay (of Laxfirth) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:5170] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr James Wood (of Keithick) |
[PERS ID:5823] | Other | Mr Maxton |
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 | Lerwick | Shetlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
Mr. Jas. Hay
I have perused the history of your
complaints with great attention, and if I
am to give you, as you desire my opinion
candidly I must say that your ailments
are of a very unfavourable kind. They are
of the nature of your original complaints
and from which I think your breast
has never been entirely free, but you
have had many escapes from the state
which Dr Wood formerly found you in,
The and therefore there is no room for
an absolute despair. Your relief has
been especially obtained by your going to Sea
but at this Season of the year I cannot
advise your trying it further than going
out very well guarded against cold for a
sail of five or six hours, and if this gives
[Page 2]
you considerable relief, you may push
it further, but any Voyage to a distance
from home, I should think very hazardous
There is no Mineral water that is proper
or could be useful to you. Except in so far
as the daily Sailings I have mentioned
can be admitted I think your safety
will be in keeping your Chamber, but
not too warm. The eruption on your legs
should have been of service, but it is not
to be recalled. The blood from the Piles
might also have been of use, but there
were no measures to be taken for
them, but the keeping your belly re¬
gular, but Nature seems now to have
done this for you, and it is only in cas[e]
of any return of costiveness with an
increase of the pains of your belly
that I should think of advising any
[Page 3]
laxatives. But it they should seem to be
necessary a small dose of Cream of tartar
and flowers of Sulphur I would prefer
to anything else. Your ailments seem now
to be accumulated in your breast, and the
management should be a mild diet
and avoiding cold. The only medicine I
can advise is what I think you will
find at home, that is, a pretty strong ↑infusion↑
of dried Tussilago leaves, which you
should take a part of, several times a
day.
This is all I can advise at present
and I heartily wish you success, being
very much
Your most Obedient Servant
1789/
The fee given me by Mr. Maxton is quite sufficient
Diplomatic Text
Mr. Jas. Hay
I have perused the history of your
complaints with great attention, and if I
am to give you, as you desire my opinion
candidly I must say that your ailments
are of a very unfavourable kind. They are
of the nature of your original complaints
and from which I think your breast
has never been entirely free, but you
have had many escapes from the state
which Dr Wood formerly found you in,
The and therefore there is no room for
an absolute despair. Your relief has
been especially obtained by your going to Sea
but at this Season of the year I cannot
advise your trying it further than going
out very well guarded against cold for a
sail of five or six hours, and if this gives
[Page 2]
you considerable relief, you may push
it further, but any Voyage to a distance
from home, I should think very hazardous
There is no Mineral water that is proper
or could be useful to you. Except in so far
as the daily Sailings I have mentioned
can be admitted I think your safety
will be in keeping your Chamber, but
not too warm. The eruption on your legs
should have been of service, but it is not
to be recalled. The blood from the Piles
might also have been of use, but there
were no measures to be taken for
them, but the keeping your belly re¬
gular, but Nature seems now to have
done this for you, and it is only in cas[e]
of any return of costiveness with an
increase of the pains of your belly
that I should think of advising any
[Page 3]
laxatives. But it they should seem to be
necessary a small dose of Cream of tartar
and flowers of Sulphur I would prefer
to anything else. Your ailments seem now
to be accumulated in your breast, and the
management should be a mild diet
and avoiding cold. The only medicine I
can advise is what I think you will
find at home, that is, a pretty strong ↑infusion↑
of dried Tussilago leaves, which you
should take a part of, several times a
day.
This is all I can advise at present
and I heartily wish you success, being
very much
Your most Obedient Servant
1789/
The fee given me by Mr. Maxton is quite sufficient
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