The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:685] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Captain Davidson (Patient) / 20 December 1782 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Captain Davidson'. Cullen affirms his earlier advice that the chief remedy is cold bathing, but also gives directions for a regimen, including 'Temperance in every respect' and the avoidance of 'a rich and full diet'. Mentions sending a recipe to Mr Russell.
- 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 | 685 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/15/172 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 20 December 1782 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | Yes |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Captain Davidson'. Cullen affirms his earlier advice that the chief remedy is cold bathing, but also gives directions for a regimen, including 'Temperance in every respect' and the avoidance of 'a rich and full diet'. Mentions sending a recipe to Mr Russell. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1547] |
Case of Captain Davidson who is advised to continue the cold bathing and pursue Temperance. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3664] | Patient | Captain Davidson |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3665] | Other | Mr Russel |
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 |
Normalized Text
Captain Davidson
An uncommon hurry of business has
prevented my writing to you so soon as I wished and I was
perhaps a little negligent because I has already pointed out
to you your chief remedy that is cold bathing, and I have
only to say a few things with respect to your regimen.
The first article of this is Temperance in every respect.
There is ↑no↑ great nicety necessary in the choice of your food but
the constant or very frequent use of a rich and full diet may
be very hurtfull to your nerves and would certainly aggravate
your complaint. With a sharp appetite therefore which you
probably have you should take simple things and of few kinds
at one time and mixing always a good deal of vegetable with
your animal food.
Temperance in drinking is still more necessary. There
is indeed no occasion for your abstaining entirely from Wine
and it is only great moderation that is rrequired. I think
you Should not for Some time exceed half a pint of Port at
[Page 2]
dinner and half a gill of Rum in punch at supper every day.
If you can be steady in this restraint for some time whilst
at the same time you are regularly using the cold bath I
have no doubt of your getting entirely quit of your present
complaint. But let me observe that you should be exact and
the only means of being so is by taking your measure por¬
tion and putting it into a Caraffe for your own use.
With this Regimen you will do well to continue daily
exercise in the open air either in walking or riding but
neither Should be carried to any degree of fatigue or even near
to it. Fencing or any other exercise that will particu¬
larly exercise your arms very much I hold to be very im¬
proper in your present State.
Sitting late at night is certainly bad for you and it is
equally so to lie long abed in the morning and particularly
to lie long abed after your sound sleep is over.
I ↑should↑ have said above that your common drink should be
plain water and that all sort of Malt Liquors are to be avoided.
Both tea and Coffee are very improper for your but if
[Page 3]
you are very desirous to have a breakfast in the shape of
these liquors you must take to Cocoa tea and even this
you should not take very warm
With this management and cold bathing I hope you
shall have little occasion for medicine but I think you
will be the better of one for which I have given a prescription
to Mr Russel. It is a tincture of which you will please
take two table Spoonfulls twice a day, at twelve noon &
again between Seven and eight at night. I am with most
Sincere regard
Dear Sir
Yours &c. &c.
Edinburgh 20th December
1782.
[Page 4]
For Captain Davidson
Take four ounces each of Tincture of Peruvian Bark and Simple cinnamon water eight ounces of spring Water. Mix. Label: Strengthening Tincture Two table Spoonfuls to be taken twice a day. --
December 20th
1782.
Diplomatic Text
Captain Davidson
An uncommon hurry of business has
prevented my writing to you so soon as I wished and I was
perhaps a little negligent because I has already pointed out
to you your chief remedy that is cold bathing, and I have
only to say a few things with respect to your regimen.
The first article of this is Temperance in every respect.
There is ↑no↑ great nicety necessary in the choice of your food but
the constant or very frequent use of a rich and full diet may
be very hurtfull to your nerves and would certainly aggravate
your complaint. With a sharp appetite therefore which you
probably have you should take simple things and of few kinds
at one time and mixing always a good deal of vegetable with
your animal food.
Temperance in drinking is still more necessary. There
is indeed no occasion for your abstaining entirely from Wine
and it is only great moderation that is rrequired. I think
you Should not for Some time exceed half a pint of Port at
[Page 2]
dinner and half a gill of Rum in punch at supper every day.
If you can be steady in this restraint for some time whilst
at the same time you are regularly using the cold bath I
have no doubt of your getting entirely quit of your present
complaint. But let me observe that you should be exact and
the only means of being so is by taking your measure por¬
tion and putting it into a Caraffe for your own use.
With this Regimen you will do well to continue daily
exercise in the open air either in walking or riding but
neither Should be carried to any degree of fatigue or even near
to it. Fencing or any other exercise that will particu¬
larly exercise your arms very much I hold to be very im¬
proper in your present State.
Sitting late at night is certainly bad for you and it is
equally so to lie long abed in the morning and particularly
to lie long abed after your sound sleep is over.
I ↑should↑ have said above that your common drink should be
plain water and that all sort of Malt Liquors are to be avoided.
Both tea and Coffee are very improper for your but if
[Page 3]
you are very desirous to have a breakfast in the shape of
these liquors you must take to Cocoa tea and even this
you should not take very warm
With this management and cold bathing I hope you
shall have little occasion for medicine but I think you
will be the better of one for which I have given a prescription
to Mr Russel. It is a tincture of which you will please
take two table Spoonfulls twice a day, at twelve noon &
again between Seven and eight at night. I am with most
Sincere regard
Dear Sir
Yours &c. &c.
Edinr. 20th Decr.
1782.
[Page 4]
For Captain Davidson
℞ Tinct. cort. Peruvian.
Aq. cinnam. simpl. @ ℥iv
-- font ℥viij
ℳ. Sig. Strengthening Tincture
Two table Spoonfuls to be
taken twice a day. --
Decr. 20th
1782.
XML
XML file not yet available.
Feedback
Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:685]
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...
