The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:73] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mrs Bower (Patient) / 8 August 1769 / (Outgoing)
Reply [to Dr Douglas] 'For Mrs Bower', a pregnant woman whose costiveness puts her at risk of miscarriage. Offers advice on diet and exercise, with a laxative recipe
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- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
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Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 73 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/1/68 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 8 August 1769 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply [to Dr Douglas] 'For Mrs Bower', a pregnant woman whose costiveness puts her at risk of miscarriage. Offers advice on diet and exercise, with a laxative recipe |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:35] |
Case of Mrs Bower who is suffering from a pain in the side and costiveness during pregnancy. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:12] | Patient | Mrs Bower |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:571] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Christopher Douglas (of Kelso) |
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
For Mrs Bower
Having considered the Whole of Mrs Bower's Complaints I am of O¬
pinion that the Whole a Pain of her Side, and all the Symptoms
connected with it arose from an Obstruction of (↑in↑) her Bowels which
I hope is now in a great Measure removed, but it must still be our chief care to prevent any Return of it. For this Purpose
the chief Means are to keep her Belly regular, and to prevent
all Indigestion.
For the first Dr Douglass's Pills seem to be very well adapted
and the Use of them must be very constant. it sometimes
happens, that a Medicine often repeated loses it's Effects; and
in this Case this shou'd happen to the Pills I have given a
Prescription below, which I hope will supply their Place.
In Diet Mrs Bower must avoid every thing that may
be cold and windy on her Stomach and therefore Roots,
Greens and fruits Most Kinds of Grain made in Pudding
or otherwise she may take. Her diet must be chiefly of
Solid food, but that of the lightest Kind, and she must
take great Care that her Stomach is never loaded by the
Quantity. She may very properly take every Day a
light plain Soup with a little Barley, Rice, Sago or
Vermicelli. For ordinary Drink she may take Toast
water with a very little Red Port in it, and every Day
at Dinner and Supper she may take a Glass or two of
any Wine she likes best. But if she takes the stronger
Kinds, she shou'd put a little Water in it.
If we can prevent any Return of the Violent Pain
I hope there will be no Danger of a Miscarriage, but
as her Vessels have been weakened by former Accidents
it will be very proper to take every Precaution to avoid
another. On this account I must advise Mrs Bower to
use very little Exercise for two months to come and especi¬
ally from the tenth Week to the fourteenth, or a little longer.
The worst kind of Exercise is Walking, or long Standing
[Page 2]
and she ought never to stand still above a minute at a
Time. She shou'd never walk but upon the most plane and
level Ground, and for a short way only at a Time. In short
the less bodily motion she has for the Time mentioned the
better, and it will be even very proper for her to lie much
upon a Bed, and if she has any Pains of her Back it may
be absolutely necessary to take to that Posture altogether for
some weeks. In the Mean Time for a week or two it will
be for Mrs Bower's Health to have a little fresh Air, and she
may go a little abroad in the forenoons or Evenings in a
Carriage or on Horseback, and after the 14.th Week she may also
do the same, but both now and during the whole Time of
her Pregnancy, her motion whether in a Carriage or on Horse¬
back ought to be extremely smooth & gentle, and never very
long at one Time.
At all Times it is of the utmost Consequence for her
to avoid Cold and especially of her feet & Legs. She ought always
to wear worsted Understockings, and in the Night Time
she ought to keep on her Understockings, or use woolen foot
Socks. If her feet are cold in the Evening she ought to have
them warmed or well chafed with warm Flannel before go¬
in to Bed.
I have now only to add that if on any Occasion M.rs
Bower is threatened with a Return of the violent Pain
of her Side I think it shou'd be treated as a Colic taking
Pains in the first Place by Clysters or proper Laxatives
to procure a Passage of her Belly, and then to quiet
the Disorder by full Doses of Laudanum
take one ounce of Flowers of Sulphur, half an ounce of finely powdered Tartar Crystals, a drachm each of powdered Jallop and Nutmeg, an ounce of the flesh of French prunes, and enough Syrup of Pale Roses as to make an Electuary. Label: Laxative Electuary, a Teaspoonful to be taken in the Morning, and if necessary another at Night.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Bower
Having considered the Whole of Mrs Bower's Comp.s I am of O¬
pinion that the Whole a Pain of her Side, and all the Symptoms
connected with it arose from an Obstruction of (↑in↑) her Bowels which
I hope is now in a great Measure removed, but it must still be our chief care to prevent any Return of it. For this Purpose
the chief Means are to keep her Belly regular, and to prevent
all Indigestion.
For the first Dr Douglass's Pills seem to be very well adapted
and the Use of them must be very constant. it sometimes
happens, that a Medicine often repeated loses it's Effects; and
in this Case this shou'd happen to the Pills I have given a
Prescription below, which I hope will supply their Place.
In Diet Mrs Bower must avoid every thing that may
be cold and windy on her Stomach and therefore Roots,
Greens and fruits Most Kinds of Grain made in Pudding
or otherwise she may take. Her diet must be chiefly of
Solid food, but that of the lightest Kind, and she must
take great Care that her Stomach is never loaded by the
Quantity. She may very properly take every Day a
light plain Soup with a little Barley, Rice, Sago or
Vermicelli. For ordinary Drink she may take Toast
water with a very little Red Port in it, and every Day
at Dinner and Supper she may take a Glass or two of
any Wine she likes best. But if she takes the stronger
Kinds, she shou'd put a little Water in it.
If we can prevent any Return of the Violent Pain
I hope there will be no Danger of a Miscarriage, but
as her Vessels have been weakened by former Accidents
it will be very proper to take every Precaution to avoid
another. On this account I must advise Mrs Bower to
use very little Exercise for two months to come and especi¬
ally from the tenth Week to the fourteenth, or a little longer.
The worst kind of Exercise is Walking, or long Standing
[Page 2]
and she ought never to stand still above a minute at a
Time. She shou'd never walk but upon the most plane and
level Ground, and for a short way only at a Time. In short
the less bodily motion she has for the Time mentioned the
better, and it will be even very proper for her to lie much
upon a Bed, and if she has any Pains of her Back it may
be absolutely necessary to take to that Posture altogether for
some weeks. In the Mean Time for a week or two it will
be for Mrs Bower's Health to have a little fresh Air, and she
may go a little abroad in the forenoons or Evenings in a
Carriage or on Horseback, and after the 14.th Week she may also
do the same, but both now and during the whole Time of
her Pregnancy, her motion whether in a Carriage or on Horse¬
back ought to be extremely smooth & gentle, and never very
long at one Time.
At all Times it is of the utmost Consequence for her
to avoid Cold and especially of her feet & Legs. She ought always
to wear worsted Understockings, and in the Night Time
she ought to keep on her Understockings, or use woolen foot
Socks. If her feet are cold in the Evening she ought to have
them warmed or well chafed with warm Flannel before go¬
in to Bed.
I have now only to add that if on any Occasion M.rs
Bower is threatened with a Return of the violent Pain
of her Side I think it shou'd be treated as a Colic taking
Pains in the first Place by Clysters or proper Laxatives
to procure a Passage of her Belly, and then to quiet
the Disorder by full Doses of Laudanum
℞ Flor. Sulph. ℥i Chrystall. Tartar. pulv. subtil. ℥ſs
Pulv. Jalapp. Nuch. Mosch. vas. @ ʒi Pulp. Prun. Gall. ℥i Syr.
Rosar. pall. q. s. ut. f. Elect.
Signa. Laxative Electuary, a Teaspoonful to be taken in the Morning,
and if necessary another at Night.
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