Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:741] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: (The Lady) (Patient) / 1760? / (Outgoing)

Reply from Cullen, in the form of retained, loose, polished, autograph draft, addressed to 'Sir...' regarding an unnamed female patient with lung problems and written in response to an account of her case. The style of address implies that the addressee and his father, who both appear to be known to Cullen, are socially elevated (Cullen tended to keep loose drafts of his more substantial responses to his more prestigious clients). Letter in poor condition and with no indication of date. Now held in box of early letters but this positioning could be arbitrary. Persons unknown have not been linked to any Person ID numbers.

Facsimile

There are 4 images for this document.

[Page 1]


 

[Page 2]


 

[Page 3]


 

[Page 4]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 741
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/9
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date1760?
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply from Cullen, in the form of retained, loose, polished, autograph draft, addressed to 'Sir...' regarding an unnamed female patient with lung problems and written in response to an account of her case. The style of address implies that the addressee and his father, who both appear to be known to Cullen, are socially elevated (Cullen tended to keep loose drafts of his more substantial responses to his more prestigious clients). Letter in poor condition and with no indication of date. Now held in box of early letters but this positioning could be arbitrary. Persons unknown have not been linked to any Person ID numbers.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:2421]
Case of an unnamed female patient with a lung condition.
1


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:745]Patient (The Lady)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)

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

[Page 1]
Sir


I have considered your very full and
distinct account of the Lady's case you have been
pleased to send me. I am sorry to find it is such
as I cannot promise to be of much service in and
this I am especially led to think from finding that
the Remedies already employed have been as
proper & fit as could have been suggested by
any body. Inclosed I send you my Advice
to be communicated if you think proper to the
[lady's Friends and?] I here give you Some
{illeg} Satisfaction.


{illeg} From the Hereditary taint the Present
{illeg} by past History of the Disease I
{illeg} [a?] Tubercle in the Lungs perha{illeg}
[already phystical?] or at least liable fro[m] {illeg}
{illeg} causes to inflame and suppurate.


Measures I think must be directed to [obviate?]



[Page 2]

[Inflammation] and such I think must be our measures
upon every supposition that can report.


The Ladys Weakness may perhaps make you
Shy in bleeding but it appears to me absolutely
Necesary & While the Inflammatory Crust appears
it seems to me quite safe especially while conĀ¬
ducted with your Discretion that is taken in
moderate quantities and at proper Intervals.


The Issue in the arm is very proper but an
Occasional Blister
may also be necessary and I
would rather apply it to the Side than to the back.
Tho there is no Stitch it is rare but that in Such
cases you may perceive one Side [more] affected
than the other. While the Issue in the [arm] [Continues?]
[to] discharge freely I would not propose to {illeg}
{illeg} Blister on the side. I think it {illeg}
{illeg} it up immediately that you may ha{illeg}
{illeg} [B]lister in your Power as a [remedy?] always
{illeg}[eff]ectual.




[Page 3]


Bleeding & Blistering with a Vegetable Diet
are the Remedies to be depended upon for I have
hardly ever found Pectorals of much Service. The
Mucilaginous & emollient Pectorals if the Patient
can take them in Considerable Quantity are certainly
useful in taking off the Irritation of an acrid
mucus and Squills in promoting the Regular
Secretion of the Mucus may be of Service. The
Gums of all kinds I Suspect to be heating &
I would rather Avoid them but the flowers of
Benzom
are not to be ranked among these. The
Seneca I imagine cannot be Useful unless given
in Such quantities as I have hardly found any
Phthisical Patient to bear.


I [am] glad to find the Lady bears an Opiate &
{illeg} proper by a Medicine of that kind to
{illeg} Relief now & then but such Medicines
{illeg} prove heating & Inflammatory & I
{illeg} therefore have you cautious {illeg}
{illeg} you come to consider the disea[se] {illeg}


It is common in {illeg}



[Page 4]

Stress upon Exercise but it is more Effective in preventing
than curing & all very brisk Exercise or pushed
the length of fatigue may be very hurtful while
the symptoms of Inflammation are present.


I perceive the Lady is liable to Costiveness. I
hope this shall continue but in the mean time it is
necessary to keep her belly regular & I have mentioned
the medicine I prefer to all others. Aloes & every
acrid Purgative would be hurtful. Salts are
very safe but it is difficult to keep their operation
within due bounds. For the rest I refer you to
the Inclosed. I am obliged to your father for the
honour he does me in consulting me upon this
Occasion & I am very much obliged to you for
the Polite Expressions you are pleased to employ.
I shall be very glad to have any [opportunity?]
of obliging either of you. In the present {illeg} I
Shall Expect to hear your further accounts {illeg}
{illeg} [ready?] to contribute Everything in {illeg}
{illeg} Relief.

I am
Sir
Your Obedient humble [servant?]
William Cullen

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Sir


I have considered your very full and
distinct account of the Lady's case you have been
pleased to send me. I am sorry to find it is such
as I cannot promise to be of much service in and
this I am especially led to think from finding that
the Remedies already employed have been as
proper & fit as could have been suggested by
any body. Inclosed I send you my Advice
to be communicated if you think proper to the
[lady's Friends and?] I here give you Some
{illeg} Satisfaction.


{illeg} From the Hereditary taint the Present
{illeg} by past History of the Disease I
{illeg} [a?] Tubercle in the Lungs perha{illeg}
[already phystical?] or at least liable fro[m] {illeg}
{illeg} causes to inflame and suppurate.


Measures I think must be directed to [obviate?]



[Page 2]

[Inflammation] and such I think must be our measures
upon every supposition that can report.


The Ladys Weakness may perhaps make you
Shy in bleeding but it appears to me absolutely
Necesary & While the Inflammatory Crust appears
it seems to me quite safe especially while conĀ¬
ducted with your Discretion that is taken in
moderate quantities and at proper Intervals.


The Issue in the arm is very proper but an
Occasional Blister
may also be necessary and I
would rather apply it to the Side than to the back.
Tho there is no Stitch it is rare but that in Such
cases you may perceive one Side [more] affected
than the other. While the Issue in the [arm] [Continues?]
[to] discharge freely I would not propose to {illeg}
{illeg} Blister on the side. I think it {illeg}
{illeg} it up immediately that you may ha{illeg}
{illeg} [B]lister in your Power as a [remedy?] always
{illeg}[eff]ectual.




[Page 3]


Bleeding & Blistering with a Vegetable Diet
are the Remedies to be depended upon for I have
hardly ever found Pectorals of much Service. The
Mucilaginous & emollient Pectorals if the Patient
can take them in Considerable Quantity are certainly
useful in taking off the Irritation of an acrid
mucus and Squills in promoting the Regular
Secretion of the Mucus may be of Service. The
Gums of all kinds I Suspect to be heating &
I would rather Avoid them but the flowers of
Benzom
are not to be ranked among these. The
Seneca I imagine cannot be Useful unless given
in Such quantities as I have hardly found any
Phthisical Patient to bear.


I [am] glad to find the Lady bears an Opiate &
{illeg} proper by a Medicine of that kind to
{illeg} Relief now & then but such Medicines
{illeg} prove heating & Inflammatory & I
{illeg} therefore have you cautious {illeg}
{illeg} you come to consider the disea[se] {illeg}


It is common in {illeg}



[Page 4]

Stress upon Exercise but it is more Effective in preventing
than curing & all very brisk Exercise or pushed
the length of fatigue may be very hurtful while
the symptoms of Inflammation are present.


I perceive the Lady is liable to Costiveness. I
hope this shall continue but in the mean time it is
necessary to keep her belly regular & I have mentioned
the medicine I prefer to all others. Aloes & every
acrid Purgative would be hurtful. Salts are
very safe but it is difficult to keep their operation
within due bounds. For the rest I refer you to
the Inclosed. I am obliged to your father for the
honour he does me in consulting me upon this
Occasion & I am very much obliged to you for
the Polite Expressions you are pleased to employ.
I shall be very glad to have any [opportunity?]
of obliging either of you. In the present {illeg} I
Shall Expect to hear your further accounts {illeg}
{illeg} [ready?] to contribute Everything in {illeg}
{illeg} Relief.

I am
Sir
Your Obedt. humble [servant?]
William Cullen

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