The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:780] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr Johann Justus de Berger / Regarding: Mr Fabricius (Patient) / 5 May 1766 / (Outgoing)
Reply, in form of loose neat draft copy, by Cullen for Mr Fabricius in Copenhagen, giving directions for his care and including recipes for 'stomachic powder' and 'laxative pills'. Addressee assumed to be Berger since this is Cullen's reply to Berger's enquiry of 29 March 1766 in Doc:777.
- 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 | 780 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/48 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 5 May 1766 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, in form of loose neat draft copy, by Cullen for Mr Fabricius in Copenhagen, giving directions for his care and including recipes for 'stomachic powder' and 'laxative pills'. Addressee assumed to be Berger since this is Cullen's reply to Berger's enquiry of 29 March 1766 in Doc:777. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:181] |
Case of Mr Fabricius who is though to be 'gouty'. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1218] | Addressee | Dr Johann Justus de Berger |
| [PERS ID:302] | Patient | Mr Fabricius |
| [PERS ID:1218] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Johann Justus de Berger |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr 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 |
| Destination of Letter | Copenhagen (Kobenhavn) | Denmark | Denmark | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mr F
In attending carefully to the whole series & all
the Circumstances of Mr F. Complaints I
am of opinion that they all depend upon a
Gouty humour. This has threatened his
head but has fallen more especially on the
stomach, has enervated the tone, of this
taken away the appetite & given occasion
to the accumulation of a viscid phlghm
phlegm which aggravates all his disord¬
ers.
To remove them some very proper
remedies have been employed but I think
we Cannot properly persist in the use
of Evacuants which may relieve by unloa¬
ding the bowels but must also weaken
by a Constant evacuation. I would wish
to trust most to restoring the tone of the
stomach. For this the bark intended by
Mr Berger is Certainly very proper
& may be employed but I must observe
[Page 2]
that Chalybeates are fully as powerfull
& much more safe than bark or any
bitters I would reccommend the stomach¬
ic powder prescribed below to be taken
twice a day & to be washed down with a
Glass Pyramont water. At the same time he may
take Bark to the quantity his stomach easily bears but
if he does not bear it well it will be better to avoid it
altogether. If the Bark is taken I think snakeroot or
Birthwort are fitter to accompany than any bitters.
Along with these remedies it will be proper every night
& morning to rub his Extremities especially the lower with
a flesh brush rubbing gently But continuing it for some
time. Nothing can I think contribute more to his recovery
than Gentle Exercise in fresh Air to the degree that he can easily
bear. It would appear that a short Journey taken this spring did
him harm but this I am perswaded must have been owing to some
improper Circumstances that then concurred & if he can now be brough↑t↑
to bear any Exercise in a Machine I expect it will do him great
service especially if it can be increased by degrees to some length
of Journey & more certainly still if he can be brougt so far as to
go on horse back.
Tho I have diswaded any large Evacuations I consider the
keeping his belly regular & even open as very necessary & for this
purpose I I would prefer an Aloetic to any other Medicine & have
given a formil formula for it bt below.
In the present state of his Appetite there is little room to prescribe
a particular & I shall therefore only say in general that all acids
or very Accescent foods are to be avoided avoided & therefore all
fermented liquors whither Wines or Ales. Water with a little [spirit?]
[Page 3]
& without lemon will be his most proper drink. Tea & Coffee
are both bad for him.
Edinburgh 5th May
1766
Take from five to ten grains of green vitriol [and?] powdered cinnamon, and ten grains of white sugar. Mix and powder. Label: Stomachic Powder.
Take one drachm of Socoterine Aloes, half a drachm of Gum Guaiac, fifteen grains each of powdered Ginger and Green Vitriol, ten drops of Peruvian balsam, a sufficient quantity of Orange peel. Make into a mass out of which form six half-drachm pills. Label: Laxative Pills, two or three for a dose.
5th May
1766
[Page 4]
✍
Mr Fabricius
Copenhagen
1766
Diplomatic Text
For Mr F
In attending carefully to the whole series & all
the Circumstances of Mr F. Complaints I
am of opinion that they all depend upon a
Gouty humour. This has threatened his
head but has fallen more especially on the
stomach, has enervated the tone, of this
taken away the appetite & given occasion
to the accumulation of a viscid phlghm
phlegm which aggravates all his disord¬
ers.
To remove them some very proper
remedies have been employed but I think
we Cannot properly persist in the use
of Evacuants which may relieve by unloa¬
ding the bowels but must also weaken
by a Constant evacuation. I would wish
to trust most to restoring the tone of the
stomach. For this the bark intended by
Mr Berger is Certainly very proper
& may be employed but I must observe
[Page 2]
that Chalybeates are fully as powerfull
& much more safe than bark or any
bitters I would reccommend the stomach¬
ic powder prescribed below to be taken
twice a day & to be washed down wt a
Glass Pyramont water. At the same time he may
take Bark to the quantity his stomach easily bears but
if he does not bear it well it will be better to avoid it
altogether. If the Bark is taken I think snakeroot or
Birthwort are fitter to accompany than any bitters.
Along with these remedies it will be proper every night
& morning to rub his Extremities especially the lower with
a flesh brush rubbing gently But continuing it for some
time. Nothing can I think contribute more to his recovery
than Gentle Exercise in fresh Air to the degree that he can easily
bear. It would appear that a short Journey taken this spring did
him harm but this I am perswaded must have been owing to some
improper Circumstances that then concurred & if he can now be brough↑t↑
to bear any Exercise in a Machine I expect it will do him great
service especially if it can be increased by degrees to some length
of Journey & more certainly still if he can be brougt so far as to
go on horse back.
Tho I have diswaded any large Evacuations I consider the
keeping his belly regular & even open as very necessary & for this
purpose I I would prefer an Aloetic to any other Medicine & have
given a formil formula for it bt below.
In the present state of his Appetite there is little room to prescribe
a particular & I shall therefore only say in general that all acids
or very Accescent foods are to be avoided avoided & therefore all
fermented liquors whither Wines or Ales. Water with a little [spirit?]
[Page 3]
& without lemon will be his most proper drink. Tea & Coffee
are both bad for him.
Edinr. 5th May
1766
℞ Sal. Mart. a. gr. v ad x
Cinnamom. pulv.
sacchar alb. a. gr. x. ℳ et pulvis.
signa stomachic Powder
℞ Aloes scot Socotor ʒj
G. Guajac ʒſs
Zingiber pulv.
sal Mart @ gr. xv
Bals. Peruvian. gutt x
syr: e cort. Aurant q.s. ut f.s.a. massa ex cujus
singulis semidrachmis formentur pil. № vi
signa Laxative Pills two or three for a dose
5th May
1766
[Page 4]
✍
Mr Fabricius
Copenhagen
1766
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