The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:800] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr Isaac Grant / Regarding: [A matter not directly regarding a patient] / 25 May 1768 / (Outgoing)
Reply in the form of a loose draft copy in Cullen's hand, addressed to Isaac Grant, concerning an unnamed female patient of Grant's. Cullen asks a series of questions about the case, and concludes with '[t]ho I apprehend no danger I am heartily concerned for the an[x]iety that persons in this situation must have...'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
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- People
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Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 800 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/69 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 25 May 1768 |
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 the form of a loose draft copy in Cullen's hand, addressed to Isaac Grant, concerning an unnamed female patient of Grant's. Cullen asks a series of questions about the case, and concludes with '[t]ho I apprehend no danger I am heartily concerned for the an[x]iety that persons in this situation must have...'. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:157] |
Case of an unnamed female patient presented by Dr Isaac Grant who suspects a venereal infection. |
1 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:320] | Addressee | Mr Isaac Grant |
[PERS ID:320] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Isaac Grant |
Places linked to this document
Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of Writing | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
The Inclosed Case was delivered to me late on the 23d
& I begun to answer it yesterday but was prevented from finishing
I am disposed to speak candidly in every case but I cannot
↑possibly↑ be insensible to the anxiety of the patient & her friend in the
present case as not to deliver my opinion very freely & honestly.
But as I cannot at present give my opinion very positively. The manner
of acquiring the Disease was a little singular & the Symptons have
hitherto been as much so & was it not for the pains of the Shins I could
find very little certainly of any thing venereal in the case. However
I determined nothing but this that if there is any thing venereal in the
case I have no doubt of removing it & obviating all its
consequences & at any rate I shall think it adviseable to take the
measures that may render the patient service in this respect,
but I will not determine what these measures shall be till I have
an answer to the Queries set down below & in the meantime
I have inclosed a prescription which on every supposition
I think proper & it will keep everything in a safe way till I can
write again.
The P{illeg} Prescription is for Pills of which at first one
is to be taken every night & morning. The sometimes occasions
a little sickness at stomach or a little giddiness of the head with a
slight trembling. If the first doses have any of these effects the
dose must not be increased but if the first doses have no sensible
effects for next day the dose may ↑be two pills & in the same manner the dose may↑ be increased by a single Pill every
day till some sensible effect is absorbed. When anything of that
kind is observed the dose is to be no farther increased till the
effects
[Page 2]
entirely dissappear & then the dose may be again increased as before.
This medecine requires no confinement nor change of diet
& the prescription & the Prescription may be sent to any Apothecary
without giving him any Suspicion of Venereal Complaint.
For tho I have found it usefull in such cases it is commonly
thought so by others. I wish it may be put into the hands of one
who will prepare it carefully. --- ---
The Queries I want to have answered are the following.
"Did the infected Person with the infected part touch
the very part of our own Patient on which the swelling two days
afterwards came?
Did that part on which the swelling came suffer
any particular hurt or bruise?
Did ever any part about the lips on their outside or inside
come to [fret?], lose the skin or shew any ulceration.
Did ever any swelling or kernal appear in one or other lisk
or groin.?
How much Mercurial Ointment was rubbed upon the
outside or inside of the thighs at one time or in a day?
Did ever this anointment taint the breath or affect the
mouth, to what degree did that happen & how long was that
continued?
Was it during the time of this anointing & in proportion as
that proceeded that the tumor on the outside came to diminish
& go away.
[Page 3]
Whether did the Ointment applied to the thighs seem to
occasion feverish fits & so manifestly that the feverish fits were
increased as the ointment was continued?
During the anointing were the bowels ever threatned with any
purging.
During the aointing did the patient sweat much?
Is the pain of the legs confined to the middle of the Shins or does
it shoot along the legs {illeg} are sometimes severe in the knees or
ankles? Are they in any place ever so severe {illeg} in the
night as to prevent Sleep?
What or do any nervous complaints continue to distress
out patient? Does she grow stronger since she laid aside
medecines?
When these Queries are answered I shall be ready to give
my final advice. Tho I apprehend no danger I am heartily concerned
for the [anxiety?] that persons in this situation must have and
I shall always grudge no pains relieve it as much as I can.
Edinburgh 25th May
1768
Take two drachms of crushed Water Hemlock leaves that have been stripped of their flowers and dried, one drachm of Licorice extract, then add a sufficient quantity of Tragacanth Gum mucilage to taste, and let it be made so that it may be accurately pressed into a pill mass that may be divided into ten pills. Label: Aperient Pills.
[Page 4]
✍
Mr Isaac Grant
1768
Diplomatic Text
The Inclosed Case was delivered to me late on the 23d
& I begun to answer it yesterday but was prevented from finishing
I am disposed to speak candidly in every case but I cannot
↑possibly↑ be insensible to the anxiety of the patient & her friend in the
present case as not to deliver my opinion very freely & honestly.
But as I cannot at present give my opinion very positively. The manner
of acquiring the Disease was a little singular & the Symptons have
hitherto been as much so & was it not for the pains of the Shins I could
find very little certainly of any thing venereal in the case. However
I determined nothing but this that if there is any thing venereal in the
case I have no doubt of removing it & obviating all its
consequences & at any rate I shall think it adviseable to take the
measures that may render the patient service in this respect,
but I will not determine what these measures shall be till I have
an answer to the Queries set down below & in the meantime
I have inclosed a prescription which on every supposition
I think proper & it will keep everything in a safe way till I can
write again.
The P{illeg} Prescription is for Pills of which at first one
is to be taken every night & morning. The sometimes occasions
a little sickness at stomach or a little giddiness of the head with a
slight trembling. If the first doses have any of these effects the
dose must not be increased but if the first doses have no sensible
effects for next day the dose may ↑be two pills & in the same manner the dose may↑ be increased by a single Pill every
day till some sensible effect is absorbed. When anything of that
kind is observed the dose is to be no farther increased till the
effects
[Page 2]
entirely dissappear & then the dose may be again increased as before.
This medecine requires no confinement nor change of diet
& the prescription & the Prescription may be sent to any Apothecary
without giving him any Suspicion of Venereal Complaint.
For tho I have found it usefull in such cases it is commonly
thought so by others. I wish it may be put into the hands of one
who will prepare it carefully. --- ---
The Queries I want to have answered are the following.
"Did the infected Person with the infected part touch
the very part of our own Patient on which the swelling two days
afterwards came?
Did that part on which the swelling came suffer
any particular hurt or bruise?
Did ever any part about the lips on their outside or inside
come to [fret?], lose the skin or shew any ulceration.
Did ever any swelling or kernal appear in one or other lisk
or groin.?
How much Mercurial Ointment was rubbed upon the
outside or inside of the thighs at one time or in a day?
Did ever this anointment taint the breath or affect the
mouth, to what degree did that happen & how long was that
continued?
Was it during the time of this anointing & in proportion as
that proceeded that the tumor on the outside came to diminish
& go away.
[Page 3]
Whether did the Ointment applied to the thighs seem to
occasion feverish fits & so manifestly that the feverish fits were
increased as the ointment was continued?
During the anointing were the bowels ever threatned with any
purging.
During the aointing did the patient sweat much?
Is the pain of the legs confined to the middle of the Shins or does
it shoot along the legs {illeg} are sometimes severe in the knees or
ankles? Are they in any place ever so severe {illeg} in the
night as to prevent Sleep?
What or do any nervous complaints continue to distress
out patient? Does she grow stronger since she laid aside
medecines?
When these Queries are answered I shall be ready to give
my final advice. Tho I apprehend no danger I am heartily concerned
for the [anxiety?] that persons in this situation must have and
I shall always grudge no pains relieve it as much as I can.
Edinr. 25th May
1768
℞. pulv. folior. Cicuta ante florescentiam collect:
& sole Siccal. ʒii
Extract Glycyrhiz. ʒi
Mucilag. Gum Tragacanth. qs. ut f
accurate subigendo massa pilul dividenda in pil. N. L. X
Signa Aperient. Pills
[Page 4]
✍
Mr Isaac Grant
1768
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