Cullen

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

 

[ID:1131] From: Dr / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: W. L. (Patient) / February 1775 / (Incoming)

Document titled 'Case of W. L.', describing a man who 'catch'd cold by sleeping in a garrat room of a timber land without a fireplace during a severe winter', and has 'never been free' of a cough since.

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[Page 2]


 

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1131
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/232
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
DateFebruary 1775
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Document titled 'Case of W. L.', describing a man who 'catch'd cold by sleeping in a garrat room of a timber land without a fireplace during a severe winter', and has 'never been free' of a cough since.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:332]
Case of 'W. L.' who has been suffering from a cough since catching cold after sleeping in a garret room.
1


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:3285]AuthorDr
[PERS ID:1275]Patient W. L.
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:3285]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Case of W. L.


W. L. was naturally thin of body but pretty
healthy till about 8 years ago he catch'd
cold by sleeping in a garret room of a timber
land 1
From that time he has never been free of a
pituitous 2 cough & which he has observed to
be worst in wet weather and in winter; And
his bussiness, which allows him no exercise
but keeps him close at a desk, has, he
is positive more than any thing else had the
worst effect on his cough & often created
pains in his breast &spitting of blood.


Of late his cough is turned more trouble¬
some, particularly after meals, & is attended
with a slight fever from after dinner till to¬
wards next morning when he first begins to
get rest. About 12 days ago his cough sud¬
denly stopp'd, so that at first tho' he found him¬
self a little uneasy, yet he thought the matter
might perhaps be secreting some other way
& that he was turning better; but he soon felt
his mistake, being thereafter attacked with a
fever, anxiety, pains in the breast & side,
with a lassitude in his breast so that he was
unable to bear the fatigue of coughing which
in a little resumed when the matter came
up thick tough &with great difficulty. He
likewise felt an unusual heaviness in his limbs
& joints on moving. In the night time his tongue
became parched so that it has bled in the



[Page 2]

morning. Upon this he changed his aliment intirely, tak¬
ing nothing but milk & water, beef tea, & vegetables.
which he thinks has had a good effect. However he is not
far from eing recovered. He still ↑feels↑ the pain &uneasi¬
ness in his breast tho' he coughs more freely; & is troubled
with difficulty of breathing now & then, & is still so
weakly that the least fatigue renders him unable to
move, and as he has now a family, whereby his life
becomes more useful, & it being more so in the present
situation of his affairs, he begs his learned Physician's
best advice & assistance, & will conform himself to what¬
ever advice he gives him.


W. L. has taken asses milk mostly since
Aug.tAugust last; but from a little before his falling last
so bad he had discontinued it but has now again be¬
gun it. He has now for the most part given up
writing, & takes all the excercise he can, but he is
unable to ride easily on account of a rupture he has had
since he was six years of age. He has been bled
often after spitting of blood &c. and he has also tried
the country air. He never used to sweat in his life
nor ever remembered his doing it till within these
three years, when it has become frequent, tho' not
he thinks to any great extent.




[Page 3]


Case of W.L
February

Notes:

1: In this context 'land' indicates 'A building divided into flats or tenements' (OED). The term was particularly common in Edinburgh at this period, when many people lived in high, over-crowded multi-occupancy tenement buildings.

2: Probably a spelling error for "pitous".

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Case of W. L.


W. L. was naturally thin of body but pretty
healthy till about 8 years ago he catch'd
cold by sleeping in a garret room of a timber
land 1
From that time he has never been free of a
pituitous 2 cough & which he has observed to
be worst in wet weather and in winter; And
his bussiness, which allows him no exercise
but keeps him close at a desk, has, he
is positive more than any thing else had the
worst effect on his cough & often created
pains in his breast &spitting of blood.


Of late his cough is turned more trouble¬
some, particularly after meals, & is attended
with a slight fever from after dinner till to¬
wards next morning when he first begins to
get rest. About 12 days ago his cough sud¬
denly stopp'd, so that at first tho' he found him¬
self a little uneasy, yet he thought the matter
might perhaps be secreting some other way
& that he was turning better; but he soon felt
his mistake, being thereafter attacked with a
fever, anxiety, pains in the breast & side,
with a lassitude in his breast so that he was
unable to bear the fatigue of coughing which
in a little resumed when the matter came
up thick tough &with great difficulty. He
likewise felt an unusual heaviness in his limbs
& joints on moving. In the night time his tongue
became parched so that it has bled in the



[Page 2]

morning. Upon this he changed his aliment intirely, tak¬
ing nothing but milk & water, beef tea, & vegetables.
which he thinks has had a good effect. However he is not
far from eing recovered. He still ↑feels↑ the pain &uneasi¬
ness in his breast tho' he coughs more freely; & is troubled
w.t difficulty of breathing now & then, & is still so
weakly that the least fatigue renders him unable to
move, and as he has now a family, whereby his life
becomes more useful, & it being more so in the present
situation of his affairs, he begs his learned Physician's
best advice & assistance, & will conform himself to what¬
ever advice he gives him.


W. L. has taken asses milk mostly since
Aug.tAugust last; but from a little before his falling last
so bad he had discontinued it but has now again be¬
gun it. He has now for the most part given up
writing, & takes all the excercise he can, but he is
unable to ride easily on acct. of a rupture he has had
since he was six years of age. He has been bled
often after spitting of blood &c. and he has also tried
the country air. He never used to sweat in his life
nor ever remembered his doing it till w.tin these
three years, when it has become frequent, tho' not
he thinks to any great extent.




[Page 3]


Case of W.L
Febry

Notes:

1: In this context 'land' indicates 'A building divided into flats or tenements' (OED). The term was particularly common in Edinburgh at this period, when many people lived in high, over-crowded multi-occupancy tenement buildings.

2: Probably a spelling error for "pitous".

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