The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1193] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Miss (Patient) / 1775? / (Outgoing)
Reply, the form of a neat retained loose draft, for an unnamed 'Young Lady' with pains in the side which Cullen believes may be related to menstrual problems.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
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Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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[Page 2]
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[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1193 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/293 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 1775? |
| 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, the form of a neat retained loose draft, for an unnamed 'Young Lady' with pains in the side which Cullen believes may be related to menstrual problems. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:640] |
Case of an an unnamed 'Young Lady' with pain in the side and digestive problems. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1380] | Patient | Miss |
| [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 |
Normalized Text
For
Tho many of the circumstances of the young Lady's
complaint are distinctly mentioned there are some omitted
which I would wish to know as the state of her pulse in
point of frequency, the state of her stools and the state of
flatulency ↑x↑ in her bowels and particularly how far the pain
of her side is connected with flatulency. When I am in¬
formed of these circumstances I shall be able to give advice
better but in the mean time.
I am of opinion that the disease ↑depends↑ upon the state of
the Uterus not sufficiently favorable to the menstrual dis¬
charge and that this has produced, as it commonly does,
spasmodic affections of the alimentary canal. The pain of the
side I suppose to arise from the great flexure of the Colon
on the left side and as there has never been any Cough or
difficulty of breathing connected with this pain I cannot
suppose it to depend upon any affection of the Thorax. I would
however desire a blister to be applied to the pained part and let
[Page 2]
a part of it be kept open as a perpetual blister for some time.
During the week before the period of menstruation Let her be
put into a semicupium, not very warm and let her sit in it for half
an hour or more if she bears it easily and let this be ↑be↑ repeated once again
before the menses come on. Besides this let The best time for the
Bath is about between six and seven in the evening and when
she comes out of it she may put on her ordinary cloaths but keep
to her chamber for the rest of the evening. Besides the semi¬
cupium she should during the same week every night immediately
before going to bed set her feet and part of her legs for half an
hour in warm water and take care to have them well wrapt
in flannel till she is warm abed. Nothing
Nothing is of more consquence for this Lady than to
avoid cold particularly in her feet and legs which should always
be kept very warm and dry and when upon any occasion they
become cold, pains should be taken to recover their heat either
by putting them near the fire or by chafing them with warm
flannels
I am told that a small quantity of the deobstruent Gums
purged her much and am t also told that spirituous purges have
been employed to open her belly but am left uncertain about
[Page 3]
the ordinary state of her belly (↑it↑) and therefore cannot prescribe
positively but must say that if the belly is not easy and regu¬
lar it should be rendered so ↑by↑ Medecines and particularly during
the week before menstruation. I have given below a prescrip¬
tion for a laxative pills which I think suited to the case and I
expect that one or two of these taken at bedtime will keep the
belly regular without purging. Let them be employed therefore
if necessary and that no peculiarity of her constitution forbid
them.
About the time of the coming on of the Menses or on the
first days of their flowing if any spasmodic affections of the
alimentary canal appear they are to be treated by Opiates
which will not in that case stop the Menses but rather favour
their course.
The measures hitherto proposed are to be employed at
the approach of the Menstruation during the course of it and
at other times the only medicine I would prescribe is a Chaly¬
beate which may either be taken in the powder ordered below
or she may take from twenty to thirty drops of the Tinct.
Martis Pharm. Lond. 1 in a glass of Water twice (↑two or three times↑) a day.
[Page 4]
I am perswaded that nothing would be ↑of↑ more service
in this case than being much in the fresh Air and taking
gentle exercise on horseback, but I am told that riding increased
the pain of her side so much that she could not bear it. By
this I understand that she could not bear the motion of a trotting
horse but I am perswaded she may bear an easy walk and
this will do ↑a↑ great deal in the meantime and will at length
bring her to bear a brisker motion.
Take a drachm each of Socotrine Aloes and Gentian Extract, 15 grains of Salts of Mars and enough Simple Syrup as to make a mass to be divided into pills of 5 grains each.
Label: Laxative Pills one or two for a dose at bedtime.
Take 5 grains each of prepared Red Chalybeate and ground Cinnamon, and 10 grains of White Sugar. Mix to make a powder, and in this way make 14 doses.
Label: Strengthening Powders one to be taken twice a day.
Notes:
1: See The Dispensatory of the Royal College of Physicians, London (London: 1773), p. 272.
Diplomatic Text
For
Tho many of the circumstances of the young Lady's
complaint are distinctly mentioned there are some omitted
which I would wish to know as the state of her pulse in
point of frequency, the state of her stools and the state of
flatulency ↑x↑ in her bowels and particularly how far the pain
of her side is connected with flatulency. When I am in¬
formed of these circumstances I shall be able to give advice
better but in the mean time.
I am of opinion that the disease ↑depends↑ upon the state of
the Uterus not sufficiently favorable to the menstrual dis¬
charge and that this has produced, as it commonly does,
spasmodic affections of the alimentary canal. The pain of the
side I suppose to arise from the great flexure of the Colon
on the left side and as there has never been any Cough or
difficulty of breathing connected with this pain I cannot
suppose it to depend upon any affection of the Thorax. I would
however desire a blister to be applied to the pained part and let
[Page 2]
a part of it be kept open as a perpetual blister for some time.
During the week before the period of menstruation Let her be
put into a semicupium, not very warm and let her sit in it for half
an hour or more if she bears it easily and let this be ↑be↑ repeated once again
before the menses come on. Besides this let The best time for the
Bath is about between six and seven in the evening and when
she comes out of it she may put on her ordinary cloaths but keep
to her chamber for the rest of the evening. Besides the semi¬
cupium she should during the same week every night immediately
before going to bed set her feet and part of her legs for half an
hour in warm water and take care to have them well wrapt
in flannel till she is warm abed. Nothing
Nothing is of more consquence for this Lady than to
avoid cold particularly in her feet and legs which should always
be kept very warm and dry and when upon any occasion they
become cold, pains should be taken to recover their heat either
by putting them near the fire or by chafing them with warm
flannels
I am told that a small quantity of the deobstruent Gums
purged her much and am t also told that spirituous purges have
been employed to open her belly but am left uncertain about
[Page 3]
the ordinary state of her belly (↑it↑) and therefore cannot prescribe
positively but must say that if the belly is not easy and regu¬
lar it should be rendered so ↑by↑ Medecines and particularly during
the week before menstruation. I have given below a prescrip¬
tion for a laxative pills which I think suited to the case and I
expect that one or two of these taken at bedtime will keep the
belly regular without purging. Let them be employed therefore
if necessary and that no peculiarity of her constitution forbid
them.
About the time of the coming on of the Menses or on the
first days of their flowing if any spasmodic affections of the
alimentary canal appear they are to be treated by Opiates
which will not in that case stop the Menses but rather favour
their course.
The measures hitherto proposed are to be employed at
the approach of the Menstruation during the course of it and
at other times the only medicine I would prescribe is a Chaly¬
beate which may either be taken in the powder ordered below
or she may take from twenty to thirty drops of the Tinct.
Martis Pharm. Lond. 1 in a glass of Water twice (↑two or three times↑) a day.
[Page 4]
I am perswaded that nothing would be ↑of↑ more service
in this case than being much in the fresh Air and taking
gentle exercise on horseback, but I am told that riding increased
the pain of her side so much that she could not bear it. By
this I understand that she could not bear the motion of a trotting
horse but I am perswaded she may bear an easy walk and
this will do ↑a↑ great deal in the meantime and will at length
bring her to bear a brisker motion.
℞ Aloes Socotorin.
Extract. Gentian. @ʒi
Sal. Mart. gr. xv
Syr. Simplic. q. s. ut f. massa dividenda in
pil. sing. gran. v.
Sig. Laxative Pills one or two for a dose at bedtime.
℞ Chalyb. rubig. præp.
Cinnamon. pulv. @ gr. v
Sacchar alb. gr. x.
ℳ f. pulvis et fiant h. m. dos. № xiv
Sig. Strengthening Powders one to be taken twice a day.
Notes:
1: See The Dispensatory of the Royal College of Physicians, London (London: 1773), p. 272.
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