Cullen

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

 

[ID:1477] From: Mr Gavin Fullarton / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs McDonald (Patient), Mr McDonald (Patient) / 25 January 1778 / (Incoming)

Letter from Gavin Fullarton concerning the case of the son and daughter-in-law of their former patient Alexander McDonald. Alexander McDonald his bringign his son to Edinburgh to see Cullen. Mr McDonald Jr. is in his early 30s, and described as 'a chip of the old Block'. Soon after treatment for a venereal throat infection, he married and travelled to Norway. He has since had a stroke which has left him speechless and hemiplegic, and he has sores. His wife also now has a sore on her leg. Fullarton outlines the treatments both patients have received.

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1477
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/571
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date25 January 1778
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from Gavin Fullarton concerning the case of the son and daughter-in-law of their former patient Alexander McDonald. Alexander McDonald his bringign his son to Edinburgh to see Cullen. Mr McDonald Jr. is in his early 30s, and described as 'a chip of the old Block'. Soon after treatment for a venereal throat infection, he married and travelled to Norway. He has since had a stroke which has left him speechless and hemiplegic, and he has sores. His wife also now has a sore on her leg. Fullarton outlines the treatments both patients have received.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting Yes

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1016]
Case of the son of Alexander McDonald who, like his father, has had venereal infections, possibly passed to his wife, and has now had a stroke. His wife is Case 1017.
2
[Case ID:1017]
Case of the wife of Mr Macdonald (Case 1016), who is showing signs of a venereal infection contracted from her husband (Case 1016).
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:623]AuthorMr Gavin Fullarton
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:146]PatientMrs McDonald
[PERS ID:2176]PatientMr McDonald
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:623]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryMr Gavin Fullarton
[PERS ID:690]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMr Alexander McDonald (MacDonald)

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Greenock Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Oslo (Christiana / Kristiania) Norway Norway Europe certain
Place of Handstamp Greenock Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Dear Sir


Your old Patient Mr Alexr McDonald left this
last week to be in Edinburgh, about the time this will get
to your hand, with a son, whom he carries in with him
for your advice. This son, about three or four & thirty
years of age (a chip of the old Block) has been very frequently
in venereal scrapes
. In the Month of March last I was
consulted by him for a deeply ulcerated Venereal sore
throat, for which he underwent a very serious Mercurial
course
, & was kept spitting till both he & I were satisfy'd
that he was perfectly well –– Soon after this and indeed be¬
fore he had recovered much strength, as ill luck would have
it, he married a fine young Girl. He ↑had↑ lived but two weeks
or three with her, when he went on a voyage, I think it
was to Christiana, & returned home the latter end of June
or beginning of July - He then complained of pain in
his throat, & sharp shooting pains through his left
Ear
such as he had when the Tonsil had been ulcerated
but upon inspection, nothing was to be observed, excepting



[Page 2]

a little fullness in the Uvula & Tonsils. I learnt from
him that during the time of his being from home, he had
complained much of pains in his Throat, & violent headachs,
for which he had been at one time, bled & Blistered, and
frequently purged - About the middle of July, I got a
message telling me that he had been suddenly struck
speechless
- Before I got to the house he had as sud¬
denly recovered the use of his Tongue, & I found him
laughing, & entertained with the fright his friends had
been put into. That same Evening he had another attack
of the same Sort
which in like manner went of before I
reached the house - Another & another succeeded, till
late that Night, that he got the fatal Stroke which
deprived him both of Speech, & the use of his right
Arm
& Leg, from neither of which he has recovered
more than you see –– I need hardly trouble you with a
Detail of the Bleedings, Purgatives, Embrocations,
bathings, Blisters, Issues &ca. that were employed
in the beginning, & in the course of the Ailment, as
symptoms indicated - But I must not pass over a
circumstance, which has been a remarkable and


[Page 3]

troublesome one in the Case. About the middle of September
he shewed marks of great uneasiness about his Throat -
At the same time a great number of Blotches appeared
on all parts of his Body
- I suspected the old Leaven, and
was confirmed in my suspicion by finding upon examining
his Throat, a sordid Ulcer on the Tonsils of both sides ––
He was immediately put on a gentle Mercurial Course
with Decoctions of Sarsaparilla – but the sores yielded
nothing, till after a long while that a salivation was
raised
& kept up for many weeks - It is but five or six
weeks that since the soreness of his Mouth from
the Mercury has dissapeared - I observed only the
night before he left this, (for I had not seen him nor
heard of him for 5 or 6 Days before) a little nasty
sore, in
the inside of his under lip –– I know not
from what Cause - I beg you will enquire into his
wifes state. She has got a sore on her Leg of the same
kind with the many her husband had. She has been
taking some Mercury for it, but not enough to cure
it. Indeed, poor thing, she has not been able to take the
proper care of herself –– I must refer you to her for any
further information about the Cases that may be needed

& am with the greatest respect & Esteem Dear Sir
Your most Obedient Servant
Gav: Fullarton
Greenock 25th January 1778



[Page 4]


Dr William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh


Mr Fullarton
Mr Macdonald & Spouse
25 January 1778
8 p. 52

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Dear Sir


Your old Patient Mr Alexr McDonald left this
last week to be in Edinburgh, about the time this will get
to your hand, with a son, whom he carries in with him
for your advice. This son, about three or four & thirty
years of age (a chip of the old Block) has been very frequently
in venereal scrapes
. In the Month of March last I was
consulted by him for a deeply ulcerated Venereal sore
throat, for which he underwent a very serious Mercurial
course
, & was kept spitting till both he & I were satisfy'd
that he was perfectly well –– Soon after this and indeed be¬
fore he had recovered much strength, as ill luck would have
it, he married a fine young Girl. He ↑had↑ lived but two weeks
or three with her, when he went on a voyage, I think it
was to Christiana, & returned home the latter end of June
or beginning of July - He then complained of pain in
his throat, & sharp shooting pains through his left
Ear
such as he had when the Tonsil had been ulcerated
but upon inspection, nothing was to be observed, excepting



[Page 2]

a little fullness in the Uvula & Tonsils. I learnt from
him that during the time of his being from home, he had
complained much of pains in his Throat, & violent headachs,
for which he had been at one time, bled & Blistered, and
frequently purged - About the middle of July, I got a
message telling me that he had been suddenly struck
speechless
- Before I got to the house he had as sud¬
denly recovered the use of his Tongue, & I found him
laughing, & entertained with the fright his friends had
been put into. That same Evening he had another attack
of the same Sort
which in like manner went of before I
reached the house - Another & another succeeded, till
late that Night, that he got the fatal Stroke which
deprived him both of Speech, & the use of his right
Arm
& Leg, from neither of which he has recovered
more than you see –– I need hardly trouble you with a
Detail of the Bleedings, Purgatives, Embrocations,
bathings, Blisters, Issues &ca. that were employed
in the beginning, & in the course of the Ailment, as
symptoms indicated - But I must not pass over a
circumstance, which has been a remarkable and


[Page 3]

troublesome one in the Case. About the middle of September
he shewed marks of great uneasiness about his Throat -
At the same time a great number of Blotches appeared
on all parts of his Body
- I suspected the old Leaven, and
was confirmed in my suspicion by finding upon examining
his Throat, a sordid Ulcer on the Tonsils of both sides ––
He was immediately put on a gentle Mercurial Course
with Decoctions of Sarsaparilla – but the sores yielded
nothing, till after a long while that a salivation was
raised
& kept up for many weeks - It is but five or six
weeks that since the soreness of his Mouth from
the Mercury has dissapeared - I observed only the
night before he left this, (for I had not seen him nor
heard of him for 5 or 6 Days before) a little nasty
sore, in
the inside of his under lip –– I know not
from what Cause - I beg you will enquire into his
wifes state. She has got a sore on her Leg of the same
kind with the many her husband had. She has been
taking some Mercury for it, but not enough to cure
it. Indeed, poor thing, she has not been able to take the
proper care of herself –– I must refer you to her for any
further information about the Cases that may be needed

& am wt the greatest respect & Esteem Dr Sir
Your most Obedt Servt
Gav: Fullarton
Greenock 25th Jan.ry 1778



[Page 4]


Dr William Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh


Mr Fullarton
Mr Macdonald & Spouse
25 Jany. 1778
8 p. 52

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