The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1648] Case Note / Regarding: Mr J Tucker (of Greenock) (Patient) / April 1779 / (Incoming)
Case note concerning J. T[ucker], merchant of Greenock who has been confined to his house after displaying signs of madness. Unsigned. Dated at head 1 April 1779, but annotated in Cullen's office with the date 4 September 1779, which suggests when the document actually reached Cullen. Cullen's response [Document 4502], which is also dated 4 April, is addressed to William Wilson who no doubt sent and may have also drawn-up this case report.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1648 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/735 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | April 1779 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Case note concerning J. T[ucker], merchant of Greenock who has been confined to his house after displaying signs of madness. Unsigned. Dated at head 1 April 1779, but annotated in Cullen's office with the date 4 September 1779, which suggests when the document actually reached Cullen. Cullen's response [Document 4502], which is also dated 4 April, is addressed to William Wilson who no doubt sent and may have also drawn-up this case report. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1194] |
Case of Mr J. Tucker, an American-born Greenock merchant who has gradually displayed signs of madness and had to be confined. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2958] | Patient | Mr J Tucker (of Greenock) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2959] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs Tucker (of Greenock) |
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 | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | North America | certain | ||||
| Mentioned / Other | West Indies | certain | ||||
| Mentioned / Other | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | London | London and South-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
J.T. Aged about forty Six of a Middling Stature
raither inclining to fat of a fresh Complexion
and Chearful temper lived raither fast in
the earlier part of his life for these Some
Years past raither full than fast as he eat
Hearty & drank two or three Glass of wine
every day tho he Seldome took a great drink
As he was born in America which place he
left early I know not whither in he inheri¬
ted any disease from his parents he was
bred to the Sea which employment he
left of Six or Seven Years Agoe and Caried
On business as a Merchant Since he
Settled at home hase been remarcably Healthy
as I never heard him Complain of more
than a Sourness of the Stomach & Heartburn
(and that only at times when he had exceed¬
ed his usual quantity of drink) and Some
times of a pain on One thigh & Leg even more
troublesome to him this Spring then ever
and I wanted him to have an Issue placed
in that Leg which he declined as he
Seldom felt it but in bed & it always
went of on walking a litle any other
Complaints he ever had Seemed to arise
from Accident as they were More disorders
of the Country he happened to be in
As the Ague & Fever in North America
& Some Bilious Complaints in the west
[Page 2]
Indies. He hase had no Considerable Loss in
Trade nor any remarkable Success of late.
About the time from which I have dated his
Case he began to Complain of want of Sleep
in the night from a restlesness and as
he expressed Some uneasiness about it
to his wife who was at that time giving
Suck & Slept in a Separate Apartment
at this time his temper Seemed to be
Changed to the worse So much that his
Clerk took notice of it and Observed his
Manner of doing business different
from what it Used to be particularly that
He shewed an inclination to quaral with
the Gentleman interested in business
with Him & began to talk of himselfe
as Possessed of a Much greater fortune
than he Knew him to be at this time he
had a Vessal Arived at London from
the west Indies and Set out from [there?]
to goe to London on that Account
tho much Contrary to the Advice of
all his friends Knowing that his
presance (had he been perfectly well)
was not at all necessary for the dis¬
patch of the Vessal in place of going
to London he very luckily kept at
Edinburgh & Made a purchase
of
[Page 3]
Hawk Hill & returned to this insisted
on His wifes removing the Family
to that instantly & in Several other
particulars confirmed us all in our
fears of a real Madness his pulse at
this time did not exceed Seventy in the
Minut and no Symptom of Disease
Apeard further then a particular quickness
in the Eye he was prevail'd upon to
be Blooded plentifully & I gave him
Some very Large doses of Tarter Emetic
on purpose to [creat?] Sickness & Con¬
fine him to the House & I believe he
took fifteen grains in less than four
Hours without producing any other
effect than Ocasioning a Slight degree
of Sickness & giving him Some Loos
Stools -- Since that time he hase been
Confined to his Room by two Men & hase
at different times had the Tartar Emetic
given him with the Same Success as
before with this difference that it took
a Smaller quantity to produce the
Sickness & Loos Stools as he Could not
be persuaded of his being in any
way disordered he refused obstinatly
to take Medicine or have Any thing else
done for him he never Seemed Calmer or
More Sensible after the Operation of the
[Page 4]
Tarter Emetic was over but on the Contra[ry]
was Generally worse next day especially
if he got Sleep in the night he hase
been put on a Spare diet having nothing
but Whey & bread water with Some light
pudding made of Rice & butter Milk & {illeg}
and is Now Confined to a Room --
N.B. He has never been Subject to [Piles?] nor any
any other particular evacuations.
I have often heard him Say his head had never
Ached in his life.
Mr Tucker of Greenock
4 Sept.r 1779
Diplomatic Text
J.T. Aged about forty Six of a Middling Stature
raither inclining to fat of a fresh Complexion
and Chearful temper lived raither fast in
the earlier part of his life for these Some
Years past raither full than fast as he eat
Hearty & drank two or three Glass of wine
every day tho he Seldome took a great drink
As he was born in America which place he
left early I know not whither in he inheri¬
ted any disease from his parents he was
bred to the Sea which employment he
left of Six or Seven Years Agoe and Caried
On business as a Merchant Since he
Settled at home hase been remarcably Healthy
as I never heard him Complain of more
than a Sourness of the Stomach & Heartburn
(and that only at times when he had exceed¬
ed his usual quantity of drink) and Some
times of a pain on One thigh & Leg even more
troublesome to him this Spring then ever
and I wanted him to have an Issue placed
in that Leg which he declined as he
Seldom felt it but in bed & it always
went of on walking a litle any other
Complaints he ever had Seemed to arise
from Accident as they were More disorders
of the Country he happened to be in
As the Ague & Fever in North America
& Some Bilious Complaints in the west
[Page 2]
Indies. He hase had no Considerable Loss in
Trade nor any remarkable Success of late.
About the time from which I have dated his
Case he began to Complain of want of Sleep
in the night from a restlesness and as
he expressed Some uneasiness about it
to his wife who was at that time giving
Suck & Slept in a Separate Apartment
at this time his temper Seemed to be
Changed to the worse So much that his
Clerk took notice of it and Observed his
Manner of doing business different
from what it Used to be particularly that
He shewed an inclination to quaral with
the Gentleman interested in business
with Him & began to talk of himselfe
as Possessed of a Much greater fortune
than he Knew him to be at this time he
had a Vessal Arived at London from
the west Indies and Set out from [there?]
to goe to London on that Account
tho much Contrary to the Advice of
all his friends Knowing that his
presance (had he been perfectly well)
was not at all necessary for the dis¬
patch of the Vessal in place of going
to London he very luckily kept at
Edinburgh & Made a purchase
of
[Page 3]
Hawk Hill & returned to this insisted
on His wifes removing the Family
to that instantly & in Several other
particulars confirmed us all in our
fears of a real Madness his pulse at
this time did not exceed Seventy in the
Minut and no Symptom of Disease
Apeard further then a particular quickness
in the Eye he was prevail'd upon to
be Blooded plentifully & I gave him
Some very Large doses of Tarter Emetic
on purpose to [creat?] Sickness & Con¬
fine him to the House & I believe he
took fifteen grains in less than four
Hours without producing any other
effect than Ocasioning a Slight degree
of Sickness & giving him Some Loos
Stools -- Since that time he hase been
Confined to his Room by two Men & hase
at different times had the Tartar Emetic
given him with the Same Success as
before with this difference that it took
a Smaller quantity to produce the
Sickness & Loos Stools as he Could not
be persuaded of his being in any
way disordered he refused obstinatly
to take Medicine or have Any thing else
done for him he never Seemed Calmer or
More Sensible after the Operation of the
[Page 4]
Tarter Emetic was over but on the Contra[ry]
was Generally worse next day especially
if he got Sleep in the night he hase
been put on a Spare diet having nothing
but Whey & bread water with Some light
pudding made of Rice & butter Milk & {illeg}
and is Now Confined to a Room --
N.B. He has never been Subject to [Piles?] nor any
any other particular evacuations.
I have often heard him Say his head had never
Ached in his life.
Mr Tucker of Greenock
4 Sept.r 1779
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