The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:194] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Anonymous / Regarding: Captain Smollet (Patient) / 10 September 1781 / (Outgoing)
Reply, concerning the case of Captain Smollet. The case concerns Captain Smollet's chest complaint, which Cullen says should not be neglected. The letter also mentions a Dr Grieve's opinion on the case.
- 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 | 194 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/14/80 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 10 September 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, concerning the case of Captain Smollet. The case concerns Captain Smollet's chest complaint, which Cullen says should not be neglected. The letter also mentions a Dr Grieve's opinion on the case. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1330] |
Case of Captain Smollett who has a chest complaint, with a bad cough. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3138] | Addressee | |
| [PERS ID:167] | Patient | Captain Smollet |
| [PERS ID:3137] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Grieve |
| [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
I wrote you on Saturday night what I
thought might keep you easy in the meantime and I sit
down now to give you the fullest and best advice I possibly
can. For I must tell you that I take a particular concern
in the patient as a young gentleman for whom I had a
good while ago conceived a particular affection and esteem.
I hope he is at present in no danger, but at his time
of life, I think no affection of the breast, however slight it
may seem to be, is to be neglected; and I constantly advise -
such ailments to be treated very seriously and commonly -
more strictly than young persons are disposed to submit
to, but I expect much discretion and complacency from your
son. Dr Grieve in my opinion very properly advised
him to be blooded and if he should now have any pain of
his breast even any oppression or sense of tightness there
I would have eight to ten ounces of blood again taken from
his arm. Nothing will do him more harm at present
than much bodily exercise and I must therefore earnestly
[Page 2]
desire him to renounce the amusement of this season that
[is] his Dog & Gun. Walking to be in the least heated or
fatigued and particularly walking up hill may do much
harm and if he shall find that walking a little fast or up a
little ascent is apt to hurry his breathing it will be a good
reason for his taking blood as I have mentioned. A bodily
exercise that may also do Mr Smollet much harm is any
strong exertion of his voice. It was therefore very proper for
him to cease exercising his men as an officer and now calling
to a dog in the fields would be fully as bad. Tho he is thus
to abstain from bodily exerciseing he will be much the better
for being often on horseback but let his horse be a smooth
going one and let his motion be always gentle ↑and↑ never pushed
the length of fatigue. Let him be always well cloathed
and guarded against damp and moisture. With these
precautions riding may be of great service to him.
It is by exercise and diet rather than by any medicine that
[h]is late threatenings are to be discussed. Let his diet there¬
[for]e for some time to come be very moderate and almost
[Page 3]
confined to Milk and Vegetables of which the farinaceous
or grain kind are the most proper, but all kind of ripe fruit
are also such. Let him avoid common tea at breakfast and
take either Milk or Gruel or Cocoa tea. If he takes either of the
latter he may take dry toast with a very little butter and he
would do better to take Jelly or Honey rather than butter. Mar¬
malade sometimes employed is not so proper.
At dinner he may always take some Scotch broth or
soup not strong and with these a good deal of bread will always
make a good part of his meal and after his broath he may
take now and then but not every day a piece of boiled mutton
or lamb a bit of chicken, rabbit or young partridge and
sometimes a bit of boiled haddock, whiting, flounder or burn
trout but of any of these he must take moderately and fill
up his meal with light bread or rice pudding or light pan¬
cake or with some kind of garden thing very well boiled. -
and sometimes he may make up his meal with bread & milk
His ordinary drink should be water, watergruel or
barley water & any of these may have a little lemon and
sugar in them. After dinner he may take a little wine
with a good deal of water or a little weak punch but in
[Page 4]
any of these he cannot be too moderate and the rule is
the less the better.
At supper he must take no kind of meat not even an
egg and generally he should take some kind of Milkmeat
without any strong drink after it.
It is possible that the milk and water diet advised may
give costiveness which going any length may do him much
harm. If therefore it happens let it be immediately re¬
moved and afterwards obviated by a dose of Magnesia &
Rhubarb or other such gentle laxative. And if his tendency
to Costiveness appear to be strong he may instead of the ordi¬
nary drink proposed above he may take very good porter
with two parts of water mixed with it.
To conclude at present I have only to say that nothing
can be of more danger to Captn. Smollet than Cold and there¬
fore he cannot be too nice in his precautions against it.
And now let me beg you to let me know very soon
how you proceed for without fee or reward no body upon such
an occasion can be more anxious to serve you than
your most obedient humble servant
Edinburgh 10th September
1781 ---
Diplomatic Text
I wrote you on Saturday night what I
thought might keep you easy in the meantime and I sit
down now to give you the fullest and best advice I possibly
can. For I must tell you that I take a particular concern
in the patient as a young gentleman for whom I had a
good while ago conceived a particular affection and esteem.
I hope he is at present in no danger, but at his time
of life, I think no affection of the breast, however slight it
may seem to be, is to be neglected; and I constantly advise -
such ailments to be treated very seriously and commonly -
more strictly than young persons are disposed to submit
to, but I expect much discretion and complacency from your
son. Dr Grieve in my opinion very properly advised
him to be blooded and if he should now have any pain of
his breast even any oppression or sense of tightness there
I would have eight to ten ounces of blood again taken from
his arm. Nothing will do him more harm at present
than much bodily exercise and I must therefore earnestly
[Page 2]
desire him to renounce the amusement of this season that
[is] his Dog & Gun. Walking to be in the least heated or
fatigued and particularly walking up hill may do much
harm and if he shall find that walking a little fast or up a
little ascent is apt to hurry his breathing it will be a good
reason for his taking blood as I have mentioned. A bodily
exercise that may also do Mr Smollet much harm is any
strong exertion of his voice. It was therefore very proper for
him to cease exercising his men as an officer and now calling
to a dog in the fields would be fully as bad. Tho he is thus
to abstain from bodily exerciseing he will be much the better
for being often on horseback but let his horse be a smooth
going one and let his motion be always gentle ↑and↑ never pushed
the length of fatigue. Let him be always well cloathed
and guarded against damp and moisture. With these
precautions riding may be of great service to him.
It is by exercise and diet rather than by any medicine that
[h]is late threatenings are to be discussed. Let his diet there¬
[for]e for some time to come be very moderate and almost
[Page 3]
confined to Milk and Vegetables of which the farinaceous
or grain kind are the most proper, but all kind of ripe fruit
are also such. Let him avoid common tea at breakfast and
take either Milk or Gruel or Cocoa tea. If he takes either of the
latter he may take dry toast with a very little butter and he
would do better to take Jelly or Honey rather than butter. Mar¬
malade sometimes employed is not so proper.
At dinner he may always take some Scotch broth or
soup not strong and with these a good deal of bread will always
make a good part of his meal and after his broath he may
take now and then but not every day a piece of boiled mutton
or lamb a bit of chicken, rabbit or young partridge and
sometimes a bit of boiled haddock, whiting, flounder or burn
trout but of any of these he must take moderately and fill
up his meal with light bread or rice pudding or light pan¬
cake or with some kind of garden thing very well boiled. -
and sometimes he may make up his meal with bread & milk
His ordinary drink should be water, watergruel or
barley water & any of these may have a little lemon and
sugar in them. After dinner he may take a little wine
with a good deal of water or a little weak punch but in
[Page 4]
any of these he cannot be too moderate and the rule is
the less the better.
At supper he must take no kind of meat not even an
egg and generally he should take some kind of Milkmeat
without any strong drink after it.
It is possible that the milk and water diet advised may
give costiveness which going any length may do him much
harm. If therefore it happens let it be immediately re¬
moved and afterwards obviated by a dose of Magnesia &
Rhubarb or other such gentle laxative. And if his tendency
to Costiveness appear to be strong he may instead of the ordi¬
nary drink proposed above he may take very good porter
with two parts of water mixed with it.
To conclude at present I have only to say that nothing
can be of more danger to Captn. Smollet than Cold and there¬
fore he cannot be too nice in his precautions against it.
And now let me beg you to let me know very soon
how you proceed for without fee or reward no body upon such
an occasion can be more anxious to serve you than
your most obedient humble servant
Edinr. 10th Septer.
1781 ---
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