Cullen

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

 

[ID:1950] From: Dr John Heysham / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Miss Brown (Patient), Mr John Leveck (Levec) (Patient), Miss Hodgson (Hodgeson) (Patient) / 26 November 1780 / (Incoming)

Letter from John Heysham concerning the cases of Miss Hodgson, who is from a consumptive family, and has cough, expectoration, night sweats and looseness of bowels. He also reports briefly on Mr Leveck, who has not used the mercury injection and is unchanged, and on the death of Miss Brown.

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1950
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1029
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date26 November 1780
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe Yes
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from John Heysham concerning the cases of Miss Hodgson, who is from a consumptive family, and has cough, expectoration, night sweats and looseness of bowels. He also reports briefly on Mr Leveck, who has not used the mercury injection and is unchanged, and on the death of Miss Brown.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting Yes

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:986]
Case of Miss Hodgson, who has diarrhoea and symptoms suggesting consumption.
2
[Case ID:1135]
Case of Master John Leveck, a fourteen-year-old youth who has been deaf since suffering from scarlet fever.
4
[Case ID:1245]
Case of Miss Brown who has a very serious dry cough and other pulmonary symptoms which prove fatal.
6


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:477]AuthorDr John Heysham
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:694]PatientMiss Brown
[PERS ID:779]PatientMr John Leveck (Levec)
[PERS ID:1383]PatientMiss Hodgson (Hodgeson)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:477]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr John Heysham

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Carlisle North-West England Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Place of Handstamp Carlisle North-West England Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Carlisle November 26th. 1780
Dear Sir


I am sorry the cases I have hitherto trans¬
mitted to you, for your advice, have been of
so dangerous a nature, that little was to
be expected from the most judicious ap¬
plication of medecines, & I have too much
reason to apprehend the following will
not be attended with a more pleasing
event. Miss Hodgson aged 22 years, is of
a spare habit of body, & of a family subject
to consumptions
. About May last after
bathing, she was seized with a pain in
her right breast, & soon after with a cough
for which she was bled to 6 or 8 ounces which abated
the pain of her breast, but the cough has
continued ever since attended with consi¬
derable expectoration
. About the beginning
of September she was afflicted with a looseness &
severe griping pains in her bowels, &
had generally 4 0r 5 stools in the day. For
these complaints she was ordered a vomit
some Rhubarb Tincture, a Sperm.Ceti mixture
& gentle opiates & a flannel shirt, which
however have had little or no good effects.
On the 7th. of this month I first saw her,
she then complained of a frequent



[Page 2]

troublesome cough
, attended with a
pretty free expectoration
. The looseness &
griping pains continued as above, &
she sweats a good deal in the nights, her
sleep is some what disturbed
, pulse weak
& about 120
. Menses have been obstructed
about 4 months
. Thirst not considerable
& appetite not much impaired. I immediately
ordered her a gentle vomit of Tartar Emetic which
operated very well & the next day she began with
the following astringent Bolus Infusion & Ano¬
dyne.

Take 2 drachms of Electuary of Water Germander, 1½ drachms each of Japonic Confection and Extract of Campeachy Wood, a drachm of ground Cinnamon Bark, and enough Gum Arabic Paste as needed. Mix and divide into 10 boluses, to be taken every four hours.

Take 3 drachms of Japanese Earth and a pint of boiling water. Steep for 10 hours, then strain. Take 2 tablespoonfuls 3 or 4 times a day.

Take 2 scruples of Spermaceti, 3 drachms of Gum Arabic paste, a ½ ounce of thin Cinnamon water, 22 drops of Thebaic Tincture and 2 drachms of Balsamic Syrup. Mix to make a draught to be consumed at bed time.


By the use of these remedies the looseness &
pain in her bowels are greatly mitigated,
having at present but one or two stools
a day which however are still rather loose.
On the 13th. when the looseness was considerably
abated a blister was applied between her
shoulders
, which is still kept open. On
the 19th. I ordered her nearly the same Linctus
which you presented for Miss Brown.



[Page 3]

For common drink she takes Infusion of Tussilago leaves acidulated with Elixir of Vitriolic Acid. Her
cough
& spitting are not much alterd. Her
expectoration continues free
& appears to be
mucus with a little mixture of purulent matter.
She sleeps some what better, & the night sweats
she thinks are a little decreased. Her strength
is considerably impaired
tho she is still able
to walk up & down the room & to sit up
without much fatigue 10 or 12 hours. Her
diet consists of Asses milk, Gruels. rice [&?]
puddins, broths, a little boiled white fish, [some]
times a little boiled fowl & potatoes, &c. [She?]
still continues the above medicines & if you think
any thing thing else can be made use of,
I beg you will write me as soon as possible

I am dear Sir your very [humble]
servant
John Heysham

P.S. Miss Brown died
a few days after I received your last letter, which
was sooner than I expected. Leveck has
made little or no used of the Injection of Corrosive Sublimate of Mercury; & continues in the same
situation. Inclosed are two notes.




[Page 4]


D.r Cullen
Edinburgh


Heysham
Query
Miss Hodgeson
November 1780 ––
XI. p. 113 ––

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Carlisle Novr. 26th. 1780
Dear Sir


I am sorry the cases I have hitherto trans¬
mitted to you, for your advice, have been of
so dangerous a nature, that little was to
be expected from the most judicious ap¬
plication of medecines, & I have too much
reason to apprehend the following will
not be attended with a more pleasing
event. Miss Hodgson aged 22 years, is of
a spare habit of body, & of a family subject
to consumptions
. About May last after
bathing, she was seized with a pain in
her right breast, & soon after with a cough
for which she was bled to 6 or 8 ℥ which abated
the pain of her breast, but the cough has
continued ever since attended with consi¬
derable expectoration
. About the beginning
of Sepr. she was afflicted with a looseness &
severe griping pains in her bowels, &
had generally 4 0r 5 stools in the day. For
these complaints she was ordered a vomit
some Tinct. Rhei, a Sperm.Ceti mixture
& gentle opiates & a flannel shirt, which
however have had little or no good effects.
On the 7th. of this month I first saw her,
she then complained of a frequent



[Page 2]

troublesome cough
, attended with a
pretty free expectoration
. The looseness &
griping pains continued as above, &
she sweats a good deal in the nights, her
sleep is some what disturbed
, pulse weak
& about 120
. Menses have been obstructed
about 4 months
. Thirst not considerable
& appetite not much impaired. I immediately
ordered her a gentle vomit of Tart. Emet. which
opd. very well & the next day she began with
the following astringent Bol. Infus. & Ano¬
dyne.

Elect e Scord. ʒij Confect. Japon. Ext.
Lig. Camp.
@ ʒiſs Pulv. cort. cinnam. ʒi Mucil.
G. Arabic.
q. s. ℳ & divide in Bol. X. sumati
4u. quoque hora.

Terra Japon ʒiij aq. Bul¬
lient. lbj Macera decem horas dein cola,
sumat coch. mag. ij ter quaterve in die.


Sperm. Ceti ℈ij Mucilag. G. Arabic ʒiij
Aq. Cinnam. ten ℥ſs Tinct. Thebaic. Gut xxij
Syrup. Balsam. ʒij ℳ. f. Haust. h. s. sumenda


By the use of these remedies the looseness &
pain in her bowels are greatly mitigated,
having at present but one or two stools
a day which however are still rather loose.
On the 13th. when the looseness was considerably
abated a blister was applied between her
shoulders
, which is still kept open. On
the 19th. I ordered her nearly the same Linctus
which you presented for Miss Brown.



[Page 3]

For common drink she takes Infus. Fol.
Tussilag.
acidulated with Elix. Vit. Acid. Her
cough
& spitting are not much alterd. Her
expectoration continues free
& appears to be
mucus with a little mixture of purulent matter.
She sleeps some what better, & the night sweats
she thinks are a little decreased. Her strength
is considerably impaired
tho she is still able
to walk up & down the room & to sit up
without much fatigue 10 or 12 hours. Her
diet consists of Asses milk, Gruels. rice [&?]
puddins, broths, a little boiled white fish, [some]
times a little boiled fowl & potatoes, &c. [She?]
still continues the above meds. & if you think
any thing thing else can be made use of,
I beg you will write me as soon as possible

I am dear Sir your very [humble]
servt.
John Heysham

P.S. Miss Brown died
a few days after I recd. your last letter, which
was sooner than I expected. Leveck has
made little or no used of the Injection of Cor.
Sublimate
; & continues in the same
situation. Inclosed are two notes.




[Page 4]


D.r Cullen
Edinburgh


Heysham
Q
Miss Hodgeson
Novr. 1780 ––
XI. p. 113 ––

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