The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2007] From: Mr Robert Ligertwood / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr Robert Ligertwood (Patient) / 30 April 1781 / (Incoming)
Letter from Robert Ligertwood, concerning his own case and promising to send Cullen a small book he has written on the nervous system.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 2007 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1084 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 30 April 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from Robert Ligertwood, concerning his own case and promising to send Cullen a small book he has written on the nervous system. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:369] |
Case of Robert Ligertwood who believes himself to have a 'nervous weakness'. |
11 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:92] | Author | Mr Robert Ligertwood |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:92] | Patient | Mr Robert Ligertwood |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:942] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr Robert Whytt (Prof. Whytt/White) |
| [PERS ID:1646] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr John Mudie (Moodie) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Aberdeen | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Montrose | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Since I had the pleasure of writing you last, I have been much
distressed with my Nerves
& Stomack, & during the Continuance of Frosty weather
I was greatly bore down. But for all that, I persisted every day to use the Bath
& still do so, which has paliated the symptoms a good deal otherways I realy do not
think I could have supported under it. - I must mention to you that in September
last, I was oppressed with Bile in
my Stomach & by advice of Doctor Moodie of
Montrose who I happened to be in Company with there, I
used Aloetick Wine
& that pretty freely, as I thought it carried off a good deal
of the Bileous humour
& have continued it till about two months ago, when I was affraid it had weak¬
ned the Tone of my Stomach, & yet I have generally
no bad appetite for Dinner -
Since I left off the purgative medecines, I find my
self rather Costive & such a
Giddiness as confuses me a good Deal,
which I attribute to the humours floating
in my Stomach, as for several Weeks I
have been in practice of taking every Satur¬
day a Vomit of
Antinomial Emetick,
& I observe that if by accident I should
omit it
The Bile affects my
Stomach & causes such confused Ideas, that I am
in a manner at a Loss to say what I am adoing. But when
the the Bile is
thrown off, my mind is so Distinct and Clear that I can almost Discern into the
very Heavens. Perhaps youl attribute this to something in the Mind & if so pray
dont let that prevent your telling me your Sentiments with the utmost freedom,
for I am perswaded that what is stored up in my mind is too Exquisite for Sense,
so that I have often thought Providence has thrown many things on my Person
to Bear down the aspiring & growing powers of my Mind; yet I know it is my
Duty to Combate & Nobly resist the Human Impulses, which many of the
Bravest & Worthiest Men have sunk under & would not bear it longer & makes
me apt to think there is an unavoidable fatality attending Humanity, for give
me leave, my Dear Sir, to assure you, That I would describe the very causes
& in what manner, their Souls have been affected by
the Nerves, & made many
put an end to their Existence in all Ages of the World. - I therefore beg youl
consider my Case most seriously & give me your advice & prescription with
regard to what Regimen of Diet I shall follow & whither you approve of milk
& if so, in what manner prepared, for of a considerable time I have acustomed
[Page 2]
my Self to an animal Diet :- I am so difficult to operate upon by Vomit that is
when I take 6½ grains of Emetick Tartar, it does not work till I force it with my
finger, & then there comes off an Immense quantity of Bile, sufficient one would
think to cover the Whole Stomach, yet next morning I plunge into the Bath Briskly
& find when I come out I am like One Relieved, & after my fornoons Ride my
very Soul is as it were Quickned with New Life & Vigour. I took a vomit this
last Saturday, & next Day I dinned (indeed, except for a light breakfast, my only Diet) upon
Vermicelly Veal Soup & some Salmon Trout which I shal be glad to know if you approve
of, for just after Dinner I drunk a Draft of Porter, which I thought too heavy, for I found
such motion within me like Wind, & next morning I began to take Doctor Whytes Tincture
of the Bark 1 .which I found sitts rather heavy & gave me a good deal of unasiness throughout
the Day, altho it had the Spirits of Lavender in it which he adds to make it lighter on
the Stomach. Pray you opinion whither you will advise me to take some Mineral Water
in the morning, or Aloetick Wine to carry off the Bile, or to continue with Whytes
Tincture or whatever else you Judge proper shall be a Rule to me, I hope youl not
take amiss my Inclosing two Notes & with high esteem I am
[Page 3]
P. S. My thoughts & reading have been so much employed & Delighted with the
Nervous System, That I could not
restrain my Self from Committing
what occurred to me to paper, & publishing a Smal Treatise
on the Subject of which I intend taking the Liberty to send
you a Copy by first opportunity & will be happy of your
opinion. 2
[Page 4]
Doctor Willm Cullen Esq
Physician
Edinburgh
Robt. Ligertwood Esq.
April 1781
V.XIII. p.29.
Notes:
1: This formula is found in Robert Whytt, Observations on the Nature, Causes, and Cure Of those Disorders which have been commonly called Nervous, Hypochondriac, or Hysteric: to which are prefixed some remarks on the sympathy of the nerves (Edinburgh: 1765), p. 337. Robert Whytt (1714-1766) had been Cullen's colleague as Professor of Medicine in Edinburgh University and one-time President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
2: This can be identified as the privately printed sixty-six page pamphlet, A Dissertation Upon the Nervous System to show its influence upon the soul, which is dated September 1780 on the engraved title page (ESTC Number:T053796). Authorship of this title was hitherto unknown. Copies held at the British Library, Cambridge University Library and the National Library of Medicine at Bethesda, Maryland.
Diplomatic Text
Since I had the pleasure of writing you last, I have been much
distressed with my Nerves
& Stomack, & during the Continuance of Frosty weather
I was greatly bore down. But for all that, I persisted every day to use the Bath
& still do so, which has paliated the symptoms a good deal otherways I realy do not
think I could have supported under it. - I must mention to you that in September
last, I was oppressed with Bile in
my Stomach & by advice of Doctor Moodie of
Montrose who I happened to be in Company with there, I
used Aloetick Wine
& that pretty freely, as I thought it carried off a good deal
of the Bileous humour
& have continued it till about two months ago, when I was affraid it had weak¬
ned the Tone of my Stomach, & yet I have generally
no bad appetite for Dinner -
Since I left off the purgative medecines, I find my
self rather Costive & such a
Giddiness as confuses me a good Deal,
which I attribute to the humours floating
in my Stomach, as for several Weeks I
have been in practice of taking every Satur¬
day a Vomit of
Antinomial Emetick,
& I observe that if by accident I should
omit it
The Bile affects my
Stomach & causes such confused Ideas, that I am
in a manner at a Loss to say what I am adoing. But when
the the Bile is
thrown off, my mind is so Distinct and Clear that I can almost Discern into the
very Heavens. Perhaps youl attribute this to something in the Mind & if so pray
dont let that prevent your telling me your Sentiments with the utmost freedom,
for I am perswaded that what is stored up in my mind is too Exquisite for Sense,
so that I have often thought Providence has thrown many things on my Person
to Bear down the aspiring & growing powers of my Mind; yet I know it is my
Duty to Combate & Nobly resist the Human Impulses, which many of the
Bravest & Worthiest Men have sunk under & would not bear it longer & makes
me apt to think there is an unavoidable fatality attending Humanity, for give
me leave, my Dear Sir, to assure you, That I would describe the very causes
& in what manner, their Souls have been affected by
the Nerves, & made many
put an end to their Existence in all Ages of the World. - I therefore beg youl
consider my Case most seriously & give me your advice & prescription with
regard to what Regimen of Diet I shall follow & whither you approve of milk
& if so, in what manner prepared, for of a considerable time I have acustomed
[Page 2]
my Self to an animal Diet :- I am so difficult to operate upon by Vomit that is
when I take 6½ grains of Emetick Tartar, it does not work till I force it with my
finger, & then there comes off an Immense quantity of Bile, sufficient one would
think to cover the Whole Stomach, yet next morning I plunge into the Bath Briskly
& find when I come out I am like One Relieved, & after my fornoons Ride my
very Soul is as it were Quickned with New Life & Vigour. I took a vomit this
last Saturday, & next Day I dinned (indeed, except for a light breakfast, my only Diet) upon
Vermicelly Veal Soup & some Salmon Trout which I shal be glad to know if you approve
of, for just after Dinner I drunk a Draft of Porter, which I thought too heavy, for I found
such motion within me like Wind, & next morning I began to take Doctor Whytes Tincture
of the Bark 1 .which I found sitts rather heavy & gave me a good deal of unasiness throughout
the Day, altho it had the Spirits of Lavender in it which he adds to make it lighter on
the Stomach. Pray you opinion whither you will advise me to take some Mineral Water
in the morning, or Aloetick Wine to carry off the Bile, or to continue with Whytes
Tincture or whatever else you Judge proper shall be a Rule to me, I hope youl not
take amiss my Inclosing two Notes & with high esteem I am
[Page 3]
P. S. My thoughts & reading have been so much employed & Delighted with the
Nervous System, That I could not
restrain my Self from Committing
what occurred to me to paper, & publishing a Smal Treatise
on the Subject of which I intend taking the Liberty to send
you a Copy by first opportunity & will be happy of your
opinion. 2
[Page 4]
Doctor Willm Cullen Esq
Physician
Edinburgh
Robt. Ligertwood Esq.
April 1781
V.XIII. p.29.
Notes:
1: This formula is found in Robert Whytt, Observations on the Nature, Causes, and Cure Of those Disorders which have been commonly called Nervous, Hypochondriac, or Hysteric: to which are prefixed some remarks on the sympathy of the nerves (Edinburgh: 1765), p. 337. Robert Whytt (1714-1766) had been Cullen's colleague as Professor of Medicine in Edinburgh University and one-time President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
2: This can be identified as the privately printed sixty-six page pamphlet, A Dissertation Upon the Nervous System to show its influence upon the soul, which is dated September 1780 on the engraved title page (ESTC Number:T053796). Authorship of this title was hitherto unknown. Copies held at the British Library, Cambridge University Library and the National Library of Medicine at Bethesda, Maryland.
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