The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2010] From: Mr John Blair / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr John Blair (Patient) / 23 May 1781 / (Incoming)
Letter from John Blair, concerning his own case.
- 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 | 2010 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1087 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 23 May 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from John Blair, concerning his own case. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1280] |
Case of John Blair who passes blood and believes his disorder stems from the umbilical region. |
5 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:2908] | Author | Mr John Blair |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2908] | Patient | Mr John Blair |
| [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 | Wigton | 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
Since I was in Edinburgh in August 1780 I have
followed your Directions in Regimen of Diet and Physic,
not without Benefit - Yet, about Martinmas, I had a
Discharge of Blood - I knew of no misconduct that
brought it on- I lost my Appetite by Degrees, and had
a violent Pain for a fortnight or three Weeks preceeding
the Eruption of Blood, which I avoided by Stool - It
was not thinned Blood, but coloured the Excrement
blackish - It always has a costive Tendency, so that
I am obliged to use means to carry it off - This I have
sometimes thought, prevented the Vessels from closing
and prolonged the Bleeding.
By your Permission, in a Letter about November, I got
a Seton put in my left Side, near the Place, where (from
feeling a particular Palpitation, not only at the Time when
these Bleedings come on, but upon any sudden Emotion
or Agitation) I imagined the ruptured Vessels are -
from which, I think, I have received Benefit, and have it ↓in get.↓
I likewise took the Barks mixed with Ocul. Cancr.
& Sal. Nitr. - This I did not continue to do long being of
too binding a Nature. - Costiveness is the greatest
[Page 2]
Difficulty I have to encounter, as I can scarce get my Body
keept Soluble by all the means I can use without now
and then, perhaps once in two Weeks, the prescribed
Quantity of Solub. Tart - I am scarce ever entirely free
from Pain, which, I feel, at different Times, in different
Parts, all the Way from the Place on the left Side, cross
the Region of my Stomach, down the Skirts of the Ribs, on
the right Side, to the Back - When it is severe I can
find nothing that gives Ease but the Laxatives -
Strong food is against me, it brings on the Pain - My
Urine, at passing, is sometimes muddy, and sometimes
high-coloured, mostly the former when the Pain is
severest.
I have had another Discharge this Week - This
I attributed to too violent Exercise in riding on
Horseback 8 or 10 Miles, and some Cold I got thereby -
It has not been so severe yet as the last, But the
Symptoms the same as on on former Bleedings - I have
observed, two or three Discharges I have had formerly,
which I imagined was brought on by Excess, that the
Bleeding did not begin till a Week or ten Days after
the Cause which produced it.
[Page 3]
I remember when I was in Edinburgh you told
me, if I had come in the Spring, you could have, perhaps
been of more Service - I know not if I am much worse
But if you could lay down any additional Rules,
or think of any Thing this Season produces which
might be of use Your Answer, at some leisure
Opportunity, will be gratefully received by
Sir,
Servt.
Take five grains of Sodium carbonate and ten grains of prepared Crab's eyes. Mix to form a powder and take a dose in an emergency. Number 28. Label: aperient Powders, one to be taken twice a Day in a little water or Whey.
Take from two drachms to half an ounce of Soluble tartar. Label: laxative Salts. To be taken in the Morning in a large Draught of new drawn Whey.
P. S. Whether thise Complaints are not the Effects
of Hypochondraism? --- J. B.
I had almost forgot to add- I have something of a seminal
Weakness - I have Accidents, once a Fortnight - three
Weeks or sometimes a Month - Whether this can have
any Connection with the other Complaint? -
[Page 4]
Dr. Cullen
Professor of Physic
Edinburgh
Single Sheet
post paid
Mr Blair
May 1781
Diplomatic Text
Since I was in Edin. in August 1780 I have
followed your Directions in Regimen of Diet and Physic,
not without Benefit - Yet, about Martinmas, I had a
Discharge of Blood - I knew of no misconduct that
brought it on- I lost my Appetite by Degrees, and had
a violent Pain for a fortnight or three Weeks preceeding
the Eruption of Blood, which I avoided by Stool - It
was not thinned Blood, but coloured the Excrement
blackish - It always has a costive Tendency, so that
I am obliged to use means to carry it off - This I have
sometimes thought, prevented the Vessels from closing
and prolonged the Bleeding.
By your Permission, in a Letter about Novr., I got
a Seton put in my left Side, near the Place, where (from
feeling a particular Palpitation, not only at the Time when
these Bleedings come on, but upon any sudden Emotion
or Agitation) I imagined the ruptured Vessels are -
from which, I think, I have received Benefit, and have it ↓in get.↓
I likewise took the Barks mixed with Ocul. Cancr.
& Sal. Nitr. - This I did not continue to do long being of
too binding a Nature. - Costiveness is the greatest
[Page 2]
Difficulty I have to encounter, as I can scarce get my Body
keept Soluble by all the means I can use without now
and then, perhaps once in two Weeks, the prescribed
Quantity of Solub. Tart - I am scarce ever entirely free
from Pain, which, I feel, at different Times, in different
Parts, all the Way from the Place on the left Side, cross
the Region of my Stomach, down the Skirts of the Ribs, on
the right Side, to the Back - When it is severe I can
find nothing that gives Ease but the Laxatives -
Strong food is against me, it brings on the Pain - My
Urine, at passing, is sometimes muddy, and sometimes
high-coloured, mostly the former when the Pain is
severest.
I have had another Discharge this Week - This
I attributed to too violent Exercise in riding on
Horseback 8 or 10 Miles, and some Cold I got thereby -
It has not been so severe yet as the last, But the
Symptoms the same as on on former Bleedings - I have
observed, two or three Discharges I have had formerly,
which I imagined was brought on by Excess, that the
Bleeding did not begin till a Week or ten Days after
the Cause which produced it.
[Page 3]
I remember when I was in Edinburgh you told
me, if I had come in the Spring, you could have, perhaps
been of more Service - I know not if I am much worse
But if you could lay down any additional Rules,
or think of any Thing this Season produces which
might be of use Your Answer, at some leisure
Opportunity, will be gratefully received by
Sir,
Your very hble.
℞ Sal. Nitr. gr. 5
Occul. cancr. ppt. gr. 10.
ℳ. f. pulv. et f. h. m. dos. № 28.
Signa aperient Powders, one to be taken twice a Day in a little
water or Whey.
℞ Tart. solub. a ʒij ad ℥ſs.
Signa laxative Salt to be taken in the Morning
in a large Draught of new drawn Whey.
P. S. Whether thise Complaints are not the Effects
of Hypochondraism? --- J. B.
I had almost forgot to add- I have something of a seminal
Weakness - I have Accidents, once a Fortnight - three
Weeks or sometimes a Month - Whether this can have
any Connection with the other Complaint? -
[Page 4]
Dr. Cullen
Professor of Physic
Edinburgh
Single Sheet
post paid
Mr Blair
May 1781
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