The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2066] From: Reverend William Thom (of Govan) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Reverend William Thom (of Govan) (Patient) / 29 September 1781 / (Incoming)
Letter from William Thom, concerning his own case. He mentions also being seen by Mr Wilson. Thom adapts two epistles of Horace to apologise for imposing so much on Cullen's time.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 2066 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1140 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 29 September 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 William Thom, concerning his own case. He mentions also being seen by Mr Wilson. Thom adapts two epistles of Horace to apologise for imposing so much on Cullen's time. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1385] |
Case of Rev. William Thom, a Cullen family friend, who is weakened by a very severe, persistent cough. |
4 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:2922] | Author | Reverend William Thom (of Govan) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2922] | Patient | Reverend William Thom (of Govan) |
| [PERS ID:216] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Robert Wallace |
| [PERS ID:563] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn ) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:743] | Other | Mrs Anna Cullen |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Govan | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Was happy to have Yours - The Looseness had been
owing to a too Copious Dose of Sulphur It ceased before I got Yours
so the Receipt to remove it was not applied The same Day on which
I wrote to You Mr Wallace judged it expedient to blood me which gave me
considerable Ease Within five Days He blooded me again which gave me
Good Effect Then having received your Prescriptions I have pursued them
in order First a Vomit then the Blistering Plaister By these I had recovered
both Health and Spirits but not Appetite. The Sweatings in the Morning and
when I made any Motion in the Daytime which troibled me when I wrote to
You ceased but I felt a pretty violent pain in my head Doctor Stevenson
at Mr Wallace's desire had the Humanity to visit me. Ordered Leeches to be
set on my Temples at the root of the hair This was done Some Pills he
appointed were also taken The Headach was for a Week or two almost
removed /but it troubles me for some days past rather more & oftner than it
did/ and the Coff, tho' not so severe as formerly still remained For a
long time it seldom came upon me in the Night time and I slept as I
still do well enough but as it began to trouble me sometimes in the
Evenings & Mornings I took another Vomit and at the distance of two or
three Weeks another but the Coff is not yet away I sometimes feel a little, tho'
a very Gentle pain in my Breast opposite to the Right Pap especially when I lie
on that Side- I resemble a Person who hath recently got what they call a
Cold in the Head, the Voice is altered, he is hoarse the Nose is sometimes as 'twere
Stopt but by Wringing he vents at the Nose much tuff gross matter- the roof
of my Mouth turns dry in the Night time - I have hardly tasted any Spiritous
Liquor since I had you Letter - I can eat a little at Breakfast at Tea in the
Afternoon and at Supper but care not to look on Butcher meat & can eat none
of it - Sometimes after ↑I↑ eat a little a very slight cause make me to throw it
up that is if the Coff comes or if I smoke a little - I have been all my
Life of a Constitution very prone to Costiveness & am so at present
I am ashamed to detain You with so long a Scrawl about my self
nor would I have done so unless You had bid me Cum tot Sustineas
et tanta negotia --- In Publica Commoda pecco --- Dum longo
Sermone moror tua tempora 1
It is time perhaps I should say to
myself Edisti satis atque bibisti, Tempus abire. 2 And yet by Writing
[Page 2]
Writing thus to you I seem to beg further Exertions of your
Skill If you know of any method that is likely to banish or to
soften this terrifying Coff I am perfectly Sure you will Soon
direct me to it If not I must look on this same Coff as an
Irresistible Decay of Nature A Prelude of What I May Very Soon
Expect In the Meantime With all the Intentness of my Soul
I Wish Every Thing Good to Mrs Cullen and to Every one of your
Family I am what in the Early and Better days of Life I
Ever was
[Page 3]
Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh
Mr Thom of Govan
17 Septr 1781.
Notes:
1: ‘Since you support so many and such weighty concern --- I am (being) injurious to the interests of the community --- while I (am) trespass(ing) upon your time with such a long discourse.' This is an adaptation of the following lines from the opening of a letter from Horace to Augustus (Epistularum liber II, epistula). The original is: 'Cum tot sustineas et tanta negotia solus, / res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, / legibus emendes, in publica commoda peccem / si longo sermone morer tua tempora, Caesar' (Since you alone support so many and such weighty concerns, / defend Italy with your arms, adorn it by your virtue, / reform it by your laws; I should offend, O Caesar, against the public interests, / if I were to trespass upon your time with a long discourse.' William Thom (or the source he has taken this from) turns it from the subjunctive tense (peccem, morer) to the indicative tense (pecco, moror), thus turning it from 'I would be inappropriate if I would trespass upon your time...' to 'I am being/have been inappropriate, because I am trespassing/have trespassed upon your time with my long account...'. [L.G.]
2: ‘You have eaten and drunk enough; it is time to walk off' (Thom is evidently referring to himself). This is also from the letters of Horace, this time from the end of the letter to Julius Florus (Epistularum liber II, epistula ii). [L.G.]
Diplomatic Text
Was happy to have Yours - The Looseness had been
owing to a too Copious Dose of Sulphur It ceased before I got Yours
so the Receipt to remove it was not applied The same Day on which
I wrote to You Mr Wallace judged it expedient to blood me wc gave me
considerable Ease Within five Days He blooded me again wc gave me
Good Effect Then having received your Prescriptions I have pursued them
in order First a Vomit then the Blistering Plaister By these I had recovered
both Health and Spirits but not Appetite. The Sweatings in the Morning and
when I made any Motion in the Daytime wc troibled me when I wrote to
You ceased but I felt a pretty violent pain in my head Doctor Stevenson
at Mr Wallace's desire had the Humanity to visit me. Ordered Leeches to be
set on my Temples at the root of the hair This was done Some Pills he
appointed were also taken The Headach was for a Week or two almost
removed /but it troubles me for some days past rather more & oftner than it
did/ and the Coff, tho' not so severe as formerly still remained For a
long time it seldom came upon me in the Night time and I slept as I
still do well enough but as it began to trouble me sometimes in the
Evenings & Mornings I took another Vomit and at the distance of two or
three Weeks another but the Coff is not yet away I sometimes feel a little, tho'
a very Gentle pain in my Breast opposite to the Right Pap especially when I lie
on that Side- I resemble a Person who hath recently got what they call a
Cold in the Head, the Voice is altered, he is hoarse the Nose is sometimes as 'twere
Stopt but by Wringing he vents at the Nose much tuff gross matter- the roof
of my Mouth turns dry in the Night time - I have hardly tasted any Spiritous
Liquor since I had you Letter - I can eat a little at Breakfast at Tea in the
Afternoon and at Supper but care not to look on Butcher meat & can eat none
of it - Sometimes after ↑I↑ eat a little a very slight cause make me to throw it
up that is if the Coff comes or if I smoke a little - I have been all my
Life of a Constitution very prone to Costiveness & am so at present
I am ashamed to detain You with so long a Scrawl about my self
nor would I have done so unless You had bid me Cum tot Sustineas
et tanta negotia --- In Publica Commoda pecco --- Dum longo
Sermone moror tua tempora 1
It is time perhaps I should say to
myself Edisti satis atque bibisti, Tempus abire. 2 And yet by Writing
[Page 2]
Writing thus to you I seem to beg further Exertions of your
Skill If you know of any method that is likely to banish or to
soften this terrifying Coff I am perfectly Sure you will Soon
direct me to it If not I must look on this same Coff as an
Irresistible Decay of Nature A Prelude of What I May Very Soon
Expect In the Meantime With all the Intentness of my Soul
I Wish Every Thing Good to Mrs Cullen and to Every one of your
Family I am what in the Early and Better days of Life I
Ever was
[Page 3]
Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh
Mr Thom of Govan
17 Septr 1781.
Notes:
1: ‘Since you support so many and such weighty concern --- I am (being) injurious to the interests of the community --- while I (am) trespass(ing) upon your time with such a long discourse.' This is an adaptation of the following lines from the opening of a letter from Horace to Augustus (Epistularum liber II, epistula). The original is: 'Cum tot sustineas et tanta negotia solus, / res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes, / legibus emendes, in publica commoda peccem / si longo sermone morer tua tempora, Caesar' (Since you alone support so many and such weighty concerns, / defend Italy with your arms, adorn it by your virtue, / reform it by your laws; I should offend, O Caesar, against the public interests, / if I were to trespass upon your time with a long discourse.' William Thom (or the source he has taken this from) turns it from the subjunctive tense (peccem, morer) to the indicative tense (pecco, moror), thus turning it from 'I would be inappropriate if I would trespass upon your time...' to 'I am being/have been inappropriate, because I am trespassing/have trespassed upon your time with my long account...'. [L.G.]
2: ‘You have eaten and drunk enough; it is time to walk off' (Thom is evidently referring to himself). This is also from the letters of Horace, this time from the end of the letter to Julius Florus (Epistularum liber II, epistula ii). [L.G.]
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