The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2102] From: Dr William Hamilton (in Glasgow) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Professor Thomas Hamilton (Patient), Mr Edward Brisbane (Patient), Mr Black (Patient) / 28 November 1781 / (Incoming)
Letter from William Hamilton, concerning the cases of Mr Black and the late Mr Brisbane, and of his father. Hamilton mentions receiving a letter on Brisbane's case from 'your son the Doctor', presumably Henry Cullen. Also mentions the medical studies of Dr Arthur Broughton.
- 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 | 2102 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1178 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 28 November 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 Hamilton, concerning the cases of Mr Black and the late Mr Brisbane, and of his father. Hamilton mentions receiving a letter on Brisbane's case from 'your son the Doctor', presumably Henry Cullen. Also mentions the medical studies of Dr Arthur Broughton. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1329] |
Case of Edward Brisbane, a merchant returned to Glasgow from America, who has ascites and anasarca (fluid retention) which prove fatal. |
9 |
| [Case ID:1914] |
Case of Thomas Hamilton who has pains and spasms in the side and trouble walking. |
6 |
| [Case ID:1923] |
Case of Mr Black with a disease of the urethra. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:175] | Author | Dr William Hamilton (in Glasgow) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1057] | Patient | Professor Thomas Hamilton |
| [PERS ID:2873] | Patient | Mr Edward Brisbane |
| [PERS ID:2884] | Patient | Mr Black |
| [PERS ID:175] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Hamilton (in Glasgow) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2885] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr Broughton |
| [PERS ID:544] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr Henry Cullen (Harry, Dr Henry, "the young doctor" ) |
| [PERS ID:175] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Dr William Hamilton (in Glasgow) |
| [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 | Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Bristol | South-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
I had the pleasure of
your son the Doctors letter 1 a few days
ago. With regard to Mr Brisbane I am
entirely at a loss what to do, I should
imagine the fee was too small for two
consultations & the trouble you have
been at in writing about him, but
without an intimation from you,
of that kind, no application can be
easely made to the trustees.
As to the subject of Pus as far as I
remember, a paper was written by
Dr Broughton now of Bristol, I had
some conversation with him about
it, but was not present at any of
his experiments. 2
The Gentleman
Mr Black who delivers this letter I have
recommended to consult you about
a Disease in his Urethra.
[Page 2]
He has had several Gonorrhœas which
have left a considerable gleet behind.
At first when I saw him he was free
from infection but complained of a
constant running, a deep seated pain
in perineum & a great degree of scalding
in making water. As a kind of
experiment I tried the Uva Ursi but
without any effect good or bad.
I then ordered him bark two drachms
a day which was evidently of service
to him. He tried at last of taking
medicine & left off the bark he has
since that ↑time↑ been rather better, the
running has now almost gone
away, except after making water
when there is a considerable discharge.
He has still the scalding & pain in
{illeg}, almost as bad as at first.
I passed a large bougee very easily into
the bladder which would make me
believe there is no stricture in the
Urethra. As to the other particulars I
must refer you to himself. My Father
is growing weaker & weaker every day
[Page 3]
tho easy & free from restlessness of pain.
I beg to be kindly remembered to your
son Dr Cullen, I beg my respectful
compliments to Mrs Cullen,
to be Dear Sir your
obliged humble Servant
Glasgow
November 28th
1781
[Page 4]
Dr Cullen
Professor of Medicine
Edinburgh
Mr Hamilton
Concerning Mr Black
November 1781
V. XIII. P. 218
Notes:
1: Probably Cullen's son, Dr Henry Cullen. Letter untraced.
2: Arthur Broughton (c.1758–1796), physician and botanist, from 1769 to 1776 apprenticed to William Dyer, apothecary of Bristol. In 1776 he took up medical studies at Edinburgh, graduating MD in 1779 with a thesis ‘De vermibus intestinorum’ and in 1780 was awarded a prize for an essay on lymph fluid - which may be what Hamilton has in mind - entitled ‘De sanguinis glutine’. That year Broughton was also appointed physician at Bristol Infirmary. He later published his Observations on the influenza, or epidemic catarrh; as it appeared in Bristol and its environs, during the months of May and June, at London in 1782 (?) Details in Audrey le Lièvre, 'Arthur Broughton' in ODNB.
Diplomatic Text
I had the pleasure of
your son the Doctors letter 1 a few days
ago. With regard to Mr Brisbane I am
entirely at a loss what to do, I should
imagine the fee was too small for two
consultations & the trouble you have
been at in writing about him, but
without an intimation from you,
of that kind, no application can be
easely made to the trustees.
As to the subject of Pus as far as I
remember, a paper was written by
Dr Broughton now of Bristol, I had
some conversation with him about
it, but was not present at any of
his experiments. 2
The Gentleman
Mr Black who delivers this letter I have
recommended to consult you about
a Disease in his Urethra.
[Page 2]
He has had several Gonorrhœas which
have left a considerable gleet behind.
At first when I saw him he was free
from infection but complained of a
constant running, a deep seated pain
in perineum & a great degree of scalding
in making water. As a kind of
experiment I tried the Uva Ursi but
without any effect good or bad.
I then ordered him bark two drachms
a day which was evidently of service
to him. He tried at last of taking
medicine & left off the bark he has
since that ↑time↑ been rather better, the
running has now almost gone
away, except after making water
when there is a considerable discharge.
He has still the scalding & pain in
{illeg}, almost as bad as at first.
I passed a large bougee very easily into
the bladder which would make me
believe there is no stricture in the
Urethra. As to the other particulars I
must refer you to himself. My Father
is growing weaker & weaker every day
[Page 3]
tho easy & free from restlessness of pain.
I beg to be kindly remembered to your
son Dr Cullen, I beg my respectful
complts to Mrs Cullen,
to be Dear Sir your
obliged humble Servant
Glasgow
Novr 28th
1781
[Page 4]
Dr Cullen
Professor of Medicine
Edinburgh
Mr Hamilton
C Mr Black
Novr 1781
V. XIII. P. 218
Notes:
1: Probably Cullen's son, Dr Henry Cullen. Letter untraced.
2: Arthur Broughton (c.1758–1796), physician and botanist, from 1769 to 1776 apprenticed to William Dyer, apothecary of Bristol. In 1776 he took up medical studies at Edinburgh, graduating MD in 1779 with a thesis ‘De vermibus intestinorum’ and in 1780 was awarded a prize for an essay on lymph fluid - which may be what Hamilton has in mind - entitled ‘De sanguinis glutine’. That year Broughton was also appointed physician at Bristol Infirmary. He later published his Observations on the influenza, or epidemic catarrh; as it appeared in Bristol and its environs, during the months of May and June, at London in 1782 (?) Details in Audrey le Lièvre, 'Arthur Broughton' in ODNB.
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