Cullen

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

 

[ID:2148] From: Dr Alexander Hunter / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr William Huddleton Williamson (Patient) / 8 February 1782 / (Incoming)

Letter from Alexander Hunter concerning the case of Mr William Huddleton Williamson. Williamson has a severe cough and is bringing up discoloured phlegm (Cullen is informed privately that Williamson may also have a 'venereal taint').

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 2148
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1223
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date8 February 1782
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from Alexander Hunter concerning the case of Mr William Huddleton Williamson. Williamson has a severe cough and is bringing up discoloured phlegm (Cullen is informed privately that Williamson may also have a 'venereal taint').
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting Yes

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:2532]
Case of William Huddleton Williamson who has severe cough and is bringing up discoloured phlegm (Cullen is informed privately that Williamson may also have a 'venereal taint').
4


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:936]AuthorDr Alexander Hunter
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:5212]PatientMr William Huddleton Williamson
[PERS ID:936]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr Alexander Hunter
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing York North-East England Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Therapeutic Recommendation Wales Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Italy Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Bristol South-West England Europe certain
Place of Handstamp York North-East England Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
York February 8. 1782
Sir,


A Gentleman in the thirty first
year of his age & of a slender and delicate
constitution, requests me to consult you upon
his present state of health. For near twelve
months he has been troubled with a secretion
of a tough blue coloured phlegm from
the
Throat
, which is extreamly troublesome to get
up & often occasions coughing to a violent
degree
, & sometimes reaching. His pulse
is small and quick
. His skin is generally
dry
. He has never spit blood, neither
have I ever observed any purulency in
what he occasionally expectorates. He
neither has pain in the Breast, nor
Night sweats, but he appears to ema¬
ciate
. Having lived freely, he is seeming¬
ly under the necessity of having one pint
of wine daily but he abstains from
malt liquor & vinous spirits. His diet
consists of broths, light meats, puddings,
& milk for breakfast. He uses exer¬
cise on horseback, & does not indulge in
lying too long in bed. His spirits are




[Page 2]


sometimes greatly depress'd and when under
that disagreeable sensation he often has
recourse to more wine than is consistent
with Temperance. I have frequently
examined his Throat, but never could
discover any ulcerations, tho' he has
frequently had venereal affections.
He finds releif from a common gargle
applied to the fauces three or four
times a day, by means of a syringe. I
once ordered four ounces of blood to be
taken from
the Arm, & found its texture
rather tender. Sooner, or later, I expect
his lungs will become affected; so that
pure air, with a strict attention to diet,
is more indicated than medecines. I
thought he received some benefit from
two ounces of the cold Infusion of Pe¬
ruvian Bark
taken twice a day, but
at present he takes (↑uses↑) no medecine, the
gargle
, & asses milk, excepted. I ought
to observe that he is very liable to catch
cold, which brings on a running at the nose
& as he says, increases both the Viscidity




[Page 3]


and quantity of phlegm in the throat.
He is not particularly bound in his body,
neither is his Urine too high coloured
Appetite very good, but when his spirits
are low
, his rest is disturbed with a
frightful dreams
.


My advice to him is, To consult
you personally in the month of April,
or sooner, and, if you approve of it,
to take up his summers residence
at Bristol, or rather to go in to Wales
[where?] goats whey may be easily
[procured?]. And in October (↑September↑) if not
much recovered, to go into Italy for
the winter.


I shall be happy to hear from you
soon

& am, Dear Sir
your most obedient servant
A. Hunter.


P.S. The Gentleman has neither Thirst nor heat
in the palms of his hands.




[Page 4]


Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh


Dr A. Hunter
Concerning Mr Williamson
bry. 1782
V. XIII p. 289

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
York Feb. 8. 1782
Sir,


A Gentleman in the thirty first
year of his age & of a slender and delicate
constitution, requests me to consult you upon
his present state of health. For near twelve
months he has been troubled with a secretion
of a tough blue coloured phlegm from
the
Throat
, which is extreamly troublesome to get
up & often occasions coughing to a violent
degree
, & sometimes reaching. His pulse
is small and quick
. His skin is generally
dry
. He has never spit blood, neither
have I ever observed any purulency in
what he occasionally expectorates. He
neither has pain in the Breast, nor
Night sweats, but he appears to ema¬
ciate
. Having lived freely, he is seeming¬
ly under the necessity of having one pint
of wine daily but he abstains from
malt liquor & vinous spirits. His diet
consists of broths, light meats, puddings,
& milk for breakfast. He uses exer¬
cise on horseback, & does not indulge in
lying too long in bed. His spirits are




[Page 2]


sometimes greatly depress'd and when under
that disagreeable sensation he often has
recourse to more wine than is consistent
with Temperance. I have frequently
examined his Throat, but never could
discover any ulcerations, tho' he has
frequently had venereal affections.
He finds releif from a common gargle
applied to the fauces three or four
times a day, by means of a syringe. I
once ordered four ounces of blood to be
taken from
the Arm, & found its texture
rather tender. Sooner, or later, I expect
his lungs will become affected; so that
pure air, with a strict attention to diet,
is more indicated than medecines. I
thought he received some benefit from
two ounces of the cold Infusion of Pe¬
ruvian Bark
taken twice a day, but
at present he takes (↑uses↑) no medecine, the
gargle
, & asses milk, excepted. I ought
to observe that he is very liable to catch
cold, which brings on a running at the nose
& as he says, increases both the Viscidity




[Page 3]


and quantity of phlegm in the throat.
He is not particularly bound in his body,
neither is his Urine too high coloured
Appetite very good, but when his spirits
are low
, his rest is disturbed with a
frightful dreams
.


My advice to him is, To consult
you personally in the month of April,
or sooner, and, if you approve of it,
to take up his summers residence
at Bristol, or rather to go in to Wales
[where?] goats whey may be easily
[procured?]. And in October (↑September↑) if not
much recovered, to go into Italy for
the winter.


I shall be happy to hear from you
soon

& am, Dr Sir
your most obedt. servt.
A. Hunter.


P.S. The Gentleman has neither Thirst nor heat
in the palms of his hands.




[Page 4]


Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh


Dr A. Hunter
C Mr Williamson
Fe 1782
V. XIII p. 289

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