The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:361] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr George Skene / Regarding: Miss Eleanor Fraser (Honble Miss Fraser) (Patient) / 22 November 1775 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For the Hon. Miss Fraser'. Miss Fraser suffers from a convulsive disorder. Almost certainly addressed to Dr George Skene at Aberdeen in answer to letter 1177.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 361 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/6/60 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 22 November 1775 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, 'For the Hon. Miss Fraser'. Miss Fraser suffers from a convulsive disorder. Almost certainly addressed to Dr George Skene at Aberdeen in answer to letter 1177. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:547] |
Case of Eleanor Fraser, the nine-year-old daughter of Lord and Lady Saltoun seized with 'fits' after a fever. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:64] | Addressee | Dr George Skene |
| [PERS ID:1349] | Patient | Miss Eleanor Fraser (Honble Miss Fraser) |
| [PERS ID:852] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Thomas Livingston |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:64] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr George Skene |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Aberdeen | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
The Honorable Miss. Fraser -------
Convulsive disorders are amongst the most difficult I
meet with and I dont find their mode of appearance serves
any way to distinguish their causes, only I think the motus con¬
vulsivi are less dangerous than & more frequently curable than
the Epilepsy.
Our business in the present case is certainly to judge pro¬
perly of the cause. In my opinion there is little foundation for
supposing it worms, I allow that the absence of the common symptoms
could not give you security in this respect, but the medicines you
have employed neither producing any appearance of worms nor
giving any relief of the Symptoms, puts the supposition of worms
out of the question.
An irritable System is liable to Nervous Ataxy from slight
causes, but I cannot suppose that this is purely the case here &
I have no doubt that your suspicion of a topical affection of
the Sensorium is well founded. What may be precisely the nature of it
is difficult to say. A Sanguine congestion is not to be suspected
at such an age, and one of a watery kind is more probably to me
& I have known some appearances of the same kind and at
last in a compleat Hydrocephalus. It is indeed possible
that this or some other deposition might be the consequence
of the fever which preceded this disease, but there is no
end of conjectures on this subject. We must I think rest upon
this, that there is some congestion in the brain & therefore
that neither Opiates, Antispasmodics or tonics, could be of any
service & at least give more than a temporary relief. Please
[Page 2]
observe that under the title of Tonics I comprehend cold
bathing. The last remedy you have employed, that is blistering
seems to me ↑only↑ the most probable, and that supposition the sup¬
porting a drain of Serum, somewhere about the head I think
extremely proper. I would also add another remedy and that
is without any supposition of worms, a Calomel purgation
as often as you think she can bear it. These are the remedies
that I think can be of ↑much↑ service, but as Antispasmodics
may be sometimes palliative and at least innocent
I leave the use of them to your & Dr Livingstons discretion
If you have any good æther you may try it, but it
can be of no service but at the instant approach of a fit
I think Cuprum Ammoniacum a better tonic than the Flores
Zinci - &c
Diplomatic Text
The Hon. Miss. Fraser -------
Convulsive disorders are amongst the most difficult I
meet with and I dont find their mode of appearance serves
any way to distinguish their causes, only I think the motus con¬
vulsivi are less dangerous than & more frequently curable than
the Epilepsy.
Our business in the present case is certainly to judge pro¬
perly of the cause. In my opinion there is little foundation for
supposing it worms, I allow that the absence of the common symptoms
could not give you security in this respect, but the medicines you
have employed neither producing any appearance of worms nor
giving any relief of the Symptoms, puts the supposition of worms
out of the question.
An irritable System is liable to Nervous Ataxy from slight
causes, but I cannot suppose that this is purely the case here &
I have no doubt that your suspicion of a topical affection of
the Sensorium is well founded. What may be precisely the nature of it
is difficult to say. A Sanguine congestion is not to be suspected
at such an age, and one of a watery kind is more probably to me
& I have known some appearances of the same kind and at
last in a compleat Hydrocephalus. It is indeed possible
that this or some other deposition might be the consequence
of the fever which preceded this disease, but there is no
end of conjectures on this subject. We must I think rest upon
this, that there is some congestion in the brain & therefore
that neither Opiates, Antispasmodics or tonics, could be of any
service & at least give more than a temporary relief. Please
[Page 2]
observe that under the title of Tonics I comprehend cold
bathing. The last remedy you have employed, that is blistering
seems to me ↑only↑ the most probable, and that supposition the sup¬
porting a drain of Serum, somewhere about the head I think
extremely proper. I would also add another remedy and that
is without any supposition of worms, a Calomel purgation
as often as you think she can bear it. These are the remedies
that I think can be of ↑much↑ service, but as Antispasmodics
may be sometimes palliative and at least innocent
I leave the use of them to your & Dr Livingstons discretion
If you have any good æther you may try it, but it
can be of no service but at the instant approach of a fit
I think Cupr. Ammon. a better tonic than the Flores
Zinci - &c
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