Cullen

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

 

[ID:3716] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: John Whyte / Regarding: Mr Spittall (Spittel) (Patient) / 3 January 1775 / (Outgoing)

Reply for 'Mr Spittal contd.'. The follow-up letter promised in ID:3715. The addressee can be inferred as being John Whyte at Dysart. A case of mania, for which Cullen advises on regimen, medicines, and the need for having someone someone 'of authority' manage the patient. He also mentions the possible need for using a restraining waistcoat.

Facsimile

There are 2 images for this document.

[Page 1]


 

[Page 2]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 3716
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/4/41
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date3 January 1775
Annotation None
TypeScribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry)
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe Yes
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply for 'Mr Spittal contd.'. The follow-up letter promised in ID:3715. The addressee can be inferred as being John Whyte at Dysart. A case of mania, for which Cullen advises on regimen, medicines, and the need for having someone someone 'of authority' manage the patient. He also mentions the possible need for using a restraining waistcoat.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:179]
Case of Mr Spittal, annotated 'Mania'.
3


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:487]Addressee John Whyte
[PERS ID:1331]PatientMr Spittall (Spittel)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:487]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary John Whyte

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 Dysart Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe inferred

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
January 3d. 1775
Mr Spittal continued


I believe he may be the better for cold bathing but it
cannot be employed at present for several reasons.
The season is unfavourable & it cannot be tried untill
his present cough is quite gone & even then some re¬
gard must be had to the eruption which might happen to be
upon him in the mean time I think he can go no
farther than keeping his head close shaven & washing it
with cold water every morning.


The putting his feet & legs in warm water for
1/2 an hour or more before bedtime [might?] certainly be of
service but it should not be too constantly practised.
Twice a week must be enough & take care that his feet
& legs be always well dried & wrapt in a piece of dry
warm flannel till he is warm in bed.


I think it necessary to open some Issue &
you must either make a perpetual Issue in his back
or put a pea Issue in his arm.


I would still keep his diet low by giving him
chiefly milk & farinacea & abstaining from animal food.


He would certainly be the better for being much in the fresh
air & having some exercise both in walking & going
in a carriage & it might be tried when the weather allows
but if you find that the motion & variety of objects
confuse his head too much you must let it alone.




[Page 2]


I expect that the Soluble Tartar must be so managed
as to keep his Belly regular without purging & if it
does no more than keep him regular you must give
him once a week a dose of your pills of aloes
Asa fœtid. & Calomel. If the Soluble Tart. be dis¬
posed to purge him he may let the pills
alone.


If you find him at some times liable to
have restless nights
you [must?] try him with the anodyne
pill ordered on the other page. You [must?] begin with 2. but
must go to 3 or 4 for a dose according to the effects. You
[must?] repeat them for 3 or 4 nights following at one time
but hardly more as a frequent repetition of
them will render them useless.


In such cases the Patients being more or less
pliable is very uncertain & it is of great use to have
some who have authority over them If at any
time they are disposed to be outrageous it is necessary
to restrain them & nothing is so easy & convenient as the
waistcoat with long sleeves.


When he is at liberty he should hardly be left
alone, the windows of his chamber should be
screwed down & care should be taken that there
is nothing within his reach by which he can hurt himself.

Take half a drachm each of Camphor and Asafoetida. Adding a drop of rectified wine, grind the Camphor then add the Asafoetida and with mucilaginous gum arabic make a mass to be divided into five pills. Label: Cephalic Pills.


3 January
1775
W. C.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Jan. 3d. 1775
Mr Spittal contd.


I believe he may be ye better for cold bathing but it
cannot be employed at present for several reasons.
The season is unfavourable & it cannot be tried untill
his present cough is quite gone & even yn some re¬
gard must be had to ye erupt. wc m. happ. to be
upon him in ye mean time I think he can go no
farther yn keepg his head close shaven & washg it
w cold water evy morng.


The puttg his feet & legs in warm water for
1/2 an hour or more bef. bedtime m. certy. be of
service bt it shd not b. too consty. practised.
Twice a week m b. enough & take care yt. his feet
& legs be alwys well dried & wrapt in a piece of dry
warm flannel till he is warm in bed.


I think it necessary to open some Issue &
you must either make a perpetual Issue in his back
or put a pea Issue in his arm.


I would still keep his diet low by givg him
chiefly milk & farinacea & abstg. fm animal food.


He would certy. be ye better for bg. mc in ye fresh
air & havg some exercise bth. in walkg. & going
in a carriage & it m. b. tried when ye weather allows
but if you find yt ye motion & variety of objects
confuse his head too much you must let it alone.




[Page 2]


I expect yt ye Soluble Tartar m. b. so managed
as to keep his B. regular w out purgg. & if it
does no more yn keep him regr you m. give
him once a week a dose of your pills of aloes
Asa fœtid. & Calomel. If ye Soluble Tart. be dis¬
posed to purge him he may let the pills
alone.


If you find him at some times liable to
have restless nights
you m. try him w ye anodyne
pill ordd on ye oth. page. You m. begin w 2. bt
m go to 3 or 4 for a dose accordg. to ye effets. You
m. repeat ym for 3 or 4 nts followg. at one time
but hardly more as a frequent repetition of
ym will render ym useless.


In sc cases ye Patients being more or less
pliable is very uncertn. & it is of gt use to have
some who have author. ov. ym. If at any
time yy are disposed to be outrags. it is necessy.
to restrn. ym. & nothing is so easy & convt. as ye
waistcoat w long sleeves.


Wn he is at liberty he should hardly be left
alone, the winds. of his chamb. should be
screwed down & care should be taken that there
is nothing within his reach by wc he can hurt himself.


Camph. As. foetid. aa ʒſs. Adijecta Sp.
Vin. rect. guttula terito Camph. dein adde As. foetid. &
cum mucilag. gumm. arab. q. s. mass. divda. in pil.
sing. gr. v. Signa Cephalic Pills


3 Jany
1775
W. C.

XML

XML file not yet available.

Feedback

Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:3716]

Type
Comments
 

Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...