The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3999] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr Robert Ligertwood / Regarding: Mr Robert Ligertwood (Patient) / 10 February 1777 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Robert Ligertwood Esqr'
- 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 | 3999 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/8/111 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 10 February 1777 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal 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 Robert Ligertwood Esqr' |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:369] |
Case of Robert Ligertwood who believes himself to have a 'nervous weakness'. |
11 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:92] | Addressee | Mr Robert Ligertwood |
| [PERS ID:92] | Patient | Mr Robert Ligertwood |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Aberdeen | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Robert Ligertwood Esquire
You have got into a very relaxed
state of nerves which may appear
in very many shapes but we need only consider what is at the
bottom of them all. I suspect your constitution originally has
not been strong but Intemperance has been especially to blame
& your first step is to avoid this for the future. You tell me you
have entered upon this but you have hardly gone far enough
when you take a bottle of claret every day after dinner. I would
not advise you to lay aside wine altogether but you ought to
take as much as to heat in the least as you must be by a bottle.
I approve of your abstaining from Supper but I suspect what
you call generous to be too full a diet. You may take a bit
of solid meat every day at dinner but of the lightest kind
[Page 2]
of moderate quantity. I readily believe Chocolate may be too
heavy a breakfast & I admit Cocoa as much lighter but
common tea & coffee are both very bad for you. You have been
much hurt I am persuaded by Venery but you do not say how
you are to guard against it now. I cannot give you any posi¬
tive rule but you shall abstain as much as you can.
Nothing more proper than the Cold bathing & the going on
horseback as often as the weather allows. This regimen
necessary & will be of great service but I agree with
you that some medicine must be proper & necessary.
Take [five?] grains of iron filings ; seven grains of powdered Cinnamon; and ten grains of pure White Sugar. Mix and make into twenty-eight powders as required. Label: Strengthening Powders one in a little currant jelly twice a day. One dose to be taken an hour before dinner and the other before Suppertime. each one of the doses to be washed down with a cup full of the following.
Take half-an-ounce of Powdered Peruvian bark in a glass or marble mortar. Add sufficient fresh Water to make into a semi-liquid mass. Slowly and carefully [prepare?] then add two [pounds?] of water. To answer the requirements macerate for twelve hours then for each paper add two ounces of Tincture of Peruvian Bark. Mix. Label: Strengthening Infusion etc. etc.
Diplomatic Text
For Robert Ligertwood Esqr.
You have got into a very relaxed
state of nerves which may appear
in very many shapes but we need only consider what is at the
bottom of them all. I suspect your constitution originally has
not been strong but Intemperance has been especially to blame
& your first step is to avoid this for the future. You tell me you
have entered upon this but you have hardly gone far enough
when you take a bottle of claret every day after dinner. I would
not advise you to lay aside wine altogether but you ought to
take as much as to heat in the least as you must be by a bottle.
I approve of your abstaining from Supper but I suspect what
you call generous to be too full a diet. You may take a bit
of solid meat every day at dinner but of the lightest kind
[Page 2]
of moderate quantity. I readily believe Chocolate may be too
heavy a breakfast & I admit Cocoa as much lighter but
common tea & coffee are both very bad for you. You have been
much hurt I am persuaded by Venery but you do not say how
you are to guard against it now. I cannot give you any posi¬
tive rule but you shall abstain as mc as you can.
Nothing more proper than the Cold bathing & the going on
horseback as often as the weather allows. This regimen
necessary & will be of great service but I agree with
you that some medicine m. b. proper & necessary.
℞ Limat. Mart pptt gr. [V?] Cinnam. pulv. gr. vij
Sacch. alb. duriss gr.X. M. f.
pulvis et f. h. m. Pulv. № XXVIII. S. Strengthen:g
Powders one in a little cur¬
rant jelly twice a day. One dose to be taken an hour before
dinner & the other before Suppertime. each of the doses
to be washed down with a cup full of the following.
℞ Pulv. cort. Peruv. ℥ſs. in mart vitr.v. marmar. adde
Aq. sent. q.s. ut f. mass. semilia. Lento filigenter per
peram dein adde Aq. @ [lb?]ii. Repone in legerna mace¬
ra @ hor. 12 ↑dein per chart. {illeg}↑
Tinct. Cort. Peruv. ℥ii M.
S. Strengtheng Infusion &c.c.
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