The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:479] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr John Hall / Regarding: Mr Joseph King (Patient) / 21 March 1773 / (Outgoing)
Reply concerning a Mr Joseph King, but addressed to his practitioner [Dr John Hall; for whom, see following] with two recipes. This is followed by a deleted entry and then another entry 'headed To Dr [John] Hall For Mr Joseph King at Newcastle, with brief summary of medicines recommended and advice (Dr John Hall's first-name evident from other items).
- 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 | 479 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/3/56 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 21 March 1773 |
| 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 concerning a Mr Joseph King, but addressed to his practitioner [Dr John Hall; for whom, see following] with two recipes. This is followed by a deleted entry and then another entry 'headed To Dr [John] Hall For Mr Joseph King at Newcastle, with brief summary of medicines recommended and advice (Dr John Hall's first-name evident from other items). |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:411] |
Case of Mr Joseph King who has consulted many physicians for a condition which includes 'purging' [loose bowels]. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:510] | Addressee | Dr John Hall |
| [PERS ID:3901] | Patient | Mr Joseph King |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:510] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Hall |
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 | Newcastle upon Tyne | North-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Mr King does me a great deal of honour in desiring my advice & in joining it with yours.
I shall be if I can contribute to the gentlemans relief but am afraid it may be difficult as the disease
has already resisted the many judicious Remedies you have advised. However we must not despair & I
shall advise as well as I can. I think it in the first place necessary to stop, at least to moderate the
purging that his strength may be preserved till we shall have time to remove the cause
The powders & Jalep which you last ordered appear to me very proper & the effects seem to have
been suitable so that it may be prudent to continue their use but I must at the same time
observe to you that in some such cases the Absorbents meet with an Acid in the Stomach which
converts them into a neutral which proves purgative. If therefore you shall find ground to
suspect this in the present case the absorbents must be entirely laid aside & I would propose the
following strengthener in their place.
Take two drachms of best ground Japanese Earth, a drachm of Cinnamon bark, and an ounce of Gum Arabic. Pour over six ounces of boiling water. Steep for two hours. Allow it to settle, stir, then strain the liquid. One ounce of Cinnamon Water Spirit of Opium Syrup Label: Strengthening Mixture two tablespoonfuls to be taken 3 or 4 times a day or more frequently in case of purging.
I hope this shall answer
the purpose of moderating the purging but after it has recurred so often it may resist this
Medicine & may require something more & in that case I would try the following.
Take an ounce of thin Cinnamon Water, a drachm of Ipecacuanha wine, and twenty drops each of Laudanum and saffron in wine. Mix. Label: Diaphoretic Draught to be taken at bedtime.
I attend to what you say of the Pulv. Doveri
[Page 2]
but I think the dose I now propose will not heat & I am certain will not purge him.
If you had not made the observation of your Bolus making him hot & thirsty I should
have ordered him a larger dose of the Tinct Thebaic. but must leave that to your
discretion. This Sir is I hope all that is necessary tonight & as within these 24 hoursI
have travelled 90 miles in great haste over very rough roads I am truly unable to
do more but you shall have another letter by tomorrows post in which I shall
go deeper into the subject & be more particular with regard to every part of re¬
gimen
1773.
I wrote you last night as I was desired by express but could write only what I thought what
was most needful reserving till now a more full opinion. From the history of his constitution
you have been pleased to give me,
To Dr Hall
For Mr Joseph King of Newcastle.
For diarrhæa Astringents & Opiates. Deobstructants not mercurials or saline - a trail of
Antinomial Tussileg. & ad lb Tonics & Tinct. Mart. Exercise in a carriage Diet of Light animal food
Boiled Milk with Sago & Rice No fermented liquors. Spirits & water Toast water
Flannel shirt ------
Notes:
1: The 'express' implies the faster postal service. The precise circumstances prompting this rare deletion in the casebook are obscure, but Cullen, who has just returned home from a long journey, seems to have abandoned sending a fuller response.
Diplomatic Text
Mr King does me a great deal of honour in desiring my advice & in joining it with yours.
I shall be if I can contribute to the gentlemans relief but am afraid it may be difficult as ye disease
has already resisted the many judicious Remed. you have advised. However we must not despair & I
shall advise as well as I can. I think it in ye first place necessary to stop, at least to moderate the
purging that his strength may be preserved till we shall have time to remove the cause
The powders & Jalep which you last ordered appear to me very proper & the effects seem to have
been suitable so that it may be prudent to continue their use but I must at the same time
observe to you that in some such cases the Absorbents meet with an Acid in the Stomach wch.
converts them into a neutral which proves purgative. If therefore you shall find ground to
suspect this in the present case the absorbents must be entirely laid aside & I would propose the
following strengthener in their place.
℞ Terr. Japonic. opt. trit. ʒij Cinnamon. Cort. ʒj.
Gumm. Arabic. ℥j affunde aq. bull. ℥vj. Digere pr h. 2. subside agitans et liquori colate
Aq. Cinnamon. Spir. Syr. Diacod. ℥i Signa Strengthening Mixture two tablespoonfuls
to be taken 3 or 4 times a day or more frequently in case of purging.
I hope this shall answer
the purpose of moderating the purging but after it has recurred so often it may resist this
Med. & may require something more & in that case I would try the following.
℞ Aq. Cinnamon. ten ℥j Vin. Ipecacoan. ʒj Tinct. Thebaic. vin. croc. @ g.tt xx. ℳ. Signa
Diaphoretic Draught to be taken at bedtime.
I attend to what you say of the Pulv. Doveri
[Page 2]
but I think the dose I now propose will not heat & I am certain will not purge him.
If you had not made the observation of your Bolus making him hot & thirsty I should
have ordered him a larger dose of the Tinct Thebaic. but must leave that to your
discretion. This Sir is I hope all that is necessary tont. & as within these 24 hI
have travelled 90 miles in gt haste over very rough roads I am truly unable to
do more but you shall have another letter by tomorrows post in which I shall
go deeper into ye subject & be more particular with regard to every part of re¬
gimen
1773.
I wrote you l nt. as I was desired by express but could write only what I thought what
was most needful reserving till now a more full opinion. From the history of his constituts
you have been pleased to give me,
To Dr Hall
For Mr Joseph King of Newcastle.
For diarrhæa Astringents & Opiates. Deobstructants not mercurials or saline - a trail of
Antinomial Tussileg. & ad lb Tonics & Tinct. Mart. Exercise in a carriage Diet of Light animal food
Boiled Milk wt Sago & Rice No fermented liquors. Spirits & water Toast water
Flannel shirt ------
Notes:
1: The 'express' implies the faster postal service. The precise circumstances prompting this rare deletion in the casebook are obscure, but Cullen, who has just returned home from a long journey, seems to have abandoned sending a fuller response.
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