Cullen

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

 

[ID:482] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn ) / Regarding: Mrs Barclay (Patient) / 8? April? 1773? / (Outgoing)

Repy 'To Dr Stevenson about Mrs Barclay' who has an 'inflammatory pain' in her side, discussing her continued management and prognosis. Cullen may attend in person shortly. Dating inferred from position in casebook which is between entries from the 7th and 8th April 1773.

Facsimile

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[Page 2]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 482
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/3/59
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date8? April? 1773?
Annotation None
TypeScribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry)
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Repy 'To Dr Stevenson about Mrs Barclay' who has an 'inflammatory pain' in her side, discussing her continued management and prognosis. Cullen may attend in person shortly. Dating inferred from position in casebook which is between entries from the 7th and 8th April 1773.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:417]
Case of Mrs Barclay, who has an 'inflammatory pain' in her side which Cullen thinks may be evidence of a lung condition.
1


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:563]AddresseeDr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn )
[PERS ID:245]PatientMrs Barclay
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:563]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn )
[PERS ID:1252]Other Physician / SurgeonMr Alexander or James? Parlane
[PERS ID:1160]OtherColonel Napier

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 inferred
Destination of Letter Glasgow Glasgow and West Scotland Europe inferred

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
To Dr Stevenson about Mrs Barclay
Dear Dr


I am heartily concerned for Mrs Barclay & very anxious
I give you what assistance I can but I dont see clearly with the case &
resolve if possible to see you tomorrow however that is a a little uncertain
& & in the meantime I say what I can. The preceeding inflamatory
state the pain of the side the appearance of the blood with the dyspnœa
& frequent P. 1 give strong suspicions of Peripneumonic but you have
not said a word of cough which I think is inseparable from Peripneum
& you call the dyspnœa asthmatic which implies some suspicion
of Spasmodic. But however all this may be if there has been enough
of inflammatory diathesis to authorise all the bleedings which you
have ↑been↑ practised but now when this comes to hand you are at the
great day of the disease & that is later than ever I saw it allowable to
bleed in a Peripneum. The other remedy & particularly blisterings have no
limits in this respect. The Seneka promises to be a remedy but you
must push it farther than ʒj per day. Have you had no thoughts
of the Tartar Emetic directing it to purge with very little vomiting
I still think it will be a probable remedy & trust is to your good
judgement & discretion discretion. If the disease continues I shall think
is necessary anodynes deserve to be tried & would go the length of Dovers
Powders
. I think it is the safest form of an opiate & especially when
it {illeg} sweats freely without heat. I shall think this remedy the more
necessary that the asthma is suspected to be by transl[ation?]. I think
the case has been particularly well managed so [sfar?] as you
have given no gums or other heating pectorals & I cannot
think that any such are yet proper. This is enough
for tonight for if I do not see you tomorrow & you
expect any assistance from me either your or Mr Parlane
must write me every post. Tis in my opinion that a
few days will determine the case & in the mean time it
must be conducted with by your circumstances of the day. I am
much afraid of Col. Napier I have no sort of objection to the




[Page 2]


artificial bath water but I am sorry he declines the Issue
Tis certainly that all his ailments [&?] even his the occurance of
the Catarrhus vesicæ if from retrocedent Gout. What do you think
of scruple ℈j of Dovers Powd. given in the morning & directed
to an easy sweat thro the whole day for much depends upon
the length of it. For what is further necessary I trust to being your


As always
Yours
W.C.

Notes:

1: This could stand for a number of diagnostic signs, but in the abscence of any incoming letter from Stevenson it is impossible to be certain what is being indicated, although the context implies "Phthsis" (consumption).

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
To Dr Stevenson about Mrs Barclay
Dr Dr


I am heartily concerned for Mrs Barclay & very anxious
I give you wt assistance I can but I dont see clearly wt the case &
resolve if possible to see you tomorrow however that is a a little uncertain
& & in the meantime I say what I can. The preceeding inflamatory
state the pain of the side the appearance of ye blood with ye dyspnœa
& frequent P. 1 give strong suspicions of Peripneumonic but you have
not said a word of cough which I think is inseparable frm Peripneum
& you call the dyspnœa asthmatic which implies some suspicion
of Spasmodic. But however all this may be if there has been enough
of inflammatory diathesis to authorise all the bleedings which you
have ↑been↑ practised but now when this comes to hand you are at the
gt day of the disease & that is later than ever I saw it allowable to
bleed in a Peripneum. The other remd & particy blistr have no
limits in this respect. The Seneka promises to be a remedy but you
must push it farther yn ʒj per day. Have you had no thoughts
of the Tartar Emetic directing it to purge with very little vomiting
I still think it will be a probable remedy & trust is to your good
judgement & discretion discretion. If the disease conts I shall think
is necessary anodynes deserve to be tried & would go the length of Dovers
Powders
. I think it is the safest form of an opiate & especially when
it {illeg} sweats freely without heat. I shall think this remedy the more
necessary that the asthma is suspected to be by transl[ation?]. I think
the case has been particularly well managed so [sfar?] as you
have given no gums or other heating pectorals & I cannot
think that any such are yet proper. This is enough
for tonight for if I do not see you tomorrow & you
expect any assistance from me either your or Mr Parlane
must write me every post. Tis in my opinion that a
few days will determine the case & in the mean time it
must be conducted with by yr circumstances of the day. I am
much afraid of Col. Napier I have no sort of objection to the




[Page 2]


artificial bath water but I am sorry he declines the Issue
Tis certainly that all his ailments [&?] even his ye occurance of
the Catarrhus vesicæ if from retrocedent Gout. What do you think
of scruple ℈j of Dovers Powd. given in the morning & directed
to an easy sweat thro the whole day for much depends upon
the length of it. For what is further necessary I trust to being your


As always
Yours
W.C.

Notes:

1: This could stand for a number of diagnostic signs, but in the abscence of any incoming letter from Stevenson it is impossible to be certain what is being indicated, although the context implies "Phthsis" (consumption).

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