The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4828] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Sir William Forbes / Regarding: Lady (Patient) / 6 May 1784 / (Outgoing)
Reply for an unnamed female patient with consumption, headed only 'For Madam', responding to the report of Sir William Forbes and containing a diagram for constructing a stretcher for use in a coach to enable weak persons to be transported more comfortably .
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 6 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
[Page 5]
[Page 6]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 4828 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/17/24 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 6 May 1784 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply for an unnamed female patient with consumption, headed only 'For Madam', responding to the report of Sir William Forbes and containing a diagram for constructing a stretcher for use in a coach to enable weak persons to be transported more comfortably . |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:2417] |
Case of an unnamed female patient, aged thirty-eight, who had developed a cough and other potentially hectic symptoms. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3574] | Addressee | Sir William Forbes |
| [PERS ID:4004] | Patient | Lady |
| [PERS ID:3574] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Sir William Forbes |
| [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 | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Therapeutic Recommendation | Britain | Europe | certain | |||
| Therapeutic Recommendation | South Europe | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Madam
After considering the case communicated by Sir
William Forbes with all possible attention I am of opinion
that the Lady is threatened with a Consumption of the
Lungs. I hope however the disease has not yet
proceeded so far but that by taking proper precaution
it may be entirely avoided.
The remedies hitherto employed seem to have
been very proper but they are all weak and of little
power. The measure which I think most likely
to be useful and effectual is a Voyage by Sea and
it should be now entered upon immediately and
continued for a month or six weeks. The Voyage may
be made towards the South but the Lady should
not go on Shore or remain for any time in a warm
Climate. The South of Britain is the warmest
that the Lady should remain in for any part
[Page 2]
of the Summer and towards the end of Summer
that may be too warm but towards the end of
Autumn if the Ladys complains in any degree
shall continue She should before Winter repair
to the South of Europe.
If it should happen that the Lady de¬
clines going to Sea or that a convenient opportunity
for a Voyage does not present itself let her
take exercise in the following manner which
I have found the most weakly persons bear
easily.
Let a frame of wood be made of the figure
drawn upon the paper inclosed and of a size
to suit exactly a Coach in which it is to be laid
diagonable. 1 Upon this a hair Matrass of the
same figure is to be laid covered with double
fold of blanket and two or three small pillows
are to be provided for the corner of the Coach.
Upon this bed the Lady is to be laid ↑at her whole length↑ in her
[Page 3]
ordinary dress and may be covered with one or two
blankets as the state of the weather may require. She
may be laid with her head to either corner taking that
which is uppermost as the Coach happens to move
up or down hill. In this manner I have found persons
travel for a great length of way without any degree
of fatigue and the Lady who is the subject of
this Consultation should travel in this manner
every day and for almost the whole length of the
day and such Travelling I presume will go very
far to supply the place of a Voyage. In managing
this matter I hope it will not be necessary to move
very slowly and it will never be proper to travel
very fast and attention is to be given in avoiding
as much as possible the inconvenience which may
arise from reads or weather.
This travelling may be performed in a
travelling Coach that is made for a person to
[lie?] at their whole length in it but it
[Page 4]
does not appear to me to be so agreeable conve¬
nient or useful as the apparatus I have proposed
above. The Lady however in this matter may
have her own choice.
As I suspect the Lady will be readily affec¬
ted and hurt by Cold and this therefore under
the inequalities of British weather is to be guarded
against and a Shirt of fine and thin Flannel
worn constantly next the skin will be an
useful precaution.
This Lady should take very little Animal
food and her diet should be chiefly of farinacea
and fruit and to make it more agreeable both
may be diversified at please.
If the Lady had not conceived an aversion
from milk I should have thought it a proper
part of her diet and she should still take the
same portion of whey and butter milk. Of the
latter the only kinds she can take with safety
[Page 5]
is that made from fresh Cows milk by Churning it
in a little large and wide mouthed bottle till it
parts with the butter.
According to my opinion of this Case it is only
to be Cured by the exercise and regimen proposed above
and I cannot advise any other remedies or medi¬
cines because I cannot find that either bleeding,
blistering or bark can be employed in any degree
that can be very useful. I will not [object?]
to the repetition of either of these remedies if the
Physicians upon the spot shall them ne¬
cessary.
With regard to the red and brown spots which
at times have appeared upon the skin I cannot
give any opinion or say how far they might require
a peculiar remedy [unless?] they had been more
particularly described by a person of the Profession
Edinburgh 6th. May
1784
William Cullen
[Page 6]
[DIAGRAM PLACED HERE]
AA. Figure of the wooden frame to be covered with a firm
piece of canvas.
The wooden frame to be about two inches thick and
three inches deep
aa. The places for hinges by which the frame may be
folded upwards, for its being more easily taken in &
out of the coach.
BB. Plan of the coach with the frame laid into it
the letters BB. are opposite to the doors
bb. Places for a companion on each Side, which renders
this apparatus more agreeable and convenient than
the travelling coach.
Notes:
1: It is not known if Cullen designed this stretcher himself, but he recommends it to other patients. For details see 'Feature' on website.
Diplomatic Text
For Madam
After considering the case communicated by Sir
William Forbes with all possible attention I am of opinion
that the Lady is threatened with a Consumption of the
Lungs. I hope however the disease has not yet
proceeded so far but that by taking proper precaution
it may be entirely avoided.
The remedies hitherto employed seem to have
been very proper but they are all weak and of little
power. The measure which I think most likely
to be useful and effectual is a Voyage by Sea and
it should be now entered upon immediately and
continued for a month or six weeks. The Voyage may
be made towards the South but the Lady should
not go on Shore or remain for any time in a warm
Climate. The South of Britain is the warmest
that the Lady should remain in for any part
[Page 2]
of the Summer and towards the end of Summer
that may be too warm but towards the end of
Autumn if the Ladys complains in any degree
shall continue She should before Winter repair
to the South of Europe.
If it should happen that the Lady de¬
clines going to Sea or that a convenient opportunity
for a Voyage does not present itself let her
take exercise in the following manner which
I have found the most weakly persons bear
easily.
Let a frame of wood be made of the figure
drawn upon the paper inclosed and of a size
to suit exactly a Coach in which it is to be laid
diagonable. 1 Upon this a hair Matrass of the
same figure is to be laid covered with double
fold of blanket and two or three small pillows
are to be provided for the corner of the Coach.
Upon this bed the Lady is to be laid ↑at her whole length↑ in her
[Page 3]
ordinary dress and may be covered with one or two
blankets as the state of the weather may require. She
may be laid with her head to either corner taking that
which is uppermost as the Coach happens to move
up or down hill. In this manner I have found persons
travel for a great length of way without any degree
of fatigue and the Lady who is the subject of
this Consultation should travel in this manner
every day and for almost the whole length of the
day and such Travelling I presume will go very
far to supply the place of a Voyage. In managing
this matter I hope it will not be necessary to move
very slowly and it will never be proper to travel
very fast and attention is to be given in avoiding
as much as possible the inconvenience which may
arise from reads or weather.
This travelling may be performed in a
travelling Coach that is made for a person to
[lie?] at their whole length in it but it
[Page 4]
does not appear to me to be so agreeable conve¬
nient or useful as the apparatus I have proposed
above. The Lady however in this matter may
have her own choice.
As I suspect the Lady will be readily affec¬
ted and hurt by Cold and this therefore under
the inequalities of British weather is to be guarded
against and a Shirt of fine and thin Flannel
worn constantly next the skin will be an
useful precaution.
This Lady should take very little Animal
food and her diet should be chiefly of farinacea
and fruit and to make it more agreeable both
may be diversified at please.
If the Lady had not conceived an aversion
from milk I should have thought it a proper
part of her diet and she should still take the
same portion of whey and butter milk. Of the
latter the only kinds she can take with safety
[Page 5]
is that made from fresh Cows milk by Churning it
in a little large and wide mouthed bottle till it
parts with the butter.
According to my opinion of this Case it is only
to be Cured by the exercise and regimen proposed above
and I cannot advise any other remedies or medi¬
cines because I cannot find that either bleeding,
blistering or bark can be employed in any degree
that can be very useful. I will not [object?]
to the repetition of either of these remedies if the
Physicians upon the spot shall them ne¬
cessary.
With regard to the red and brown spots which
at times have appeared upon the skin I cannot
give any opinion or say how far they might require
a peculiar remedy [unless?] they had been more
particularly described by a person of the Profession
Edinr. 6th. May
1784
William Cullen
[Page 6]
[DIAGRAM PLACED HERE]
AA. Figure of the wooden frame to be covered with a firm
piece of canvas.
The wooden frame to be about two inches thick and
three inches deep
aa. The places for hinges by which the frame may be
folded upwards, for its being more easily taken in &
out of the coach.
BB. Plan of the coach with the frame laid into it
the letters BB. are opposite to the doors
bb. Places for a companion on each Side, which renders
this apparatus more agreeable and convenient than
the travelling coach.
Notes:
1: It is not known if Cullen designed this stretcher himself, but he recommends it to other patients. For details see 'Feature' on website.
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