Cullen

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

 

[ID:500] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Reverend Ramsay (Rev Mr Ramsay) / Regarding: Reverend Ramsay (Rev Mr Ramsay) (Patient) / 23 September 1774 / (Outgoing)

Reply 'For the Revd. Mr. Ramsay'. Cullen recommends a 'bathing machine', an indoor shower-bath, which he has ordered 'along with everything belonging to it' [see footnote].

Facsimile

There are 3 images for this document.

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[Page 2]


 

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 500
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/3/78
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date23 September 1774
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 the Revd. Mr. Ramsay'. Cullen recommends a 'bathing machine', an indoor shower-bath, which he has ordered 'along with everything belonging to it' [see footnote].
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:376]
Case of the Reverend Mr Ramsay who is instructed to use a bathing machine.
1


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:262]AddresseeReverend Ramsay (Rev Mr Ramsay)
[PERS ID:262]PatientReverend Ramsay (Rev Mr Ramsay)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr 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

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
For the Revd Mr Ramsay.
Dear Sir


Want of health has prevented my writing
you so of soon as I wished.


I have considered your complaints with all the attention
I can give. I am well acquainted to the like & know the
distress of them to be very great. I am sorry to add that
considering they have taken hold of the constitution they
require a great deal of pains & attention to be removed.
But I can find no reason for thinking that they are
any ways hereditary or constitutional in you & I am
persuaded that some attention will keep you tolerably free
from them & at length remove them altogether. The
first measure I have to propose is cold bathing by the
bathing machine which I have ordered with every thing belonging
to it to be got ready for you. 1 When you begin first
to use it you may employ 8 Scots pints spring wat¬
[er] & 2 pints boiling but every day afterwards you should
withdraw a mutchkin of the boiling till at length you
use the spring water alone & then also you may fill
the Cylinder up to what it will hold.


With this cold bathing you should join a good
deal of exercise both in walking, going on horseback,
& in a carriage as weather & season shall direct
But in taking exercise you must take particular care to avoid
fatigue, for neither violent nor long continued but
moderate exercise does service. At the same time you
must take care to avoid cold & for this purpose should be
always well cloathed. If you can bear flannel next
your skin it may be of service, worsted understockings



[Page 2]

and thick shoes are a necessary part of your regimen.


Your diet must be of a middling kind neither
full nor low. You should take meat every day at din¬
ner but avoid every thing heavy & should never make
a full meal of solid animal food but make it up with
both pudding and vegetables.


Your ordinary drink should be toast water ab¬
staining from all kinds of malt liquor You must
be very sparing of all kinds of strong drink, No
wine but the strongest such as Madeira or Red Port
will agree with you but these you must take very mode¬
rately & better still if they be diluted with water. At
times you may change them for a little punch without
souring but in this too you must be very moderate.


At Supper both your meat & drink should be very
light. If you can bear milk your best supper will be
some milk meat with a little punch after it.


At breakfast you should neither take Indian Tea nor Coffee
and either a weak chocolate or a Cocao tea will be more proper
Tho your ailments seem not to arise from your stomach -
the keeping your stomach in good order will be of the utmost
consequence for avoiding your complaints


The exact observance of the particulars I have mentioned
is what I chiefly depend upon for moderating and at length
removing your ailments & I cannot think it proper to put
you upon any medicines till you are threatened with more
considerable returns of your complaints and in that case I should
advise the following




[Page 3]


When you begin to fall off of your appetite & sleep
you may try the Diaphoretic drops ordered on this
paper apart. You are to take 50 drops for a dose They
are to be dropped upon a bit of loaf sugar & that it is to be
dissolved in a little water & swallowed immediately on going
to bed at night & this to be continued for several nights together


If this should not give relief but that your spirits
& sleep become very bad, you may lay aside the drops & take
the Quieting draught also ordered &,c & it may be continued
& even the dose increased for several nights together, but
particular care must be taken that this medicine is got good
of its kind


I find nothing more to say at present, but when
it is convenient for you I shall be glad to converse with
you again upon the whole I am &c


I find I have forgot to say that to render the cold
bathing effectual you must cut out your hair

WC
23 September 1774.
For the Revd Mr Ramsay.


Take two ounces of volatile Guaiacum Elixir. Label: Diaphoretic Drops.


Take five grains of the best Musk and a drachm of hard white lump sugar. Rub together, try, and gradually add an ounce of Rosewater and two drachms of Water of Cinnamon Spirit. Label: Quieting Draught to be taken at bedtime.

23d September 1774

Notes:

1: For Cullen's "Bathing Machine", an indoor shower-bath employing a tub suspended on ropes and pulleys, see Letter ID:82 (CUL/1/1/77), which includes a diagram of his design.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
For the Revd Mr Ramsay.
Dear Sir


Want of health has prevented my writing
you so of soon as I wished.


I have considered your comp.ts w all ye attention
I can give. I am well acquainted to ye like & know ye
distress of ym to be very great. I am sorry to add yt
con they have taken hold of the constitution they
require a great deal of pns & attention to be removed.
But I can find no reason for thinking that they are
any ways hereditary or constitutional in you & I am
persuaded yt some attention will keep you tolerably free
from them & at length remove ym altogether. The
first measure I have to propose is cold bathing by ye
bathing machine wc I have ordered w every yg belongg
to it to be got ready for you. 1 When you begin first
to use it you may employ 8 Scots pints spring wat¬
[er] & 2 pints boiling but every d. aft.wds you should
wdraw a mutchkin of the boiling till at length you
use ye spring water alone & then also you may fill
the Cylinder up to wt it will hold.


With ys cold bathing you should join a good
deal of exercise both in walking, going on horseback,
& in a carriage as weather & season shall direct
But in takg exercise you must take particr care to avoid
fatigue, for neither violent nor long continued but
moderate exercise does service. At ye same time you
must take care to avoid cold & for ys purpose should be
always well cloathed. If you can bear flannel next
your skin it may be of service, worsted understockings



[Page 2]

and thick shoes are a necessary part of your regimen.


Your diet must be of a middling kind neither
full nor low. You should take meat every day at din¬
ner but avoid every thing heavy & should never make
a full meal of solid animal food bt make it up w
both pudding and vegetables.


Your ordinary drink should be toast water ab¬
staining from all kinds of malt liquor You must
be very sparing of all kinds of strong drink, No
wine but ye strongest such as Madeira or Red Port
will agree w you bt these you must take very mode¬
rately & better still if they be diluted w water. At
times you may change them for a little punch wout
souring bt in ys too you must be very moderate.


At Supper both your meat & drink should be very
light. If you can bear milk your best supper will be
some milk meat with a little punch after it.


At breakfast you should neither take Indian Tea nor Coffee
and either a weak chocolate or a Cocao tea will be more proper
Tho your ailments seem not to arise from your stomach -
the keeping your stomach in good order will be of the utmost
consequence for avoiding your complaints


The exact observance of the particulars I have mentioned
is what I chiefly depend upon for moderating and at length
removing your ailments & I cannot think it proper to put
you upon any medicines till you are threatened with more
considerable returns of your complaints and in that case I should
advise the following




[Page 3]


When you begin to fall off of your appetite & sleep
you may try the Diaphoretic drops ordered on this
paper apart. You are to take 50 drops for a dose They
are to be dropped upon a bit of loaf sugar & that it is to be
dissolved in a little water & swallowed immediately on going
to bed at night & this to be contd for several nights together


If this should not give relief but that your spirits
& sleep become very bad, you may lay aside the drops & take
the Quieting draught also ordered &,c & it may be contd
& even the dose increased for several nights together, but
particular care must be taken that this medicine is got good
of its kind


I find nothing more to say at present, but when
it is convenient for you I shall be glad to converse with
you again upon the whole I am &c


I find I have forgot to say that to render the cold
bathing effectual you must cut out your hair

WC
23 Sepr 1774.
For the Revd Mr Ramsay.


Moschi opt. gr. v. Sacchar alb duriss. ʒi
Terito simul probe et paulatim adde
Aq. Rosar. ℥i
___ Cinnam Spr. ʒii
S. Quieting Draught to be taken at bedtime.

23d Sr 1774

Notes:

1: For Cullen's "Bathing Machine", an indoor shower-bath employing a tub suspended on ropes and pulleys, see Letter ID:82 (CUL/1/1/77), which includes a diagram of his design.

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