The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:610] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr William Stewart (Stuart) / Regarding: Mr Robert Orr (Patient) / 25 July 1782 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'Mr Robert Orr', whose consumptive ailment Cullen believes is 'advancing fast even to a fatal period' because of his worsening sweats.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 610 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/15/95 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 25 July 1782 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply, 'Mr Robert Orr', whose consumptive ailment Cullen believes is 'advancing fast even to a fatal period' because of his worsening sweats. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:782] |
Case of Robert Orr, who is consumptive. |
7 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1089] | Addressee | Mr William Stewart (Stuart) |
| [PERS ID:2019] | Patient | Mr Robert Orr |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1089] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr William Stewart (Stuart) |
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 | Paisley | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
Mr Robert Orr
Your account of Mr Robert Orr gives
me great concern as I am much afraid his ailment is too
much confirmed and even advancing fast to a fatal period.
Tho a moderate heat is generally of service in such cases, a
very great heat as we have had of late commonly urges on
a confirmed disease very fast. To moderate his sweatings
he must keep as cool as possible thorough the whole day
and if ↑he↑ goes abroad at all it must be in the evening only ––
Then indeed he may be the better of the open air but it must
not be walking but either on horseback or in an open carriage
and even in these moving gently. If the weather shall soon
become tolerably cool I should have no objection to his ta¬
king a little jaunt and taking more or less as he found it
agree with him, for gentle motion and change of Air is
likely to be of service. I have a high opinion of the Tussilago
juice but it may be safely and perhaps with benefit intermitted
for a little time and especially when there is any suspicion
[Page 2]
of its affecting his belly. Whether he goes from home or not,
it will be proper to intermit the juice for two or three day[s]
that you may judge of its effects upon his belly. It does not
commonly affect the belly but it may and if it does, it will
not do so much good as I wish. If it shall appear that the
greenness of his stools is owing to the juice passing through
indigested I shall not expect much benefit from it.
The only medicine I can insist on at present as the most
likely to moderate his sweatings is the acid mixture and
let him use it a little more largely than before. I think
the Bark is truly an ambiguous remedy but it may be
safe and I hope usefull in the following formula.
Take ½ a drachm each of Red Rose and Pomegranate flowers, a drachm of Pomegranate peel, and ½ an ounce of Peruvian Bark. Having crushed them, add 2 pints of boiling water. Steep for 10 hours then add 2 ounces of Peruvian Bark Tincture and strain through paper. To the strainings add enough Thin Vitriolic Spirit for a gentle acidity. Label: Strengthening Infusion. three table spoonfulls to be taken for a dose three times a day and it may be washed down with a dose of the acid Mixture ordered formerly.
His sweatings
are certainly both a bad ↑sign↑ and a hurtfull symptom and I
[Page 3]
would wish by any means to {illeg} [com¬
mend?] it to your consid discretion to use every means of
[c]ool air and light bedcloaths that you safely can. I have no¬
thing more to advise at present & wishing heartily Mr
Orrs better health I am
your most obedient servant
1782.
Diplomatic Text
Mr Robert Orr
Your account of Mr Robert Orr gives
me great concern as I am much afraid his ailment is too
much confirmed and even advancing fast to a fatal period.
Tho a moderate heat is generally of service in such cases, a
very great heat as we have had of late commonly urges on
a confirmed disease very fast. To moderate his sweatings
he must keep as cool as possible thorough the whole day
and if ↑he↑ goes abroad at all it must be in the evening only ––
Then indeed he may be the better of the open air but it must
not be walking but either on horseback or in an open carriage
and even in these moving gently. If the weather shall soon
become tolerably cool I should have no objection to his ta¬
king a little jaunt and taking more or less as he found it
agree with him, for gentle motion and change of Air is
likely to be of service. I have a high opinion of the Tussilago
juice but it may be safely and perhaps with benefit intermitted
for a little time and especially when there is any suspicion
[Page 2]
of its affecting his belly. Whether he goes from home or not,
it will be proper to intermit the juice for two or three day[s]
that you may judge of its effects upon his belly. It does not
commonly affect the belly but it may and if it does, it will
not do so much good as I wish. If it shall appear that the
greenness of his stools is owing to the juice passing through
indigested I shall not expect much benefit from it.
The only medicine I can insist on at present as the most
likely to moderate his sweatings is the acid mixture and
let him use it a little more largely than before. I think
the Bark is truly an ambiguous remedy but it may be
safe and I hope usefull in the following formula.
℞ Rosar. rubr. Balaustror. @ ʒſs Cort. granat. ʒj Cort
Peruvian. ℥ſs. Contusis affunde aq. bullient. lb ij Digere
horas decem dein adde Tinct. cort. Peruv. ℥ij et per chartam
cola. Colato adde Sp. vitriol. ten. q. s. ad lenem aciditatem
Sig. Strengthening Infusion. three table spoonfulls to be taken
for a dose three times a day and it may be washed down with
a dose of the acid Mixture ordered formerly.
His sweatings
are certainly both a bad ↑sign↑ and a hurtfull symptom and I
[Page 3]
would wish by any means to {illeg} [com¬
mend?] it to your consid discretion to use every means of
[c]ool air and light bedcloaths that you safely can. I have no¬
thing more to advise at present & wishing heartily Mr
Orrs better health I am
your most obedient servant
1782.
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