The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:791] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mrs Stewart (Mrs Stewart of Torrence (Torrance)) (Patient) / 13 June 1766 / (Outgoing)
Reply by Cullen, in the form of a loose retained draft, giving directions for Mrs Stewart of Torrence in the form of a numbered regimen and followed by three recipes.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 791 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/59 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 13 June 1766 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | Yes |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply by Cullen, in the form of a loose retained draft, giving directions for Mrs Stewart of Torrence in the form of a numbered regimen and followed by three recipes. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:134] |
Case of Mrs Stewart of Torrence who is given a regimen to improve her circulation and prescribed 'nervine' medicines. |
1 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:311] | Patient | Mrs Stewart (Mrs Stewart of Torrence (Torrance)) |
| [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 |
| Mentioned / Other | Torrance | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Stewart of Torrence
This ailment is commonly a tedious & some¬
times an obstinate one but considering the
soundness of Mrs Stewarts Constitution & that
in spite of an unfavorable season she has
already had a considerable recoverey it is to
be hoped that with due pains it may be rende¬
red compleat. For this purpose the following
measures are to me the most probable.
1. Let her take every night at bedtime three
of the Diaphoretick Pills washing them down
with two sponfulls of the Nervous Wine. 1 Tho
these Pills are chiefly intended to restore
the Circulation in the left side it is expected
that at the same time the will keep the belly
regular. If they do so there will be no occasion
for sacred Elixir but if the pills fail, this Elix
Elixir must still be employed as occasion
shall require.
2. Besides the dose of Nervous Wine to be
taken with the pills at night other two doses
must be taken every day one about an hour
or half an hour before dinner & the other
about seven in the Eveni↑n↑g.
3. Let a flannel shift with long sleeves be
constantly wore next the skin & let the left
thigh & leg be constantly wrapped in the same.
The Flannel shift should be changed once
a week & not oftener except in case of sweatings
& then the may be changed as often as necessary.
4. Let the use of the flesh brush be continued
especially in the mornings at get otut of bed.
5. If it could be conveniently had in the Country
I should advise him a tri↑a↑l of Electricity but
in the present circumstances I hope it is not
[Page 2]
necessary & certainly I I do not think it worth
staying in town for.
6. If at any time pain, numbness or coldness
should come either in to the arm or leg & seem
to cntinue the part may be annointed with the oil
oil prescribed below but it is to be used only on
the occassion occasion mentioned.
7. At present I do not think that either warm
or cold bathing can be properly imployed.
8. The Remedy likely to prove more effective
than any other is Exercise in a machine and
it ought to be employed every day that is not
very wet. Mrs Stewart should be in motions
motion about three hours every forenoon & very
frequently she should take a whole days
Journey. A very roughroad is by no means
proper for her.
9. In Mrs Stewarts diet no great moiety is
required It should be solid but at the same
time. On on hand she must avoid heavy
meats & heavy saces she should very seldom
take fish of any kind & only a little of light¬
lest. On the other hand she must avoid too
cold things as much garden things & parti¬
cularly the colder & more windy as Sallad
Cucumber Cabbage, Milk meats she may
take but moderately & neither Cream nor butter¬
milk, If whey is found to digest tolerably, she
may take a drought or two of fresh drawn
Cow milk whey every morning for some weeks
in Summer.
10. For ordinary drink sherry & water
is the best & Malt liquor of all kinds are
improper. A glass a pure wine may be taken
frequently but it is not easy by an general
[Page 3]
rule to determine the proper quantity.
Whatever proves heating or touches the head
is improper. Whatever is within these bounds
is tolerably safe. If a faintishness or crawing
for wine returns often it will be proper to give
a little hartshorn or sal volatile in a little
water rather than the wine constantly. The
best wines for Mrs Stewart are the stronge↑st↑
as Madeira sherry or red port & rather these
taken with water. When the weather is cold or
Wines as Claret, Rhenish or French White
wines.
Edinburgh 13 of June
1766
Take two drachms apiece of aloe socoterine and Gum Guaiacum, add two scruples of crushed Jamaican pepper and one scruple of Peruvian bark. Add a sufficient quantity of orange peel syrup, in the same manner as before, and let it be made into a mass which may be divided into six pills of half-a-drachm each. Label: Diaphoretic Pills three for a dose.
Take half an ounce of Horse-radish root thickly sliced, and one ounce of mustard seed. Add two drachms apiece of bruised cinnamon and bruised Canella, along with half a drachm of long pepper and ginger. Combine this with two pints of white Spanish wine and four drachms of vinegar spirit. Soak for a period of two days and strain into a bowl by pressing through a sieve. Label: Nervine Wine two tablespoonfulls for a dose.
Edinburgh
13.th June
1766
[Page 4]
For Mrs Stewart of Torrence
Take four ounces of the best olive oil, one ounce of oil of amber and two drachms of Camphor. Mix. Label: Nervine oil for anointing the parts effected.
Mrs Stewart Torrence
June 1766 --
Notes:
1: Cullen is using this as a general term to describe the particular type of stimulating medicinal wine for which he provides the recipe below. 'Nervous' could bear the additional sense of "strong" at this period.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Stewart of Torrence
This ailment is commonly a tedious & some¬
times an obstinate one but considering the
soundness of Mrs Stewarts Constitution & that
in spite of an unfavorable season she has
already had a considerable recoverey it is to
be hoped that with due pains it may be rende¬
red compleat. For this purpose the following
measures are to me the most probable.
1. Let her take every night at bedtime three
of the Diaphoretick Pills washing them down
with two sponfulls of the Nervous Wine. 1 Tho
these Pills are chiefly intended to restore
the Circulation in the left side it is expected
that at the same time the will keep the belly
regular. If they do so there will be no occasion
for sacred Elixir but if the pills fail, this Elix
Elixir must still be employed as occasion
shall require.
2. Besides the dose of Nervous Wine to be
taken with the pills at night other two doses
must be taken every day one about an hour
or half an hour before dinner & the other
about seven in the Eveni↑n↑g.
3. Let a flannel shift with long sleeves be
constantly wore next the skin & let the left
thigh & leg be constantly wrapped in the same.
The Flannel shift should be changed once
a week & not oftener except in case of sweatings
& then the may be changed as often as necessary.
4. Let the use of the flesh brush be continued
especially in the mornings at get otut of bed.
5. If it could be conveniently had in the Country
I should advise him a tri↑a↑l of Electricity but
in the present circumstances I hope it is not
[Page 2]
necessary & certainly I I do not think it worth
staying in town for.
6. If at any time pain, numbness or coldness
should come either in to the arm or leg & seem
to cntinue the part may be annointed with the oil
oil prescribed below but it is to be used only on
the occassion occasion mentioned.
7. At present I do not think that either warm
or cold bathing can be properly imployed.
8. The Remedy likely to prove more effective
than any other is Exercise in a machine and
it ought to be employed every day that is not
very wet. Mrs Stewart should be in motions
motion about three hours every forenoon & very
frequently she should take a whole days
Journey. A very roughroad is by no means
proper for her.
9. In Mrs Stewarts diet no great moiety is
required It should be solid but at the same
time. On on hand she must avoid heavy
meats & heavy saces she should very seldom
take fish of any kind & only a little of light¬
lest. On the other hand she must avoid too
cold things as much garden things & parti¬
cularly the colder & more windy as Sallad
Cucumber Cabbage, Milk meats she may
take but moderately & neither Cream nor butter¬
milk, If whey is found to digest tolerably, she
may take a drought or two of fresh drawn
Cow milk whey every morning for some weeks
in Summer.
10. For ordinary drink sherry & water
is the best & Malt liquor of all kinds are
improper. A glass a pure wine may be taken
frequently but it is not easy by an general
[Page 3]
rule to determine the proper quantity.
Whatever proves heating or touches the head
is improper. Whatever is within these bounds
is tolerably safe. If a faintishness or crawing
for wine returns often it will be proper to give
a little hartshorn or sal volatile in a little
water rather than the wine constantly. The
best wines for Mrs Stewart are the stronge↑st↑
as Madeira sherry or red port & rather these
taken with water. When the weather is cold or
Wines as Claret, Rhenish or French White
wines.
Edinr 13 of June
1766
℞ aloes socator
Gx Guajae @ ʒi
Piper Jamaicens pulv. ℈ii
Bals Peruviam ℈i
Syr. e cort. Auran q.s. ut f. s.a.
maſsa ex cujus singulis semi drahonis formiten
min pil № vi
Signa Diaphoretic Pills three for a dose
℞ Rad. Raphanus rustreeras ℥ſs
Sem. Sinap in legr. ℥i
Cinnamoni cont
Canell alb cont @ ʒii
Piper long cont
Zingiber cont @ ʒſs
Assunde Vin. alb. Hispan lb ii
Spir. vin gall ℥iv
Macere par biduum et cola sine expreſsione
Signa Nervine Wine two tablespoonfulls for a
dose
Edinr
13.th June
1766
[Page 4]
For Mrs Stewart of Torrence ✍
Mrs Stewart Torrence
June 1766 --
Notes:
1: Cullen is using this as a general term to describe the particular type of stimulating medicinal wine for which he provides the recipe below. 'Nervous' could bear the additional sense of "strong" at this period.
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