The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1083] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Countess Charlotte Murray (Stewart) (Lady Dunmore) / Regarding: Countess Charlotte Murray (Stewart) (Lady Dunmore) (Patient) / 2 February 1781 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Lady Dunmore', explaining that Cullen has 'frequently considered every Circumstance of your Ladyships Complaints', and apologising for not writing sooner; 'your Ladyships ailments are in great measure Constitutional & will therefore be the more difficult to remove'. He provides dietary advice and several recipes.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1083 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/13/137 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 2 February 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Lady Dunmore', explaining that Cullen has 'frequently considered every Circumstance of your Ladyships Complaints', and apologising for not writing sooner; 'your Ladyships ailments are in great measure Constitutional & will therefore be the more difficult to remove'. He provides dietary advice and several recipes. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:762] |
Case of the Countess of Dunmore whose complaints, which include a redness of her face, Cullen considers 'entirely constitutional' and requiring a regimen. |
5 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:854] | Addressee | Countess Charlotte Murray (Lady Dunmore) |
| [PERS ID:854] | Patient | Countess Charlotte Murray (Lady Dunmore) |
| [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 |
| Destination of Letter | Dunmore Park House | Falkirk | Mid Scotland | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Lady Dunmore
Ever since your Ladyship did me the honour to ask
my opinion & advice I have frequently considered every Circum¬
stance of your Ladyship's Complaints & proposed to have
written to your Ladyship before now but I am liable to
so many interruptions that I cannot always execute so soon
as I wish.
I am sorry to find that I must begin by observing
that your Ladyships ailments are in great measure owing
Constitutional & will therefore be the more difficult to remove
I mean however by this only to observe that they will
require a great deal of pains & time but by these I hope
they shall be much relieved.
In the first place they will require some attention
in Diet: to avoid all kinds of fish all salted meats, all heavy
or very fat meats, all rich or high seasoned sauces & that
these alteration are particularly necessary at Supper which
should be always very light & if possible not very late.
The most proper drink will be porter with two or 3 parts
of water added to it. This will be safer & better than comon
small beer, but the later will be safer than water which
is always ready to increase that Costiveness which your
Ladyship is disposed to. It will be proper to avoid every
kind of drink stronger than these I have mentioned. I would
not absolutely forbid a little Wine or wine & water at times
but I think that the less wine you take the better I think
[Page 2]
both Tea & Coffee improper & at best that the tea if taken
at all should be Bohea & very weak. Sassafras tea would
be a safe & I think an agreeable Breakfast very well
suited to mend any heat of the blood.
In the way of medicine the first case must be
to avoid Costiveness & for this purpose I have found it
difficult to find a Laxative that is suited to your Lady¬
ships Constitution but I have now here inclosed a prescrip¬
tion for one which I hope will answer It is in the
form of pills & I hope one or two taken every second
or third night at bed time will keep you regular
without purging.
For cooling your blood I have also inclosed a pre¬
scription for some powders of which I should desire your
Ladyship to take one every night at bedtime for two
or three weeks & you may even take them upon the nights
you take the pills I hope they will be of service both to
your stomach & blood.
For going to the bottom of your Ladyships ailments
as well as I can there is a medicine I have to propose
but I think the present season is unfavourable &
that you should not begin to it till sometime next
month. In the mean time I have inclosed the prescription
It must be continued for at least two or three weeks at one
time before you can judge of its good effects
[Page 3]
For the Countess of Dunmore
Take a drachm of Socotrine Aloes, 10 grains of Gamboge and a scruple of Polychrest Salt. Rub together into a powder, then add a drachm of Gentian Extract and enough Gum Arabic paste to make a mass from which to form 6 pills of a half-drachm each. Label: Laxative pills one or two for a dose at bedtime
Take 5 grains each of rubbed Salts of Nitre and Cinnamon, and 20 grains of White Magnesia. Mix to make a powder and in this way make 12 doses. Label: Cooling powders one to be taken in a little water every night at bed time
Take 2 ounces of Sarsaparilla Root and an ounce of Burdock Root. Cook down from 4 pints of water to 2, adding towards the end 2 drachms of Sassafras Root and and ounce of grated Liquorice Root. Strain. Label: Aperient Apothegm a pint to be taken in divided draughts every day.
Take 2 ounces of Antimonial Wine. Label: Aperient drops> 50 every night at bed time in a draught of the Apothegm.
Diplomatic Text
For Lady Dunmore
Ever since your Ladyship did me the honour to ask
my opinion & advice I have frequently considered every Circum¬
stance of your Ladyship's Complaints & proposed to have
written to your Ladyship before now but I am liable to
so many interruptions that I cannot always execute so soon
as I wish.
I am sorry to find that I must begin by observing
that your Ladyships ailments are in great measure owing
Constitutional & will therefore be the more difficult to remove
I mean however by this only to observe that they will
require a great deal of pains & time but by these I hope
they shall be much relieved.
In the first place they will require some attention
in Diet: to avoid all kinds of fish all salted meats, all heavy
or very fat meats, all rich or high seasoned sauces & that
these alteration are particularly necessary at Supper which
should be always very light & if possible not very late.
The most proper drink will be porter wt. two or 3 parts
of water added to it. This will be safer & better than comon
small beer, but the later will be safer than water which
is always ready to increase that Costiveness which your
Ladyship is disposed to. It will be proper to avoid every
kind of drink stronger than these I have mentioned. I wd.
not absolutely forbid a little Wine or wine & water at times
but I think that the less wine you take the better I think
[Page 2]
both Tea & Coffee improper & at best that the tea if taken
at all should be Bohea & very weak. Sassafras tea wd.
be a safe & I think an agreeable Breakfast very well
suited to mend any heat of the blood.
In the way of medicine the first case must be
to avoid Costiveness & for this purpose I have found it
difficult to find a Laxative that is suited to your Lady¬
ships Constitution but I have now here inclosed a prescrip¬
tion for one which I hope will answer It is in the
form of pills & I hope one or two taken every second
or third night at bed time will keep you regular
without purging.
For cooling your blood I have also inclosed a pre¬
scription for some powders of which I should desire your
Ladyship to take one every night at bedtime for two
or three weeks & you may even take them upon the nights
you take the pills I hope they will be of service both to
your stomach & blood.
For going to the bottom of your Ladyships ailments
as well as I can there is a medicine I have to propose
but I think the present season is unfavourable &
that you should not begin to it till sometime next
month. In the mean time I have inclosed the prescription
It must be continued for at least two or three weeks at one
time before you can judge of its good effects
[Page 3]
For the Countess of Dunmore
℞ Aloes Socotr. ʒI Gambog. gr: X sal polychr. ℈I
Terito simul in pulverem dein adde Extr: Gentian ʒI mucil
g. arab: q. s. ut f. mass ex cujus singulis semidrachmis formr.
pilulæ sex.
Sig. Laxative pills one or two for a dose at bedtime
℞. Sal. nitr. trit. Cinnam: trit: ad gr. V mag: alb: gr XX
ℳ. f. pulv. et f. h. m. dos. № XII
Sig. Cooling powdersone to be taken in a little water every night
at bed time
℞. Rad Sars. ℥ij Rad. bardan ℥i Coq: ex aquæ lbIV
ad lbij addens sub finem Rad: sassafras ʒij –– glycirrh.
ras. ℥i Colatur Signa Aperient Apozem a pint to be taken
in divided draughts every day.
℞ Vin. antimon. ℥ij S. Aperient drops 50 every night
at bed time in a draught of the Apozem.
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