The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1107] From: Mr Matthew Reid / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr Matthew Reid (Patient) / 14 January 1775 / (Incoming)
Letter from Matthew Reid, of Leicester, relating his own case. Reid had previously visited Cullen in person, and although his condition seemed to have improved under Cullen's treatment, it has since returned. Also mention of Dr (Thomas) Arnold and of a 'Captain Hart'. Reid sells hose (stocking material) to Edinburgh where he is owed money.
- 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 | 1107 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/209 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 14 January 1775 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from Matthew Reid, of Leicester, relating his own case. Reid had previously visited Cullen in person, and although his condition seemed to have improved under Cullen's treatment, it has since returned. Also mention of Dr (Thomas) Arnold and of a 'Captain Hart'. Reid sells hose (stocking material) to Edinburgh where he is owed money. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:488] |
Case of Matthew Reid of Leicester who consulted Cullen in person in August 1774 over feverish, night 'fits' which abate but then return. |
3 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:458] | Author | Mr Matthew Reid |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:458] | Patient | Mr Matthew Reid |
| [PERS ID:461] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Thomas Arnold |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:462] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Captain Hart |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Leicester | Midlands | England | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Leicester | Midlands | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Dear Sir
Youll remember I came to you allong with Captain
Hart to consult you about my Health, the 16.th of August last in the
Morning I waited on you at 8 of the Clock by your Appointment &
I brought a Brother allong with me who lives in Glasgow. I gratfully acckowledge
you took a great Dale of Pains in examin↑in↑g me relating to my Complain↑t↑
& you gave me a Prescription, I took it with me to Glasgow where staid
about 12 Days I observed your Directions & tooke your Prescription carfully
there & upon the Road returning to England, & [thought?] after I pursued that
Method about 3 Weeks I was better of my Dissorder & got Home about
the Midle of Sep.r much better, I continued taking what you prescribed
& got a Blister put on my Head which you ordered about 3 Weeks after
I returned home I was so little trubled with my Dissorder for about that
time that Dr Arnold tould me he thought I need not till that time when I
felt my Complaint rather worse for about 10 Days after having the
Blister I was but indifferent but I got better after that time & continued
for about 2 Months much better tho I had frequent Returns of my
Dissorder, it was in such a gentle Manner that I thought myself happy &
recovered my Looks & Spirits & hoped my Dissorder was wearing off
till about a Month ago I had more frequent Attacks from my Dissorder &
rather more severe, last Week I had a bad fitt once in 3 Nights but this
Week have had them every other Night & the last which was on thursday
Night was verey severe it lasted almost all Night. I have regularly took
my Mixture ↑& Drops↑ according to your Prescription. I only intermitted two or three
times, two or three Days at a time & have keept the Blyster running ever
since it was put on at first & the Surgeon who dresses it some times says
it runs verey good Matter now much better than it did at first & I take great
Care of my Manner of living eat plain food & drink very little of any
thing that is strong sometimes a little small Beer to my Dinner & one
Glass of reid Port after & sometimes have Grewell or a little Milk Porrage
to my Sup↑p↑er & drink nothing but my Medicine after & I use a good Dale
of exersise, I ride 5, or 6 Miles most days & walk 3 or 4 Miles
yet my Dissorder seems to get Ground & my medicine seems to me
turn over
[Page 2]
to lose its Effects upon me, of late it purges more than it used to do
most of the bad Nights I have had latly I have been obliged to get up to
Stooll about 4 Clock in the morning, those bad Nights I take both the
Mixture & the Drops, when I only take the Mixture in good Nights I have
not a Stooll till Morning when I hardly miss having one. When I have
a bad Night, it begings with twichings & creepings in my flesh, sometimes
in my Arms, leggs & back (I think more in that Way than I used to have)
than sleepiness which I had before, all goes off & a Difficulty of Breathing
succeeds with a Chilness [with?] other unneasy feelings which lasts comm↑only↑
4 Hours & then I get warm & in about halve an Hour get into a Sweet
& somtimes swett profusly & a little after I have begun to sweet I have
felt easier & soon after that I get to Sleep but seldom get above an hour
& halve Sleep, tho I lye longer in Bed I cannot Sleep I have somthing of the
faver (as I call it) upon me which does not quite have me till 9 or 10, in the
Morning & leaves a languor upon me which makes me verey uncomfortable
all day & makes me verey unhappy & oftens to lie doun in Bed with fear.
I have no other Complaint & have a good Appetite & think it right not to
eat so much as I easily could; ↑thus↑ I have a briffly as I could given you an
Account of my Dissorder, & beg you.ll consider of it & take the first Leizure
time you have to give me your farther Advise in Letter directed to Matthew Reid
& Co. Leicester, Dear Doctor I have a high Oppinion of your judgment & have
a Dependance under God upon it that you.ll be able to direct me to somthing
to relive me in my verey uncomfortable State & at anytime what Gatuity
you expect I will get some of my Friends at Edinburgh to put into your
Hands, I send some Hose & [Crape?] 1 to Edinburgh & have a considerable Dale
of Money owing Us in that Place, I shall now conclude with hoping
soon to hear from you which will much oblidge.
Your Verey Humble Servant
P,S You tould me the medicine you ordered was
intended to throw somthing out on my Shin, but I did
not observe much of that, only some little Pimples once or twice
about ↑my↑ mouth, but I thought it raised a Perspiration, MR 2
I think when I have my Dissorder upon me I have a good Dale
of Wind for I void a good Dale when it is going off & some time
my Disorder is not attended with Chilness but that is seldom MR 3 [Start of margin text]
I beg youll
excuse [blots?]
& incorrectness[End of margin text]
[Page 3]
To
Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh
Mathw. Reid
January 14th 1775
Diplomatic Text
Dear Sir
Youll remember I came to you allong with Captain
Hart to consult you about my Health, ye 16.th of August last in ye
Morning I waited on you at 8 of ye Clock by yr Appointment &
I bro.t a Brot.r allong wt me who lives in Glasgow. I gratfully acckowledge
you took a great Dale of Pains in examin↑in↑g me relating to my Complain↑t↑
& you gave me a Prescription, I took it wt me to Glasgow where staid
about 12 Days I observed y.r Directions & tooke y.r Prescription carfully
there & upon y.e Road returning to England, & [tho.t?] after I pursued that
Method about 3 Weeks I was better of my Dissorder & got Home about
ye Midle of Sep.r much better, I continued taking what you prescribed
& got a Blister put on my Head which you ordered abt 3 Weeks after
I returned home I was so little trubled wt my Dissorder for about that
time that Dr Arnold tould me he tho.t I need not till that time when I
felt my Complaint rather worse for about 10 Days after having y.e
Blister I was but indifferent but I got better after that time & continued
for about 2 Months much better tho I had frequent Returns of my
Dissorder, it was in such a gentle Manner that I tho.t myself happy &
recovered my Looks & Spirits & hoped my Dissorder was wearing off
till about a Month ago I had more frequent Attacks from my Dissorder &
rather more severe, last Week I had a bad fitt once in 3 Nights but this
Week have had them every other Night & y.e last which was on thursday
Night was verey severe it lasted almost all Night. I have regularly took
my Mixture ↑& Drops↑ according to y.r Prescription. I only intermitted two or three
times, two or three Days at a time & have keept y.e Blyster running ever
since it was put on at first & y.e Surgeon w.h dresses it some times says
it runs verey good Matter now much better than it did at first & I take great
Care of my Manner of living eat plain food & drink very little of any
thing that is strong sometimes a little small Beer to my Dinner & one
Glass of reid Port after & sometimes have Grewell or a little Milk Porrage
to my Sup↑p↑er & drink nothing but my Medicine after & I use a good Dale
of exersise, I ride 5, or 6 Miles most days & walk 3 or 4 Miles
yet my Dissorder seems to get Ground & my medicine seems to me
turn over
[Page 2]
to lose its Effects upon me, of late it purges more than it used to do
most of y.e bad Nights I have had latly I have been obliged to get up to
Stooll about 4 Clock in y.e morning, those bad Nights I take both y.e
Mixture & y.e Drops, when I only take y.e Mixture in good Nights I have
not a Stooll till Morning when I hardly miss having one. When I have
a bad Night, it begings with twichings & creepings in my flesh, sometimes
in my Arms, leggs & back (I think more in that Way than I used to have)
than sleepiness which I had before, all goes off & a Difficulty of Breathing
succeeds with a Chilness [with?] other unneasy feelings which lasts comm↑only↑
4 Hours & then I get warm & in about halve an Hour get into a Sweet
& somtimes swett profusly & a little after I have begun to sweet I have
felt easier & soon after that I get to Sleep but seldom get above an hour
& halve Sleep, tho I lye longer in Bed I cannot Sleep I have somthing of y.e
faver (as I call it) upon me which does not quite have me till 9 or 10, in y.e
Morning & leaves a languor upon me which makes me verey uncomfortable
all day & makes me verey unhappy & oftens to lie doun in Bed w.t fear.
I have no other Complaint & have a good Appetite & think it right not to
eat so much as I easily could; ↑thus↑ I have a briffly as I could given you an
Account of my Dissorder, & beg you.ll consider of it & take y.e first Leizure
time you have to give me yr. farther Advise in Letter directed to Mat.w Reid
& Co. Leicester, Dear Doc.tr I have a high Oppinion of y.r. judgment & have
a Dependance under God upon it that you.ll be able to direct me to somthing
to relive me in my verey uncomfortable State & at anytime what Gatuity
you expect I will get some of my Friends at Edinburgh to put into yr
Hands, I send some Hose & [C.ra?] 1 to Edinburgh & have a considerable Dale
of Money owing Us in that Place, I shall now conclude with hoping
soon to hear from you which will much oblidge.
Yr Verey Humbe Servt
P,S You tould me y.e medicine you ordered was
intended to throw somthing out on my Shin, but I did
not observe much of that, only some little Pimples once or twice
about ↑my↑ mouth, but I thought it raised a Perspiration, MR 2
I think when I have my Dissorder upon me I have a good Dale
of Wind for I void a good Dale when it is going off & some time
my Disorder is not attended w.t Chilness but that is seldom MR 3 [Start of margin text]
I beg youll
excuse [blots?]
& incorrectness[End of margin text]
[Page 3]
To
Doctor Cullen
Edinburgh
Mathw. Reid
Janry 14th 1775
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