The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1188] From: Mr Laurence Edmonston (Edmonstone) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs (Patient) / 22 December 1775 / (Incoming)
Case note from Laurence Edmonston (unsigned) of an unnamed female patient whose health began to decline after moving from the country to the small town of Lerwick (Shetland).
- 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 | 1188 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/288 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 22 December 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 | Case note from Laurence Edmonston (unsigned) of an unnamed female patient whose health began to decline after moving from the country to the small town of Lerwick (Shetland). |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:624] |
Case of an unnamed female patient whose health began to decline after moving to Lerwick in Shetland. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:605] | Author | Mr Laurence Edmonston (Edmonstone) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1563] | Patient | Mrs |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:605] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr Laurence Edmonston (Edmonstone) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mentioned / Other | Lerwick | Shetlands | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
A lady aged 38 ↑years↑ from her infancy of a delicate constitution, but enjoyed pretty good
health, only from the delicacy of her Constitution she would have been disordered a little for
a day or two after travelling or sitting up late at night, but not then subject to Coughs
She was born in a Country place. About nine years ago she married & was obliged to come
into this town to settle. It is but a small one will contain about 1000 souls, situated
at the foot of a small hill by the sea facing the north. After coming to Town she
found her health begin to decline, when six months gone of her first Child who is now
eight years old she catchd a severe cold & Cough which continued severe during the
remaining months of her Pregnancy but went off after delivery. However from this
cough she dates all her succeeding evils. From this time she has been very liable to obstinate
coughs on catching a slight cold, I can scarce say she has been entirely free from some
degree of Cough ever since. Her appetite much less than when she was in the Country.
Either from inclination or its being inconvenient for her family she has been very little
in the Country ever since she first settled here. -- When sieged with these Coughs, bleeding
& the antiphlogistic regimen always relievd, & she would enjoy tolerable health &
Spirits in the interval. Winter 1774 the cough was pretty hard on her, as it was
during the spring. When the warm weather came in she was advised to put a
perpetual issue between her shoulders & to go into the Country to ride. The issue was
put in, & turning easier, probably owing to the warm season, she neglected going
into the Country. She passed the Summer in a tolerable easy way, but on the Change
of the season the Cough turnd worse & she had a very uneasie Winter. In the spring
again she was earnestly pressed to go into the Country, which she did in the month
of June. She continued there only a month, [but?] was very much relievd. She had
now occasion to come in to town for a few days. She was again entreated to go out
of Town & continue out of it while the season was favorable, but it was neglettd,
& since autumn this year the Cough has been greatly worse & gave evident symp¬
toms of Tubercules in the Lungs. Her complaint seems to be owing to that Cause
rather than ↑to↑ any other, from the nature of her Cough, which is very severe & makes her
strain hard before any Phlegm comes up: At sometimes she expectorates with greater
ease. In the mornings she spits more freely. I could see no signs of purulency except
about a month ago, she spit up once or twice a little matter streaked with blood
& of a grosser consistence. She has spit up no matter ↑more↑ of that ↑nature↑ since. The matter for the
most part is viscid & requires great labour to bring it up. It may be necessary
to mention that for five or six years past she had alost a constant pain at the
[Page 2]
lower end of the scapula, sometimes on one side & sometimes on the other, & she has
not been able to lye on her left side for some years past. -- During the continuance
of the perpetual issue on her Back she found considerable relief she imagind, but it be¬
came very painfull & she took it out, nor would allow of it, being put in again. [Summer?]
bygone I put a pea issue on her arm as she would not consent to the other on her
Back -- At present she is much emaciated and reduced in her strength, feels for the most
part a very uneasie sensation, as if all her breast was bruisd, the Cough almost incessant,
at least she is seldom an hour at a time free from it in the 24 hours. Her appetite very
bad, which it has been [strong?], so much so that her stomach can bear very little if any
kind of food or medicines. -- Balsamics & the warm expectorants do not seem to
answer on affections of the Lungs such as hers. She has got a [few?] vomits of late, which
appeard to be indicated from [sorer?] belchings & difficult expectoration. She was con¬
siderably relieved by them at first; her stomach became easier & she expectorated more
freely, but these effects lasted only for a short time. The last vomit was given three
weeks ago, but she did not find the same benefits from it. -- And now their use
seems to be more precarious, as her strength is evidently decaying & her flesh wast¬
ing, I may say daily. -- She is sometimes so distressed after coughing with the
soreness in her breast that I have attempted to give her ↑a draught↑ at times with five or six
drops of Tincture Thebaic [acidulated?] with Spirit of vitriol. She has thought her breast
much relievd by it, nor does it in the least [check?]expectoratuion. -- She gets no balsa¬
micus, [vulnerarys?] &c. her stomach cannot bear them, nor do they seem proper
applications for her pulmonary Complaints. She is submitted to your ↑better↑ judgement
whether this is right. She takes an infusion of althaea roots, Gum arabicum &
Liquorice. She is ↑as↑ closs confind to a milk diet as her stomach can bear. The milk
we have here is Cow milk; we have no goas nor asses, mares milk is not to be
had for now. -- She wears a flannel waistcoat next her skin, & is not keeped
in too warm air. -- The only excercise she can take here at this season is on the
Chamber horse. The weather is now so variable & inconstant that riding on horseback
can scarce be attempted on account of her weakness, & we have no Carriages. -- She is
hectic, has a very troublesome headach & sleeps very little. -- She has no Colliqua¬
tive sweats & is pretty regular in her Belly. She keeps out of bed for the most
part from ten or eleven forenoon till nine at night. -- She has another
[Page 3]
unfavorable Complaint. Her menses have been suppressed for six months,
& this was conceald till within these few days. She has had six Children.
It is about two years since she bore the last.
This case will be troublesome on account of its length; her disease might have
been communicated in fewer words, but the concernd wanted it to be drawn
out at full lengths. -- Your goodness will excuse the errors in it, & be pleasd
to return your answer by first occasion
[Page 4]
✍
Case of
Lady
Lerwick 22d December
1775
Diplomatic Text
A lady aged 38 ↑years↑ from her infancy of a delicate constitution, but enjoyed pretty good
health, only from the delicacy of her Constitution she would have been disordered a little for
a day or two after travelling or sitting up late at night, but not then subject to Coughs
She was born in a Country place. About nine years ago she married & was obliged to come
into this town to settle. It is but a small one will contain about 1000 souls, situated
at the foot of a small hill by the sea facing the north. After coming to Town she
found her health begin to decline, when six months gone of her first Child who is now
eight years old she catchd a severe cold & Cough which continued severe during the
remaining months of her Pregnancy but went off after delivery. However from this
cough she dates all her succeeding evils. From this time she has been very liable to obstinate
coughs on catching a slight cold, I can scarce say she has been entirely free from some
degree of Cough ever since. Her appetite much less than when she was in the Country.
Either from inclination or its being inconvenient for her family she has been very little
in the Country ever since she first settled here. -- When sieged with these Coughs, bleeding
& the antiphlogistic regimen always relievd, & she would enjoy tolerable health &
Spirits in the interval. Winter 1774 the cough was pretty hard on her, as it was
during the spring. When the warm weather came in she was advised to put a
perpetual issue between her shoulders & to go into the Country to ride. The issue was
put in, & turning easier, probably owing to the warm season, she neglected going
into the Country. She passed the Summer in a tolerable easy way, but on the Change
of the season the Cough turnd worse & she had a very uneasie Winter. In the spring
again she was earnestly pressed to go into the Country, which she did in the month
of June. She continued there only a month, [but?] was very much relievd. She had
now occasion to come in to town for a few days. She was again entreated to go out
of Town & continue out of it while the season was favorable, but it was neglettd,
& since autumn this year the Cough has been greatly worse & gave evident symp¬
toms of Tubercules in the Lungs. Her complaint seems to be owing to that Cause
rather than ↑to↑ any other, from the nature of her Cough, which is very severe & makes her
strain hard before any Phlegm comes up: At sometimes she expectorates with greater
ease. In the mornings she spits more freely. I could see no signs of purulency except
about a month ago, she spit up once or twice a little matter streaked with blood
& of a grosser consistence. She has spit up no matter ↑more↑ of that ↑nature↑ since. The matter for the
most part is viscid & requires great labour to bring it up. It may be necessary
to mention that for five or six years past she had alost a constant pain at the
[Page 2]
lower end of the scapula, sometimes on one side & sometimes on the other, & she has
not been able to lye on her left side for some years past. -- During the continuance
of the perpetual issue on her Back she found considerable relief she imagind, but it be¬
came very painfull & she took it out, nor would allow of it, being put in again. [Summer?]
bygone I put a pea issue on her arm as she would not consent to the other on her
Back -- At present she is much emaciated and reduced in her strength, feels for the most
part a very uneasie sensation, as if all her breast was bruisd, the Cough almost incessant,
at least she is seldom an hour at a time free from it in the 24 hours. Her appetite very
bad, which it has been [strong?], so much so that her stomach can bear very little if any
kind of food or medicines. -- Balsamics & the warm expectorants do not seem to
answer on affections of the Lungs such as hers. She has got a [few?] vomits of late, which
appeard to be indicated from [sorer?] belchings & difficult expectoration. She was con¬
siderably relieved by them at first; her stomach became easier & she expectorated more
freely, but these effects lasted only for a short time. The last vomit was given three
weeks ago, but she did not find the same benefits from it. -- And now their use
seems to be more precarious, as her strength is evidently decaying & her flesh wast¬
ing, I may say daily. -- She is sometimes so distressed after coughing with the
soreness in her breast that I have attempted to give her ↑a draught↑ at times with five or six
drops of Tinct. Thebaic [acidulated?] with Spirit of vitriol. She has thought her breast
much relievd by it, nor does it in the least [check?]expectoratuion. -- She gets no balsa¬
micus, [vulnerarys?] &c. her stomach cannot bear them, nor do they seem proper
applications for her pulmonary Complaints. She is submitted to your ↑better↑ judgement
whether this is right. She takes an infusion of althaea roots, Gum arabicum &
Liquorice. She is ↑as↑ closs confind to a milk diet as her stomach can bear. The milk
we have here is Cow milk; we have no goas nor asses, mares milk is not to be
had for now. -- She wears a flannel waistcoat next her skin, & is not keeped
in too warm air. -- The only excercise she can take here at this season is on the
Chamber horse. The weather is now so variable & inconstant that riding on horseback
can scarce be attempted on acct. of her weakness, & we have no Carriages. -- She is
hectic, has a very troublesome headach & sleeps very little. -- She has no Colliqua¬
tive sweats & is pretty regular in her Belly. She keeps out of bed for the most
part from ten or eleven forenoon till nine at night. -- She has another
[Page 3]
unfavorable Complaint. Her menses have been suppressed for six months,
& this was conceald till within these few days. She has had six Children.
It is about two years since she bore the last.
This case will be troublesome on acct. of its length; her disease might have
been communicated in fewer words, but the concernd wanted it to be drawn
out at full lengths. -- Your goodness will excuse the errors in it, & be pleasd
to return your answer by first occasion
[Page 4]
✍
Case of
Lady
Lerwick 22d Dec.r
1775
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