The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1285] From: Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs Blackstock (Patient), Miss Euphemia? Murray (of Broughton) (Patient) / 10 June 1776 / (Incoming)
Letter from John Gilchrist concerning the case of Mrs Blackstock.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1285 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/382 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 10 June 1776 |
| 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 John Gilchrist concerning the case of Mrs Blackstock. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:174] |
Case of Mrs Blackstock who has various symptoms including painful legs and 'glandular' eruptions for which she has been given mercury. She is diagnosed as having 'dropsy' on the brain. |
4 |
| [Case ID:436] |
Case of the teenage Miss Murray of Broughton who has a log-standing pulmonary complaint and eventually starts to spit blood. |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:115] | Author | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:612] | Patient | Mrs Blackstock |
| [PERS ID:631] | Patient | Miss Euphemia? Murray (of Broughton) |
| [PERS ID:115] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:632] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr James Murray (of Broughton) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | South of France | France | Europe | certain | ||
| Mentioned / Other | New York | New York | USA | North America | certain |
Normalized Text
By a person who I find is just now setting
off for Edinburgh I write you two or three lines concern¬
ing Mrs Blackstock, though very little can as yet
be added to what I formerly writ. – But first I must
beg your excuse for the apology in my last which
you very justly take notice of. I am fully sensible
that although my own crude notions and limited ex¬
perience may frequently not be sufficient to help me
forward, yet that this would be a very absurd rea¬
son for giving up all expectations of receiving be¬
nefit from you. I am equally sensible of the impropri¬
ety of deserting any case however bad, having already
experienced that very unpromising cases have some¬
times taken favourable turns; and even when no
benefit is expected from us, yet that attention satis¬
fies. Accept my thanks, thanks therefore, for bringing
to my mind, with their proper force, these useful con¬
siderations.
I am very happy that you approve of what has been
already done for Mrs B. – As soon as your letter
[Page 2]
arrived, we returned to the regenerated Tartar, by itself,
of which, for about ten days, she took from two to three
drams daily, dissolved in the common Emulsion. This
was the largest quantity that her stomach would bear,
but it has done her no good, for the swelling still
went on increasing every where, till it soon became
much more considerable than it was when I writ
you, the whole of the legs & thighs growing to a
great degree œdematous, & the abdomen likewise still
enlarging. – In this situation Mrs B. desired to use
the application which is sometimes used with advantage
namely poultices of masked Cabbage leaves, which
she has accordingly been applying to her legs for a
week past, and which really soon accasioned a con¬
siderable discharge, and sensibly reduced the tumor
of the legs. – As soon as the regenerated Tartar ap¬
peared to be failing as I began with the Colchicum,
which she has now used for five or six days, but
I cannot say that it is producing any sensible effect
as a diuretic tho' it appears to be moving her belly
somewhat, which indeed is no wonder, for his sto¬
[Page 3]
mach and bowels are now in such a delicate si¬
tuation that for several days past she has been
affected with much [sickness?] frequent & severe retch¬
ings, and, at times ↑with↑ acute colic pains, attended with
much sickness, and great thirst, though, during her
intervals of ease, she still retains her appetite.
I will not say that she is worse however
since I writ, but you will easily see that
she is no better. I am now thinking to
begin the Mezereon, if I can, and will not
fail [to?] inform you of its effects. Whatever
farther occurs to you, I will be happy to know.
This letter I write at a snatched opportunity which
makes it less full & less accurate I doubt than it should
be; but indeed there is no writing about our cases in
the manner in which I should be most happy to con¬
verse with you if I was nearer you.
Since I writ you last Mr Murray of Broughton &
his family returned from the South of France, to which they
came from New York. Miss Murray appears to be in
perfect health.
I ever am Dear Sir
Yours most sincerely
[Page 3]
To
Doctor Cullen
Physician in
Edinburgh
✍
Dr Gilchrist Q.
Mrs Blackstock
June 10th 1776
Vol. Vth p 46
Diplomatic Text
By a person who I find is just now setting
off for Edinr I write you two or three lines concern¬
ing Mrs Blackstock, though very little can as yet
be added to what I formerly writ. – But first I must
beg your excuse for the apology in my last which
you very justly take notice of. I am fully sensible
that although my own crude notions and limited ex¬
perience may frequently not be sufficient to help me
forward, yet that this would be a very absurd rea¬
son for giving up all expectations of receiving be¬
nefit from you. I am equally sensible of the impropri¬
ety of deserting any case however bad, having already
experienced that very unpromising cases have some¬
times taken favourable turns; and even when no
benefit is expected from us, yet that attention satis¬
fies. Accept my thanks, thanks therefore, for bringing
to my mind, with their proper force, these useful con¬
siderations.
I am very happy that you approve of what has been
already done for Mrs B. – As soon as your letter
[Page 2]
arrived, we returned to the regenerated Tartar, by itself,
of which, for about ten days, she took from two to three
drams daily, dissolved in the common Emulsion. This
was the largest quantity that her stomach would bear,
but it has done her no good, for the swelling still
went on increasing every where, till it soon became
much more considerable than it was when I writ
you, the whole of the legs & thighs growing to a
great degree œdematous, & the abdomen likewise still
enlarging. – In this situation Mrs B. desired to use
the application which is sometimes used with advantage
namely poultices of masked Cabbage leaves, which
she has accordingly been applying to her legs for a
week past, and which really soon accasioned a con¬
siderable discharge, and sensibly reduced the tumor
of the legs. – As soon as the regenerated Tartar ap¬
peared to be failing as I began with the Colchicum,
which she has now used for five or six days, but
I cannot say that it is producing any sensible effect
as a diuretic tho' it appears to be moving her belly
somewhat, which indeed is no wonder, for his sto¬
[Page 3]
mach and bowels are now in such a delicate si¬
tuation that for several days past she has been
affected with much [sickness?] frequent & severe retch¬
ings, and, at times ↑with↑ acute colic pains, attended with
much sickness, and great thirst, though, during her
intervals of ease, she still retains her appetite.
I will not say that she is worse however
since I writ, but you will easily see that
she is no better. I am now thinking to
begin the Mezereon, if I can, and will not
fail [to?] inform you of its effects. Whatever
farther occurs to you, I will be happy to know.
This letter I write at a snatched opportunity which
makes it less full & less accurate I doubt than it should
be; but indeed there is no writing about our cases in
the manner in which I should be most happy to con¬
verse with you if I was nearer you.
Since I writ you last Mr Murray of Broughton &
his family returned from the South of France, to which they
came from New York. Miss Murray appears to be in
perfect health.
I ever am Dear Sir
Yours most sincerely
[Page 3]
To
Doctor Cullen
Physician in
Edinr
✍
Dr Gilchrist Q.
Mrs Blackstock
June 10th 1776
Vol. Vth p 46
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