Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:1295] From: Anonymous / To: Mr Shiells / Regarding: Anonymous (Patient) / 22 June 1776 / (Incoming)

Letter from an unnamed patient to his friend Mr Shiells, who is requested to pass the letter on to a physician. He has recently arrived in Bristol 'after a tolerable good passage of five Weeks', during which he 'often despaired of being ever able to reach this port alive', He has suffered from 'nervous weakness' since being in the West Indies.

Facsimile

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1295
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/392
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date22 June 1776
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from an unnamed patient to his friend Mr Shiells, who is requested to pass the letter on to a physician. He has recently arrived in Bristol 'after a tolerable good passage of five Weeks', during which he 'often despaired of being ever able to reach this port alive', He has suffered from 'nervous weakness' since being in the West Indies.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:800]
Case of male 'Friend' of Mr Shiells, just arrived in Bristol by sea, suffering from a longstanding 'sensibility of the nerves' for which he tried many remedies while in the West Indies.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1822]Author
[PERS ID:926]AddresseeMr Shiells
[PERS ID:1822]Patient
[PERS ID:926]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMr Shiells

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Bristol South-West England Europe certain
Mentioned / Other West Indies certain
Mentioned / Other Bath South-West England Europe certain
Mentioned / Other Spa Belgium Belgium Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Bristol June 22nd


I arrived in this port yesterday Morning after
a tolerable good passage of five weeks, I often
despaired of being ever able to reach this
port alive, nor do I find myself anything better
since my arrival, Its true, I can walk about
the Town, & eat a little, but then every Evening
particularly, I am ready to die every Instant,
the Wind is so powerfull in my stomach, &
when I can't bring it up, it suffocates me, & am
panting for Breath, & in danger of expiring
momently, it would be idle in me to describe to you
how my Head is affected, after telling you, the
Operations of the Wind otherwise, & my stomach
& Bowels are now become so weak as to be scarce
able to expel the Wind with the assistance of the
strongest aromaticks, such as Ginger, Essence
of Peppermint
&c. I do suppose that my being
worse in the Evening & night is owing to the



[Page 2]

Weakness of the digestive Powers after my Dinner
& during the Time of Digestion, upon the whole
I am in a Deplorable situation, quite Emaciated
& changed – The Phisitians abroad are of Opinion,
that my Disorder is nervous, owing to an
over sensibility of the nerves, & this attended
with a Relaxation at same Time, they may
be right, as my Mind has suffered much
of late – it has encreased my Disorder, & I
must not forget to tell you that it first came
upon me last January or February 12 Months, with the
Loss of my Ideas & Memory (tho' not of my Reason)
for about half an Hour, & had a Return of the
same for much the same Period, last October
& was often in Danger of an attack of it at
different Times, & frequently ready to tumble
down; my Head being much affected always,
more or less like a Dizyness or Meagrim, in
short, beyond Description, how'eer I am
resolved to take no Medicines, having already
in the West Indies tryed almost all nervous
Medicines, Tonics, Bitters, & the cold Bath &c. to


[Page 3]

no manner of purpose, If this Climate with the
waters of Bristol, Bath or Spaw &c. & wih a proper
Regimen won't relieve me, I shall go no
farther, suppose you consult your ablest
Physician in your City upon it, all right,
I have not as yet applied to any Gentleman of the
Faculty here, nor do I believe there is any
man of Eminence in this City –




[Page 4]


Mr Shiell's Case
June 22d 1776
Vol. Vth p.96


23.2
16.1.8
39"3"8


125"7
27"4
98"13 - July
244"6"8
125"17":
118"9"8
39"3"8
79"6": - Aug

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Bristol June 22nd


I arrived in this port yesterday Morng. after
a tolerable good passage of five weeks, I often
despaired of being ever able to reach this
port alive, nor do I find myself anything better
since my arrival, Its true, I can walk about
the Town, & eat a little, but then every Eveng.
particularly, I am ready to die every Instant,
the Wind is so powerfull in my stomach, &
when I can't bring it up, it suffocates me, & am
panting for Breath, & in danger of expiring
momently, it wd. be idle in me to describe to you
how my Head is affected, after telling you, the
Operations of the Wind otherwise, & my stomach
& Bowels are now become so weak as to be scarce
able to expel the Wind with the assistance of the
strongest aromaticks, such as Ginger, Essence
of Peppermint
&c. I do suppose that my being
worse in the Eveng & night is owing to the



[Page 2]

Weakness of the digestive Powers after my Dinner
& during the Time of Digestion, upon the whole
I am in a Deplorable situation, quite Emaciated
& changed – The Phisitians abroad are of Opinion,
that my Disorder is nervous, owing to an
over sensibility of the nerves, & this attended
with a Relaxation at same Time, they may
be right, as my Mind has suffered much
of late – it has encreased my Disorder, & I
must not forget to tell you that it first came
upon me last Janry. or Febry. 12 Months, with the
Loss of my Ideas & Memory (tho' not of my Reason)
for about half an Hour, & had a Return of the
same for much the same Period, last Octr
& was often in Danger of an attack of it at
different Times, & frequently ready to tumble
down; my Head being much affected always,
more or less like a Dizyness or Meagrim, in
short, beyond Description, how'eer I am
resolved to take no Medicines, having already
in the West Indies tryed almost all nervous
Medicines, Tonics, Bitters, & the cold Bath &c. to


[Page 3]

no manner of purpose, If this Climate with the
waters of Bristol, Bath or Spaw &c. & wih a proper
Regimen won't relieve me, I shall go no
farther, suppose you consult your ablest
Physician in your City upon it, all right,
I have not as yet applied to any Gent. of the
Faculty here, nor do I believe there is any
man of Eminence in this City –




[Page 4]


Mr Shiell's Case
June 22d 1776
Vol. Vth p.96


23.2
16.1.8
39"3"8


125"7
27"4
98"13 - July
244"6"8
125"17":
118"9"8
39"3"8
79"6": - Aug

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