The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1301] From: Dr George Skene / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mr Lumsden (Patient) / June 1776 / (Incoming)
Letter from George Skene concerning the case of Mr Lumsden. The addressee is likely to be Cullen.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 1301 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/398 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Incoming |
Date | 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 George Skene concerning the case of Mr Lumsden. The addressee is likely to be Cullen. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:741] |
The Case of Mr Lumsden who has a long history of illness, including fever, nosebleeds and pains in the hypochondria, and who converses with Cullen over whether his condition is entirely 'nervous' or more 'fixed. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:64] | Author | Dr George Skene |
[PERS ID:933] | Patient | Mr Lumsden |
[PERS ID:64] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr George Skene |
Places linked to this document
Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of Writing | Aberdeen | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
Case of Mr Lumsden
June 1776 Vol. Vth ~ p95
About 3 years ago he had a bad and tedious fever
during which his Pulse was somewhat irregular and very
feeble, tho the fever from its other symptoms, could
not be strictly called either nervous or Putrid. {illeg}
He recovered by means of large evacuations by stool
procured by James's Powder. The great debility of
his pulse seemed the only extraordinary circumstance
attending this fever, but I have since found that the
strength of it during his ordinary health bears no
proportion to his apparent strength in other respects
& when under any disorder both it & his spirits sink
to a considerable degree.
His way of life is regular, he rises early and
tho his business confines him a good deal to the house
yet he takes a good deal of exercise chiefly in the
morning. He was many years subject to frequent &
copious bleedings at his nose, which for some time past
had left him, but in spring last he contracted a trou¬
blesom cough which continued long and in the Course
of it he spit up sometimes a little blood, but as it had
not much the appearance of proceeding from his Lungs &
was in very small quantity, Dr Livingston & I both concluded
it came from the fauces & regarded it little. For his
[Page 2]
Cough he got Sperm.Ceti. Juleps with [Syr. e Mezon?] but
the symptoms which distressed him most was a difficulty
of breathing so considerable, that in the morning & fore¬
noon he could not walk the least distance without
panting and being attended obliged to stop some times
attended with a great degree of motion low down in the
Thorax like a palpitation. Along with this he had at first
a pain about the left hypochondrium, we blistered the
part and took some blood from him and after the
Cough left him suspecting that perhaps the disorder
might proceed from a nervous cause, I ordered him some
fœtid pills & Decoct. C. Per. & a good deal of exercise on horseback.
We were led into this opinion by the lax state of his habit & the
degree of dejection which he is subject to during any illness ↑&↑ from its
attacking him only in the forenoon when the stomach is emp¬
ty; for after dinner, especially if he drink a glass or
2 of wine, he is pretty well & can walk without much incon¬
venience, neither is he seized with it in bed nor affected by
[differ. of post.?] in lying. We advise him sometimes to try a pret¬
ty full breakfast or to take something in the forenoon in order to ob¬
serve whether the state of his stomach made any odds but he found
little or no benefit from this. Some days he is better & some
days worse without any known cause. Is losing flesh & his co¬
lor a great deal altered. Have proposed to him to lay aside bu¬
siness some weeks ago & go to country for exercise & amusement & as
he has a present an opportunity of being in Edinburgh your opinion &c
whether Nervous or owing to any more fixed cause.
Diplomatic Text
Case of Mr Lumsden
June 1776 Vol. Vth ~ p95
About 3 years ago he had a bad and tedious fever
during which his Pulse was somewhat irregular and very
feeble, tho the fever from its other symptoms, could
not be strictly called either nervous or Putrid. {illeg}
He recovered by means of large evacuations by stool
procured by James's Powder. The great debility of
his pulse seemed the only extraordinary circumstance
attending this fever, but I have since found that the
strength of it during his ordinary health bears no
proportion to his apparent strength in other respects
& when under any disorder both it & his spirits sink
to a considerable degree.
His way of life is regular, he rises early and
tho his business confines him a good deal to the house
yet he takes a good deal of exercise chiefly in the
morning. He was many years subject to frequent &
copious bleedings at his nose, which for some time past
had left him, but in spring last he contracted a trou¬
blesom cough which continued long and in the Course
of it he spit up sometimes a little blood, but as it had
not much the appearance of proceeding from his Lungs &
was in very small quantity, Dr Livingston & I both concluded
it came from the fauces & regarded it little. For his
[Page 2]
Cough he got Sperm.Ceti. Juleps with [Syr. e Mezon?] but
the symptoms wc distressed him most was a difficulty
of breathing so considerable, that in the morning & fore¬
noon he could not walk the least distance without
panting and being attended obliged to stop some times
attended with a great degree of motion low down in the
Thorax like a palpitation. Along with this he had at first
a pain about the left hypochondrium, we blistered the
part and took some blood from him and after the
Cough left him suspecting that perhaps the disorder
might proceed from a nervous cause, I ordered him some
fœtid pills & Decoct. C. Per. & a good deal of exercise on h.back.
We were led into this opinion by the lax state of his habit & the
degree of dejection wc he is subject to during any illness ↑&↑ from its
attacking him only in the forenoon wn ye stomach is emp¬
ty; for after dinner, especially if he drink a glass or
2 of wine, he is pretty well & can walk without much incon¬
venience, neither is he seized w it in bed nor affected by
[differ. of post.?] in lying. We advise him sometimes to try a pret¬
ty full breakft. or to take someyg in ye forenoon in order to ob¬
serve wheth. ye state of his stom. made any odds but he found
little or no benefit from this. Some days he is better & some
days worse w out any known cause. Is losing flesh & his co¬
lor a great deal altered. Have proposed to him to lay aside bu¬
siness some weeks ago & go to country for exercise & amusemt & as
he has a present an opportunity of being in Edr. your opinion &c
whether Nervous or owing to any more fixed cause.
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