Cullen

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

 

[ID:1402] From: Dr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn ) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr Houston (Houstoun) (Patient) / 5 May 1777 / (Incoming)

Letter from Alexander Stevenson concerning the case of Mr Houstoun.

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1402
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/498
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date5 May 1777
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 Alexander Stevenson concerning the case of Mr Houstoun.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting Yes

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:848]
Case of Mr Houston whose long-standing apoplexy has becomes severe with breathing difficulties, pain and weakness.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:563]AuthorDr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn )
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:1923]PatientMr Houston (Houstoun)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:563]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr Alexander Stevenson (Professor; of Dalgairn )

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Glasgow Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Place of Handstamp Kilsyth Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Glasgow 5 May 1777
Dear Doctor


I write you now about Mr Hous¬
toun, whose Case you have a general notion of.
He has these seven years been now & then
threaten'd with Apoplexy - last year after seve¬
ral nervous symptoms
& great flows of pale Urine
with some pain
& inability of the left leg, He had
Hæmiplegia of that side, the eye and tongue affected.


After the usual treatment He went to Bath
where he bath'd but once or twice in a tepid heat.


Came home better, & has used Exercise in
the Chaise, Now & then a little Bark and Valerian
& a seton in the Neck - purges occasionally.


About six weeks ago He kept the bed from
pain, first of his leg, & afterwards of the haunch
which seem'd to connect itself with the lower
part of the ribs towards the back. As He once
had a Colic seemingly Nephritic, he was
fomented &c &c & Anodyne Balsam rubd --
The pain of the Leg had formerly yielded to Blister
& Sinapism - so the haunch was blistered -
He gradually was better & went out in the Chaise.


Within these Eight days He wak'd about
7 in the morning, oppress'd & sick, & what He calls
Asthma, a very thick breathing. It did not conti¬
nue more than a few Minutes, but left him
languid - His head seem'd loaded, a Dozen Leeches
were applied, & his belly opened - A volatile



[Page 2]

& fœtid mixture with
Tinct Arom. was at
hand - & seem'd to relieve him next Mor¬
ning when attack'd in the same way.
He has however had more or less of it every day
& this morning was raised by one ↑o' Clock↑ very uneasy
& pass'd a bad Night - He thought cold water relievd
him as much as any thing -- He is very
languid, I have desir'd him to go out in the
Chaise - he takes a few pills of Asafoetida & camphor
with Ol. Cinnamon. -


His Pulse for several years has been so
irregular
, I can give no description of it:
He is better when it is so, but at times it has
been full & slow, then the Head is oppress'd.
Even his right Leg has been more swelled of
late, especially towards the Evening -


I am hurried into the Country - if I get back
in time shall tell the effects of his airing & am

Yours &c
A. Stevenson


8 o' Clock Mr H. seem'd
better in the Chaise, but fatigued
by coming up stair & breath'd thick
was reliev'd by a draught of cold water -
I shall be glad of your advice in Course
of Post.

A.S.



[Page 3]


To
Dr William Cullen
Professor of Physic
Edinburgh


Dr Stevenson Case
Mr Houstoun
May. 1777.
Vol. VII p 20.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Glasgow 5 May 1777
Dear Doctor


I write you now about Mr Hous¬
toun, whose Case you have a general notion of.
He has these seven years been now & then
threaten'd with Apoplexy - last year after seve¬
ral nervous symptoms
& great flows of pale Urine
with some pain
& inability of the left leg, He had
Hæmiplegia of that side, the eye and tongue affected.


After the usual treatment He went to Bath
where he bath'd but once or twice in a tepid heat.


Came home better, & has used Exercise in
the Chaise, Now & then a little Bark and Valerian
& a seton in the Neck - purges occasionally.


About six weeks ago He kept the bed from
pain, first of his leg, & afterwards of the haunch
which seem'd to connect itself with the lower
part of the ribs towards the back. As He once
had a Colic seemingly Nephritic, he was
fomented &c &c & Anodyne Balsam rubd --
The pain of the Leg had formerly yielded to Blister
& Sinapism - so the haunch was blistered -
He gradually was better & went out in the Chaise.


Within these Eight days He wak'd about
7 in the morning, oppress'd & sick, & what He calls
Asthma, a very thick breathing. It did not conti¬
nue more than a few Minutes, but left him
languid - His head seem'd loaded, a Dozen Leeches
were applied, & his belly opened - A volatile



[Page 2]

& fœtid mixture with
Tinct Arom. was at
hand - & seem'd to relieve him next Mor¬
ning when attack'd in the same way.
He has however had more or less of it every day
& this morning was raised by one ↑o' Clock↑ very uneasy
& pass'd a bad Night - He thought cold water relievd
him as much as any thing -- He is very
languid, I have desir'd him to go out in the
Chaise - he takes a few pills of Asaf. & Camph.
with Ol. Cinn.. -


His Pulse for several years has been so
irregular
, I can give no description of it:
He is better when it is so, but at times it has
been full & slow, then the Head is oppress'd.
Even his right Leg has been more swelled of
late, especially towards the Evening -


I am hurried into the Country - if I get back
in time shall tell the effects of his airing & am

Yours &c
A. Stevenson


8 o' Clock Mr H. seem'd
better in the Chaise, but fatigued
by coming up stair & breath'd thick
was reliev'd by a draught of cold water -
I shall be glad of your advice in Course
of Post.

A.S.



[Page 3]


To
Dr William Cullen
Professor of Physic
Edinburgh


Dr Stevenson C.
Mr Houstoun
May. 1777.
Vol. VII p 20.

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