Cullen

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

 

[ID:1448] Case Note / Regarding: Miss Gordon (of Kennethmont) (Patient) / 8 September 1777 / (Incoming)

Case note regarding Miss Gordon at Kennethmont.

Facsimile

There are 3 images for this document.

[Page 1]


 

[Page 2]


 

[Page 3]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1448
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/542
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date8 September 1777
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Case note regarding Miss Gordon at Kennethmont.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:754]
Case of Miss Gordon of Kennethmont who once suffered scorbutic eruptions but now has an eye disorder and confusing head pains.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:2315]PatientMiss Gordon (of Kennethmont)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:2316]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMr Gordon (of Kennethmont)

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe inferred
Place of Writing Kennethmont East Highlands Scotland Europe inferred
Mentioned / Other Kennethmont East Highlands Scotland Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]


Miss Gordon, aged years, of a slender and delicate Habit of Body, had
these 6 years past been affected with scorbutic Eruptions on her Face
and Arms, chiefly in the Spring: -- these Eruptions were very distressing
the first year they made their appearance, being then, and only at that time,
attended with inflammation in her Eyes, but by the successful Use of Pitkethly-
Water
that Season, they have since returned only in a mild degree. ---


In the beginning of last Spring, instead of the above-mentioned Eruption,
she complained of a Soreness and tenderness of her Eyes, which toward night be¬
came hot and painfull tho' never blood-shot, and her Eye-lids stuck so closely in the
morning, that they were loosed with some difficulty: -- in this way they continued 'till
April, when she was alarmed with a very sudden Decay of Sight in both Eyes; - it's
progress was so rapid, that & from enjoying a very good state of Sight she was so
much deprived
of it in the space of three Weeks that she could not read the
largest Type, nor distinguish people's Faces at the opposite side of a Room: - in
this condition her Sight still remains, but the outward Soreness is abated. ---


From the first commencement of the Disorder of her Eyes, before her Sight began
to fail
, she has been affected with an uncommon Sense of Weight in her Head, or a
Cloudiness, Confusion or Stupor of the Brain. --- She thinks this disagreeable Sen¬
sation considerably relieved by the daily Use of Asafoetida Pills. -- and perhaps by a
Seton in her Neck, introduced about the end of June: -- this Seton discharges plen¬
ifully
, but has conduced nothing to the recovery of her Sight which was the purpose
chiefly intended. ---


Her Eyes have no morbid appearance: -- the Pupil contracts or dilates naturaly,
when exposed to Light or Shade: -- no hardening or Opacity of the Crystalline Humour
is perceptible: -- and on rubbing the Eye when stuck, she perceives the appearance of
Sparks or glancing of Fire
. --- Perhaps it may deserve notice that her Father lost
a great share of his Sight
, in a yet more sudden manner several years ago, without
any objectionable change in the outward appearance of his Eyes. --


Miss Gordon's general state of Health is very poor. -- Her Stomach is extreme¬
ly weak: -- her Bowels subject to Flatulency: -- her Skin rather Cold and imperssi¬
rable
: --- the flux of the Menses leaves but an interval of a few Days, and is there suc¬
ceeded by the Fluor Albus, so copious has this Evacuation been more than a



[Page 2]

year past, whereas formerly it had always been rather sparing: --- and in consequence
of the above, her Strength is much reduced: -- her Loins weak and pained, -- and
her Spirits greatly depressed since her present Illness begun. ---


She takes in the Morning and Forenoon with some advantage a small Glass of
red Port-Wine, in which is Pulverised Peruvian Bark,Wild ValerianNutmegRhubarb[Ginger?]
This she drinks turbid, with Elixir of Vitriol 25 drops in each Dose of it, -- but complain¬
ing lately that the Wine is too strong for her Head, an equal quantity of Water is
now added, yet still she weary of it. -- A Plaisters of Emplastrum Defensivum, & Calidum equal
parts is found to be of some service to her Back. ----


The tediousness of the above Narrative requires an Apology, but it was
thought best to mention every circumstance which seemed to throw any Light on
the Case. ----




[Page 3]


Case
of Miss Gordon
at Kenneth-Mont


Case of
Miss Gordon of Kennethmont
September 1777
8th.. p.11

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]


Miss Gordon, aged years, of a slender and delicate Habit of Body, had
these 6 years past been affected with scorbutic Eruptions on her Face
and Arms, chiefly in the Spring: -- these Eruptions were very distressing
the first year they made their appearance, being then, and only at that time,
attended with inflammation in her Eyes, but by the successful Use of Pitkethly-
Water
that Season, they have since returned only in a mild degree. ---


In the beginning of last Spring, instead of the above-mentioned Eruption,
she complained of a Soreness and tenderness of her Eyes, which toward night be¬
came hot and painfull tho' never blood-shot, and her Eye-lids stuck so closely in the
morning, that they were loosed with some difficulty: -- in this way they continued 'till
April, when she was alarmed with a very sudden Decay of Sight in both Eyes; - it's
progress was so rapid, that & from enjoying a very good state of Sight she was so
much deprived
of it in the space of three Weeks that she could not read the
largest Type, nor distinguish people's Faces at the opposite side of a Room: - in
this condition her Sight still remains, but the outward Soreness is abated. ---


From the first commencement of the Disorder of her Eyes, before her Sight began
to fail
, she has been affected with an uncommon Sense of Weight in her Head, or a
Cloudiness, Confusion or Stupor of the Brain. --- She thinks this disagreeable Sen¬
sation considerably relieved by the daily Use of Pil. Fœtid. -- and perhaps by a
Seton in her Neck, introduced about the end of June: -- this Seton discharges plen¬
ifully
, but has conduced nothing to the recovery of her Sight which was the purpose
chiefly intended. ---


Her Eyes have no morbid appearance: -- the Pupil contracts or dilates naturaly,
when exposed to Light or Shade: -- no hardening or Opacity of the Crystalline Humour
is perceptible: -- and on rubbing the Eye when stuck, she perceives the appearance of
Sparks or glancing of Fire
. --- Perhaps it may deserve notice that her Father lost
a great share of his Sight
, in a yet more sudden manner several years ago, without
any objectionable change in the outward appearance of his Eyes. --


Miss Gordon's general state of Health is very poor. -- Her Stomach is extreme¬
ly weak: -- her Bowels subject to Flatulency: -- her Skin rather Cold and imperssi¬
rable
: --- the flux of the Menses leaves but an interval of a few Days, and is there suc¬
ceeded by the Fluor Albus, so copious has this Evacuation been more than a



[Page 2]

year past, whereas formerly it had always been rather sparing: --- and in consequence
of the above, her Strength is much reduced: -- her Loins weak and pained, -- and
her Spirits greatly depressed since her present Illness begun. ---


She takes in the Morning and Forenoon with some advantage a small Glass of
red Port-Wine, in which is Pulv. Cort. Peru., Valerian. Sulv. Rhæ. Nuc. Mosch. & [Zinzib.?]
This she drinks turbid, with Elix. Vitriol. Gtt.XXV. in each Dose of it, -- but complain¬
ing lately that the Wine is too strong for her Head, an equal quantity of Water is
now added, yet still she weary of it. -- A Plaisters of E. Defensiv, & Colid. equal
parts is found to be of some service to her Back. ----


The tediousness of the above Narrative requires an Apology, but it was
thought best to mention every circumstance which seemed to throw any Light on
the Case. ----




[Page 3]


Case
of Miss Gordon
at Kenneth-Mont


Case of
Miss Gordon of Kennethmont
Septr. 1777
8th.. p.11

XML

XML file not yet available.

Feedback

Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:1448]

Type
Comments
 

Please note that the Cullen Project team have now disbanded but your comments will be logged in our system and we will look at them one day...