The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1483] From: [AUTHOR UNKNOWN] / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs (Patient) / 3 February 1778 / (Incoming)
Letter from William Riddell concerning the case of an unnamed female patient with abdominal pains who is subsequently examined by a midwife who detects a dangerously morbid uterine condition.
- 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 | 1483 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/577 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 3 February 1778 |
| 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 William Riddell concerning the case of an unnamed female patient with abdominal pains who is subsequently examined by a midwife who detects a dangerously morbid uterine condition. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1019] |
Case of an unnamed female patient. |
3 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2174] | Patient | Mrs |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:561] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Walter Riddell |
| [PERS ID:3392] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Berwick-upon-Tweed (Berwick) | North-East | England | Europe | inferred | |
| Destination of Letter | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Place of Handstamp | Berwick-upon-Tweed (Berwick) | North-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Since my last, the violence of my
patient's symptoms leading me to suspect that there was
some [uritian?] locale in the case. I have had the
parts carefully inspected and examined by an expert
midwife, and am sorry to find by her report that there
is great reason to apprehend at least a schirrus, and
perhaps a cancer, of the uterus. - I was led to this
suspicion by the unremitting violence of the pain,
attending (ed) with some degree of swelling and hardness
of the lower part of the belly, and, at times, an inabi¬
lity of making water, tho' not attended with any pain.
The report of the midwife is, that there is a [prosidentic?]
uteri, that the os uteri is considerably dilated and,
upon introducing the finger into the uterus, there
[Page 2]
is to be felt around the inside of the ostincæ a
rough, spongy, immovable substance which she com¬
pares to a portion of the placenta uterica. - While
the midwife was examining these parts, the patient
suffered very great pain, and the matter which [adhered?]
to the finger was of a dark colour and had a most
intolerable stench. --- All these symptoms, I am
affraid, too certainly indicate a very diseas'd state
of the uterus, which I suspect too is of such a nature
as will probably elude the force of medicine. -
What I wou'd wish to know is, whether you wou'd
advise the same plan, pointed out in your last,
to be pursued, or if, from this new view of the
case, any other course shou'd be adopted. - All that
remains to be done, I am affraid, is to palliate
the violence of the symptoms, which I have been
[Page 3]
obliged to do by an increased dose of the opiate and
the application of warm fomentations, but even
these produce a very transitory relief.-- I am, with
due regard,
Dear Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
[Page 4]
Dr. Cullen
Edinburgh
Dr W. Riddell C.
F.
February 3. 1778
Diplomatic Text
Since my last, the violence of my
patient's symptoms leading me to suspect that there was
some [uritian?] locale in the case. I have had the
parts carefully inspected and examined by an expert
midwife, and am sorry to find by her report that there
is great reason to apprehend at least a schirrus, and
perhaps a cancer, of the uterus. - I was led to this
suspicion by the unremitting violence of the pain,
attending (ed) with some degree of swelling and hardness
of the lower part of the belly, and, at times, an inabi¬
lity of making water, tho' not attended with any pain.
The report of the midwife is, that there is a [prosidentic?]
uteri, that the os uteri is considerably dilated and,
upon introducing the finger into the uterus, there
[Page 2]
is to be felt around the inside of the ostincæ a
rough, spongy, immovable substance which she com¬
pares to a portion of the placenta uterica. - While
the midwife was examining these parts, the patient
suffered very great pain, and the matter which [adhered?]
to the finger was of a dark colour and had a most
intolerable stench. --- All these symptoms, I am
affraid, too certainly indicate a very diseas'd state
of the uterus, which I suspect too is of such a nature
as will probably elude the force of medicine. -
What I wou'd wish to know is, whether you wou'd
advise the same plan, pointed out in your last,
to be pursued, or if, from this new view of the
case, any other course shou'd be adopted. - All that
remains to be done, I am affraid, is to palliate
the violence of the symptoms, which I have been
[Page 3]
obliged to do by an increased dose of the opiate and
the application of warm fomentations, but even
these produce a very transitory relief.-- I am, with
due regard,
Dear Sir,
Your most obed Servt.
[Page 4]
Dr. Cullen
Edinburgh
Dr W. Riddell C.
F.
Febry. 3. 1778
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