The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1530] From: Daniel Campbell / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr James Murray Sutherland (Sutherland of Clyne and Pulrossie) (Patient) / 12 July 1778 / (Incoming)
Letter from Daniel Campbell, a former pupil of Cullen, regarding the case of Mr Sutherland of Clyne, whom he has been treating for hemiplegia of the right side. The patient, who is long known to Cullen, also suffers from spasms in the paralysed limbs, urinary problems and costiveness. Campbell describes the treatments given. There is a postscript in another hand, possibly by the patient or a family member.
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- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
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Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1530 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/621 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 12 July 1778 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from Daniel Campbell, a former pupil of Cullen, regarding the case of Mr Sutherland of Clyne, whom he has been treating for hemiplegia of the right side. The patient, who is long known to Cullen, also suffers from spasms in the paralysed limbs, urinary problems and costiveness. Campbell describes the treatments given. There is a postscript in another hand, possibly by the patient or a family member. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1027] |
Case of Mr Sutherland of Clyne who has had a paralytic stroke (palsy), and two years later develops a suspected bladder stone (see also notes for Document 36141 which might be related to this case). |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1735] | Author | Daniel Campbell |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:695] | Patient | Mr James Murray Sutherland (Sutherland of Clyne and Pulrossie) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1735] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Daniel Campbell |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Dornoch | North Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
The following case of Mr Sutherland of Clyne,
whose age, Constitution & manner of life you are no stranger to,
I am desired to lay before you so as to obtain for him all
the assistance possible.
Some time in August 1777 Mr Sutherland complained of headach,
pain in the small of his Back, coldness & numbness of his
extremities –– About a fortnight afterwards he was seized ––
with a violent Colic, for which he says he took some
Glauber Salts because he was costive & the Colic left him,
but the other Symptoms continued as before. On the night
of the 10th of September then next he was suddenly seized with
Hemiplegia in bed. When he awaked in the morning he
found the power of moveing his whole right side was en¬
tirely lost, tho' sensation remained entire in it – On the day
following I first saw him – the pulse in both wrists
was seemingly the same & that natural to him in the
best health – his speech was impaired a good deal. ––
There was besides a considerable enlargement of his abdomen
and a fluctuation of Water could be evidently felt in it;
this was attended with scanty Urine & a bound Belly &
observed to come on very gradualy – At this time
[Page 2]
too, he had nausea & inclination to vomit.
Judging his Complaint to proceed from Compression on his Brain
and seeing so much of an Hydropic diathesis I began his
treatment with Blistering his whole head & repeating it again
& again – /he would not allow a perpetual Issue of any kind/
& put him upon the use of the following Bolus every night
Take 3 grains each of Calomel and powder of Acid of Squills, and enough Rose Conserve as to make a Bolus
and every morning and evening four ounces of the following
Infusion
Take 4 ounces each of Radish Root and Mustard Seed cut & bruised & infused for twenty four hours in a Scots pint of Boiling Water ––
sisted in for some time, tho' it was difficult to keep
the Mercury from his mouth – the consequence of which
was that his Belly was reduced to the natural size &
his urine flowed plentifully – his headach soon left him,
but the inability of moving his right side continued as
before.
About the end of October there were so little signs of Serous
Plethora or Compression of any kind on his Brain, that I
began to give him such medecines as would promise to
do service, when Palsy proceeds from Collapse, another
cause of Palsy I do well remember to have heard
when I had the good fortune to be in one in your class
and I was the more readily led to this from a reflection
on Clynes preceeding course of life –– with this view he
[Page 3]
he got Hot Plaister applied along his Spine, & long strips three
fingers broad of the same plaister applied to the paralytic
thigh, leg & arm, laid on along the course of the most consider¬
able nerves – He swallowed white mustardseed, a table
spoonfull of it 3ce a day – he used the volatile Liniment;
took some Helebore by way of stimulatory & now & then
a Vomit to give a spur as well as to take away a great
quantity of ropey stuff that was like to Choak him ––
tho' much was not expected from it he used at same time
some Valerian Infusion & was indulged in the use of an
animal Diet well seasoned, solid & Cordial & generous drink
in moderation – A troublesome complaint made its ap¬
pearance about this time – Very often would he attempt to
use the urinal to no manner of purpose – sometimes he
passed slimey White Urine with great difficulty – at other
times he would have no Complaint of this sort – Gum
arabic dissolved in Boiling Water with some Salts of Nitre ––
served to mitigate this complaint, yet it still continues
to return as frequently as ever –– A still more ––
troublesome complaint than this I have mentioned dis¬
tressed him much, some time often commencing this warm
course – He was seized with very violent & very con¬
stant Spasmodic Contractions of his Paralytic leg and
arm, in so much that I was necessitated to give
[Page 4]
him some Thebaic Tincture mixed in eight times the same
quantity of Compound Tincture of Castor for some consider¬
able time, nor could he want it for excess of pain
till within two months – since which time tho' he is still
threatned with spasm yet they can be born without
medecine. Indeed he has not used a medecine of any
kind these two months save some Castor Oil to prevent
Costiveness & Friction – He lives on a solid & Cordial
Diet & drinks about a Scots mutchkine of Port in the
day – His power of moving the paralytic limbs is
greater – he can move his Toes, give some motion to the
joint at the upper end of the thigh & in one certain
direction move his arm a little back – He can be mad[e]
to take no exercise in a Chair, boat or sling – He is
taken out of bed by nine o'Clock a.m., but often, not¬
withstanding of all entreaty he lies much longer ––
His Complaints of Urine are still very troublesome
Upon the whole he is very desirous to have your
advice upon his case as is he who shall ever
be with the greatest respect
Servant
P: S: Mr Sutherland thinks proper to inform that his case
is as follows he complains of inability or want of power
to move his right leg & his right arm except as is mentioned
in Mr Campbells letter also complains that he has no
natural passage in his belly or evacuation by stooll
He is oblidged to use the castor oill every four nights or when it faills to operate as it severall times does
cure ejection by which he obtains a loose Stooll in bed It will appear from the above that he
cannot move but is oblidged to be caried from his chair to bed or from bed to chair where he sits 10 hours every day.
Diplomatic Text
The following case of Mr Sutherland of Clyne,
whose age, Constitution & manner of life you are no stranger to,
I am desired to lay before you so as to obtain for him all
the assistance possible.
Some time in August 1777 Mr Sutherland complained of headach,
pain in the small of his Back, coldness & numbness of his
extremities –– About a fortnight afterwards he was seized ––
with a violent Colic, for which he says he took some
Glauber Salts because he was costive & the Colic left him,
but the other Symptoms continued as before. On the night
of the 10th of Septr then next he was suddenly seized wt.
Hemiplegia in bed. When he awaked in the morning he
found the power of moveing his whole right side was en¬
tirely lost, tho' sensation remained entire in it – On the day
following I first saw him – the pulse in both wrists
was seemingly the same & that natural to him in the
best health – his speech was impaired a good deal. ––
There was besides a considerable enlargement of his abdomen
and a fluctuation of Water could be evidently felt in it;
this was attended with scanty Urine & a bound Belly &
observed to come on very gradualy – At this time
[Page 2]
too, he had nausea & inclination to vomit.
Judging his Complaint to proceed from Compression on his Brain
and seeing so much of an Hydropic diathesis I began his
treatment with Blistering his whole head & repeating it again
& again – /he would not allow a perpetual Issue of any kind/
& put him upon the use of the following Bolus every night
℞ Calomel – pulv. Scillæ [acid?] @ gr iij Cons. Ros. q. s. ut
ft Bolus ––
and every morning and evening four ounces of the following
Infusion
℞ Rad. Raph – Semin Sinap @ ℥iv cut & bruised
& infused for twenty four hours in a Scots pint of Boil¬
ing Water ––
sisted in for some time, tho' it was difficult to keep
the Mercury from his mouth – the consequence of which
was that his Belly was reduced to the natural size &
his urine flowed plentifully – his headach soon left him,
but the inability of moving his right side continued as
before.
About the end of Octr there were so little signs of Serous
Plethora or Compression of any kind on his Brain, that I
began to give him such medecines as would promise to
do service, when Palsy proceeds from Collapse, another
cause of Palsy I do well remember to have heard
when I had the good fortune to be in one in your class
and I was the more readily led to this from a reflection
on Clynes preceeding course of life –– with this view he
[Page 3]
he got Empl. Calid/ applied along his Spine, & long strips three
fingers broad of the same plaister applied to the paralytic
thigh, leg & arm, laid on along the course of the most consider¬
able nerves – He swallowed white mustardseed, a table
spoonfull of it 3ce a day – he used the volatile Liniment;
took some Helebore by way of stimulatory & now & then
a Vomit to give a spur as well as to take away a great
quantity of ropey stuff that was like to Choak him ––
tho' much was not expected from it he used at same time
some Valerian Infusion & was indulged in the use of an
animal Diet well seasoned, solid & Cordial & generous drink
in moderation – A troublesome complaint made its ap¬
pearance about this time – Very often would he attempt to
use the urinal to no manner of purpose – sometimes he
passed slimey White Urine with great difficulty – at other
times he would have no Complaint of this sort – Gum
arabic dissolved in Boiling Water with some Sal nitri ––
served to mitigate this complaint, yet it still continues
to return as frequently as ever –– A still more ––
troublesome complaint than this I have mentioned dis¬
tressed him much, some time often commencing this warm
course – He was seized with very violent & very con¬
stant Spasmodic Contractions of his Paralytic leg and
arm, in so much that I was necessitated to give
[Page 4]
him some Thebaic Tincture mixed in eight times the same
quantity of Compound Tincture of Castor for some consider¬
able time, nor could he want it for excess of pain
till within two months – since which time tho' he is still
threatned with spasm yet they can be born without
medecine. Indeed he has not used a medecine of any
kind these two months save some Ol. Ricini to prevent
Costiveness & Friction – He lives on a solid & Cordial
Diet & drinks about a Scots mutchkine of Port in the
day – His power of moving the paralytic limbs is
greater – he can move his Toes, give some motion to the
joint at the upper end of the thigh & in one certain
direction move his arm a little back – He can be mad[e]
to take no exercise in a Chair, boat or sling – He is
taken out of bed by nine o'Clock a.m., but often, not¬
withstanding of all entreaty he lies much longer ––
His Complaints of Urine are still very troublesome
Upon the whole he is very desirous to have your
advice upon his case as is he who shall ever
be with the greatest respect
Sert
P: S: Mr Sutherland thinks proper to inform that his case
is as follows he complains of inability or want of power
to move his right leg & his right arm except as is mentd
in Mr Campbells letter also complains that he has no
natural passage in his belly or evacuation by stooll
He is oblidged to use the castor oill every four nights or when it faills to operate as it severall times does
cure ejection by which he obtains a loose Stooll in bed It will appear from the above that he
cannot move but is oblidged to be caried from his chair to bed or from bed to chair where he sits 10 hours every day.
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