The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1857] From: Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Dr Thomas Mutter (Reverend) (Patient) / 28 May 1780 / (Incoming)
Letter from John Gilchrist concerning the case of Dr Mutter, a Dumfries clergyman and scholar, who has suffered a stroke (palsy) and describing his condition and the treatment provided so far in some detail.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 1857 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/936 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 28 May 1780 |
| 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 John Gilchrist concerning the case of Dr Mutter, a Dumfries clergyman and scholar, who has suffered a stroke (palsy) and describing his condition and the treatment provided so far in some detail. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:9] |
Case of Dr Thomas Mutter who has suffered 'a palsy' (stroke). |
14 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:115] | Author | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:472] | Patient | Dr Thomas Mutter (Reverend) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:115] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
| [PERS ID:566] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Mr Alexander Copland (Coupland; of King's Grange) |
| [PERS ID:474] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs Isabel Mutter |
| [PERS ID:2864] | Other |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Dumfries | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
After a long interval, it is very satisfactory to me to resume
our correspondence. On Tuesday last I was called to visit Dr Mutter,
and yesterday, before I knew any thing of your having been writ to
I desired that his case should be laid before you. In the evening
Mrs Mutter shewed me yours which she had received by last nights
post. - The nature of the disorder must be very obvious to you.
Dr M. is now about sixty eight;- for a long time past of a corpulant
and very sluggish habit;- pretty much given to study, and one who
from the accuracy and variety of his compositions to the last, must
have continued ↑to study↑; subject, for many years, (from what some of his
friends say), to certain complaints of his head, none of which I can
well specify, except a deafness, which at times, (tho' not for several
years past) has increased to a great degree, and continued [long;?]
and frequently harrased and exhausted as you know ↑very much of late↑ by a habitu¬
al Diarrhoea.- I take no notice here of the disorder in which you saw
him two or three years ago, - the abscess on the side of his head, and
Caries of the temporal bone, as it seemed to be rather accidental and
external. -- A Patient of this description must, I imagine, be
reckoned, at once, a very bad subject for the Palsy in one of its most
unpromising forms.- On the Monday, that is last Monday, several
symptoms of the hemiplegia appeased, and he was himself sensible
of what was approaching, and expressed himself to that purpose. On
the Tuesday morning he was totally deprived of Speech.- It is the right
side that is affected, though not with the greatest degree of loss of
motion or loss of feeling, for he can still walk with some help,
dragging the leg much, and can help himself a little when turning
in bed. Tho family have flattered themselves that for these two ↑days↑ past
he has sometimes articulated a syllable or two, but I cannot be sensible
[Page 2]
of any change to the better in his Speech.- Five days have now elap¬
sed, and I think the symptoms in general continue very uniformly the
same. His pulse has run from 55. to 65. in the minute. At the first
attack it was hardly above 50. I have never felt it full or hard;
and frequntly it has been very small.- Mr M. calls ↑generally↑ for the cham¬
ber pot, but sometimes he has passed a good deal of urine involun¬
tarily.- I should have mentioned above that at first these was
a considerable degree of inability of inability of swallowing, though he soon came
to be able to swallow liquids, and yesterday he made shift to get over
one small morsel of bread.- Notwithstanding the absence of fever his
tongue is very white, tho' soft and moist, and no way furred.-
These I think are the symptoms and circumstances that need to be men¬
tioned to which I must add that ↑he↑ expresses no sense of pain or dis¬
tress of any kind, and sits in his chair through the day, without shew¬
ing the least impatience or desire to do any thing.- Once or twice
was afraid that his faculties were beginning to be impaired; but
all his family is convinced that he is sensible of his situation
and of what is doing, and should be done about him; and I be¬
lieve they are right.
I am the more anxious for your opinion and advice in this case
as the treatment of some of the same nature which have particularly
fuller under my observation, has afforded me very little satisfaction
The only case in which I have made any material progress has been
that of a Clergyman too- a man of acute parts & advanced in life, but
of such a vigorous & sanguine habit as required & fully admitted of
large bleedings at the time of seizure. - Matters, as you'll judge,
are extremely different with Dr Mutter- There was no room when
he was siezed, to entertain the least thought of opening a vein;
and the state of his pulse being such as I have described I did not
[Page 3]
even think of Leeches to the temples. Tho' now I see ↑no↑ objection to the
application of these, and this evening I propose, if his pulse continues
as it has been these two days past to advise them, agreeably to your
opinion. When I was first called the great & sole object seemed to
be to sense nature & support the {illeg}upon the intention
I directed a large Blister to the nape of the neck, and a draught
to be taken every three or four hours, containing six grains of
Salt of Hartshorn of the Electuary Cardiac.- This I am happy agrees, so
far with your ideas in the only medicine you have yet advised.-
But such I must tell you is the miserable want of execution
in this case that the Blister was not applied till near morning
& he has never taken but a half of one of one the Draughts.
I likewise advised a glass of wine occasionally, and good
Broth, and externally our usual mustard Cataplasms for [two?]
or three hours at a time; tho' they have yet been applied
but twice. His usual diarrhoea, which was very lately
upon him, did not continue after the attack, and it became even
necessary to think of some laxative; I did not like the ordinary
aloetics, and he got, what I believe Mr Copland had some times
been obliged to give him, a draught with 25 grains of the Powder and Scammony compound which produced no effect, tho' Mr C. says his
Scammony is good, - and we have since trusted to Clysters
-- I have run myself so near Post-time, that I am
obliged to break off more hastily than I intended, tho' I think I have
not omitted {illeg} for your information It will m[ake?]
me happy to hear from you as soon as you can. Believe me
always with most sincere regard Dear Sir,
Inclosed are £2.2:
[Page 4]
To
Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Dr John Gilchrist
Query
Dr Mutter
May. 1780
XI. p. 16
Diplomatic Text
After a long interval, it is very satisfactory to me to resume
our correspondence. On Tuesday last I was called to visit Dr Mutter,
and yesterday, before I knew any thing of your having been writ to
I desired that his case should be laid before you. In the evening
Mrs Mutter shewed me yours which she had received by last nights
post. - The nature of the disorder must be very obvious to you.
Dr M. is now about sixty eight;- for a long time past of a corpulant
and very sluggish habit;- pretty much given to study, and one who
from the accuracy and variety of his compositions to the last, must
have continued ↑to study↑; subject, for many years, (from what some of his
friends say), to certain complaints of his head, none of which I can
well specify, except a deafness, which at times, (tho' not for several
years past) has increased to a great degree, and continued [long;?]
and frequently harrased and exhausted as you know ↑very much of late↑ by a habitu¬
al Diarrhoea.- I take no notice here of the disorder in which you saw
him two or three years ago, - the abscess on the side of his head, and
Caries of the temporal bone, as it seemed to be rather accidental and
external. -- A Patient of this description must, I imagine, be
reckoned, at once, a very bad subject for the Palsy in one of its most
unpromising forms.- On the Monday, that is last Monday, several
symptoms of the hemiplegia appeased, and he was himself sensible
of what was approaching, and expressed himself to that purpose. On
the Tuesday morning he was totally deprived of Speech.- It is the right
side that is affected, though not with the greatest degree of loss of
motion or loss of feeling, for he can still walk with some help,
dragging the leg much, and can help himself a little when turning
in bed. Tho family have flattered themselves that for these two ↑days↑ past
he has sometimes articulated a syllable or two, but I cannot be sensible
[Page 2]
of any change to the better in his Speech.- Five days have now elap¬
sed, and I think the symptoms in general continue very uniformly the
same. His pulse has run from 55. to 65. in the minute. At the first
attack it was hardly above 50. I have never felt it full or hard;
and frequntly it has been very small.- Mr M. calls ↑generally↑ for the cham¬
ber pot, but sometimes he has passed a good deal of urine involun¬
tarily.- I should have mentioned above that at first these was
a considerable degree of inability of inability of swallowing, though he soon came
to be able to swallow liquids, and yesterday he made shift to get over
one small morsel of bread.- Notwithstanding the absence of fever his
tongue is very white, tho' soft and moist, and no way furred.-
These I think are the symptoms and circumstances that need to be men¬
tioned to which I must add that ↑he↑ expresses no sense of pain or dis¬
tress of any kind, and sits in his chair through the day, without shew¬
ing the least impatience or desire to do any thing.- Once or twice
was afraid that his faculties were beginning to be impaired; but
all his family is convinced that he is sensible of his situation
and of what is doing, and should be done about him; and I be¬
lieve they are right.
I am the more anxious for your opinion and advice in this case
as the treatment of some of the same nature which have particularly
fuller under my observation, has afforded me very little satisfaction
The only case in which I have made any material progress has been
that of a Clergyman too- a man of acute parts & advanced in life, but
of such a vigorous & sanguine habit as required & fully admitted of
large bleedings at the time of seizure. - Matters, as you'll judge,
are extremely different with Dr Mutter- There was no room when
he was siezed, to entertain the least thought of opening a vein;
and the state of his pulse being such as I have described I did not
[Page 3]
even think of Leeches to the temples. Tho' now I see ↑no↑ objection to the
application of these, and this evening I propose, if his pulse continues
as it has been these two days past to advise them, agreeably to your
opinion. When I was first called the great & sole object seemed to
be to sense nature & support the {illeg}upon the intention
I directed a large Blister to the nape of the neck, and a draught
to be taken every three or four hours, containing six grains of
Salt of Hartshorn of the Elect: Cardiac.- This I am happy agrees, so
far with your ideas in the only medicine you have yet advised.-
But such I must tell you is the miserable want of execution
in this case that the Blister was not applied till near morning
& he has never taken but a half of one of one the Draughts.
I likewise advised a glass of wine occasionally, and good
Broth, and externally our usual mustard Cataplasms for [two?]
or three hours at a time; tho' they have yet been applied
but twice. His usual diarrhoea, which was very lately
upon him, did not continue after the attack, and it became even
necessary to think of some laxative; I did not like the ordinary
aloetics, and he got, what I believe Mr Copland had some times
been obliged to give him, a draught with gr. 25 of the Pulv.
e Scammon comp. wh compound which produced no effect, tho' Mr C. says his
Scammony is good, - and we have since trusted to Clysters
-- I have run myself so near Post-time, that I am
obliged to break off more hastily than I intended, tho' I think I have
not omitted {illeg} for your information It will m[ake?]
me happy to hear from you as soon as you can. Believe me
always with most sincere regard Dear Sir,
Inclosed are £2.2:
[Page 4]
To
Doctor Cullen
Physician
Edinburgh
Dr John Gilchrist
Q
Dr Mutter
May. 1780
XI. p. 16
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