The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:1963] From: Dr Richard Worthington / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs Worthington (Patient) / 12 January 1781 / (Incoming)
Letter from Richard Worthington, a former pupil of Cullen's, concerning the case of his mother.
- 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 | 1963 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1042 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 12 January 1781 |
| 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 Richard Worthington, a former pupil of Cullen's, concerning the case of his mother. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1366] |
Case of the mother of Dr Worthington, whose numerous symptoms are attributed to gout. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:3947] | Author | Dr Richard Worthington |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3948] | Patient | Mrs Worthington |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3947] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Richard Worthington |
| [PERS ID:3947] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Dr Richard Worthington |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Wrexham | North Wales | Wales | Europe | certain | |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Place of Handstamp | Chester | North-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Permit me on this occasion to accept the
kind Offer you formerly made me of giving your
assistance and Advice to your old Pupil in
any medical Case of Difficulty- Such a one
does now and has for some time past existed in
the Person of my own Mother.
She is about 56 Years of Age = during the last
16 of which I may say her nervous System has
given the Symptoms of considerable Irritabi¬
lity, such as very frequent Head-achs,
Palpitations of Heart and a general spas¬
modic state by night, Disorders of Stomach
and Bowels, attended sometimes with Sick¬
ness in the former so as to produce Vomiting,
while considerable Diarrhoeas have super¬
vened to the affection of the latter.
Head Achs, and Restlessness in the Night
[Season?] have generally, however, prov'd the
[Page 2]
principal Complaints. Her Spirits have al¬
together been remarkably good, beyond the
common Standard, and her Mind very active
so much so that Strangers might generally
have been in her Company from Morning to
night without the Suspicion arising of
her having a Complaint, unless that in
the Morning an increased yellowness of
Skin frequently appears -- Of late years
her appearance has been cachectic, but
her Pulse by no means such as might
be expected from that appearance, being
as often of an inflammatory as any other
kind -- According to my Ideas most of her
Complaints have been the Effect of a gouty Dia¬
thesis, which you will the more readily sup¬
pose, Sir, when I inform you that within these
last few years she has had three, four or
more Paroxysms of regular Gout- This is a
sufficient Introduction to what I have to ob¬
serve and particularise to you, Sir, respec¬
ting her present Condition- viz-
In July last she was attack'd with the
[Page 3]
Gout in one of her Feet, the Inflammation
and Pains of which, particularly the latter, was
great - In a few Days, /the Affection of the
Foot still remaining / both Stomach and Bow¬
els were as violently disorder'd as could have
been look'd for in an entirely retrocedent
Gout. From this painful State she recover'd
by the help of what seem'd to me proper Means,
in the Space of a Fortnight, so far as to be
able to undergo with considerable Ease a
Journey then immediately necessary -
Soon after this, her Stomach and Bowels
became more violently affected than
before, and the State of the former
seem'd to threaten the worst Consequences-
The urinary Passages now suffer'd consider¬
ably, and the Water, which pass'd, was
white as Milk, and seem'd to contain
a large Quantity of chalky Matter.
A very troublesome Strangury was present
and much Pain was complain'd of in the
Bladder. At certain Times also a real
Pus appear'd in the Urine - From this
state she again recover'd and remain'd toler¬
[Page 4]
ably well 'till about a Fortnight ago, 'tho' the
Affection of the Bladder and Strangury has been more
or less urgent since the Attack in July - I mean to say
that within this Fortnight the Affection was once or
twice aggravated and the white Urine return'd.
-This Disease of the Bladder /the Pain there felt
and the occasional Strangury/ is what I request
your Advice for - Fomentations and mild Diluents
have been us'd- The former seem to give present
Relief. Opiates do the same. Turpentine in form of
Pills seems somewhat useful. A Blister on the Oss sa¬
crum was used with some Advantage. I wish to apply
another immediately over the Bladder, but fear the benefit
will be transitory. I beg my best Respects to Mrs Cullen &
your Family, & to be indulgd in subscribing your faithful servant & Pup
Dr Cullen
Edinburgh
Diplomatic Text
Permit me on this occasion to accept the
kind Offer you formerly made me of giving your
assistance and Advice to your old Pupil in
any medical Case of Difficulty- Such a one
does now and has for some time past existed in
the Person of my own Mother.
She is about 56 Years of Age = during the last
16 of which I may say her nervous System has
given the Symptoms of considerable Irritabi¬
lity, such as very frequent Head-achs,
Palpitations of Heart and a general spas¬
modic state by night, Disorders of Stomach
and Bowels, attended sometimes with Sick¬
ness in the former so as to produce Vomiting,
while considerable Diarrhoeas have super¬
vened to the affection of the latter.
Head Achs, and Restlessness in the Night
[Season?] have generally, however, prov'd the
[Page 2]
principal Complaints. Her Spirits have al¬
together been remarkably good, beyond the
common Standard, and her Mind very active
so much so that Strangers might generally
have been in her Company from Morning to
night without the Suspicion arising of
her having a Complaint, unless that in
the Morning an increased yellowness of
Skin frequently appears -- Of late years
her appearance has been cachectic, but
her Pulse by no means such as might
be expected from that appearance, being
as often of an inflammatory as any other
kind -- According to my Ideas most of her
Complaints have been the Effect of a gouty Dia¬
thesis, which you will the more readily sup¬
pose, Sir, when I inform you that within these
last few years she has had three, four or
more Paroxysms of regular Gout- This is a
sufficient Introduction to what I have to ob¬
serve and particularise to you, Sir, respec¬
ting her present Condition- viz-
In July last she was attack'd with the
[Page 3]
Gout in one of her Feet, the Inflammation
and Pains of which, particularly the latter, was
great - In a few Days, /the Affection of the
Foot still remaining / both Stomach and Bow¬
els were as violently disorder'd as could have
been look'd for in an entirely retrocedent
Gout. From this painful State she recover'd
by the help of what seem'd to me proper Means,
in the Space of a Fortnight, so far as to be
able to undergo with considerable Ease a
Journey then immediately necessary -
Soon after this, her Stomach and Bowels
became more violently affected than
before, and the State of the former
seem'd to threaten the worst Consequences-
The urinary Passages now suffer'd consider¬
ably, and the Water, which pass'd, was
white as Milk, and seem'd to contain
a large Quantity of chalky Matter.
A very troublesome Strangury was present
and much Pain was complain'd of in the
Bladder. At certain Times also a real
Pus appear'd in the Urine - From this
state she again recover'd and remain'd toler¬
[Page 4]
ably well 'till about a Fortnight ago, 'tho' the
Affection of the Bladder and Strangury has been more
or less urgent since the Attack in July - I mean to say
that within this Fortnight the Affection was once or
twice aggravated and the white Urine return'd.
-This Disease of the Bladder /the Pain there felt
and the occasional Strangury/ is what I request
your Advice for - Fomentations and mild Diluents
have been us'd- The former seem to give present
Relief. Opiates do the same. Turpentine in form of
Pills seems somewhat useful. A Blister on the Oss sa¬
crum was used with some Advantage. I wish to apply
another immediately over the Bladder, but fear the benefit
will be transitory. I beg my best Respects to Mrs Cullen &
yr Family, & to be indulgd in subscribing yr faithful servant & Pup
Dr Cullen
Edinburgh
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