Cullen

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

 

[ID:1993] Cover Letter and Case Note / Regarding: Mrs Scot (Patient) / 19 March 1781 / (Incoming)

Letter from William Wilson, concerning an unnamed female patient [Mrs Scot?] with a vaginal discharge which is suspected of being a venereal infection contracted from her husband. Consists of a covering letter and separate case note.

Facsimile

There are 11 images for this document.

[Page 1]


 

[Page 2]


 

[Page 3]


 

[Page 4]


 

[Page 5]


 

[Page 6]


 

[Page 7]


 

[Page 8]


 

[Page 9]


 

[Page 10]


 

[Page 11]


 
 

Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 1993
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/2/1071
Main Language English
Document Direction Incoming
Date19 March 1781
Annotation None
TypeAuthorial original
Enclosure(s) Enclosure(s) present
Autopsy No
Recipe No
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Letter from William Wilson, concerning an unnamed female patient [Mrs Scot?] with a vaginal discharge which is suspected of being a venereal infection contracted from her husband. Consists of a covering letter and separate case note.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1416]
Case of Mrs. Scot who has a vaginal shanker and a discharge, possibly syphilitic in origin.
4


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:132]AuthorDr William Wilson
[PERS ID:1]AddresseeDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:2888]PatientMrs Scot
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:132]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Wilson
[PERS ID:3220]Patient's Relative / Spouse / FriendMr Scot

Places linked to this document

Role in document Specific Place Settlements / Areas Region Country Global Region Confidence
Place of Writing Greenock Glasgow and West Scotland Europe certain
Destination of Letter Edinburgh Edinburgh and East Scotland Europe certain
Mentioned / Other West Indies certain
Mentioned / Other Jamaica West Indies certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]

Greenoch 19th March 1781

Dear Sir


I beg your advice in the anexed
case it hase given me much truble & concern
and I am entirely at a Loss how to proceed
the Husband got quite well with the use of the
Pills and hase remained free of complaints
since indeed he continued the use of them during
the most part of a Voyage to Jamaica tho he
seemed to have no complaints I am Most
Respectfully


Dear Sir
Your Most Humble
Servant

Will Wilson


Dr Cullen




[Page 2]


A lady about 27 Years of age maried about Seven
Years agoe, had a Miscarriage of Twins
about 7 Months after Mariage, hase had no
Children Since tho in good Health and
regular in menstruating.


[Start of margin text]September 1779[End of margin text] In the Month of September 1779 was seized
with a pain in the Back on attempting to lift
something heavy from the Ground and
in a day or two after had slight Fluor Albus
in the course of a month from this accident
her Husband (who is a sea Faring man) arived
[Start of margin text]January[End of margin text] from the west Indias in the month of January
I was consulted about the ladys complaints She
now had the discharge from Vagina much
increased and had many small sores on the
Labia pudenda and was so uneasy that
She



[Page 3]

Could neither sit nor walk without much
pain her having the discharge from the Vagina
before her husbands arival and as he made
no complaints She had no suspicion that
her complaints proceeded from any other cause
but the Violence she had [don?] her back and
thought the sores owing entirely to the Acrimo¬
ny of the Matter discharged as I was not
without some suspicion of the Housband I ex¬
amined him with respect to his health
I found he had had a Pox when abroad
but thought himself perfectly well having
no sores any where but some small warts
on the Glans penis & præputium on
examining however I found some small
shankers
behind the Glans he owned these


[Page 4]

Had made their apearance at different times
but soon gon off on being dressed with some
Ointment which he showed me this was [preip¬
etat?] & some digestive -- they were both
put on a course of Pill. Mercurial. and in
a very few days the Lady found herselfe
much better but from want of caution in taking
the Pills brought on a considerable degree
of salivation
which confined her to bed for ten
days or a Forthnight during which time
all her complaints left her excepting a slight
discharge from the
Vagina which she atri¬
buted to her first complaint and tho I urged
her much to take some more of the Pills
she could not be prevailed on in the Month
[Start of margin text]March 1780[End of margin text] of March She had a return of her Complaints


[Page 5]

at least a sore apeared on the outside of the right
labia pudenda and there was some degree
of inflamation within complained of frequent
inclination to make water pain in doing
it
↑&↑ great distress in walking She was so
frightned for the salivation that she still
refused to take the Pills I then gave her a
solution of corosive subl. with some Rad.
Sarsaparil.
& Rasur Guiac. for directions de¬
siring two spoonfuls of the solution to be put
to each Bottle of Decoction and a Bottle to be
drunk every day in a few days She again
thought herselfe well but continued the Use
of the Medicines for a fortnight After
[Start of margin text]May 1780[End of margin text] in the month of may she went to Goat whey
Quarters where she was near a month


[Page 6]

Without any return of her Complaints at which
[Start of margin text]June 1780[End of margin text] time the old sore again made its apearance
precisely in the same place and the discharge
from the Vagina again increased and
became very Fœted she was now again prevailed
on to take the Pills which affected her mouth
slightly in ten days so soon as her mouth
was [launched?] the sores began to heal and
in a Few days she again seemed well she
now kept her mouth slightly affected for
a month and again thought herself well
as she was at some distance from this I had
not see her for some Weeks after her leaving
off the Pills when I next saw her she told
me she had been using the cold bath for
Some time that all her complaints were


[Page 7]

Gon even the discharge from the Vagina for
which she had been advised by some person
there to use the Cold Bath this was in August
in September she returned and told me she
was very well but for an eruption on the skin
which came out in [farely?] large red spots
then took a Brownish collour & the scarf skin
seperated from the cutis in small white
scales this eruption was prety general over
the Body but particularly on the hands
as I had still some susspicion of the Taints
remaining I ordered her to drink some
Decoction of Guiacum milk warm at going to
to bed and early in the morning and again
to begin the Pills the second day after begin¬
ing the Course the old sore again apeared


[Page 8]

She was now much despirited as indeed I
was but her Mouth was no sooner affected
but the spots on the skin went of and the
sore Healed she again continued the Pills
till I thought all danger of a relaps was over
in less then a month after Leaving them
off she complained of a slight sore throat
which she had felt for two or three days
and was afraid for the old sores making
its apearance as the parts was a little sweld
on Examening her Throat I found two small
Ulcers
& next day She told me the Sore was
again break out (it is a little remarkable
that all these new attacks hapened always
two or three days before the apearance of
the menses) she was now quite averse from


[Page 9]

taking the Pills and desired to have the solution
with the decoctions of sarsa this she took
and as usual the sores dissappeared in a few
days She continued them again for some time
[Start of margin text]January 1781[End of margin text] and Felt prety well about two Months agoe
she again complained of a swelling in the
old place and alsoe much pain & Heat in
the inside
the discharge was much increased
and she had great pain in walking I now
put her on a Course of the Decoction of
Mezereon
beginning with a Drachm of the
cortex from Lawrys Labrotory 1 to the Quart
bottle this was increased to two Drachms whic[h]
was as much as her stomach would bear
her complaints seemed to grow worse a
Number of small sores Some Fleshy


[Page 10]

Excrescences and some warts were formed within
the Vagina & labia pudenda she now took
the Pills again and brought them to affect
her Mouth but not with the same advantages
as formerly the Violence of the pain ↑in↑ walking
and sitting is indeed Abated but the sores
Continue She hase taken no Pills for these
two or three days as she feard a salivation
her Tongue having been swelled from the
Pills She had taken and a considerable
degree of spitting
brought on she had used
half a pound of the Mezerean before she
left it off If I can again prevail on her to
take the Pills I will begin them to night &
continue till I have your Directions


Greenoch 19th March 1781



[Page 11]


Mr William Wilson
concerning a Lady --
March 1781.
V. XII p.3
& V. XIII. p. 45 June.

Notes:

1: Williamson's Directory, for the city of Edinburgh, Canongate, Leith, and suburbs; from June 1778, to June 1779 (Edinburgh: 1778), lists 'Laurie and Co. druggists, head of Niddry's wynd' (p.57). In this context a 'laboratory' indicates a place where drugs are being commercially prepared.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]

Greenoch 19th March 1781

Dear Sir


I beg your advice in the anexed
case it hase given me much truble & concern
and I am entirely at a Loss how to proceed
the Husband got quite well with the use of the
Pills and hase remained free of complaints
since indeed he continued the use of them during
the most part of a Voyage to Jamaica tho he
seemed to have no complaints I am Most
Respectfully


Dear Sir
Your Most Humble
Servt

Will Wilson


Dr Cullen




[Page 2]


A lady about 27 Years of age maried about Seven
Years agoe, had a Miscarriage of Twins
about 7 Months after Mariage, hase had no
Children Since tho in good Health and
regular in menstruating.


[Start of margin text]Septr 1779[End of margin text] In the Month of Septemr. 1779 was seized
with a pain in the Back on attempting to lift
something heavy from the Ground and
in a day or two after had slight Fluor Albus
in the course of a month from this accident
her Husband (who is a sea Faring man) arived
[Start of margin text]Janry[End of margin text] from the west Indias in the month of January
I was consulted about the ladys complaints She
now had the discharge from Vagina much
increased and had many small sores on the
Labia pudenda and was so uneasy that
She



[Page 3]

Could neither sit nor walk without much
pain her having the discharge from the Vagina
before her husbands arival and as he made
no complaints She had no suspicion that
her complaints proceeded from any other cause
but the Violence she had [don?] her back and
thought the sores owing entirely to the Acrimo¬
ny of the Matter discharged as I was not
without some suspicion of the Housband I ex¬
amined him with respect to his health
I found he had had a Pox when abroad
but thought himself perfectly well having
no sores any where but some small warts
on the Glans penis & præputium on
examining however I found some small
shankers
behind the Glans he owned these


[Page 4]

Had made their apearance at different times
but soon gon off on being dressed with some
Ointment which he showed me this was [preip¬
etat?] & some digestive -- they were both
put on a course of Pill. Mercurial. and in
a very few days the Lady found herselfe
much better but from want of caution in taking
the Pills brought on a considerable degree
of salivation
which confined her to bed for ten
days or a Forthnight during which time
all her complaints left her excepting a slight
discharge from the
Vagina which she atri¬
buted to her first complaint and tho I urged
her much to take some more of the Pills
she could not be prevailed on in the Month
[Start of margin text]March 1780[End of margin text] of March She had a return of her Complaints


[Page 5]

at least a sore apeared on the outside of the right
labia pudenda and there was some degree
of inflamation within complained of frequent
inclination to make water pain in doing
it
↑&↑ great distress in walking She was so
frightned for the salivation that she still
refused to take the Pills I then gave her a
solution of corosive subl. with some Rad.
Sarsaparil.
& Rasur Guiac. for directions de¬
siring two spoonfuls of the solution to be put
to each Bottle of Decoction and a Bottle to be
drunk every day in a few days She again
thought herselfe well but continued the Use
of the Medicines for a fortnight After
[Start of margin text]May 1780[End of margin text] in the month of may she went to Goat whey
Quarters where she was near a month


[Page 6]

Without any return of her Complaints at which
[Start of margin text]June 1780[End of margin text] time the old sore again made its apearance
precisely in the same place and the discharge
from the Vagina again increased and
became very Fœted she was now again prevailed
on to take the Pills which affected her mouth
slightly in ten days so soon as her mouth
was [launched?] the sores began to heal and
in a Few days she again seemed well she
now kept her mouth slightly affected for
a month and again thought herself well
as she was at some distance from this I had
not see her for some Weeks after her leaving
off the Pills when I next saw her she told
me she had been using the cold bath for
Some time that all her complaints were


[Page 7]

Gon even the discharge from the Vagina for
which she had been advised by some person
there to use the Cold Bath this was in August
in September she returned and told me she
was very well but for an eruption on the skin
which came out in [farely?] large red spots
then took a Brownish collour & the scarf skin
seperated from the cutis in small white
scales this eruption was prety general over
the Body but particularly on the hands
as I had still some susspicion of the Taints
remaining I ordered her to drink some
Decoction of Guiacum milk warm at going to
to bed and early in the morning and again
to begin the Pills the second day after begin¬
ing the Course the old sore again apeared


[Page 8]

She was now much despirited as indeed I
was but her Mouth was no sooner affected
but the spots on the skin went of and the
sore Healed she again continued the Pills
till I thought all danger of a relaps was over
in less then a month after Leaving them
off she complained of a slight sore throat
which she had felt for two or three days
and was afraid for the old sores making
its apearance as the parts was a little sweld
on Examening her Throat I found two small
Ulcers
& next day She told me the Sore was
again break out (it is a little remarkable
that all these new attacks hapened always
two or three days before the apearance of
the menses) she was now quite averse from


[Page 9]

taking the Pills and desired to have the solution
with the decoctions of sarsa this she took
and as usual the sores dissappeared in a few
days She continued them again for some time
[Start of margin text]Janry. 1781[End of margin text] and Felt prety well about two Months agoe
she again complained of a swelling in the
old place and alsoe much pain & Heat in
the inside
the discharge was much increased
and she had great pain in walking I now
put her on a Course of the Decoction of
Mezereon
beginning with a Drachm of the
cortex from Lawrys Labrotory 1 to the Quart
bottle this was increased to two Drachms whic[h]
was as much as her stomach would bear
her complaints seemed to grow worse a
Number of small sores Some Fleshy


[Page 10]

Excrescences and some warts were formed within
the Vagina & labia pudenda she now took
the Pills again and brought them to affect
her Mouth but not with the same advantag.
as formerly the Violence of the pain ↑in↑ walking
and sitting is indeed Abated but the sores
Continue She hase taken no Pills for these
two or three days as she feard a salivation
her Tongue having been swelled from the
Pills She had taken and a considerable
degree of spitting
brought on she had used
half a pound of the Mezerean before she
left it off If I can again prevail on her to
take the Pills I will begin them to night &
continue till I have your Directions


Greenoch 19th March 1781



[Page 11]


Mr Wm Wilson
C. a Lady --
March 1781.
V. XII p.3
& V. XIII. p. 45 June.

Notes:

1: Williamson's Directory, for the city of Edinburgh, Canongate, Leith, and suburbs; from June 1778, to June 1779 (Edinburgh: 1778), lists 'Laurie and Co. druggists, head of Niddry's wynd' (p.57). In this context a 'laboratory' indicates a place where drugs are being commercially prepared.

XML

XML file not yet available.

Feedback

Send us specfic feeback about this document [DOC ID:1993]

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...