The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2104] From: Mr James Brown / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mr James Brown (Patient) / 30 November 1781 / (Incoming)
Letter from James Brown, concerning his own case, originally enclosed with Doc ID 2103. He discusses his ailments (numbness and soreness of legs, headache, and skin eruption on the head), and their treatment by Alexander Dunlop, after his return from seeing Cullen in Edinburgh.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 2104 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1179b |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Incoming |
| Date | 30 November 1781 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | Enclosure(s) present |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Letter from James Brown, concerning his own case, originally enclosed with Doc ID 2103. He discusses his ailments (numbness and soreness of legs, headache, and skin eruption on the head), and their treatment by Alexander Dunlop, after his return from seeing Cullen in Edinburgh. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1412] |
Case of Mr Brown whose present pains, numbness and other symptoms are not thought to be related to a former venereal infection. He undergoes electrical treatment. |
8 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:2949] | Author | Mr James Brown |
| [PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2949] | Patient | Mr James Brown |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:591] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Alexander Dunlop (Sanders, Saunders) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Jamaica Street | Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Referring you to Mr. Dunlops
Letter which accompanys this, I beg leave to trouble you
with my Own Observations ––
On my Return from Edinburgh, I begun with the Decoction
& since have literally followed all your other Prescriptions.
At first I found much Benefit from the warm Bath,
my Limbs becoming more pliant & less pained, but cannot
say the Progress of mending kept pace with the Continuation
of Bathing & on going out [an Airing?] of a few Miles in a
Chaise, & afterwards & walking two or three hundred yards
by way of Trial, I found my Feet and Legs grew stiff,
& heavy to move, as leaden Posts –– This was on Tuesday
13th. instant, which was cold & sharp –- the next Day & Day
following the soreness of the Calfs of both Legs were so
painfull as hardly to admit of being touched –– Since that
Day I have not been out of the House & these Pains have abated ––
On Sunday 18th. I took Dovers Powders & found my
Limbs lighter on Monday, but they fell back again & so conti¬
nued untill Saturday 24th. when I took another Dose of Powders.
On Sunday & Monday I felt much out of Order, but
[Page 2]
on Tuesday grew lighter and easer easier & have continued so
since –– At this time the Numbness of my Legs is much
abated, particularly the Right Leg, my Feet not so much
contracted & bound, as they were, but yet not free from that
feeling –- the Numbness of my hands much less than formerly
but seem to come & go –– My Sleep at Night, still much
disturbed by uneasy & [Vexatious?] Dreams –- the Head ach
less than before, and only comes out in the Morning about 3
or 4 oClock, confined to the forehead, and goes off when I rise
On the whole I certainly am better than I was, when I had
the Pleasure of seeing you, but still not so well as I want to
be that is, quite releived from this Painfull & uneasy Com¬
plaint –– On Tuesday & Wednesday Nights [last?] I was kept
some time from sleeping by an uneasy sensation in my
Knees & Limbs downwards, similar to the feeling like
growing Pains –– I felt the same One Night about five
weeks ago, but only these three Nights, all which Nights were
frosty ––
By the time I returned to Glasgow the Eruption on
my Head was entirely gone & did not appear untill Wednesday
14th. when we allowed it to go on without any Application,
when it continued to increase & became very flaky & Uneasy
particularly on Saturday 24th. when I was in Bed sweating
On Sunday it appeared Decaying or Dead & going off,
when I rubbed it with Vinegar & Rum and on Monday it
was gone –– On Tuesday I shaved my Head when not a
[Page 3]
Vestige remained excepting the Blanes, which are now entirely
gone away –– this last time the Eruption was chiefly con¬
fined to the sides of my Head behind both Temples ––
I am now only continuing the Bath which I go into
sometimes every Night & now & then allow a Night to
interveen –– I shall be very happy to hear from you again
and you may either write to Mr. Dunlop or to myself
directing to me on Jamaica Street –– I remain with
much Esteem & Respect
Your most obedient servant
Docr. Cullen
Diplomatic Text
Referring you to Mr. Dunlops
Letter which accompanys this, I beg leave to trouble you
with my Own Observations ––
On my Return from Edinburgh, I begun with the Decoction
& since have literally followed all your other Prescriptions.
At first I found much Benefit from the warm Bath,
my Limbs becoming more pliant & less pained, but cannot
say the Progress of mending kept pace with the Continuation
of Bathing & on going out [an Airing?] of a few Miles in a
Chaise, & afterwards & walking two or three hundred yards
by way of Trial, I found my Feet and Legs grew stiff,
& heavy to move, as leaden Posts –– This was on Tuesday
13th. instant, which was cold & sharp –- the next Day & Day
following the soreness of the Calfs of both Legs were so
painfull as hardly to admit of being touched –– Since that
Day I have not been out of the House & these Pains have abated ––
On Sunday 18th. I took Dovers Powders & found my
Limbs lighter on Monday, but they fell back again & so conti¬
nued untill Saturday 24th. when I took another Dose of Powders.
On Sunday & Monday I felt much out of Order, but
[Page 2]
on Tuesday grew lighter and easer easier & have continued so
since –– At this time the Numbness of my Legs is much
abated, particularly the Right Leg, my Feet not so much
contracted & bound, as they were, but yet not free from that
feeling –- the Numbness of my hands much less than formerly
but seem to come & go –– My Sleep at Night, still much
disturbed by uneasy & [Vexatious?] Dreams –- the Head ach
less than before, and only comes out in the Morning about 3
or 4 oClock, confined to the forehead, and goes off when I rise
On the whole I certainly am better than I was, when I had
the Pleasure of seeing you, but still not so well as I want to
be that is, quite releived from this Painfull & uneasy Com¬
plaint –– On Tuesday & Wednesday Nights [last?] I was kept
some time from sleeping by an uneasy sensation in my
Knees & Limbs downwards, similar to the feeling like
growing Pains –– I felt the same One Night about five
weeks ago, but only these three Nights, all which Nights were
frosty ––
By the time I returned to Glasgow the Eruption on
my Head was entirely gone & did not appear untill Wednesday
14th. when we allowed it to go on without any Application,
when it continued to increase & became very flaky & Uneasy
particularly on Saturday 24th. when I was in Bed sweating
On Sunday it appeared Decaying or Dead & going off,
when I rubbed it with Vinegar & Rum and on Monday it
was gone –– On Tuesday I shaved my Head when not a
[Page 3]
Vestige remained excepting the Blanes, which are now entirely
gone away –– this last time the Eruption was chiefly con¬
fined to the sides of my Head behind both Temples ––
I am now only continuing the Bath which I go into
sometimes every Night & now & then allow a Night to
interveen –– I shall be very happy to hear from you again
and you may either write to Mr. Dunlop or to myself
directing to me on Jamaica Street –– I remain with
much Esteem & Respect
Your most ot. servant
Docr. Cullen
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