The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2164] From: Dr Richard Story / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs Harrison (Patient), Mrs Wyvil (Wyvill) (Patient) / 14? February 1782 / (Incoming)
Letter from Richard Story, concerning the worsening case of Mrs Wyvil and reporting on the improvement of Mrs Harrison's.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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[Page 4]
Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 2164 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1238 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Incoming |
Date | 14? February 1782 |
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 Richard Story, concerning the worsening case of Mrs Wyvil and reporting on the improvement of Mrs Harrison's. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:301] |
Case of Mrs Wyvill who has a disease of the breast. |
6 |
[Case ID:1344] |
Case of Mrs Harrison who has a schirrous breast. |
4 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:118] | Author | Dr Richard Story |
[PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:117] | Patient | Mrs Harrison |
[PERS ID:119] | Patient | Mrs Wyvil (Wyvill) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:118] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Richard Story |
Places linked to this document
Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of Writing | Penrith | North-West | England | Europe | certain | |
Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
Mentioned / Other | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
Mentioned / Other | The University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Place of Handstamp | Penrith | North-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
I am desired to acquaint you that Mrs Wyvil of
this place who waited on you at Edinburgh some time in June
last with a complaint in her right breast, still continues very
poorly. The whole Breast is now excoriated & very much inflamed
& the Glands of the Axilla are very hard & painful: there is a considerable
discharge from the Breast of a brown, & some times of a bloody
Matter, which does not in the least contribute to disolve the schirr¬
us hardness, these complaints at times are very painful especi¬
ally at Nights; & what adds greatly to her grief; the other breast has
of late become hard, & painful, so that she now begins to despair
of ever getting well.
The excoriated parts have been dressed with the White Cerate, or Poultices made of Carrots, & Hemlock, which always
removes the offensive smell. She has constantly taken the Cicuta Powder in as large doses as her Stomach would bear.
She has keept her Belly regular by taking the Malt Infusion
every day; & over aweek have procured two or three Stools by
taking two Spoonfuls of the Aperient Solution A
[Page 2]
Her diet has chiefly been Milk & Vegetables, & once or twice a
Week alittle light Soup, or the lighter kinds of Animal food.
She has no thirst, & her appetite is pretty good; yet She is low &
dejected for the most part, some times She will be a little chearful
after a good night, but which indeed is not often, as She is not
willing to take any thing to procure Sleep.
Leeches have been appplied round the Breast which She
thinks gives relief for a few days.
She has taken the Cicuta so long without any appearan↑t↑
advantage that she begins to tire of it, & thinks it will do her
no good; if you know of any Other Medicine that will
Answer better, or even as well, I wish you would order it for
her; for my own part I have little or no hopes of her getting
better as I think her complaint is a confirmed Cancer.
Mrs Harrison the Lady that accompanyed Mrs.
Wyvil to Edinburgh is much the same as when you saw her
the Breast gives her very little trouble, She thinks that
She receives great benifit by the Mercurial and Antimonial
Bolus's that you ordered for her.
I am great Sir Your most Obedient &
Most Humble Servant
[Page 3]
A Take one ounce of Soluble Tartar, half an ounce of Glauber's Salts, one drachm each of Polychrest Salts and Spanish Sea-Salts, and two ounces each of Simple Cinnamon Water and strong Cinnamon Water. Mix.
P.S.
Mrs. Wyvil desires that I will request you to order some¬
thing to be rubed on her Breast to disolve the hardness that
has lately appeared in it, if you possibly can, as She
is v[ery] much afraid that it will in time become {illeg}
th{illeg}
[Page 4]
Doctor William Cullen
Professor of Medicine in the University
of Edinburgh
Mr Story Concerning Mrs Wyvill
February 1782
V. XIII p.294.
Diplomatic Text
I am desired to acquaint you that Mrs Wyvil of
this place who waited on you at Edinburgh some time in June
last with a complaint in her right breast, still continues very
poorly. The whole Breast is now excoriated & very much inflamed
& the Glands of the Axilla are very hard & painful: there is a considerable
discharge from the Breast of a brown, & some times of a bloody
Matter, which does not in the least contribute to disolve the schirr¬
us hardness, these complaints at times are very painful especi¬
ally at Nights; & what adds greatly to her grief; the other breast has
of late become hard, & painful, so that she now begins to despair
of ever getting well.
The excoriated parts have been dressed with the Ceratum
Album, or Poultices made of Carrots, & Hemlock, which always
removes the offensive smell. She has constantly taken the Pulv.
Cicuta in as large doses as her Stomach would bear.
She has keept her Belly regular by taking the Malt Infusion
every day; & over aweek have procured two or three Stools by
taking two Spoonfuls of the Aperient Solution A
[Page 2]
Her diet has chiefly been Milk & Vegetables, & once or twice a
Week alittle light Soup, or the lighter kinds of Animal food.
She has no thirst, & her appetite is pretty good; yet She is low &
dejected for the most part, some times She will be a little chearful
after a good night, but which indeed is not often, as She is not
willing to take any thing to procure Sleep.
Leeches have been appplied round the Breast which She
thinks gives relief for a few days.
She has taken the Cicuta so long without any appearan↑t↑
advantage that she begins to tire of it, & thinks it will do her
no good; if you know of any Other Medicine that will
Answer better, or even as well, I wish you would order it for
her; for my own part I have little or no hopes of her getting
better as I think her complaint is a confirmed Cancer.
Mrs Harrison the Lady that accompanyed Mrs.
Wyvil to Edinbr. is much the same as when you saw her
the Breast gives her very little trouble, She thinks that
She receives great benifit by the Mercurial and Antimonial
Bolus's that you ordered for her.
I am great Sir Your most Obedt. &
Most Humble. Servt.
[Page 3]
A ℞ Tart. Solubil ℥i Sal. Glaub. ℥ſs
Sal. Polychrest Sal. Marin. Hisp a ʒi
Aq. Cinnam. Simp.
----------- fort: a ℥ii ℳ.
P.S.
Mrs. Wyvil desires that I will request you to order some¬
thing to be rubed on her Breast to disolve the hardness that
has lately appeared in it, if you possibly can, as She
is v[ery] much afraid that it will in time become {illeg}
th{illeg}
[Page 4]
Doctor William Cullen
Professor of Medicine in the University
of Edinburgh
Mr Story C. Mrs Wyvill
Febry 1782
V. XIII p.294.
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