The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:2572] From: Dr Patrick Scott / To: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / Regarding: Mrs Heywood (Patient) / 7 March 1785 / (Incoming)
Letter from Patrick Scott, concerning the case of Mrs Heywood.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
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[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 2572 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/1621 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Incoming |
Date | 7 March 1785 |
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 Patrick Scott, concerning the case of Mrs Heywood. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | Yes |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:1776] |
Case of Mrs Heywood who has a long history of various 'nervous' complaints which Cullen attributes to a scorbutic habit and relaxed alimentary system. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:403] | Author | Dr Patrick Scott |
[PERS ID:1] | Addressee | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:2876] | Patient | Mrs Heywood |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:403] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Patrick Scott |
Places linked to this document
Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of Writing | Douglas | Isle of Man | England | Europe | certain | |
Destination of Letter | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
The Case of Mrs. Heywood
Mrs. Heywood is aged forty two years is naturally of a
thin delicate habit, whose Stomach and Intestines are relaxed, and
whose nervous System is extremely irritable, has bornn eight Children,
and in general enjoyd good health, till within the last six years of her
Life, when after having suffer'd much from a Miscarriage, she became
subject to low spirits, flatulency, loss of Appetite, Costiveness, and Hysteric
Affections; since that period, she has not been pregnant, but the Menses
flowed regularly till ten Months ago. ----- About a year after
her Miscarriage, while her health was still much impair'd, She received a
slight bruise on the Ancle, it suddenly inflam'd and degenerated into
a disagreeable Scorbutic Ulcer, which almost totally confin'd her to
her house for ten or twelve Months, and she was under the Necessity
of taking different preparations of Alterative Medicines, with the
Assistance of a Physical Regimen. --- The Ulcer at last
having a tendency to heal & dry up, a Pea Issue was orderd
to be put in that leg, and the Patient in the course of a few
Months again (notwithstanding her being greatly emaciated
and wore down) seem'd to recover her usual stength and
Spirits; when unfortunately, she making a Visit at sev'ral
miles distance from her own house, catched a severe cold, by travelling
some miles in the Evening, in an Open Carriage, after coming out
of a very warm room; the consequence was a smart feverish
complaint for some days, and after she was able to travel to her
own house, an Eruption of large watry Blisters appear'd in different
parts of the Body, at this period (which happend last Summer)
she suppos'd that she was pregnant, having not had the least
appearance of the Menses, for the space of three months, which
till that time (notwithstanding her bad health) had been always
perfectly regular. ------ As the Winter advanced the
Patient appear'd gradually to become more indispos'd, complaining
constantly of being afflicted with wind, and flatulency in the
Stomach & Bowels, which seem'd to arise from the relaxed
and very debilitated state of the habit in general, and these
Organs having lost their tone; accompay'd with low Spirits
loss of Appetite, constant nausea, with frequent vomitings, of
of glareous phlegm, costiveness, with other Symptoms of general weak¬
ness, debility & languor.
The Lady as well as myself have been
for several months now perfectly convinced that she is not
[Page 2]
pregnant ↑altho' there has not been the least return of the Menses↑ which alarms her the more, as she experiences daily the
decline of her strength, being now so much reduc'd as with difficulty
to walk around her Room, The pea Issue in her leg is continued, and
discharges well, and lately she ↑has been↑ taking Medicines with a view to
strengthen the alimentary canal, and the whole System, as the
preparations of Steel,, the Peruvian Bark, and other Stomachic
Bitters with Elixir of Vitriol &c &c -- But the Patient is averse
to taking Medicines as she complains that every Drug, or food instan¬
taneously turns sour on the Stomach, and she vomits it up, wither
as tough glarey phlegm, or sometimes a blackish colour'd liquor re¬
sembling the grounds of Coffee. -- The Bowels are constantly
costipated unless Magnesia Alba, or some other gentle laxative
is taken ----- Lately there is a great straitness of the Breast attended
with a short tickling Cough more particularly at going to Bed,
but without any expectoration, violent palpitations of the Heart,
with sudden flushings of heat in various parts of the Body ---
The urine generally in small quantities, at other times very
copious and quite clear --- The mind is disturb'd on the most
trivial occasions, and is hurried into the most perverse commotions
with terror, anger, sadness, &c. ---- I hinted that there was a tendency
to a Scorbutic habit; and the Humours just now appear in a vitiated
state (perhaps owing to an hereditary taint) as their is a frequent
bleeding from the Nose, livid, yellow, or violet colour'd spots on the
legs, with dry scaly eruptions on different parts of the Body
attended with heat & itching &c &c --- The pulse is generally
quick & small, at evening rather hard and full; the Tongue is dry
and white, with constant thirst. The Skin is hot and dry, but seldom
moist. As wine was found to sour on the Patients Stomach she
found Brandy & Water to answer better, and to give a temporary
relief, but as this beverage rather seem'd to increase the malody,
and to weaken the Stomach, and hurt digestion, it was ordered to
be discontinued. ------
If the Doctor is desir'd to write very fully relative
the Patients Regimen, exercise, and medicines &c &c
Patrick Scott
Douglass Isle of Mann
March 7th - 1785
[Page 3]
✍
Mrs. Heywoods
Case
March 1785
V: XVI. p.345
Diplomatic Text
The Case of Mrs. Heywood
Mrs. Heywood is aged forty two years is naturally of a
thin delicate habit, whose Stomach and Intestines are relaxed, and
whose nervous System is extremely irritable, has bornn eight Children,
and in general enjoyd good health, till within the last six years of her
Life, when after having suffer'd much from a Miscarriage, she became
subject to low spirits, flatulency, loss of Appetite, Costiveness, and Hysteric
Affections; since that period, she has not been pregnant, but the Menses
flowed regularly till ten Months ago. ----- About a year after
her Miscarriage, while her health was still much impair'd, She recd. a
slight bruise on the Ancle, it suddenly inflam'd and degenerated into
a disagreeable Scorbutic Ulcer, which almost totally confin'd her to
her house for ten or twelve Months, and she was under the Necessity
of taking different preparations of Alterative Medicines, with the
Assistance of a Physical Regimen. --- The Ulcer at last
having a tendency to heal & dry up, a Pea Issue was orderd
to be put in that leg, and the Patient in the course of a few
Months again (notwithstanding her being greatly emaciated
and wore down) seem'd to recover her usual stength and
Spirits; when unfortunately, she making a Visit at sev'ral
miles distance from her own house, catched a severe cold, by travelling
some miles in the Evening, in an Open Carriage, after coming out
of a very warm room; the consequence was a smart feverish
complaint for some days, and after she was able to travel to her
own house, an Eruption of large watry Blisters appear'd in different
parts of the Body, at this period (which happend last Summer)
she suppos'd that she was pregnant, having not had the least
appearance of the Menses, for the space of three months, which
till that time (notwithstanding her bad health) had been always
perfectly regular. ------ As the Winter advanced the
Patient appear'd gradually to become more indispos'd, complaining
constantly of being afflicted with wind, and flatulency in the
Stomach & Bowels, which seem'd to arise from the relaxed
and very debilitated state of the habit in general, and these
Organs having lost their tone; accompay'd with low Spirits
loss of Appetite, constant nausea, with frequent vomitings, of
of glareous phlegm, costiveness, with other Symptoms of general weak¬
ness, debility & languor.
The Lady as well as myself have been
for several months now perfectly convinced that she is not
[Page 2]
pregnant ↑altho' there has not been the least return of the Menses↑ which alarms her the more, as she experiences daily the
decline of her strength, being now so much reduc'd as with difficulty
to walk around her Room, The pea Issue in her leg is continued, and
discharges well, and lately she ↑has been↑ taking Medicines with a view to
strengthen the alimentary canal, and the whole System, as the
preparations of Steel,, the Peruvian Bark, and other Stomachic
Bitters with Elixir of Vitriol &c &c -- But the Patient is averse
to taking Medicines as she complains that every Drug, or food instan¬
taneously turns sour on the Stomach, and she vomits it up, wither
as tough glarey phlegm, or sometimes a blackish colour'd liquor re¬
sembling the grounds of Coffee. -- The Bowels are constantly
costipated unless Magnesia Alba, or some other gentle laxative
is taken ----- Lately there is a great straitness of the Breast attended
with a short tickling Cough more particularly at going to Bed,
but without any expectoration, violent palpitations of the Heart,
with sudden flushings of heat in various parts of the Body ---
The urine generally in small quantities, at other times very
copious and quite clear --- The mind is disturb'd on the most
trivial occasions, and is hurried into the most perverse commotions
with terror, anger, sadness, &c. ---- I hinted that there was a tendency
to a Scorbutic habit; and the Humours just now appear in a vitiated
state (perhaps owing to an hereditary taint) as their is a frequent
bleeding from the Nose, livid, yellow, or violet colour'd spots on the
legs, with dry scaly eruptions on different parts of the Body
attended with heat & itching &c &c --- The pulse is generally
quick & small, at evening rather hard and full; the Tongue is dry
and white, with constant thirst. The Skin is hot and dry, but seldom
moist. As wine was found to sour on the Patients Stomach she
found Brandy & Water to answer better, and to give a temporary
relief, but as this beverage rather seem'd to increase the malody,
and to weaken the Stomach, and hurt digestion, it was ordered to
be discontinued. ------
If the Doctor is desir'd to write very fully relative
the Patients Regimen, exercise, and medicines &c &c
Patrick Scott
Douglass Isle of Mann
March 7th - 1785
[Page 3]
✍
Mrs. Heywoods
Case
March 1785
V: XVI. p.345
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