The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:311] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mrs Ann(e) Waldie (Ormston) (Ann Ormston) / Regarding: Mrs Ann(e) Waldie (Ormston) (Ann Ormston) (Patient) / 23 June 1775 / (Outgoing)
Reply for Ann(e) Ormston [of Newcastle],, replying to Letter 1146). She suffers from bouts of feverishness and a skin rash Cullen states he is 'of opinion that you can be cured only by a Regimen with the assistance of very few Medicines'. He recommends cold bathing and avoiding extremes of temperature, spending the winters in the south of France or north of Italy, and a diet consisting of very little animal food. He gives a febrifuge recipe, having explained that her skin eruption is probably a sweat-rash from the fevers.
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Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 311 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/6/12 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 23 June 1775 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply for Ann(e) Ormston [of Newcastle],, replying to Letter 1146). She suffers from bouts of feverishness and a skin rash Cullen states he is 'of opinion that you can be cured only by a Regimen with the assistance of very few Medicines'. He recommends cold bathing and avoiding extremes of temperature, spending the winters in the south of France or north of Italy, and a diet consisting of very little animal food. He gives a febrifuge recipe, having explained that her skin eruption is probably a sweat-rash from the fevers. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:502] |
Case of Ann (Anne) Ormston who has had a long history of illhealth since suffering a 'scorbutic ulcer' when eighteen. |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1451] | Addressee | Mrs Ann(e) Waldie (Ann Ormston) |
| [PERS ID:1451] | Patient | Mrs Ann(e) Waldie (Ann Ormston) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
Places linked to this document
| Role in document | Specific Place | Settlements / Areas | Region | Country | Global Region | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Writing | Cullen's House / Mint Close | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain |
| Destination of Letter | Newcastle upon Tyne | North-East | England | Europe | inferred | |
| Therapeutic Recommendation | Northern Italy | Italy | Europe | certain | ||
| Therapeutic Recommendation | South of France | France | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Anne Ormston
I am much concerned to find a Lady whom from her wri¬
ting I must esteem labouring under so much distress. I should be glad
to see her but my conscience will not allow me to gratify myself
when I cannot say that it is necessary for her health. I think Madam
I understand your case very well. You have no particular disease
but a fault in your whole constitution. You have a disposition
to feverish fits, which are readily executed excited, both by heat
and cold. This is not to be cured by medicine, of which I think
you have taken a great deal too much and I think you must
be the worse for persisting as you still do in the use of Bark
I am clearly of opinion that you can be cured only by a Regi¬
men with the assistance of very few medicines.
The regimen I think proper, is taking a cold bath within doors
every morning both in winter and summer you must be as much
in the open air as possible, avoiding on one hand the direct
rays of the sun and on the other the access of very cold air.
You should pass the Winter in the south of France or North of
Italy repairing thither in the month of October and returning
to Britain against the first of May. You should be in freq↑u↑ent
gentle exercise. By walking you can get little benefit the
best is riding on horseback But I think you may be more
secure against many accidents and get nearly equal benefit,
by going in a single horse chaise, which has a moveable cover
and which chaise you should for the most part drive yourself.
Your cloathing should be warm, but as light as possible. You
should have flannel or woollen everywhere next your skin and this
will allow you to have your upper garments very light.
[Page 2]
Your diet should be very light, consisting of very little animal
food and chiefly if you can digest it well, of milk and grain.
This is the Regimen which persisted in for a year or two, will
I hope restore you to good health, and all I wish to add it is some
directions how to avoid cold, for tho that seems to attack us often in
an unpercieved way I am perswaded that a little attention would common¬
ly avoid it. To this purpose you must avoid being heated or when hea¬
ted being exposed to cold, when the body is anyhow weakened by
want of Sleep or nourishment, by fatigue, by evacuations, or affec¬
tions of the mind. You must at all times avoid, being in a stream
of air. You must avoid all damp and moisture and you must upon
no occasion make any change of cloathing from thicker to thinner
An Attention to these things will I hope prevent your having
returns of your ailments so often as you have had. I have thus
given you my best advice for mending your constitution, but I
have perhaps said too much in saying you have no particu¬
lar disease, while you have the Eruption you speak of on
your skin, but I do believe that the present state of it
depends very much on the sweatings you have been so fre¬
quently liable too and I should not think of prescribing If
I did not think of a medicine, which is not only suited to the state
of your skin, but also suited to prevent the returning of feverish
fits, you have been so liable too. I give it you therefore below
and from that you can make an Apothecary transcribe it. &.c &c. For Mrs Anne Ormston.
Take seven ounces of Rosewater, an ounce of Syrup of Cloves, and four grains of Tartar Emetic. Mix. Label: Febrifuge Mixture, a table spoonfull to be taken every night & morning
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Anne Ormston
I am much concerned to find a Lady whom from her wri¬
ting I must esteem labouring under so much distress. I should be glad
to see her but my conscience will not allow me to gratify myself
when I cannot say that it is necessary for her health. I think Madam
I understand your case very well. You have no particular disease
but a fault in your whole constitution. You have a disposition
to feverish fits, which are readily executed excited, both by heat
and cold. This is not to be cured by medicine, of which I think
you have taken a great deal too much and I think you must
be the worse for persisting as you still do in the use of Bark
I am clearly of opinion that you can be cured only by a Regi¬
men with the assistance of very few medicines.
The regimen I think proper, is taking a cold bath within doors
every morning both in winter and summer you must be as much
in the open air as possible, avoiding on one hand the direct
rays of the sun and on the other the access of very cold air.
You should pass the Winter in the south of France or North of
Italy repairing thither in the month of October and returning
to Britain against the first of May. You should be in freq↑u↑ent
gentle exercise. By walking you can get little benefit the
best is riding on horseback But I think you may be more
secure against many accidents and get nearly equal benefit,
by going in a single horse chaise, which has a moveable cover
and which chaise you should for the most part drive yourself.
Your cloathing should be warm, but as light as possible. You
should have flannel or woollen everywhere next your skin and this
will allow you to have your upper garments very light.
[Page 2]
Your diet should be very light, consisting of very little animal
food and chiefly if you can digest it well, of milk and grain.
This is the Regimen which persisted in for a year or two, will
I hope restore you to good health, and all I wish to add it is some
directions how to avoid cold, for tho that seems to attack us often in
an unpercieved way I am perswaded that a little attention would common¬
ly avoid it. To this purpose you must avoid being heated or when hea¬
ted being exposed to cold, when the body is anyhow weakened by
want of Sleep or nourishment, by fatigue, by evacuations, or affec¬
tions of the mind. You must at all times avoid, being in a stream
of air. You must avoid all damp and moisture and you must upon
no occasion make any change of cloathing from thicker to thinner
An Attention to these things will I hope prevent your having
returns of your ailments so often as you have had. I have thus
given you my best advice for mending your constitution, but I
have perhaps said too much in saying you have no particu¬
lar disease, while you have the Eruption you speak of on
your skin, but I do believe that the present state of it
depends very much on the sweatings you have been so fre¬
quently liable too and I should not think of prescribing If
I did not think of a medicine, which is not only suited to the state
of your skin, but also suited to prevent the returning of feverish
fits, you have been so liable too. I give it you therefore below
and from that you can make an Apothecary transcribe it. &.c &c. For Mrs Anne Ormston.
℞. Aq. ros. ℥vij Syr. Caryophyll. ℥i Tart. Emet. gr. iv ––––
ℳ. S. Febrifuge Mixture, a table spoonfull to be taken every
night & morning
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