The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:3789] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Reverend Townsend / Regarding: (A.B.) (Patient) / 28 March 1776 / (Outgoing)
Reply concerning,'The Case of A B' , identified elsewhere as a woman aged thirty-six whose case is reported by a Mr Townsend. She is diagnosed as having a 'constitutional irritability'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 3789 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/7/10 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 28 March 1776 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply concerning,'The Case of A B' , identified elsewhere as a woman aged thirty-six whose case is reported by a Mr Townsend. She is diagnosed as having a 'constitutional irritability'. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:703] |
Case of A. B., a 36-year-old woman with 'Lameness in the right Limb, with weakness, pain & spasms in the right hip extending from thence to the outside of the knee'. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2053] | Addressee | Reverend Townsend |
| [PERS ID:2054] | Patient | (A.B.) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:1922] | Other Physician / Surgeon | Dr Walter Chittick |
| [PERS ID:2053] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Reverend Townsend |
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 |
Normalized Text
The Case of A B.
Singular & very complicated - I shall give you my general ideas of it -
The whole appears to me to be founded on a singlularly great irritabi¬
lity of the System hence the Spasms upon every sudden exertion of
motion & hence the singular changes in the sudden distribution of the
fluids & hence also the more common irritability in the Alimentary
Canal & particularly the Hysteric suffocations. Thus most of the Cir¬
cumstances in the case may be referred to the irritability of the
System; but there seems to be joined to it a Calculous affection
of the kidneys & to this I think especially the lameness &c in
the right limb is to be imputed ---
I have thus given you my Pathology - with regard to which
I found no difficulty in my general ideas -- but I have not so much
confidence in proposing a Method of Cure ---
Such a constitutional irritability, must be difficult per¬
haps impossible to change, but it will probably mend as
the person advances in life - In the mean time it will be difficult
to obviate its effects while every accident is liable to produce them
What can be done must be done by Tonic remedies -
Sea bathing, much fresh air & gentle exercise & perhaps by
Tonic medicines among which I would prefer Chalybeates - For the disor¬
ders of the Alimentary Canal your Rhubarb may be very proper
& when any violent disorders arise I should think the discreet
use of Opiates very proper
For the Nephritic complaints it is very difficult to find a remedy
for after many trials, I can assert that none of the most reported
remedies are of any general success, but I have had some
[Page 2]
sucess both with Uva Ursi & with the Caustic lixivium
The first is a Tonic medicine & therefore not improper for
your patients other complaints & she may try it with great ↑safety↑
but I have had more success with the Lixivium given in
broth in imitatation of Chittich. 1 It requires more caution
than the other Medicine but in case her Nephritic Complaints prove
very urgent & I think she may try it with safety & probably
with advantage with regard to the Alimentary Canal
For the lameness the Volatile Liniment is certainly the
proper remedy & so long as it answers & the skin bears it, it may
be repeated but I suspect the ailment may be too lasting & in
that case you may employ the Balsamum Saponaceum, with
much gentle friction --
Notes:
1: Dr Walter Chittick of Bath (d. 1761), had marketed a cure for renal calculi (continued by his son). It was criticised in Alexander Blackrie A disquisition on medicines that dissolve the stone. In which Dr. Chittick's secret is considered and discovered (London: 1766; expanded 1771). Cullen mentions 'Chittick's medicine' in his MM (1789), Vol.2, p. 352.
Diplomatic Text
The Case of A B.
Singular & very complicated - I shall give you my genl ideas of it -
The whole appears to me to be founded on a singlularly great irritabi¬
lity of the System hence the Spasms upon every sudden exertion of
motion & hence the singular changes in the sudden distribution of the
fluids & hence also the more common irritability in the Alimentary
Canal & particularly the Hysteric suffocations. Thus most of the Cir¬
cumstances in the case may be referred to the irritability of the
System; but there seems to be joined to it a Calculous affection
of the kidneys & to this I think especially the lameness &c in
the right limb is to be imputed ---
I have thus given you my Pathology - with regard to wc
I found no difficulty in my genl. ideas -- but I have not so much
confidence in proposing a Method of Cure ---
Such a constitutional irritability, must be difficult per¬
haps impossible to change, but it will probably mend as
the person advances in life - In the mean time it will be difficult
to obviate its effects while every accident is liable to produce them
What can be done must be done by Tonic remedies -
Sea bathing, much fresh air & gentle exercise & perhaps by
Tonic meds. among wc I would prefer Chalybeates - For the disor¬
ders of the Alimentary Canal your Rhubarb may be very proper
& when any violent disorders arise I should think the discreet
use of Opiates very proper
For the Nephritic compts it is very difficult to find a remedy
for after many trials, I can assert that none of the most reported
remedies are of any genl success, but I have had some
[Page 2]
sucess both with Uva Ursi & with the Caustic lixivium
The first is a Tonic med. & therefore not improper for
your patients other compts & she may try it with great ↑safety↑
but I have had more success with the Lixivium given in
broth in imitatation of Chittich. 1 It requires more caution
than the other Med. but in case her Neph. Compts prove
very urgent & I think she may try it with safety & probably
with advantage with regard to the Alim. Canal
For the lameness the Volatile Liniment is certainly the
proper remedy & so long as it answers & the skin bears it, it may
be repeated but I suspect the ailment may be too lasting & in
that case you may employ the Balsamum Saponaceum, with
much gentle friction --
Notes:
1: Dr Walter Chittick of Bath (d. 1761), had marketed a cure for renal calculi (continued by his son). It was criticised in Alexander Blackrie A disquisition on medicines that dissolve the stone. In which Dr. Chittick's secret is considered and discovered (London: 1766; expanded 1771). Cullen mentions 'Chittick's medicine' in his MM (1789), Vol.2, p. 352.
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