The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4253] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mr Henry William Tytler / Regarding: Mrs (Lady) (Patient) / 8 June 1778 / (Outgoing)
Reply headed 'For Mrs _________ from Mr Tytler Brechin', conceding an unnamed female patient who is advised to take the waters at Pitkeathly, near Perth.
- 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 | 4253 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/10/110 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 8 June 1778 |
| 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 headed 'For Mrs _________ from Mr Tytler Brechin', conceding an unnamed female patient who is advised to take the waters at Pitkeathly, near Perth. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1081] |
Case of an unnamed female patient, a 50 year old mother of fifteen children who is beset by megrims and a scorbutic eruption on her face, referred by Henry William Tytler of Brechin, a former pupil of Cullen. |
3 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2426] | Addressee | Mr Henry William Tytler |
| [PERS ID:2564] | Patient | Mrs (Lady) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2426] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Mr Henry William Tytler |
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 | Brechin | East Highlands | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Therapeutic Recommendation | Pitkeathly Wells | Mid Scotland | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mrs --- from Mr Tytler Brechin
Your judgement has been very right and your conduct suitable to
it in the case you have given me. The period of life at which the
disease began, the periods which the disease at first observed and the
effects of an incidental menstruation, all show that the disease
consists in a menstrual effect determining to the head. This can¬
not be returned into its former ↑natural↑ course but it is to be
hoped that a little advance in life will weaken these effects
& that their present determination may in the mean time be
avoided or greatly moderated by supporting the excretions more
generally, especially those in a contrary direction, & perhaps by
substituting an artificial vicarious evacuation. You made
a very proper attempt for these purposes by your alterative
Mercurial course and moderate purging and if the course
that I am now to propose should not make so compleat a cure
as we would wish I shall advise your patient before the
return of next winter to enter again upon the same plan &
pursue it more fully. For the present I would advise her to
take the opportunity of the season for drinking a mineral
water & the one which I think the best suited to her case is
that of Pitcathlie near to Perth. Let her go to that neighbour¬
hood immediately & drink the water every morning for a
month or six weeks. Let her begin with small draughts &
at intervals of a quarter or half an hour repeat then till
she has taken the quantity that her stomach & bowels easily
bear. The due measure is what will easily keep her belly open or
give her one free motion every day. Much purging is hardly
ever proper or necessary and may do harm. The water passed
freely by urine is always a favourable circumstance. The [whole?]
should always be taken in the morning only, & finished an hour
before breakfast. During the rest of the day she should be
much in the fresh air & in gentle exercise & if she can spend
some hours of the forenoon on horseback it will be of great ser¬
vice to her. Her diet may be of ordinary fare. She may take
[Page 2]
a little meat at dinner but should take as much vegetables with it
as she can easil[y?] digest. Roots and greens are sometimes flatulent
& griping but let her take as much of them as she can easily digest.
The farinacea are much safer & some of these with milk she
may take every night for supper. A valuable part of the Pit¬
cathlie course is warm bathing. for at Let her take it twice
a week, not very warm, & remain ↑in↑ it for a quarter or half an hour
as she bears it & as the heat can be tolerably kept up. Upon coming
out of the bath let her skin be well dried & have her ordinary
cloaths or some equally warm put on, but let her keep her chamber
for the rest of the Evening. It should be taken between six and
seven in the evening as I want to avoid sweating either immediately
after the bath or during the night after it. An issue may
be of service but should be delayed till the above course is tried.
If she dislike Pitcathlie let me know & I shall direct her to
the next best, that is, drinking salt water at home.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs --- from Mr Tytler Brechin
Your judgement has been very right and your conduct suitable to
it in the case you have given me. The period of life at which the
disease began, the periods which the disease at first observed and the
effects of an incidental menstruation, all show that the disease
consists in a menstrual effect determining to the head. This can¬
not be returned into its former ↑natural↑ course but it is to be
hoped that a little advance in life will weaken these effects
& that their present determination may in the mean time be
avoided or greatly moderated by supporting the excretions more
generally, especially those in a contrary direction, & perhaps by
substituting an artificial vicarious evacuation. You made
a very proper attempt for these purposes by your alterative
Mercurial course and moderate purging and if the course
that I am now to propose should not make so compleat a cure
as we would wish I shall advise your patient before the
return of next winter to enter again upon the same plan &
pursue it more fully. For the present I would advise her to
take the opportunity of the season for drinking a mineral
water & the one which I think the best suited to her case is
that of Pitcathlie near to Perth. Let her go to that neighbour¬
hood immediately & drink the water every morning for a
month or six weeks. Let her begin with small draughts &
at intervals of a quarter or half an hour repeat then till
she has taken the quantity that her stomach & bowels easily
bear. The due measure is what will easily keep her belly open or
give her one free motion every day. Much purging is hardly
ever proper or necessary and may do harm. The water passd
freely by urine is always a favourable circumstance. The [whole?]
should always be taken in the morning only, & finished an hour
before breakfast. During the rest of the day she should be
much in the fresh air & in gentle exercise & if she can spend
some hours of the forenoon on horseback it will be of great ser¬
vice to her. Her diet may be of ordinary fare. She may take
[Page 2]
a little meat at dinner but should take as much vegetables with it
as she can easil[y?] digest. Roots and greens are sometimes flatulent
& griping but let her take as much of them as she can easily digest.
The farinacea are much safer & some of these with milk she
may take every night for supper. A valuable part of the Pit¬
cathlie course is warm bathing. for at Let her take it twice
a week, not very warm, & remain ↑in↑ it for a quarter or half an hour
as she bears it & as the heat can be tolerably kept up. Upon coming
out of the bath let her skin be well dried & have her ordinary
cloaths or some equally warm put on, but let her keep her chamber
for the rest of the Evening. It should be taken between six and
seven in the evening as I want to avoid sweating either immedy
after the bath or during the night after it. An issue may
be of service but should be delayed till the above course is tried.
If she dislike Pitcathlie let me know & I shall direct her to
the next best, that is, drinking salt water at home.
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