The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4442] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr Richard Dixon (Dickson) / Regarding: Mr John Senhouse (Patient) / 28 May 1779 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'Dr R. Dickson C. Mr Senhouse Whitehaven'
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 4442 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/12/9 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 28 May 1779 |
| 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, 'Dr R. Dickson C. Mr Senhouse Whitehaven' |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1103] |
Case of John Senhouse, Whitehaven, who has developed jaundice. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:2728] | Addressee | Dr Richard Dixon (Dickson) |
| [PERS ID:2761] | Patient | Mr John Senhouse |
| [PERS ID:2728] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Richard Dixon (Dickson) |
| [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 | Whitehaven | North-West | England | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Cheltenham | South-West | England | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Gloucestershire | South-West | England | Europe | certain | |
| Mentioned / Other | Whitehaven | North-West | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Dr R. Dickson Concerning Mr Senhouse Whitehaven
There is certainly an obstruction probably a Schirrosity of
the liver, and if I could admit that in any case there is a jaundice
from interrupted secretion I would suppose it in Mr S. for I
cannot find that these have been symptoms of calculous
or other obstruction of the ductus communis in his case.
But however it may have been formerly at present such
obstruction is not considerable & our chief attention must
be to the general obstruction of the whole viscus.
To relieve this would be chiefly a journey {illeg}, moderate
rate but steadily that is daily for some weeks. This must be in
a Carriage but if a riding horse can be carried along ↑so that↑ Mr S.
[Page 2]
can sometimes take a stage or half stage on horseback it would
be of great service. - The journey should be very constant, but without
fatigue, guarding carefully against cold. - To this journey
I think it will be proper to join the use of a mineral water,
& I find he is much disposed to use that of Gilsland but by
all the accounts I have had of that water, it is of very little
virtue & I have this strong objection, that it is too near home
for tho a mineral water may be of some service it
will be of much more, after two or three weeks traveling
The water I would recommend is that of Cheltenham in
Gloucester Shire, which he should take in moderate quantity
so as to purge him very little, and therefore in divided doses.
and at different times a day. While he uses this or any other
mineral water he must still continue his exercise & at such time
it may be chiefly on horsebacks.- Till he uses [the a?] mineral water
the only aperient & resolvent medicine I would recommend to
him is the Sal diureticus, or as we name it the regenerated
Tartar. - This I would have him take to the quantity of a dram
every morning in a draught of new drawn cow milk whey.
If this dose purges him much it must be diminished & or
one half of it taken at night, and the other in the morning.
But if it does not purge him at all, in it may be increas'd
The best way of his carrying it upon the road will be
in Solution.- In diet Mr S. may take a little
animal food every day at dinner but of the lighter kind
& a great part of his meal should be of vegetables of the
least flatulent kinds, & the garden things as they
[Page 3]
are just now coming in, will be generally safe. At supper
he must take no animal food not even an Egg. At
Breakfast he may continue his Cocoa tea. -
For ordinary drink he must take water, avoiding
all malt liquor. In his water he may take a little
Sherry & should think it proper for him to take a few
Glasses of good sherry every day after dinner & the same after
Supper. I suspect Mr S. ailments have been owing
to too much indulgence in the bottle & that this must now
be absolutely avoided, yet for that reason I think a few
Glasses of wine necessary for him . If he shall however
find that wine is ready to sour on his stomach he
must take to spirits & water, taking care to avoid the
least approach towards being heated by it.- His feet
& legs should be rubbed with a flesh brush or a
peice of warm flannel every morning I hold it not so pro¬
per to employ this rubbing at night when the extremitys
are apt to be swelled. - I am Sir &c
Diplomatic Text
Dr R. Dickson C. Mr Senhouse Whitehaven
There is certainly an obstruction probably a Schirrosity of
the liver, and if I could admit that in any case there is a jaundice
from interrupted secretion I would suppose it in Mr S. for I
cannot find that these have been symptoms of calculous
or other obstruction of the ductus communis in his case.
But however it may have been formerly at present such
obstruction is not considerable & our chief attention must
be to the general obstruction of the whole viscus.
To relieve this would be chiefly a journey {illeg}, moderate
rate but steadily that is daily for some weeks. This must be in
a Carriage but if a riding horse can be carried along ↑so that↑ Mr S.
[Page 2]
can sometimes take a stage or half stage on horseback it would
be of great service. - The journey should be very constant, but witht
fatigue, guarding carefully against cold. - To this journey
I think it will be proper to join the use of a mineral water,
& I find he is much disposed to use that of Gilsland but by
all the accounts I have had of that water, it is of very little
virtue & I have this strong objection, that it is too near home
for tho a mineral water may be of some service it
will be of much more, after two or three weeks traveling
The water I wd recommend is that of Cheltenham in
Gloucester Shire, wc he should take in moderate quantity
so as to purge him very little, and therefore in divided doses.
and at different times a day. While he uses this or any other
mineral wr he must still continue his exercise & at such time
it may be chiefly on horsebacks.- Till he uses [ye a?] mineral wr
ye only aperient & resolvent medicine I would recommend to
him is the Sal diureticus, or as we name it the regenerated
Tartar. - This I would have him take to ye quantity of a dram
every morng in a draught of new drawn cow milk whey.
If this dose purges him much it must be diminished & or
one half of it taken at night, and the other in the morng.
But if it does not purge him at all, in it may be increas'd
The best way of his carrying it upon the road will be
in Solution.- In diet Mr S. may take a little
animal food every day at dinner but of ye lighter kind
& a gt part of his meal should be of vegetables of the
least flatulent kinds, & ye garden things as they
[Page 3]
are just now coming in, will be genly safe. At supper
he must take no animal food not even an Egg. At
Breakfast he may continue his Cocoa tea. -
For ordinary drink he must take water, avoiding
all malt liquor. In his water he may take a little
Sherry & should think it proper for him to take a few
Glasses of good sherry every day after dinner & ye same after
Supper. I suspect Mr S. ailments have been owing
to too much indulgence in ye bottle & that this must now
be absolutely avoided, yet for that reason I think a few
Glasses of wine necessary for him . If he shall however
find that wine is ready to sour on his stomach he
must take to spirits & water, taking care to avoid ye
least approach towards being heated by it.- His feet
& legs should be rubbed with a flesh brush or a
peice of warm flannel every morng I hold it not so pro¬
per to employ this rubbing at night when the extremitys
are apt to be swelled. - I am Sir &c
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