
The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:46] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Bishop John Oswald (of Raphoe) / Regarding: Mrs Ann Oswald (of Raphoe) (Patient) / January? 1769? / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mrs Oswald of Raphoe', addressed to her husband John Oswald, Bishop of Rathoe.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.

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Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 46 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/1/41 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | January? 1769? |
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 Mrs Oswald of Raphoe', addressed to her husband John Oswald, Bishop of Rathoe. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:230] |
Case of Mrs Ann Oswald who is to undergo a mercurial treatment. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:2061] | Addressee | Bishop John Oswald (of Raphoe) |
[PERS ID:56] | Patient | Mrs Ann Oswald (of Raphoe) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:2061] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Bishop John Oswald (of Raphoe) |
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 | Raphoe | North Ireland | Ireland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Oswald of Raphoe
It was only yesterday that I recieved your Lordships
Letter of the 12th current & by the Postage it appears to have gone
a good way about. This is the first post day in Course & I am
sorry it is so late after yours. By Your Lordship's & the
Journal Inclosed I have a very distinct notion of the Condict
of the medicine. It has had more tendency to the Bowels & more
power in the mouth than I expected but I think you have
conducted both extremely well & if it has been continued as
I believe it would continue itself for a week after the 12th or 13th
when the Journal seems to have been finished I hope it is enough
for one Course, especially as its effects upon the Skin have
been considerable -- Tho there has been no Sweating
as we expected there can be no doubt that it has gone
freely by the Skin & no doubt the frequent bathing has contr¬
buted a great deal to this. I I was afraid that the
bathing might encourage the Sweating too much & therfore
avised a particular management but as no Sweating
happened I have no fault to find with the manner that was
followed - Tho the Use of the Mercury should be continued
till now I believe there is no harm in it - the Cure will be
rendered more certain & it does not appear that Mrs Oswalds
Strength or Spirits are much affected by it -- I should not have
been concerned to find that her body was taken down a little
more than it seems to be by your Lordships account - However
all that may be I have no fault to find with the Conduct of her diet
[Page 2]
& I shall always acknowledge that Mrs Oswald is no Slave to
her palate when her health is concerned - However you have
manged Since the 12th or 13th it is certainly time now to give up the
Mercurial Course entirely & I have only to Speak of what follow
it -- In the first place I must observe that Mrs Oswalds consti¬
tution is certainly disposed to make much blood & such constituti¬
ons do not commonly make it of the purest kind & this must
be forther observed that after a little exhaustion by Mercury the
body is liable to fill very fast From all these considerations
I must now earnestly recommend the keeping Mrs Oswalds
diet as low asit has been for some time to come & at least
till the Mercury is so entirely gone & the Spring so far
advanced that she can go abroad to take up a a great deal of
Exercise- I am perswaded this is necessary to the a Cure for
the Disease is of an obstinate kind & very liable to return
With this management of Diet I would recommend the continuance
of the Bathing but so as to wear it of by degrees going from twice
a week to three times in a fortnight then to once a week &
give it ↑up↑ for good when she is to be in Daily Exercise - Let her
now also enter upon a Decoction of Sarsaparilla making ↑it↑ with
three ounces of Sarsaparilla boiled with four pints of water in two {illeg}
& this may be sweetened with Liquorice or Raisins as she likes best
Of this [either?] take a bottle fresh made every twenty four hours
dividing it into such draughts and timing these draughts as most
agreeable to her let this Course be continued for a fortnight and
[Page 3]
for a fortnight longer at one pint per day -- Along with this
course of Sarsaparilla let her take the Antimonial ordered below
also for a month the Dose is to be a table spoonfull at bed¬
time this may possibly make her Stomach Sick and it is
right it should do so a little but if it goes so far as to make
her vomit it is too much & the dose it is to be taken done a
little but if it does not make her a little sick the Dose should
be increased a little & observe that the dose that occasions
sickness at first after being repeated some days will not have
that effect when this is observed that let the dose be increased a
little [it?] does go on to what the stomach easily bears.
I have nothing farther to say but when she mends her diet let
it be according to the directions given her last summer & as soon
as she gets into Exercise let her take as much as she convenient↑ly↑
can both in the Carriage & in walking For Mrs Oswald of Raphoe>
Take three ounces of Rose Water, one ounce of Cinnamon, two grains of Tartar Emetic. and iij drachms of Syrup of Cloves. Mix. Label: the Antimonial Mixture.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Oswald of Raphoe
It was only yesterday that I recieved your Lordships
Letter of the 12th currt & by the Postage it appears to have gone
a good way about. This is the first post day in Course & I am
sorry it is so late after yours. By Your Lordship's & the
Journal Inclosed I have a very distinct notion of the Condict
of the medicine. It has had more tendency to the Bowels & more
power in the mouth than I expected but I think you have
conducted both extremely well & if it has been continued as
I believe it would continue itself for a week after the 12th or 13th
when the Journal seems to have been finished I hope it is enough
for one Course, especially as its effects upon the Skin have
been considerable -- Tho there has been no Sweating
as we expected there can be no doubt that it has gone
freely by the Skin & no doubt the frequent bathing has contr¬
buted a great deal to this. I I was afraid that the
bathing might encourage the Sweating too much & therfore
avised a particular management but as no Sweating
happened I have no fault to find with the manner that was
followed - Tho the Use of the Mercury should be continued
till now I believe there is no harm in it - the Cure will be
rendered more certain & it does not appear that Mrs Oswalds
Strength or Spirits are much affected by it -- I should not have
been concerned to find that her body was taken down a little
more than it seems to be by your Lordships account - However
all that may be I have no fault to find with the Conduct of her diet
[Page 2]
& I shall always acknowledge that Mrs Oswald is no Slave to
her palate when her health is concerned - However you have
manged Since the 12th or 13th it is certainly time now to give up the
Mercurial Course entirely & I have only to Speak of what follow
it -- In the first place I must observe that Mrs Oswalds consti¬
tution is certainly disposed to make much blood & such constituti¬
ons do not commonly make it of the purest kind & this must
be forther observed that after a little exhaustion by Mercury the
body is liable to fill very fast From all these considerations
I must now earnestly recommend the keeping Mrs Oswalds
diet as low asit has been for some time to come & at least
till the Mercury is so entirely gone & the Spring so far
advanced that she can go abroad to take up a a great deal of
Exercise- I am perswaded this is necessary to the a Cure for
the Disease is of an obstinate kind & very liable to return
With this management of Diet I would recommend the continuance
of the Bathing but so as to wear it of by degrees going from twice
a week to three times in a fortnight then to once a week &
give it ↑up↑ for good when she is to be in Daily Exercise - Let her
now also enter upon a Decoction of Sarsaparilla making ↑it↑ with
three ounces of Sarsa boiled with four pints of water in two {illeg}
& this may be sweetened with Liquorice or Raisins as she likes best
Of this [either?] take a bottle fresh made every twenty four hours
dividing it into such draughts and timing these draughts as most
agreeable to her let this Course be continued for a fortnight and
[Page 3]
for a fortnight longer at one pint per day -- Along with this
course of Sarsa let her take the Antimonial ordered below
also for a month the Dose is to be a table spoonfull at bed¬
time this may possibly make her Stomach Sick and it is
right it should do so a little but if it goes so far as to make
her vomit it is too much & the dose it is to be taken done a
little but if it does not make her a little sick the Dose should
be increased a little & observe that the dose that occasions
sickness at first after being repeated some days will not have
that effect when this is observed that let the dose be increased a
little [it?] does go on to what the stomach easily bears.
I have nothing farther to say but when she mends her diet let
it be according to the directions given her last summer & as soon
as she gets into Exercise let her take as much as she convenient↑ly↑
can both in the Carriage & in walking For Mrs Oswald of Raphoe>
℞ Aq. Rosar: ℥iij
Cinnam. ten ℥i
Tartar. Emiet. gr. ij
Syr: Carrophyll. ʒiij
ℳ Signa the Antimonial Mixture.
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