The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4712] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Anonymous / Regarding: Mrs Mackenzie (Patient) / 20 September 1783 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mrs Mackenzie'. Cullen gives dietary advice and recommends exercise as a way to help the patient's stomach pains.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 5 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 4712 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/16/116 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 20 September 1783 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine scribal copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Mrs Mackenzie'. Cullen gives dietary advice and recommends exercise as a way to help the patient's stomach pains. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:87] |
Case of Mrs Mackenzie who has been suffering from menstrual irregularity, an abortion (i.e. miscarriage) and various, carefully reported stomach pains and related symptoms. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:720] | Addressee | |
| [PERS ID:365] | Patient | Mrs Mackenzie |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:720] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary |
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
For Mrs. MacKenzie
By the several miscarriages which have happened
to her her nerves must have been a good deal hurt and
it is not improbable that there is a tendency to Gout
in her Constitution which has not taking its proper
course may likewise disorder her Nervous System
and the effects of both these circumstances must espe¬
cially appear in the stomach.
It is indeed difficult to resolve entirely a
Constitution in some measure broken but at Mrs.
MacKenzie's time of life with resident Disorder
I am very well persuaded that a little attention and pains
may recover Mrs. MacKenzie to very entire health
For this purpose she must in the first place
give attention to her diet. She must take some solid
meat at Dinner every day but at the same time
always to take care that her stomach is never loaded
[Page 2]
either by the quantity on quality of her food. In Drinking
she must avoid entirely all kind of malt liquor and
for ordinary drink she must take wine and water but
should take only a little of the strongest wine and water but
least disposed to grow sour upon the stomach such as
Madeira and very good Sherry and when she finds
her stomach very much disposed to become sour she
must let alone wine of any kind and take a little
Spirits and water. I think she should abstain from
Tea and Coffee or to take the former only very weak
and qualified a little with Cinnamon or Ginger.
Nothing will be of more service in restoring
Mrs. Mackenzies Constitution than her being much
in the fresh air and in gentle exercise. Lying much
a bed and being much in warm Chambers will
always do her much harm and if she can be [brought?]
to take very frequent exercise on horseback [it will?]
[Page 3]
be of more service to her than any medicines whatever.
Taking many medicines cannot be proper for
her stomach and I shall only recommend two which
I have prescribed on the paper inclosed. One of them
is intended to strengthen her stomach and to obviate
the pains which it is liable to be affected with the
medicine is in the form of powders and she is to take
one of them every day an hour or two before Dinner
and for the most part one dose every day will be
enough but if at any time she should be liable to
have returns of the pains of her stomach in the night
she may frequently take a second dose of her powders
about Eight o clock in the Evening. These powders
should be taken for two or three weeks [but?] (↑and↑) should
then be laid aside for a week or two, but if they shall
be found to have been of service Mrs. Mackenzie
after intermission mentioned may again return to
[Page 4]
take them for two or three weeks.
The other medicine which I have prescribed
is intended to remove the pains which have so often dis¬
turbed Mrs. Mackenzie in the night time and when
any such pains come or threaten to come on she is
to take from forty to sixty drops of this spirit in a
little water not quite cold, and if in an hour after her
pains are not entirely removed she may take a
second dose of the same spirit but if these two doses
have not the desired effects she cannot properly take
anymore for that night excepting in the case that
she has taken this medicine with advantage at first
and that by repetition it may seem to loose of its
effects for in that case she may either take a larger
dose or repeat it oftener.
1783
[Page 5]
Take fifteen grains each of Crab's Eyes and Calcined Magnesia, five grains powdered Columbo root Mix to make a powder and make in this way twelve doses Label: Stomachic Powders one to be taken in a little Nutmeg spirit and water every forenoon
Take half an ounce Spirit of sweet vitriol from Edinburgh Pharmocopeia Thebaic Tincture, Mix Label: Anodyne spirit, forty Drops to be taken for a dose
1783
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs. MacKenzie
By the several miscarriages which have happened
to her her nerves must have been a good deal hurt and
it is not improbable that there is a tendency to Gout
in her Constitution which has not taking its proper
course may likewise disorder her Nervous System
and the effects of both these circumstances must espe¬
cially appear in the stomach.
It is indeed difficult to resolve entirely a
Constitution in some measure broken but at Mrs.
MacKenzie's time of life with resident Disorder
I am very well persuaded that a little attention and pains
may recover Mrs. MacKenzie to very entire health
For this purpose she must in the first place
give attention to her diet. She must take some solid
meat at Dinner every day but at the same time
always to take care that her stomach is never loaded
[Page 2]
either by the quantity on quality of her food. In Drinking
she must avoid entirely all kind of malt liquor and
for ordinary drink she must take wine and water but
should take only a little of the strongest wine and water but
least disposed to grow sour upon the stomach such as
Madeira and very good Sherry and when she finds
her stomach very much disposed to become sour she
must let alone wine of any kind and take a little
Spirits and water. I think she should abstain from
Tea and Coffee or to take the former only very weak
and qualified a little with Cinnamon or Ginger.
Nothing will be of more service in restoring
Mrs. Mackenzies Constitution than her being much
in the fresh air and in gentle exercise. Lying much
a bed and being much in warm Chambers will
always do her much harm and if she can be [brought?]
to take very frequent exercise on horseback [it will?]
[Page 3]
be of more service to her than any medicines whatever.
Taking many medicines cannot be proper for
her stomach and I shall only recommend two which
I have prescribed on the paper inclosed. One of them
is intended to strengthen her stomach and to obviate
the pains which it is liable to be affected with the
medicine is in the form of powders and she is to take
one of them every day an hour or two before Dinner
and for the most part one dose every day will be
enough but if at any time she should be liable to
have returns of the pains of her stomach in the night
she may frequently take a second dose of her powders
about Eight o clock in the Evening. These powders
should be taken for two or three weeks [but?] (↑and↑) should
then be laid aside for a week or two, but if they shall
be found to have been of service Mrs. Mackenzie
after intermission mentioned may again return to
[Page 4]
take them for two or three weeks.
The other medicine which I have prescribed
is intended to remove the pains which have so often dis¬
turbed Mrs. Mackenzie in the night time and when
any such pains come or threaten to come on she is
to take from forty to sixty drops of this spirit in a
little water not quite cold, and if in an hour after her
pains are not entirely removed she may take a
second dose of the same spirit but if these two doses
have not the desired effects she cannot properly take
anymore for that night excepting in the case that
she has taken this medicine with advantage at first
and that by repetition it may seem to loose of its
effects for in that case she may either take a larger
dose or repeat it oftener.
1783
[Page 5]
℞ Ocul. Cancr. pp.t
Magnes. alb.@ gr. xv.
pulv. rad. Columb. gr. v
ℳ. f. pulvis et f. h. m. dos № xij
Signa Stomachic Powders one to be taken in a
little Nutmeg spirit and water every forenoon
℞ Spir. vitriol. dulc. Ph. Edin ℥ſs
Tinct. Thebaic.
ℳ Signa Anodyne spirit, forty Drops to be
taken for a dose
1783
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