The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:488] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mr Smart (of Wark) (Patient), Mr Patrick or Simon? Taylor (of Borrowfield) (Patient) / 17 April 1774 / (Outgoing)
Letter for Mr Taylor of Borrowfield, who has kidney problems with "gravel" and is given a laxative prescription. Also refers to case of Mr Smart of Wark.
- 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 | 488 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/3/65 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 17 April 1774 |
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 | Letter for Mr Taylor of Borrowfield, who has kidney problems with "gravel" and is given a laxative prescription. Also refers to case of Mr Smart of Wark. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:377] |
Case of Mr Taylor with gravel in the kidneys. |
2 |
[Case ID:378] |
Case of Mr Smart at Wark with gravel in the kidneys. |
2 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:249] | Patient | Mr Smart (of Wark) |
[PERS ID:1279] | Patient | Mr Patrick or Simon? Taylor (of Borrowfield) |
[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 | Wark | North-East | England | Europe | inferred | |
Mentioned / Other | Borrowfield | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
Mentioned / Other | Wark | North-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mr Taylor of Borrowfield.
After considering the whole of Mr Taylor's complaints we are of
opinion the only circumstance from which he is to apprehend any
consequences is the disposition of his kidneys to form gravel & even
from that we judge all the disorder he has felt in his Stomach to
have proceeded. Tho’ soap & lime water has often been usefull
in such cases it does nt appear that they have been effectual in Mr
T. & therefore do we propose some others that we expect may
prove more certainly usefull. The first is a liquor ordered
below. For this see the 4th page back from this. Case of
Mr Smart, Wark Northumberland from the x to the *
This you are to do for a fortnight & if it is found to agree
very well to the Stomach. The dose may be taken 3 times a day. That is
an hour before breakfast as well as before dinner & supper.
This course to be continued for a month but when the month
is finished it is to be entirely laid aside & you are to enter
upon another course. This other course is of the powders
also ordered below. One powder is to be taken twice a day, one
of them an hour before dinner & the other as long before
supper. They may be taken mixed in a little water
either alone or with a small proportion of brandy put to
the water or if this form is disagreeable the powder may
be made into a bolus in a little common syrup & swall¬
owed in a wafer. This course is to be continued for a
fortnight & your medicine of every kind is to be laid aside
for some weeks but if during that time he feel any return of
this gravellish symptoms he should immediately re¬
turn to another course both of the liquor & powders.
During both these courses you must drink no wine
or other fermented liquors & you must take no punch
with souring. The only liquor that is tolerably safe is Porter
& for the rest you must be confined to water Spirits & water
with very little sugar.
[Page 2]
In diet you must avoid the free use of Pickles lemon
or vinegar. You must be sparing of all garden things &
you may take any plain meal you like best but the
lighter & plainer the better & you may take any kind
of pudding. You may also take fish but sparingly &
seldom. Salted meats of all kinds must be avoided.
If at any time Mr Taylor becomes costive it
will do him much harm, & ought to be carefully &
removed & for that purpose he may continue his practice
of taking as much soap as will answer the purpose. If it does
not in a moderate quantity he may take the pills ordered below.
One or 2, taken at bedtime will generally be sufficient to keep
his belly regular
Mr Taylor will always be the better of being much in
the fresh air & walking moderately. But his walking should
never be so much as either to heat or fatigue him. He
may sometimes go on horseback but he should never ride
long & particularly should avoid a hard trotting horse. The
exercise that will always be safest for his kidneys is
going in a carriage & that you should practice in a
moderate way very often.
Take a drachm each of Socotrine Aloes and Gentian extract, a scruple of Polychrest Salts and enough Common Syrup to make a mass to be divided into pills of five grains each. Label: Laxative Pills.
Diplomatic Text
For Mr Taylor of Borrowfield.
After considering the whole of Mr Ts compts we are of
opinion ye only circumstance fm wc he is to apprehend any
consequences is ye disposn of his kidneys to form gravel & even
fm yt we judge all ye disorder he has felt in his Stom. to
have proceeded. Tho’ soap & lime water has often bn usefull
in sc cases it does nt appear yt yy have bn effectual in Mr
T. & yrefore do we propose some others yt we expect may
prove more certainly usefull. Ye first is a liquor ordered
below. For this see the 4th page back from this. Case of
Mr Smart, Wark Northumberland from the x to the *
This you are to do for a 4tnt. & if it is found to agree
very well to ye Stom. Ye dose may be takn 3 times a day. Yt is
an hour before breakfast as well as before dinner & supper.
This course to be continued for a month bt wn ye month
is finished it is to be entirely laid aside & you are to enter
upon another course. This other course is of ye powds
also ordered below. One powder is to be taken 2ce a day, one
of them an hour before dinner & ye other as long before
supper. They may be taken mixed in a little water
either alone or w a small proportion of brandy put to
the water or if this form is disagreeable ye powder may
be made into a bolus in a little common syrup & swall¬
owed in a wafer. This course is to be continued for a
fortnight & yr med. of every kind is to be laid aside
for some weeks bt if duri yt time he feel any return of
this gravellish symptoms he should immediately re¬
turn to another course both of the liquor & powders.
Duri both these courses you must drink no wine
or other fermented liquors & you must take no punch
w souring. The only liquor yt is tolerably safe is Porter
& for ye rest you must be confined to water Spirits & water
w very little sugar.
[Page 2]
In diet you must avoid ye free use of Pickles lemon
or vinegar. You must be sparing of all garden things &
you may take any plain meal you like best but ye
lighter & plainer ye better & you may take any kind
of pudding. You may also take fish bt sparingly &
seldom. Salted meats of all kinds must be avoided.
If at any time Mr Taylor becomes costive it
will do him much harm, & ought to be carefully &
removed & for that purpose he may cont. his practice
of taking as mc soap as will answer ye purp. If it does
not in a mod. qty he may take ye pills ordd below.
One or 2, taken at bedtime will generally be suffict to keep
his belly regr.
Mr Taylor will always be ye better of being mc in
ye fresh air & walking moderately. Bt his walking should
never be so mc as either to heat or fatigue him. He
may sometimes go on horseback bt he should never ride
long & particy should avoid a hard trotting horse. The
exercise yt will always be safest for his kidneys is
going in a carriage & yt you should practice in a
moderate way very often.
℞ Aloes Socotorin. Extr. Gent. @ ʒi
Sal. Polychrest. ℈j. Syr. comm. q. s. ut f. massa
divid. in pil. sing. gr. V.
Signa Laxative Pills.
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