The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4895] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mr Macmurdo (McMurdo) (Patient) / 11 August 1784 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mr McMurdochs Son'
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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[Page 4]
Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 4895 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/17/91 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 11 August 1784 |
Annotation | None |
Type | Machine scribal copy |
Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
Autopsy | No |
Recipe | No |
Regimen | No |
Letter of Introduction | No |
Case Note | No |
Summary | Reply 'For Mr McMurdochs Son' |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:1732] |
Case of young Mr McMurdo of Drumlanrig who has a fever. |
4 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:3786] | Patient | Mr Macmurdo (McMurdo) |
[PERS ID:115] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Gilchrist (of Speddoch) |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:3412] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr John McMurdoch (McMurdo) |
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 |
Mentioned / Other | Drumlanrig (Drumlanrig Castle) | Borders | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mr McMurdochs Son
After considering the full and exact information which
Dr. Gilchrist has been pleased to give me I am clearly of
opinion that his late complaints cannot be considered as
{illeg} of [Measles?] but that they are entirely owing to
fast growing. At present they are seemingly mending
and I hope shall continue to do so. but The recovery ↑however↑ of
such weakness must be slow but me I hope the following
measures may make it go on faster.
Every morning let him be washed all over with cool
water. Let that at first employed be a mixture of four parts
of Spring water with one part of boiling water. But
every second or third day let an eight part of the boi¬
ling water be kept back and thus by degrees he may be
brought to bear the water entirely cold as it comes
from the Spring and possibly to bear either a Shower
[Page 2]
Bath or a total immersion. The safety of the practice
consists in using the same Spring water every day in
making the mixture consistently by exact measure and
in being very quick both in washing over the body
and in drying it again.
While this bathing as I expect shall strengthen
his body advantage is to be taken of it to give him Air
and Exercise. This however is to be done by degrees by
taking him out of his ordinary Chamber into a larger
apartment and by degrees to larger and larger giving
these as much fresh air as the state of the weather
will safely admitt of. He may thus by degrees be
brought into the open air and kept in it as long
as may be found convenient. In this progress his
progressed motion must be in the same gradual
manner both with respect to the smoothness and
[Page 3]
continuance ↑of the motion↑ If Dr. Gilchrist had been to be [along?]
with the patient for any time I should not have thought
it necessary to say one word of the above but as I know
he cannot be long upon the spot I have given the above
as memorandums to the family and as a [text?] for
the Doctor as t to {illeg}tain very fully as he is now
to pass by Drumlanrigg. It must be the same
Case with respect to what I am to say about the
young Gentlemans diet. I think it should be
chiefly of milk and farinacea and with little Ani¬
mal food or this only admitted by degrees as his
strength increases and the frequency of his pulse
abates. I would willingly allow him and even in¬
dulge him in ripe fruit if it shall not be found
to bring back the looseness which I consider as now
very much gone. In drinking I would forbid much
liquor & for common draft allow of water alone. A
little Claret might be allowed but very sparingly
[Page 4]
till the frequency of the pulse is a good deal abated.
In the way of medicine little is to be done but I would
have a light infusion of the bark tried to be made stronger
as the frequency of his pulse abates and if his looseness should
threaten to return I would let ↑have↑ the infusion some {illeg}, [ba¬
lustines?] and Kino added to the infusion.
The use of Anodynes I must leave entirely to Dr
Gilchrists discretion.
Edinburgh 11th. August.
1784
Diplomatic Text
For Mr McMurdochs Son
After considering the full and exact information which
Dr. Gilchrist has been pleased to give me I am clearly of
opinion that his late complaints cannot be considered as
{illeg} of [Measles?] but that they are entirely owing to
fast growing. At present they are seemingly mending
and I hope shall continue to do so. but The recovery ↑however↑ of
such weakness must be slow but me I hope the following
measures may make it go on faster.
Every morning let him be washed all over with cool
water. Let that at first employed be a mixture of four parts
of Spring water with one part of boiling water. But
every second or third day let an eight part of the boi¬
ling water be kept back and thus by degrees he may be
brought to bear the water entirely cold as it comes
from the Spring and possibly to bear either a Shower
[Page 2]
Bath or a total immersion. The safety of the practice
consists in using the same Spring water every day in
making the mixture consistently by exact measure and
in being very quick both in washing over the body
and in drying it again.
While this bathing as I expect shall strengthen
his body advantage is to be taken of it to give him Air
and Exercise. This however is to be done by degrees by
taking him out of his ordinary Chamber into a larger
apartment and by degrees to larger and larger giving
these as much fresh air as the state of the weather
will safely admitt of. He may thus by degrees be
brought into the open air and kept in it as long
as may be found convenient. In this progress his
progressed motion must be in the same gradual
manner both with respect to the smoothness and
[Page 3]
continuance ↑of the motion↑ If Dr. Gilchrist had been to be [along?]
with the patient for any time I should not have thought
it necessary to say one word of the above but as I know
he cannot be long upon the spot I have given the above
as memorandums to the family and as a [text?] for
the Doctor as t to {illeg}tain very fully as he is now
to pass by Drumlanrigg. It must be the same
Case with respect to what I am to say about the
young Gentlemans diet. I think it should be
chiefly of milk and farinacea and with little Ani¬
mal food or this only admitted by degrees as his
strength increases and the frequency of his pulse
abates. I would willingly allow him and even in¬
dulge him in ripe fruit if it shall not be found
to bring back the looseness which I consider as now
very much gone. In drinking I would forbid much
liquor & for common draft allow of water alone. A
little Claret might be allowed but very sparingly
[Page 4]
till the frequency of the pulse is a good deal abated.
In the way of medicine little is to be done but I would
have a light infusion of the bark tried to be made stronger
as the frequency of his pulse abates and if his looseness should
threaten to return I would let ↑have↑ the infusion some {illeg}, [ba¬
lustines?] and Kino added to the infusion.
The use of Anodynes I must leave entirely to Dr
Gilchrists discretion.
Edinr. 11th. August.
1784
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