The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4983] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr John Stewart / Regarding: Mr James Abernethie (Abernethy; of Mayen) (Patient), Mrs (Patient) / 15 February 1785 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'Dr John Stewart C[oncerning] a Lady'. Her case is 'very desperate': the physician who told her that her husband had not infected her with the pox was wrong. Cullen is convinced 'she now labours under a Venereal Phthisis'. He advises the use of mercury, even though it may 'hurry on' the Phthisis Pulmonalis fatally. He also tells Dr Stewart that 'this day a Gentleman by my advice given some time ago sets out for Southampton to be under your care', carrying a letter and directions – a reference to James Abernethie of Mayen.
- 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 | 4983 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/17/177 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 15 February 1785 |
| 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, 'Dr John Stewart C[oncerning] a Lady'. Her case is 'very desperate': the physician who told her that her husband had not infected her with the pox was wrong. Cullen is convinced 'she now labours under a Venereal Phthisis'. He advises the use of mercury, even though it may 'hurry on' the Phthisis Pulmonalis fatally. He also tells Dr Stewart that 'this day a Gentleman by my advice given some time ago sets out for Southampton to be under your care', carrying a letter and directions – a reference to James Abernethie of Mayen. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1802] |
Case of Mr James Abernethie who is consumptive. |
4 |
| [Case ID:1846] |
Case of an unnamed female patient with a bad cough. Despite showing no signs of venereal infection she once gave birth to a child who the attending physician called 'one of the worst venereal cases in Children that ever had come under his care'. |
3 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:4256] | Addressee | Dr John Stewart |
| [PERS ID:4257] | Patient | Mrs |
| [PERS ID:4254] | Patient | Mr James Abernethie (Abernethy; of Mayen) |
| [PERS ID:5628] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:4256] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr John Stewart |
| [PERS ID:4259] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mr |
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 | Southampton | London and South-East | England | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Southampton | London and South-East | England | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
Dr. John Stewart
Concerning a Lady
Your letter of the 7th. came to my hand
only this day and I give [you my?] answer in course
of post.
The Case you describe I take to be a very des¬
perate one and I think the Physician who was Con¬
sulted upon the death of her second husband has
[deceived?] her by telling her and her friends that she
[was] not infected. I am positively of opinion she was
and from that source that she now labours under
a Venereal Phthisis. I am of opinion that a proper
Phthisis Pulmonalis cannot be cured by mercury
and on the contr[ary] {illeg} it can be very much
{illeg} by it but I am strongly perswaded that
your Patient can only be cured by the use of
Mercury. It may possibly hurry on the Phthisical
[ailment?] to a fatal issue but it would be
only [because?] that issue is otherwise unavoidable
and if I myself were in your Patients Case
[Page 2]
I should certainly take the risk of a Mercurial Course,
It should by no means indeed be urged very fast but
it should be urges to some sensible effects. {illeg}
Mercurial Course has often answered the purp[ose]
I have very little experience of the Calcinated Mercury and perhaps for that reason have no [high?]
opinion of it but I leave the matter to your own
discretion.
As to communicating Patients I am very glad
to have been before hand with you for this day a
Gentleman by my advice given some time ago sets
out for Southampton to be under your Care but as he
carries a letter and directions along with him I
need say no more of it here. I am as always
with very great and particular regard
Your [most] Obedient Servant
1785
Diplomatic Text
Dr. John Stewart
C a Lady
Your letter of the 7th. came to my hand
only this day and I give [you my?] answer in course
of post.
The Case you describe I take to be a very des¬
perate one and I think the Physician who was Con¬
sulted upon the death of her second husband has
[deceived?] her by telling her and her friends that she
[was] not infected. I am positively of opinion she was
and from that source that she now labours under
a Venereal Phthisis. I am of opinion that a proper
Phthisis Pulmonalis cannot be cured by mercury
and on the contr[ary] {illeg} it can be very much
{illeg} by it but I am strongly perswaded that
your Patient can only be cured by the use of
Mercury. It may possibly hurry on the Phthisical
[ailment?] to a fatal issue but it would be
only [because?] that issue is otherwise unavoidable
and if I myself were in your Patients Case
[Page 2]
I should certainly take the risk of a Mercurial Course,
It should by no means indeed be urged very fast but
it should be urges to some sensible effects. {illeg}
Mercurial Course has often answered the purp[ose]
I have very little experience of the Mercurius calci¬
natus and perhaps for that reason have no [high?]
opinion of it but I leave the matter to your own
discretion.
As to communicating Patients I am very glad
to have been before hand with you for this day a
Gentleman by my advice given some time ago sets
out for Southampton to be under your Care but as he
carries a letter and directions along with him I
need say no more of it here. I am as always
with very great and particular regard
Your [most] Obedient Servant
1785
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