The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:4992] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Colonel William Maxwell (General Sir William Maxwell of Calderwood, 7th Bt (after 1829)) / Regarding: Colonel George Clerk (Clarke, Clark) (Patient) / 26 February 1785 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'Col. Clarke'. Cullen states the advice of gentlemen on the spot would be more beneficial to the Colonel, but due to the esteem in which the Colonel holds him, offers a few words of his own. Cullen recommends opiates to alleviate the Colonel's more painful complaints, though only if costiveness can be avoided. If costiveness persists, Cullen recommends extract of hyosciamus as an alternative anodyne.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 3 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 4992 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/17/186 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 26 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, 'Col. Clarke'. Cullen states the advice of gentlemen on the spot would be more beneficial to the Colonel, but due to the esteem in which the Colonel holds him, offers a few words of his own. Cullen recommends opiates to alleviate the Colonel's more painful complaints, though only if costiveness can be avoided. If costiveness persists, Cullen recommends extract of hyosciamus as an alternative anodyne. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1473] |
Case of Colonel George Clerk [Clark, Clarke, Clerke] who becomes excessively weak and feeble from chronic costiveness, breathlessness, and other chronic complaints. In New York he has a perpetual fever and stomach complaint and mentions consulting Cullen before but no firm evidence traced unless he is the same patient as Case 283 in 1768. |
24 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3190] | Addressee | Colonel William Maxwell (General Sir William Maxwell of Calderwood, 7th Bt (after 1829)) |
| [PERS ID:2507] | Patient | Colonel George Clerk (Clarke, Clark) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3190] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Colonel William Maxwell (General Sir William Maxwell of Calderwood, 7th Bt (after 1829)) |
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 | Rooks Nest | Godstone | London and South-East | England | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
Col. Clarke
I have attended as well as I can to every
{illeg} in the letter {illeg} was pleased to com¬
municate to me and I am extremely concerned
to find the good Colonel your Uncle under such a
[level?] of distress and I am the more concerned for it
that it seems to be of a very various and Complicated
kind and such as cannot be managed but by a
person frequently present with him and upon
that account I cannot properly offer any parti¬
cular advice and I dare say to the Gentlemen that
have the charge of the Case no advice of mine is
necessary. The confidence however which Col.
Clark has always honoured me with and the
great zeal I have in serving him may perhaps
excuse me in saying a few words.
If his Constitution will still admitt of
remedy I am of opinion that Guaiacum in one
[Page 2]
shape or another and joined with {illeg} Anti¬
monial as he can be found to bear will be of the
most general Service to his Constitution.
For the great variety of painful and {illeg}
feelings which I suspect he is every day liable to
I think he must especially depend upon Opiates
and if at the same time any measures can be
taken for obviating Costiveness I think he may
indulge in Opiates very safely. I have sometimes
found the Extract of Hyosciamus an us effectual
Anodyne without binding the belly so much as
Opium does.
I have only to add that in every Situation I think
the Strength of the Colonels constitution should be
supported by us now wishing a diet as his digestion
can bear and by what wine he can bear without being
heated and unless there are circumstances of this
kind that I do not know of, his laying aside
wine may be very dangerous.
[Page 3]
I [cant?] {illeg} differed from the {illeg}
{illeg} guarding against
{illeg}object of his attention.
Praying [earnestly?] for the Colonels relief, I am
with the utmost regard
Edinburgh 26th. February
1785
Diplomatic Text
Col. Clarke
I have attended as well as I can to every
{illeg} in the letter {illeg} was pleased to com¬
municate to me and I am extremely concerned
to find the good Colonel your Uncle under such a
[level?] of distress and I am the more concerned for it
that it seems to be of a very various and Complicated
kind and such as cannot be managed but by a
person frequently present with him and upon
that account I cannot properly offer any parti¬
cular advice and I dare say to the Gentlemen that
have the charge of the Case no advice of mine is
necessary. The confidence however which Col.
Clark has always honoured me with and the
great zeal I have in serving him may perhaps
excuse me in saying a few words.
If his Constitution will still admitt of
remedy I am of opinion that Guaiacum in one
[Page 2]
shape or another and joined with {illeg} Anti¬
monial as he can be found to bear will be of the
most general Service to his Constitution.
For the great variety of painful and {illeg}
feelings which I suspect he is every day liable to
I think he must especially depend upon Opiates
and if at the same time any measures can be
taken for obviating Costiveness I think he may
indulge in Opiates very safely. I have sometimes
found the Extract of Hyosciamus an us effectual
Anodyne without binding the belly so much as
Opium does.
I have only to add that in every Situation I think
the Strength of the Colonels constitution should be
supported by us now wishing a diet as his digestion
can bear and by what wine he can bear without being
heated and unless there are circumstances of this
kind that I do not know of, his laying aside
wine may be very dangerous.
[Page 3]
I [cant?] {illeg} differed from the {illeg}
{illeg} guarding against
{illeg}object of his attention.
Praying [earnestly?] for the Colonels relief, I am
with the utmost regard
Edinr. 26th. Febry.
1785
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