The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5138] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Mrs Brown (Broun) / Regarding: Mrs Elizabeth Watt (McCall) (of Stranraer) (Patient) / 3 September 1785 / (Outgoing)
Reply, 'For Mrs Watt'. Probably to be sent via her Edinburgh-based cousin Mrs Brown. Cullen is sorry to hear of the old lady's many complaints: 'But tho I cannot undertake to make her young again I think she speaks with too much despondency'. He sends her instructions for a powder to help her strangury, a plaister for her back, and a lotion to bathe her breast, and a diaphoretic.
- 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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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 5138 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/18/120 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 3 September 1785 |
| 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 Watt'. Probably to be sent via her Edinburgh-based cousin Mrs Brown. Cullen is sorry to hear of the old lady's many complaints: 'But tho I cannot undertake to make her young again I think she speaks with too much despondency'. He sends her instructions for a powder to help her strangury, a plaister for her back, and a lotion to bathe her breast, and a diaphoretic. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1594] |
Case of Mrs Elizabeth Watt of Stranraer, whose various symptoms over the course of ten years include a chest complaint, a sore mouth, and rheumatism. |
18 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3011] | Addressee | Mrs Brown (Broun) |
| [PERS ID:2120] | Patient | Mrs Elizabeth Watt (of Stranraer) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3011] | Patient's Relative / Spouse / Friend | Mrs Brown (Broun) |
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 | St Andrews Street | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Mrs. Watt
I am heartily concerned to find her so much
distressed with so many Ailments and infirmities.
I have now been long acquainted with the faults
of her Constitution which must be increased by
the advance of life. But tho I cannot undertake
to make her young again I think she speaks
with too much despondency and hope her complaints
may still be very much relieved and I certainly
shall always endeavour to do it as well as I
can.
I think one of her great distresses at
present is the Strangury and for that I have
sent her a medicine which may give her some
relief. It is a powder of which a heaped tea
Spoonful is to be put into half a gill or a little
more of barley water and this is to be taken
three or four times a day at such times as she
[Page 2]
is disposed to drink, or when it is agreeable to her
to take so much drink.
For the weakness of her back I have sent
a quantity of plaister, a part of which is to be
Spread upon leather about Eight inches square
and this is to be applied to the small of her
back and allowed to continue there till it becomes
too dry to Stick and then it may be renewed
by a fresh plaister.
For the heat and pain in her left breast
I have sent a lotion with which the part may
be bathed twice a day. The lotion being neither
cold nor warm, but of a temper somewhat less
than that of new milk.
For the Rheumatism that is apt to be
troublesome in the night time I have sent a
mixture of which she may take a ↑table↑ spoonful
at going to bed. If She finds it does not heat
[Page 3]
her and at the same time finds it does not
give her the relief desired She may increase
the dose to a Spoonful and a half or two spoonfuls.
These are the several remedies I can offer
at present and heartily wish they may answer
that purpose.
Edinburgh 3d. September
1785
[Page 4]
✍ For Mrs Watt
Take two ounces of Powdered Gum Arabic, one drachm of Salts of nitre, and two drachms of white Sugar. Mix to make a powder. Label: Diuretic Powder
Take four ounces of Roborant Plaister. Label: Strengthening Plaister
Take eight ounces of Rosewater, half an ounce of Vinegar distillate, and two scruples of Sugar of Lead. Dissolve and Label: The Lotion
Take four ounces of spring Water, [two?] ounces of simple Cinnamon Water, half an ounce of diacodium Syrup, {illeg} to twenty drops of Thebaic Tincture {illeg} and [three ounces?] of {illeg}. Mix. Label: Diaphoretic [mixture?].
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs. Watt
I am heartily concerned to find her so much
distressed with so many Ailments and infirmities.
I have now been long acquainted with the faults
of her Constitution which must be increased by
the advance of life. But tho I cannot undertake
to make her young again I think she speaks
with too much despondency and hope her complaints
may still be very much relieved and I certainly
shall always endeavour to do it as well as I
can.
I think one of her great distresses at
present is the Strangury and for that I have
sent her a medicine which may give her some
relief. It is a powder of which a heaped tea
Spoonful is to be put into half a gill or a little
more of barley water and this is to be taken
three or four times a day at such times as she
[Page 2]
is disposed to drink, or when it is agreeable to her
to take so much drink.
For the weakness of her back I have sent
a quantity of plaister, a part of which is to be
Spread upon leather about Eight inches square
and this is to be applied to the small of her
back and allowed to continue there till it becomes
too dry to Stick and then it may be renewed
by a fresh plaister.
For the heat and pain in her left breast
I have sent a lotion with which the part may
be bathed twice a day. The lotion being neither
cold nor warm, but of a temper somewhat less
than that of new milk.
For the Rheumatism that is apt to be
troublesome in the night time I have sent a
mixture of which she may take a ↑table↑ spoonful
at going to bed. If She finds it does not heat
[Page 3]
her and at the same time finds it does not
give her the relief desired She may increase
the dose to a Spoonful and a half or two spoonfuls.
These are the several remedies I can offer
at present and heartily wish they may answer
that purpose.
Edinr. 3d. Septr.
1785
[Page 4]
✍ For Mrs Watt
℞ Pulv. Gum. Arab. ℥ij
Sal. nitr. ʒi
Sacchar. alb. ʒij
ℳ. f. pulvis.
Sig. Diuretic Powder
℞ Emplast. roborant. ℥IV
Sig. Strengthening Plaister
℞ Aq. rosar. ℥viij
Acet. distillat. ℥ſs
Sacchar. Saturn. ℈ij
Solve et Sig. The Lotion
℞ Aq. font. ℥iv
Cinnamom. Simpl. ℥[ij?]
Syrup. diacod. ℥ſs
Tinct. Thebaic. guttas {illeg} et viginti
{illeg} [℥iij?]
ℳ. Sig. Diaphoretic [mixture?]
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