The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5376] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Miss Janet MacDuff (McDuff) (Patient) / 28 December 1786 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Miss McDuff'. Cullen believes Janet MacDuff's case to be entirely 'from an affection of the mind' and therefore curable. He suggests that she be kept somewhere away from new things and that she should have a keeper. He recommends corporal punishment only in extreme circumstances.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
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Facsimile
There are 6 images for this document.
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 5376 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/19/187 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 28 December 1786 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Machine copy |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Miss McDuff'. Cullen believes Janet MacDuff's case to be entirely 'from an affection of the mind' and therefore curable. He suggests that she be kept somewhere away from new things and that she should have a keeper. He recommends corporal punishment only in extreme circumstances. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:1156] |
Case of Miss MacDuff: complex set of letters relating to the Macduff family. |
6 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:3262] | Patient | Miss Janet MacDuff (McDuff) |
| [PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:101] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr Robert Wood |
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 | Monzievaird (Monivaird) | Mid Scotland | Scotland | Europe | inferred |
Normalized Text
For Miss Mcduff
I have considered the whole history of her
complaints, with great attention, and am of
opinion that her present disorder as it came
on entirely from an affection of the mind, it
may again be entirely cured, but it may [possibly?]
require some time, and due attention to a proper
regimen. In her present condition it is proper
that she should be in a [retired?] situation where
no great variety of objects may be prescribed to
her, and especially no new or uncommon ones
but it is not necessarily that she should be
confined to a Chamber, and it will rather
while the weather allows of it be proper to
carry her abroad every day, but so far only
that she is to see no other than accustomed
objects. If she is cloathed ↑as she should always be↑ in such a manner
[Page 2]
that she can neither hurt herself nor her Keepers
nor run away from them, the carrying her abroad
may be easily managed and may be of very great
service to her health.
Whether she is within doors or abroad her
manner of speaking is not to be taken notice of
nor are her Keepers to guard with her about
that, except in the case of her making much
noise to the disturbance of a family, or a neighbourhood
and then she may be restrained by being threatened
with some punishment, or by actually inflicting
it, but the latter is to be avoided as much as possible
and it may commonly be done by her Keepers
acquiring some awe and authority over her and
which may commonly be done at first by a few
stripes upon her back, never a threatening being
sufficient afterwards, except in cases of extraor¬
dinary wilfulness and violence. Let the person
also who acquires this authority be the person
[Page 3]
who shall show any complaisance or indulgence
in any gratification that may be allowable and
many opportunities will offer for this in [trifling?]
matters, as that it is to be hoped that the Patient
will soon become sensible to the difference of
conduct in her keeper, and become in her [turn?]
more complaisant and obedient to that keeper
I hold it for certain that all agitation of mind
from quarrels with Keepers has a great share
in aggravating insanity.
Her diet is to be of a middle kind. It is
not necessary that it should be kept extremely low
It should indeed be especially of the vegetable
kind, but of that she should house every variety
and a tolerable quantity, and if her appetite
is very sharp, and that she shows much desire
for it, she may have frequently a little animal
food, but especially of the light kinds.
Her ordinary drink must be entirely
[Page 4]
without wine or Spirits, but if her belly is liable
to become costive she may commonly have small
beer instead of water, especially if she can be
[satisfied?] with a moderate quantity of the former
In such a case I hold evacuations to be
unnecessary, but it is proper to keep her belly
regular, and if costiveness requires it, to open
her belly by a laxative medicine.
I hope few medicines will be necessary
but there are two I would wish to have tried and
which I have prescribed on the separate paper.
The first of them must be tried under Dr Woods
inspection. If it gives deep withour any con¬
fusion of mind, the dose of it is to be increased so
far as may be necessary to give sleep and and quiet
and such patients will commonly admit of
large doses, but if ever in a large dose, it does
not give sleep, and on the contrary it increases
the confusion of the head. the medicines must
[Page 5]
be entirely laid aside.
In that case let the other medicine be tried
and [given for some time?] every second night in¬
creasing the dose a little as it is continued, and
it may safely go the length of five or six pills for
a dose.
The management of these medicines must be
under the inspection of Dr. Wood, and I must leave
it to his discretion how far they are to be carried and
whether they may be properly alternated with
one another, but for these purposes it will be
necessary for him to make some visits to the
patient, especially when they are first [began?]
[Page 6]
For Miss Macduff
Take 15 grains Thebaic pills Divide intro three pills Label: Cephalic pills to be taken at bed [times and to?] be repeated for some nights after if Dr. Wood [thinks?] proper.
Take 1 drachm Camphor., half a drachm white sugar, add several drops of rectified spirit of wine rub rogether into a powder add to which half a drachm each of Russian Castor and Asafœdita add a sufficient quantity of Mucilago of Gum arabic thicken so as to make a mass divisible into single pills of four grains each. Label: Cephalic pills two to be taken every other night at bed times
1786
Diplomatic Text
For Miss Mcduff
I have considered the whole history of her
complaints, with great attention, and am of
opinion that her present disorder as it came
on entirely from an affection of the mind, it
may again be entirely cured, but it may [possibly?]
require some time, and due attention to a proper
regimen. In her present condition it is proper
that she should be in a [retired?] situation where
no great variety of objects may be prescribed to
her, and especially no new or uncommon ones
but it is not necessarily that she should be
confined to a Chamber, and it will rather
while the weather allows of it be proper to
carry her abroad every day, but so far only
that she is to see no other than accustomed
objects. If she is cloathed ↑as she should always be↑ in such a manner
[Page 2]
that she can neither hurt herself nor her Keepers
nor run away from them, the carrying her abroad
may be easily managed and may be of very great
service to her health.
Whether she is within doors or abroad her
manner of speaking is not to be taken notice of
nor are her Keepers to guard with her about
that, except in the case of her making much
noise to the disturbance of a family, or a neighbourhood
and then she may be restrained by being threatened
with some punishment, or by actually inflicting
it, but the latter is to be avoided as much as possible
and it may commonly be done by her Keepers
acquiring some awe and authority over her and
which may commonly be done at first by a few
stripes upon her back, never a threatening being
sufficient afterwards, except in cases of extraor¬
dinary wilfulness and violence. Let the person
also who acquires this authority be the person
[Page 3]
who shall show any complaisance or indulgence
in any gratification that may be allowable and
many opportunities will offer for this in [trifling?]
matters, as that it is to be hoped that the Patient
will soon become sensible to the difference of
conduct in her keeper, and become in her [turn?]
more complaisant and obedient to that keeper
I hold it for certain that all agitation of mind
from quarrels with Keepers has a great share
in aggravating insanity.
Her diet is to be of a middle kind. It is
not necessary that it should be kept extremely low
It should indeed be especially of the vegetable
kind, but of that she should house every variety
and a tolerable quantity, and if her appetite
is very sharp, and that she shows much desire
for it, she may have frequently a little animal
food, but especially of the light kinds.
Her ordinary drink must be entirely
[Page 4]
without wine or Spirits, but if her belly is liable
to become costive she may commonly have small
beer instead of water, especially if she can be
[satisfied?] with a moderate quantity of the former
In such a case I hold evacuations to be
unnecessary, but it is proper to keep her belly
regular, and if costiveness requires it, to open
her belly by a laxative medicine.
I hope few medicines will be necessary
but there are two I would wish to have tried and
which I have prescribed on the separate paper.
The first of them must be tried under Dr Woods
inspection. If it gives deep withour any con¬
fusion of mind, the dose of it is to be increased so
far as may be necessary to give sleep and and quiet
and such patients will commonly admit of
large doses, but if ever in a large dose, it does
not give sleep, and on the contrary it increases
the confusion of the head. the medicines must
[Page 5]
be entirely laid aside.
In that case let the other medicine be tried
and [given for some time?] every second night in¬
creasing the dose a little as it is continued, and
it may safely go the length of five or six pills for
a dose.
The management of these medicines must be
under the inspection of Dr. Wood, and I must leave
it to his discretion how far they are to be carried and
whether they may be properly alternated with
one another, but for these purposes it will be
necessary for him to make some visits to the
patient, especially when they are first [began?]
[Page 6]
For Miss Macduff
℞ pil. Thebaic. gr XV
Divide in pil. iij
Sig. Cephalic pills to be taken at bed [times and to?]
be repeated for some nights after if Dr. Wood [thinks?]
proper.
℞ Camphor. ʒi
Sacchar. duriss. ʒſs
adjectio Sp. vini rect. gutter. aliquot.
Terito simul in Pulverem cui adde
Caster. rust
Asafœtid. [par.?] @ ʒſs
Mucilag. G. arab. crass. q.s. ut f. massa
Divenda in Pil. sing. gr. IV.
Sig. Cephalic pills two to be taken every other night
at bed times
1786
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