Cullen

The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

 

[ID:5792] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr Thomas Yorstoun (Yerstoun, Yorstown, Yorkston) / Regarding: Reverend Robert Aitken (of Morton) (Patient) / 6 March 1789 / (Outgoing)

Reply, 'Mr Aitken'. Recipe in body of the letter gives ingredients for purging.

Facsimile

There are 3 images for this document.

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[Page 2]


 

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 5792
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/21/64
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date6 March 1789
Annotation None
TypeMachine scribal copy
Enclosure(s) No enclosure(s)
Autopsy No
Recipe Yes
Regimen No
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply, 'Mr Aitken'. Recipe in body of the letter gives ingredients for purging.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1258]
Case of the Rev. Mr Aitken who has a weak chest.
2


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:929]AddresseeDr Thomas Yorstoun (Yerstoun, Yorstown, Yorkston)
[PERS ID:5508]PatientReverend Robert Aitken (of Morton)
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:929]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr Thomas Yorstoun (Yerstoun, Yorstown, Yorkston)

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 Thornhill Borders Scotland Europe inferred

Normalized Text

[Page 1]
Mr. Aitken
Sir,


I am favoured with yours concerning
Mr. Aitken, and I am always pleased with
such correspondences, as are full exact and
judicious.


I am entirely of your opinion that
this disease depends upon a general debility
of the System, which will at a certain period
of life come on upon persons formerly sound
and healthful. Though there are symptoms
which show some affection of the breast, there
have been none that decisively mark a Hy¬
drothorax
, and though there were, you have
employed the most probable means of relief
by the use of Diuretics and Tonics. For the
first, your pills are extremely proper, and in
my opinion should be continued, but the
mercury [cannot?] be pushed far, and therefore
I would {illeg} you to have {illeg}



[Page 2]

one of the dried squills alone, and the other {illeg}
the mercury as before. The squill may be [given?]
for two three days [increasing?] the dose, either
by the quantity or number as his stomach
bears it, and it may be enough to give the
mercurial every third or fourth evening
and by this practice I hope the flow of urine
may be continued and increased. If the squills
are disposed to purging (e) him as this will
prevent their going to the kidneys, it is
to be prevented by the use of an opiate. But
at the same time, as the water may in
part be drawn off by purging, it may be
useful to give him frequently the following
purgative.

Take one ounce of Crystal tartar two drachms of well titrated powdered jalap one and a half drachms of lenitive Electuary and a sufficient quantity of simple Syrup to make a soft Electuary in a sufficient amount hourly {illeg} every quarter of the day. These {illeg}




[Page 3]

may I hope draw off the water, but [at the?]
same time it will be very proper to {illeg}
the return of it by tonic medicines, and you
very properly employ the bark, but as I
doubt, you cannot give in so large quantity
as might be wished I advise you to join with
it the Limitura martis preparate
in pretty large proportion, as the,
stomach will bear more of it than
we commonly imagine. These are all
that I think of in the way of medicine, and
you will certainly continue your attention
to the state of the Scrotum &c. and I find
you have ordered his diet as properly as I
could wish. When you think I can be of any
further [service?], you will find me ready and
attentive to give you every thing in my power


I am with the utmost [regard Dear Sir Your?]
most Obedient Servant
William Cullen

Edinburgh 6th. March
1789

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]
Mr. Aitken
Sir,


I am favoured with yours concerning
Mr. Aitken, and I am always pleased with
such correspondences, as are full exact and
judicious.


I am entirely of your opinion that
this disease depends upon a general debility
of the System, which will at a certain period
of life come on upon persons formerly sound
and healthful. Though there are symptoms
which show some affection of the breast, there
have been none that decisively mark a Hy¬
drothorax
, and though there were, you have
employed the most probable means of relief
by the use of Diuretics and Tonics. For the
first, your pills are extremely proper, and in
my opinion should be continued, but the
mercury [cannot?] be pushed far, and therefore
I would {illeg} you to have {illeg}



[Page 2]

one of the dried squills alone, and the other {illeg}
the mercury as before. The squill may be [given?]
for two three days [increasing?] the dose, either
by the quantity or number as his stomach
bears it, and it may be enough to give the
mercurial every third or fourth evening
and by this practice I hope the flow of urine
may be continued and increased. If the squills
are disposed to purging (e) him as this will
prevent their going to the kidneys, it is
to be prevented by the use of an opiate. But
at the same time, as the water may in
part be drawn off by purging, it may be
useful to give him frequently the following
purgative.


Crystal. tartar. ℥j Pulverum
julap. comp. bene tritr
ʒij Elect. len ʒjſs
Syr. simpl. q. s. ut f. Electuarium mol {illeg}
horis q. s. ut {illeg}
quarter de die. These {illeg}




[Page 3]

may I hope draw off the water, but [at the?]
same time it will be very proper to {illeg}
the return of it by tonic medicines, and you
very properly employ the bark, but as I
doubt, you cannot give in so large quantity
as might be wished I advise you to join with
it the Limitura martis preparate
in pretty large proportion, as the,
stomach will bear more of it than
we commonly imagine. These are all
that I think of in the way of medicine, and
you will certainly continue your attention
to the state of the Scrotum &c. and I find
you have ordered his diet as properly as I
could wish. When you think I can be of any
further [service?], you will find me ready and
attentive to give you every thing in my power


I am with the utmost [regard Dear Sir Your?]
most Obedient Servant
William Cullen

Edinr. 6th. March
1789

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