The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:5953] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mr Bell (Patient) / 12 September 1770 / (Outgoing)
Reply headed 'For Mr Bell' diagnosing 'spasmodic asthma', setting out a regimen and prescribing three recipes.
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- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
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- People
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Facsimile
There are 2 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
Metadata
Field | Data |
---|---|
DOC ID | 5953 |
RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/1/1/113 |
Main Language | English |
Document Direction | Outgoing |
Date | 12 September 1770 |
Annotation | None |
Type | Scribal copy ( includes Casebook Entry) |
Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
Autopsy | No |
Recipe | Yes |
Regimen | No |
Letter of Introduction | No |
Case Note | No |
Summary | Reply headed 'For Mr Bell' diagnosing 'spasmodic asthma', setting out a regimen and prescribing three recipes. |
Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
---|---|---|
[Case ID:70] |
Case of Mr Bell diagnosed with a 'spasmodic asthma'. |
1 |
People linked to this document
Person ID | Role in document | Person |
---|---|---|
[PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
[PERS ID:1325] | Patient | Mr Bell |
[PERS ID:1] | Patient's Physician / Surgeon / Apothecary | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
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 |
Normalized Text
For Mr Bell
I take Mr Bells ailment to be spasmodic Asthma which is
always of difficult cure and especially after it has subsisted so
long as in this case. The disease however may be moderated and
[i]f the frequent returns of it can be prevented it may in time be
taken away altogether.
This however is not to be done by medicine without a very
strict regimen is joined to it & which I therefore mention in the
first place.
His diet should be entirely of milk & grain avoiding on
one hand all animal food and on the other Roots & greens.
Of the first he may take sometimes Broth and of Roots & greens also
sometimes but seldom and always sparingly.
His drink should be plain water
avoiding Malt Liquors & all sort of strong drink.
Exercise on horseback is
extremely proper but much walking & all sort of bodily Exercise is
very bad.
He should wear a flannel shirt next his skin both night & day,
with flannel drawers & warm worsted stockings understockings, &
perhaps he should have some additional upon his Knees.
In every shape he must guard against cold & moisture and
particularly avoid being abroad in the Evenings and in moist
and foggy weather. But within doors he ought to guard equally
against heat, he should sleep in a pretty large Chamber &
avoid having it on any occasion much heated and he ought to avoid
all places heated by much fires & especially those heated by much
Company.
He must avoid sitting long at accomp.ts or other such
such business & guard against every occasion of strong passions or
any considerable emotion of mind.
He must take care to keep his belly
regular and if it does not answer of itself at least once in two days
[h]e must take more or less of the Laxative pills ordered below.
When he has got home again he should have a pea Issue
{illeg} cut into his left arm and if he finds relief from it he should
[Page 2]
should continue it for some years but if he does not find benefit by
it he may take it out the beginning of next summer.
When he is threatned with fits let him take at bed
time two of the pectoral pills ordred below washing them dow[n] 1
with two tablespoonfulls of the mixture also ordered. If he fin[ds]
these pills agree with him the dose may be increased to thre[e]
but he is to take them only once a day an hour or two
before bedtime & that only when he is threatned with fits or
when they are actually upon him.
To prevent the return
of the fits altogether he may try the antiscorbutic
prescribed below.
Let him begin to it when he has been some
days free from fits & take a dose twice a day till ↑he↑ has finis[ed]
a pot, then let him intermit for a fortnight & take to it
again; always supposing that he is from fits when he begins
it and at this second course let him take a dose four time[s]
a day.
In this manner at proper intervals he may repea[t]
it for several times, increasing the number of doses in th[e]
day & at the third trial he may take two pots before he
ceases.
When he takes the Electuary every dose of it is to be
washed down with two tablespoonfulls of the same mixtur[e]
that he employs to wash down the pectoral pills
Edinburgh September 12th
1770
Take one drachm each of socoterine aloes and extract of gentian, one scruple of polychrest salts and a sufficient quantity of simple syrup, and make a mass of which is to be formed six pills of two drachms each. Label: Laxative Pills, two or three for a dose.
Take one drachm of soap pills, half a drachm of Russian castor and a sufficient quantity of Russian castor, and make a mass divided into twenty pills. Label: Pectoral Pills, two or three for a dose at bedtime
Take two scruples of volatile salts of hartshorn, one ounce or a sufficient quantity of fresh lemon juice [and Lead?], four ounces of pennyroyal water and one ounce of syrup of balsam. Mix. Label: Pectoral Mixture two tablespoonfulls to be taken with each dose of the Pectoral Pills
take one ounce of powdered Peruvian bark, one drachm of green vitriol, six drachms of conserve of orange peel and a sufficient quantity of syrup of orange peel, and make an electuary. Label: antispasmodic electuary, the bigness of a nutmeg for a dose.
Notes:
1: Due to a tight margin the closing text of several lines on this page has had to be supplied.
Diplomatic Text
For Mr Bell
I take Mr Bells ailment to be spasmodic Asthma which is
always of difficult cure and especially after it has subsisted so
long as in this case. The disease however may be moderated and
[i]f the frequent returns of it can be prevented it may in time be
taken away altogether.
This however is not to be done by medicine without a very
strict regimen is joined to it & which I therefore mention in the
first place.
His diet should be entirely of milk & grain avoiding on
one hand all animal food and on the other Roots & greens.
Of the first he may take sometimes Broth and of Roots & greens also
sometimes but seldom and always sparingly.
His drink should be plain water
avoiding Malt Liquors & all sort of strong drink.
Exercise on horseback is
extremely proper but much walking & all sort of bodily Exercise is
very bad.
He should wear a flannel shirt next his skin both night & day,
with flannel drawers & warm worsted stockings understockings, &
perhaps he should have some additional upon his Knees.
In every shape he must guard against cold & moisture and
particularly avoid being abroad in the Evenings and in moist
and foggy weather. But within doors he ought to guard equally
against heat, he should sleep in a pretty large Chamber &
avoid having it on any occasion much heated and he ought to avoid
all places heated by much fires & especially those heated by much
Company.
He must avoid sitting long at accomp.ts or other such
such business & guard against every occasion of strong passions or
any considerable emotion of mind.
He must take care to keep his belly
regular and if it does not answer of itself at least once in two days
[h]e must take more or less of the Laxative pills ordered below.
When he has got home again he should have a pea Issue
{illeg} cut into his left arm and if he finds relief from it he should
[Page 2]
should continue it for some years but if he does not find benefit by
it he may take it out the beginning of next summer.
When he is threatned with fits let him take at bed
time two of the pectoral pills ordred below washing them dow[n] 1
with two tablespoonfulls of the mixture also ordered. If he fin[ds]
these pills agree with him the dose may be increased to thre[e]
but he is to take them only once a day an hour or two
before bedtime & that only when he is threatned with fits or
when they are actually upon him.
To prevent the return
of the fits altogether he may try the antiscorbutic
prescribed below.
Let him begin to it when he has been some
days free from fits & take a dose twice a day till ↑he↑ has finis[ed]
a pot, then let him intermit for a fortnight & take to it
again; always supposing that he is from fits when he begins
it and at this second course let him take a dose four time[s]
a day.
In this manner at proper intervals he may repea[t]
it for several times, increasing the number of doses in th[e]
day & at the third trial he may take two pots before he
ceases.
When he takes the Electuary every dose of it is to be
washed down with two tablespoonfulls of the same mixtur[e]
that he employs to wash down the pectoral pills
Edr. Septr. 12th
1770
℞ Aloes Socotor. Extr. Gentian @ ʒj Sal. polychrest ℈j Syr. simpl. q. s.
ut f. massa ex cujus singulis ʒſs form. pil. № vj s. Lax. Pills two or three for a dose
℞ pil. saponac. ʒj Castor. Russ. ʒſs syr. Diacod. q. s. ut f. m. divid. in pil. № xx
s. Pectoral Pills two or three for a dose at bedtime
℞ Sal. C. C. vol. ℈ij succ. Limon. rec. ℥j vel q. s. ad [satur.in?] Aq. Puleg. ℥iv syr. Bals ℥j
ℳ S. Pectoral Mixture two tablespoonfulls to be taken with each dose of the Pect. Pills
℞ Cort. Peruv. pulv. ℥j sal. Mart. ʒj Cons. Cort. Aurant. ʒix Syr. e Cort. Aurant. q. s.
ut f. Electurium S: Antispasmodic Electuary the bigness of a nutmeg for dose
Notes:
1: Due to a tight margin the closing text of several lines on this page has had to be supplied.
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