Cullen

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

 

[ID:598] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: Dr / Regarding: Mr Leckie (Patient) / 9 July 1782 / (Outgoing)

Reply 'For Mr Leckie', whose disease 'puts on no regular form'. Cullen considers its foundation to be a disposition to gout, and suggests a journey to Buxton to bathe. This machine copy is mounted with two blank pages left between the main body of the letter and the recipe.

Facsimile

There are 6 images for this document.

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[Page 2]


 

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Metadata

FieldData
DOC ID 598
RCPE Catalogue Number CUL/1/1/15/83
Main Language English
Document Direction Outgoing
Date9 July 1782
Annotation None
TypeMachine copy
Enclosure(s) Enclosure(s) present
Autopsy No
Recipe Yes
Regimen Yes
Letter of Introduction No
Case Note No
Summary Reply 'For Mr Leckie', whose disease 'puts on no regular form'. Cullen considers its foundation to be a disposition to gout, and suggests a journey to Buxton to bathe. This machine copy is mounted with two blank pages left between the main body of the letter and the recipe.
Manuscript Incomplete? No
Evidence of Commercial Posting No

Case

Cases that this document belongs to:

Case ID Description Num Docs
[Case ID:1498]
Case of Mr Leckie who is advised to go to Buxton for his suspected gout.
1


People linked to this document

Person IDRole in documentPerson
[PERS ID:1]AuthorDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:2812]AddresseeDr
[PERS ID:2811]PatientMr Leckie
[PERS ID:1]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr William Cullen (Professor Cullen)
[PERS ID:2812]Patient's Physician / Surgeon / ApothecaryDr

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
Therapeutic Recommendation Buxton Midlands England Europe certain

Normalized Text

[Page 1]

For Mr Leckie


This gentlemans disease puts on no regular
form, but from considering attentively the whole sym¬
ptoms and circumstances of it, I am of opinion that
the foundation of it is a disposition to Gout, which
shows it self by many efforts to attack the extremities,
though unhappily they are never permanent.


When such a state has taken place for some length
of time as in this case I know from much experience
that it is very difficult to correct ↑it↑ and it is seldom that
any regular gout or permanent inflammation of the
extremities can be brought on and therefore all we can
do is to advise such remedies and regimen as may
favour the tendency to the extremities & in the mean
time to obviate & remove the disorders which may arise
in other parts of the body.


For these purposes I must observe that though
Cold bathing seems formerly to have been of service
to Mr Leckie and while ↑the↑ same vigour of his system



[Page 2]

remains cold bathing might be safe I think it is
an ambiguous and therefore a hazardous remedy which
at present I cannot advise.


On the contrary I am of opinion that moderate warm
bathing may be ↑of↑ great service to him. Buxton affords
such a bath and just now is the season for employing
it. I must therefore advise him to go immediately thither
and to employ the warm bath for some weeks, more or
less as he shall find it agree with him but observing
that less than two or three weeks cannot be a proper
trial. He may at first be in the bath for a quarter
of an hour only but by degrees he should prolong
the time to half an hour or more. He may at
the Same time drink the Buxton water every day
but always in very moderate quantity. While he
is at Buxton he should continue his usual exercise
as constantly as the weather will allow. When the
weather at Buxton sets in rainy there is commonly
a great deal of rain and a very moist atmosphere.



[Page 3]

If such weather should set in while Mr Leckie is
there I would advise him to leave it and to travel about
in a drier climate till the weather changes when he
may return to finish his course at Buxton if he
had not finished it before.


At Buxton Mr Leckies diet may be such as it
has been commonly before. I have only this general
observation to make that a full diet of animal food
or a great deal of cold vegetable food are extremes
equally dangerous for him. I say the same of
strong drink, any approach to excess would be very
hurtfull but a little wine seems to me very necessary
and certainly a littl total abstinence would not be safe.


These are the directions I think necessary with
respect to Buxton & for his conduct else where or
even there I find nothing more necessary than to say
that Mr Leckie Should ↑be↑ extremely carefull and studious
in avoiding any coldness of his feet, by thick shoes
and warm stockings to avoid all wet and if any
Spontaneous



[Page 4]

spontaneous coldness should even at any time come on it
should be immediately removed by chafing and setting his
feet near the fire. This should particularly be done
at going to bed and he should constantly wear woollen
foot socks during the night.


Along with these directions I have inclosed some
prescriptions which however I would not wish to employ
till towards the approach of winter or during that
season.


One of these prescriptions is of powders & Infusion
for strengthening the stomach and enabling it to throw
of the Gout and if possible upon the extremities.


A second prescription is a solution of Guaiacum
to be employed upon occasional uneasiness of the stomach
and particularly when there is occasional for a laxative


The third prescription is for a draught which upon
occasion of headachs more severe than usual may be
employed for more certainly procuring sleep and Sweating


Edinburgh 9th. July
1782.

William Cullen 1



[Page 5]

For MLeckie

Take ten grains of prepared pPowered Steel, ten grains of the purest white Sugar and five grains of Cinnamon powder. Mix in order to let there be made a powder, and be in this way 28 doses. Label as Strengthening Powders; one to be taken in a little currant jelly twice a day, washing down each dose with two spoonfuls of the following.

Take one drachm of Colombo's Root, one drachm of Oranges peel and half a drachm of coriander Seeds. After having crushed it all, pour over it one pound of boiling water. Let it digest for ten hours, then add two ounces of Peruvian bark Tincture and half an ounce of aromatic tincture. Strain using the paper and label Stomachic Infusion, two spoonfuls to be taken after every dose of the powders.


9.th July 1782.

W.C.



[Page 6]

For Mr Leckie

Take two drachms of Gum guaiacum and two drachms of very pure, that is very hard, white Sugar. Crushed them together into a fine powder, add one and a half ounces of raw Gum Arabicum Mucilage. Crushed it once again, pour over it, little by little and carefully, half an ounce of balsamic Syrup, two ounces of Spirit of cinnamom and four and a half ounces of peppermint water. Mix and label as Aperient Solution, a tablespoon or two for a dose ad bedtime.

Take one ounce of Simple cinnamon Water, one drachm of antimonial Wine, two drachms of Simple Syrup and from fifteen to thirty drops of Thebaic Tincture. Mix and label as Diaphoretic draught, to be taken when the headache is violent.


9.th July
1782.

W.C.

Notes:

1: There follows two blank pages at this point in the volume.

Diplomatic Text

[Page 1]

For Mr Leckie


This gentlemans disease puts on no regular
form, but from considering attentively the whole sym¬
ptoms and circumstances of it, I am of opinion that
the foundation of it is a disposition to Gout, which
shows it self by many efforts to attack the extremities,
though unhappily they are never permanent.


When such a state has taken place for some length
of time as in this case I know from much experience
that it is very difficult to correct ↑it↑ and it is seldom that
any regular gout or permanent inflammation of the
extremities can be brought on and therefore all we can
do is to advise such remedies and regimen as may
favour the tendency to the extremities & in the mean
time to obviate & remove the disorders which may arise
in other parts of the body.


For these purposes I must observe that though
Cold bathing seems formerly to have been of service
to Mr Leckie and while ↑the↑ same vigour of his system



[Page 2]

remains cold bathing might be safe I think it is
an ambiguous and therefore a hazardous remedy which
at present I cannot advise.


On the contrary I am of opinion that moderate warm
bathing may be ↑of↑ great service to him. Buxton affords
such a bath and just now is the season for employing
it. I must therefore advise him to go immediately thither
and to employ the warm bath for some weeks, more or
less as he shall find it agree with him but observing
that less than two or three weeks cannot be a proper
trial. He may at first be in the bath for a quarter
of an hour only but by degrees he should prolong
the time to half an hour or more. He may at
the Same time drink the Buxton water every day
but always in very moderate quantity. While he
is at Buxton he should continue his usual exercise
as constantly as the weather will allow. When the
weather at Buxton sets in rainy there is commonly
a great deal of rain and a very moist atmosphere.



[Page 3]

If such weather should set in while Mr Leckie is
there I would advise him to leave it and to travel about
in a drier climate till the weather changes when he
may return to finish his course at Buxton if he
had not finished it before.


At Buxton Mr Leckies diet may be such as it
has been commonly before. I have only this general
observation to make that a full diet of animal food
or a great deal of cold vegetable food are extremes
equally dangerous for him. I say the same of
strong drink, any approach to excess would be very
hurtfull but a little wine seems to me very necessary
and certainly a littl total abstinence would not be safe.


These are the directions I think necessary with
respect to Buxton & for his conduct else where or
even there I find nothing more necessary than to say
that Mr Leckie Should ↑be↑ extremely carefull and studious
in avoiding any coldness of his feet, by thick shoes
and warm stockings to avoid all wet and if any
Spontaneous



[Page 4]

spontaneous coldness should even at any time come on it
should be immediately removed by chafing and setting his
feet near the fire. This should particularly be done
at going to bed and he should constantly wear woollen
foot socks during the night.


Along with these directions I have inclosed some
prescriptions which however I would not wish to employ
till towards the approach of winter or during that
season.


One of these prescriptions is of powders & Infusion
for strengthening the stomach and enabling it to throw
of the Gout and if possible upon the extremities.


A second prescription is a solution of Guaiacum
to be employed upon occasional uneasiness of the stomach
and particularly when there is occasional for a laxative


The third prescription is for a draught which upon
occasion of headachs more severe than usual may be
employed for more certainly procuring sleep and Sweating


Edinr. 9th. July
1782.

William Cullen 1



[Page 5]

For MLeckie


Limatur. Mart. ppt.
Sacchar. alb. puriss. @ gr. x
Cinnamom. pulv. gr. v.
ℳ. f. pulvis. et fiant h. m. dos. № xxviij
Signa Strengthening Powders one to be taken in a
little currant Jelly twice a day washing down each
dose with two table Spoonfulls of the following. --


Rad. Colomb.
Cort. aurantior. @ ʒj
Sem. coriandr. ʒfs
Contusis affunde aquæ bullient. ℔j
Digere horas decem et adde
Tinct. cort. Peruv. ℥ij
----- aromatic. ℥fs
Denique per chartam cola
Sig. Stomachic Infusion two table Spoonfulls to be
taken after every dose of the powders


9.th July 1782.

W.C.



[Page 6]

For Mr Leckie


Gum. guajac.
Sacch. alb. puriss. i.e. duriss. @ ʒij
Terito Simul in pulverem tenuem et adde
Mucil. G. Arab. crass. ʒjβ
Terito iterum diligenter et paulatim affunde
Sir. balsam. ℥fs
Aq. cinnam. Spirit. ℥ij
-- menth. pip. ℥ivβ
ℳ. Sig. Aperient Solution a table spoonfull or two
for a dose at bedtime


Aq. cinnam. Simpl. ℥j
Vin. antimonial. ʒj
Syr. Simpl. ʒij
Tinct. Thebaic. a gutt. cv ad xxx.
ℳ. Sig. Diaphoretic draught to be taken when the
headach is violent


9.th July
1782.

W.C.

Notes:

1: There follows two blank pages at this point in the volume.

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