The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:883] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: Mrs Ann Oswald (of Raphoe) (Patient) / February 1774 / (Outgoing)
Reply 'For Mrs Oswald'.
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 4 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
[Page 3]
[Page 4]
Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 883 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/148 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | February 1774 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | No |
| Regimen | Yes |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Reply 'For Mrs Oswald'. |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:23] |
Case of Mrs Oswald, diagnosed as having ' the too great mobility of her Nerves'. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:56] | Patient | Mrs Ann Oswald (of Raphoe) |
| [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 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh and East | Scotland | Europe | inferred | |
| Mentioned / Other | Ireland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mrs Oswald
After considering the whole circumstances of this ↑seemingly↑
complicated case I am perswaded that tho the blood may
not be quite pure, there are very few of ↑the↑ Symptoms or appea¬
rances ↑in this case↑ that depend upon the state of the any acrimony or
foulness of the blood. In my opinion most of Mrs Oswalds
ailments depend upon the too great mobility of her Nerves
and upon what is commonly connected with that mobility,
a weakness of Stomach and ↑a↑ very imperfect and irregular
perspiration.
It is not possible to give a new Set of Nerves and
therefore it must be difficult to prevent altogether some
of the ailments Mrs Oswald has been liable to but I
have no doubt that a proper management and a few
remedies will do a great deal either to prevent ailments
or to render them much less troublesome.
The ailments Mrs Oswald is especially liable to depend
very much on the State of the Stomach and therefore her first
[Page 2]
Care must be to keep the Stomach free from indigestion.
Every ↑thing↑ known to prove heavy on the Stomach must be avoided
Bacon Pork and all kind of Waterfowl are commonly heavy meats
Fish ↑of all kinds↑ ↓of all kinds is difficulty perspired and therefore to↓ in particular Should be taken Seldom and very sparingly
Roots Greens and most part of Garden things must also
be taken very Sparingly. Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb
and white fowl and Rabbit ↑plain dressed↑ may be her ordinary fare but
even of these a full meal will be very improper, and her
meal should be filled up with a plain light soup with
pudding or with vegetables but the last as flatulent must
be taken Sparingly.
2 When the Stomach feels loaded, ↑&↑ the appetite falls of
and flatulency is frequent a gentle vomit may be of Service
but it would be better to prevent that ailment as frequent
vomits are by no means proper. Laxatives ↑Vide paper apart X↑ -
1 If it is found that the Stomach digests milk
easily Some milkmeat will make the most proper Supper
and if milk alone is not easily digested an equal part of
water gruel put to the milk and the mixture well Sweetned
with Sugar or honey will make a liquor easily digested and
this way
[Page 3]
it may be employed instead of plain Milk with Bread Rice
{illeg} Sago or other things of that kind.
Nothing is more necessary than much Exercise and a
good deal of walking would be of service but as that cannot
go a good way it must Supplied either by going on horseback
or in a carriage and once or twice a year at a proper season
a regular Journey of some weeks will be especially useful.
It will answer for some exercise and be other ways use¬
full to have the Arms and legs especially the latter rubbed
with a flesh brush every morning.
It is necessary for Mrs Oswald to guard very carefully
against Cold and particularly in her feet & legs which
should always be kept very warm & dry and if upon any
occasion they become cold they should be recovered as soon
as possibly by the fire or by chafing with warm flannels.
In Winter Mrs Oswald should not be from her own
house or should be in ↑a↑ better climate than that of Brittain
or Ireland
Mrs Oswald should take pains to avoid every thing
which engages her mind with any anxiety.
[Page 4]
I think it is very probable that Mrs Oswald
might be the better for Cold bathing. But it must be
begun in Summer and continued every Second day till the
end of harvest. It will be most convenient for her to
employ the bathing machine, to take the water at first
almost warm and to bring it by degrees to the natural
coldness of spring water. The best time for taking it
is on coming out of bed in the morning providing there
has been no moisture on the Skin before, for if there has
it will be proper to let that go of by being out of bed for
an hour or more before taking the bath. After the bath
the Skin is to be very well dried with course towels she
is to put on her ordinary dress and walk about for half
an hour or more before taking breakfast.
Diplomatic Text
For Mrs Oswald
After considering the whole circumstances of this ↑seemingly↑
complicated case I am perswaded that tho the blood may
not be quite pure, there are very few of ↑the↑ Symptoms or appea¬
rances ↑in this case↑ that depend upon the state of the any acrimony or
foulness of the blood. In my opinion most of Mrs Oswalds
ailments depend upon the too great mobility of her Nerves
and upon what is commonly connected with that mobility,
a weakness of Stomach and ↑a↑ very imperfect and irregular
perspiration.
It is not possible to give a new Set of Nerves and
therefore it must be difficult to prevent altogether some
of the ailments Mrs Oswald has been liable to but I
have no doubt that a proper management and a few
remedies will do a great deal either to prevent ailments
or to render them much less troublesome.
The ailments Mrs Oswald is especially liable to depend
very much on the State of the Stomach and therefore her first
[Page 2]
Care must be to keep the Stomach free from indigestion.
Every ↑thing↑ known to prove heavy on the Stomach must be avoided
Bacon Pork and all kind of Waterfowl are commonly heavy meats
Fish ↑of all kinds↑ ↓of all kinds is difficulty perspired and therefore to↓ in particular Should be taken Seldom and very sparingly
Roots Greens and most part of Garden things must also
be taken very Sparingly. Beef, Mutton, Veal, Lamb
and white fowl and Rabbit ↑plain dressed↑ may be her ordinary fare but
even of these a full meal will be very improper, and her
meal should be filled up with a plain light soup with
pudding or with vegetables but the last as flatulent must
be taken Sparingly.
2 When the Stomach feels loaded, ↑&↑ the appetite falls of
and flatulency is frequent a gentle vomit may be of Service
but it would be better to prevent that ailment as frequent
vomits are by no means proper. Laxatives ↑Vide paper apart X↑ -
1 If it is found that the Stomach digests milk
easily Some milkmeat will make the most proper Supper
and if milk alone is not easily digested an equal part of
water gruel put to the milk and the mixture well Sweetned
with Sugar or honey will make a liquor easily digested and
this way
[Page 3]
it may be employed instead of plain Milk with Bread Rice
{illeg} Sago or other things of that kind.
Nothing is more necessary than much Exercise and a
good deal of walking would be of service but as that cannot
go a good way it must Supplied either by going on horseback
or in a carriage and once or twice a year at a proper season
a regular Journey of some weeks will be especially useful.
It will answer for some exercise and be other ways use¬
full to have the Arms and legs especially the latter rubbed
with a flesh brush every morning.
It is necessary for Mrs Oswald to guard very carefully
against Cold and particularly in her feet & legs which
should always be kept very warm & dry and if upon any
occasion they become cold they should be recovered as soon
as possibly by the fire or by chafing with warm flannels.
In Winter Mrs Oswald should not be from her own
house or should be in ↑a↑ better climate than that of Brittain
or Ireland
Mrs Oswald should take pains to avoid every thing
which engages her mind with any anxiety.
[Page 4]
I think it is very probable that Mrs Oswald
might be the better for Cold bathing. But it must be
begun in Summer and continued every Second day till the
end of harvest. It will be most convenient for her to
employ the bathing machine, to take the water at first
almost warm and to bring it by degrees to the natural
coldness of spring water. The best time for taking it
is on coming out of bed in the morning providing there
has been no moisture on the Skin before, for if there has
it will be proper to let that go of by being out of bed for
an hour or more before taking the bath. After the bath
the Skin is to be very well dried with course towels she
is to put on her ordinary dress and walk about for half
an hour or more before taking breakfast.
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