The Consultation Letters of Dr William Cullen (1710-1790) at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
[ID:889] From: Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) / To: [ADDRESSEE UNKNOWN] / Regarding: John Murdoch (Patient) / 15 March 1774 / (Outgoing)
Detailed directions on regimen, with two prescriptions for John Murdoch, whose disease is 'a severe Catarrh'. In the from of a loose, retained draft in Cullen's own hand bearing minor editorial corrections and markings ('X').
- Facsimile
- Normalized Text
- Diplomatic Text
- Metadata
- Case
- People
- Places
Facsimile
There are 8 images for this document.
[Page 1]
[Page 2]
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Metadata
| Field | Data |
|---|---|
| DOC ID | 889 |
| RCPE Catalogue Number | CUL/1/2/154 |
| Main Language | English |
| Document Direction | Outgoing |
| Date | 15 March 1774 |
| Annotation | None |
| Type | Authorial original |
| Enclosure(s) | No enclosure(s) |
| Autopsy | No |
| Recipe | Yes |
| Regimen | No |
| Letter of Introduction | No |
| Case Note | No |
| Summary | Detailed directions on regimen, with two prescriptions for John Murdoch, whose disease is 'a severe Catarrh'. In the from of a loose, retained draft in Cullen's own hand bearing minor editorial corrections and markings ('X'). |
| Manuscript Incomplete? | No |
| Evidence of Commercial Posting | No |
Case
Cases that this document belongs to:
| Case ID | Description | Num Docs |
|---|---|---|
| [Case ID:140] |
Case of Mr Murdoch disordered by 'a severe catarrh' and associated symptoms of debility. |
2 |
People linked to this document
| Person ID | Role in document | Person |
|---|---|---|
| [PERS ID:1] | Author | Dr William Cullen (Professor Cullen) |
| [PERS ID:410] | Patient | John Murdoch |
| [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 | |
| Therapeutic Recommendation | Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain | |
| Therapeutic Recommendation | Port Glasgow | Glasgow and West | Scotland | Europe | certain |
Normalized Text
For Mr John Murdoch
The disease is a severe Catarrh but it u
not seem to affect the lungs very deeply, but such
circumstances are always precarious and as this
ailment is of long standing & has been particularly
aggravated by accidents in the Course of last Winter
it is necessary to take every precaution against
its affecting the Lungs more considerably
For this purpose it is necessary for Mr
Murdoch to take to a ↑light & low↑ full diet, to avoid all ani¬
mal food except it may be a little broth at
dinner time. His best and safest diet will be
one consisting entirely of milk and grain
Bread, Rice, Barley Sago Millet and Oatmeal
[Page 2]
may be taken at pleasure and prepared in
any manner he likes best. ↑X↑ It will be proper
to take them (↑either the grain or fruit↑) with ↑cows↑ milk and when
he is taking neither animal food nor greens
& roots the milk will probably digest easily
enough especially if he takes it fresh from the
Cow. But if it should happen otherwise he
must mix an equal part of water gruel
with the milk and sweaten the whole very
well with sugar and this is to be used on
every occasion instead of plain milk.
If asses milk is to be had easily it
would be proper for him to take some of it
every morning. He may begin with a gill but
may come to half a muchkin or more as his
[Page 3]
Stomach bears it and his stomach will bear
it better if he puts two or three tea spoonfulls
of Rum or brandy to every morning dose of his
milk
If he is much attached to it he may con¬
tinue to take tea for his breakfast with bread
and butter but the last article should be
sparringly and it would be right for him to
abstain from Bohea or Green Tea and to take
in place of these Cocoa Tea, weak chocolate or
milk & gruel to put down his bread and butter.
Mr Murdoch should not take wine or spiri¬
tous liquors of any kind nor any strong malt
drink but he may sometimes take small beer
with oatmeal porridge Sowings 1 or some other
[Page 4]
preparations of grain. When he has occasion
for drink he may take toastwater, but water
gruel or Barley water are fitter for him than
athplain water.
Nothing is more necessary for Mr Murdoch
than to avoid cold and he should therefore be
always warmly cloathed and a flannel shirt
next his skin will be of great service worn both
night & day. He must also avoid every occa¬
sion of Cold as all streams of air, all damp
& moisture and particularly the evening & night
air.
It will however be proper for Mr Murdoch
to be much in the fresh air whenever it is tole¬
rably fair & dry but at the same time he must
be always in motion. Walking moderately
[Page 5]
may be allowed, but walking fast, walking
up hill or walking long at one time will
always do harm. In short, walking is an Exercise
that is very precarious & the only exercise he
can have much benefit it by is that on horseback
or in a carriage. While the season continues cold
& precarious the carriage will be the safest
but as the Season advances riding will on
horseback will be of much more service.
Observe with regard to both that short airings
are of little service & therefore that he should
extend his exercise as far as he conveniently
can. It may be convenient and proper for him
to go frequently in the stagecoach between
Port glasgow and Glasgow.
[Page 6]
These are the articles of his regimen &
I trust a great deal to them for the recovery
of his health. Without observing a regimen
no remedies will be of service and with a strict
regimen few will be necessary.
As a principal remedy the issue in his
back must be & made rather lar¬
ger amd if a perpetual issue should become
troublesome as it sometimes does it may be
dried up & ap in that case a pea issue must
be made behind his shoulder in the nape of
the neck or in one arm as may be found most
convenient & one or other of these Issues must
be continued till his health is tolerably esta¬
blished or a little longer
[Page 7]
If his cough becomes at any time more
bound with any difficulty of breathing or
pains anywhere about his chest a small quan¬
tity of blood may be taken from his arm and
that too may be repeated according to the effects
and the urgency of the Symptoms
In the same circumstances a gentle vomit
may be usefull & this may be repeated
more frequently than the bleedings.
He should continue to take two or three
times a day from twenty to thirty drops of
Elixir Vitrioli in a small cup of watergruel
or Barley water.
When upon lying down at night, his
cough is very troublesome he should take regu¬
larly of half a spoonfull or a spoonfull of the
[Page 8]
Tinctus ordered below
Every night at going to bed let him
take a tea spoonfull of the Electnary also
ordered below washing it down with a draughts
a draught of ↑warm↑ water gruel or Barley water
X Along with these or by themselves he may take
any kind of fruit dried or fresh as Figs raisins
Currants preserved gooseberries, strawberries
& such like currant or Bramble Jelly & apples
in every shape-
Take two ounces of Gum Arabic and one ounce of sugar and pour into five ounces of boiling water. Dissolve and strain, then add an ounce of lemon syrup. Mix. Label: Pectoral Linctus.
Take one scruple of Balsam Solution and two of hard sugar. Wear away while stirring and add one drachm of powdered Elecampagne, two ounces of Elderberry Rob and a sufficient quantity of Balsam Syrup in the manner of an Electuary. Dress and label: Pectoral Electuary.
Notes:
1: A dish, once common in Scotland (and some parts of Ireland), prepared by steeping bran or husks of oats in water, then allowing this to ferment slightly before boiling.
Diplomatic Text
For Mr John Murdoch
The disease is a severe Catarrh but it u
not seem to affect the lungs very deeply, but such
circumstances are always precarious and as this
ailment is of long standing & has been particularly
aggravated by accidents in the Course of last Winter
it is necessary to take every precaution against
its affecting the Lungs more considerably
For this purpose it is necessary for Mr
Murdoch to take to a ↑light & low↑ full diet, to avoid all ani¬
mal food except it may be a little broth at
dinner time. His best and safest diet will be
one consisting entirely of milk and grain
Bread, Rice, Barley Sago Millet and Oatmeal
[Page 2]
may be taken at pleasure and prepared in
any manner he likes best. ↑X↑ It will be proper
to take them (↑either the grain or fruit↑) with ↑cows↑ milk and when
he is taking neither animal food nor greens
& roots the milk will probably digest easily
enough especially if he takes it fresh from the
Cow. But if it should happen otherwise he
must mix an equal part of water gruel
with the milk and sweaten the whole very
well with sugar and this is to be used on
every occasion instead of plain milk.
If asses milk is to be had easily it
would be proper for him to take some of it
every morning. He may begin with a gill but
may come to half a muchkin or more as his
[Page 3]
Stomach bears it and his stomach will bear
it better if he puts two or three tea spoonfulls
of Rum or brandy to every morning dose of his
milk
If he is much attached to it he may con¬
tinue to take tea for his breakfast with bread
and butter but the last article should be
sparringly and it would be right for him to
abstain from Bohea or Green Tea and to take
in place of these Cocoa Tea, weak chocolate or
milk & gruel to put down his bread and butter.
Mr Murdoch should not take wine or spiri¬
tous liquors of any kind nor any strong malt
drink but he may sometimes take small beer
with oatmeal porridge Sowings 1 or some other
[Page 4]
preparations of grain. When he has occasion
for drink he may take toastwater, but water
gruel or Barley water are fitter for him than
athplain water.
Nothing is more necessary for Mr Murdoch
than to avoid cold and he should therefore be
always warmly cloathed and a flannel shirt
next his skin will be of great service worn both
night & day. He must also avoid every occa¬
sion of Cold as all streams of air, all damp
& moisture and particularly the evening & night
air.
It will however be proper for Mr Murdoch
to be much in the fresh air whenever it is tole¬
rably fair & dry but at the same time he must
be always in motion. Walking moderately
[Page 5]
may be allowed, but walking fast, walking
up hill or walking long at one time will
always do harm. In short, walking is an Exercise
that is very precarious & the only exercise he
can have much benefit it by is that on horseback
or in a carriage. While the season continues cold
& precarious the carriage will be the safest
but as the Season advances riding will on
horseback will be of much more service.
Observe with regard to both that short airings
are of little service & therefore that he should
extend his exercise as far as he conveniently
can. It may be convenient and proper for him
to go frequently in the stagecoach between
Port glasgow and Glasgow.
[Page 6]
These are the articles of his regimen &
I trust a great deal to them for the recovery
of his health. Without observing a regimen
no remedies will be of service and with a strict
regimen few will be necessary.
As a principal remedy the issue in his
back must be & made rather lar¬
ger amd if a perpetual issue should become
troublesome as it sometimes does it may be
dried up & ap in that case a pea issue must
be made behind his shoulder in the nape of
the neck or in one arm as may be found most
convenient & one or other of these Issues must
be continued till his health is tolerably esta¬
blished or a little longer
[Page 7]
If his cough becomes at any time more
bound with any difficulty of breathing or
pains anywhere about his chest a small quan¬
tity of blood may be taken from his arm and
that too may be repeated according to the effects
and the urgency of the Symptoms
In the same circumstances a gentle vomit
may be usefull & this may be repeated
more frequently than the bleedings.
He should continue to take two or three
times a day from twenty to thirty drops of
Elixir Vitrioli in a small cup of watergruel
or Barley water.
When upon lying down at night, his
cough is very troublesome he should take regu¬
larly of half a spoonfull or a spoonfull of the
[Page 8]
Tinctus ordered below
Every night at going to bed let him
take a tea spoonfull of the Electnary also
ordered below washing it down with a draughts
a draught of ↑warm↑ water gruel or Barley water
X Along with these or by themselves he may take
any kind of fruit dried or fresh as Figs raisins
Currants preserved gooseberries, strawberries
& such like currant or Bramble Jelly & apples
in every shape-
℞ Gum: Arabic ℥ii Sacchar cand. ℥i Affunde
Aq. bullient ℥v. - Solve of colaturce adde
Syr. limon ℥i - ℳ. Sig Pectoral Linctus.
℞ Balsam Solutan ℈i Sacchar duriſsim ℈ii
Teriot simul probe et adde - pulv. Enul camp: ʒi
Rob. Sambure ℥ii Syr. Balsam. q.s. ut. Electuarium
Tenue Sig. Pectoral Electuary:
Notes:
1: A dish, once common in Scotland (and some parts of Ireland), prepared by steeping bran or husks of oats in water, then allowing this to ferment slightly before boiling.
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