'…to whom it will be extremly Usefull.' Dr William Cullen's adoption of James Watt's copying machine

Shuttleton, D.E. (2016) '…to whom it will be extremly Usefull.' Dr William Cullen's adoption of James Watt's copying machine. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 46(2), pp. 127-133. (doi: 10.4997/JRCPE.2016.213) (PMID:27929579)

Abstract

Dr William Cullen (1710–1790) was a leading physician of the Enlightenment era. As professor in Edinburgh he became the most influential teacher of theoretical and practical medicine in 18th century Britain. A renowned private practitioner, Cullen systematically archived his postal ‘consultations’, now held by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Initially Cullen preserved his replies as transcriptions, but from April 1781 he began using a mechanical copier, newly devised by the Scottish engineer James Watt. This paper describes the development, promotion and functioning of Watt’s copier and considers Cullen’s own adoption of the machine. It is suggested that with Cullen’s adoption of Watt’s copier, medical record keeping entered a new historical phase comparable with the recent digital revolution.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Shuttleton, Dr David
• Authors: Shuttleton, D.E.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Journal Name: Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• Publisher: Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• ISSN: 1478-2715
• ISSN (Online): 2042-8189
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• First Published: First published in Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 46(2): 127-133
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy