Thomas Beddoes to Charles Brandon Trye, 2 October [1784/85]
Dear Sir
On Tuesday last I sent you a copy of Spallanzani, which I hope will get safe to your hands. You will find several errors of the press besides those marked in the errata, a circumstance scarce to be avoided when the printing is done in London & the corrector of the press lives at 150 miles distance. Shd you receive my parcel in due time, I hope you will send me the 1st vol. of Hunter as soon as you possibly can. I have a good scribe who will work very closely. I shd think there cd be little hazard in the conveyance, for I can easily procure any thing from Birmingham & you can as easily send any thing thither. Be so good as to send your parcels by a coach belonging to the Swan in Birm & favour me with a line a day or two beforehand.
The foxglove has lately performed two great cures here, one of an hydrothorax, in which I gave it & another of an anasarca of 3 years standing accompanied with every bad symptom &, as was thought by many physicians, with a schirrous liver, in this case it was prescribed by Withering. My own patient, took it in the form of infusion, 3g < of the leaves dried & reduced to powder> in 1lb of water & his in substance. This plant is mentioned by Ray & Parkinson as very efficacious in scrophula & in a later work, Practical essays on medical subjects, some cases of are related on which it wrought cures by internal & external application. Withering tells me, he is about to publish on its virtues in dropsy, I shall be glad to hear the event of your tepid baths. Do you give the artificial sea-water internally at the same time?
There is in this place a curious surgical case. The patient was suddenly attacked with a most excruciating deep-seated pain on the tibia without any external change. The pain continued & after some time there arose a small tumour with inflammation, which disappeared & the integuments over the part affected are of the same colour as on the other parts of the leg. Poultices, camphorated oil & mercury have been employed without effect. Of late an increase of the bone is become very sensible to the touch though not to the eye. I want to have a seton tried, but the surgeon is, I think, averse to this proposal – I suppose it will end in amputation.
I am
Dear Sir or Madam
Yours sincerely
Thos Beddoes
Shiffnall
Octr 2nd
MS: Gloucestershire Record Office D303/C1/62