1794

Thomas Beddoes to Thomas Wedgwood, [early March 1794]

Shifnall Shropshire
Tuesday

Dear Sir

It is only within this week that your obliging letter has come to my hands. I have never been at Oxford since the date of it & it was either detained or misdirected – I sh^d, had I received the letter sooner, have asked some questions relative to the information it contains & have requested permission to insert the whole in a collection of letters I have lately published. Firstly I sh^d have enquired whether Mr Chisholm never recommended steel filings to others upon the credit of his own experience & what was the result? 2^ndly how often did you take the charcoal powder – did you take it very often? & pretty certainly with the desired effect. I have a patient in circumstances similar to yours & should direct charcoal powder for him. –

I have for some time had in contemplation a plan which I sh^d have taken the liberty of mentioning to your father of which I request you to mention this short notification to him. It is to convert a dwelling house into a pneumatic hospital for 10 or 12 patients, to conduct this institution in the most liberal manner possible with a view to determine the powers of elastic fluids & to improve the mode of administering them. I have met with great encouragement to prosecute this idea, & even in these bad times, I entertain great hopes of raising a sum adequate to the purpose. It w^d require not less than £3000 & not more than £5000 – the Dutchess of Devonshire has taken up the cause of pneumatic medicine, and I think the Duke is to contribute 100 guineas. I think in a year’s time this establishment w^d render itself useless & then it w^d give the [MS obscured] trial than 20 years of private practice

Since the publication of the above mentioned letters all the unfinished cases have ended favourably particularly that of the niece of Mr Wathen in Pall Mall. Others highly in favour of the new practice have occurred; so [MS obscured] enough to prosecute it –

I am going to Ireland shortly – if you w^d favour me with a letter in time of introduction for Dublin or Anglesea & c^d send them immediately I sh^d be much obliged to you – I hope my stay will not be long then I sh^d be glad to find your father’s opinion here if he or you favour me with it

Yours with great esteem

Thomas Beddoes

Address: To Mr Thomas Wedgwood / Etruria / Newcastle / Staffordshire
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes
MS: WE/WM/1/1/1/WM35.5