1794

Thomas Beddoes to James Watt, 18 September 1794

Dear Sir

The effect of fixed air under Ewart’s direction has been astonishing. He came hither on Sunday & gave me an acc^t of it. He seems to have effected a cure of cancer in one case; another is in a very thriving condition. No pain whatever was felt in either after the application of f.a. except for a few moments, when the atmospheric air was unavoidably admitted. Ewart says he thinks that he has certainly cured confirmed consumption, but in its incipient state –– I think before the ulceration has spread, cures will certainly be effected. – Capper sleeps with^t seizure: his servant who breathed a good deal of that hydrogen that was extricated by solution & himself remarked how profoundly he slept; he was a bad sleeper before. Yesterday I gave Capper a good deal of unmixed hydrogen from both heated zinc & iron at night & in the night, to try to prevent the night fever & sweating. It seems as far as he can judge from one trial, to have succeeded. He slept well & with^t any heat or sweat; & his expectorⁿ was much reduced; he feels better too this morning. The lowered atmosphere clearly I think relieved his dyspnea – I am afraid in cases so far gone we cannot heal the ulceration but it is clear we can in the most desperate cases give relief from the most distressing symptoms – Now, my dear Sir, if Capper’s servant sh^d melt my waster pot, his master w^d think the accident fatal to him – I told him I w^d request you to order a pot sent by the coach to him at no. 3 Vincents Parade Hotwells – I shall be at Painswick, (as I expect) or on the road from Thursday noon to Saturday noon. By what fatality, I wonder, was the apparatus on the road till Monday Evg? I am sorry to give you this trouble about Capper – but I will not take the liberty again, & I suppose the pot may come the sooner for applying to you: I imagine the pot will fit the apparatus I have. Will you be so good as say to Mr Jas Watt when you see him that I am as much terrified by the general surmise of the Doctor he mentions ag^t the Pneumatic as I sh^d be by that of any venerable female inhabitant of one of the cottages on your common. As medical philosophers I hold the 1^st equal to the 2^nd &, by consequence, the 2nd equal to the 1^st.

Qu. 1. w^d not silk, varnished with a caoutechouc varnish, be as good & a more agreable reservoir than oiled silk? – 2. w^d it be an improvement if there were a cover with hinges on y^r water-bason?

I am D^r Sir
Your obliged & grateful friend

Tho^s Beddoes

Wednes^y Sep^r 18

Address: Mr James Watt / Heathfield / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / Sep^r 18^th 1794
MS: LoB MS 3219/4/28/16