Thomas Beddoes to James Watt, 1 October 1794
My dear Sir
I wrote on Saturday & as it contains a detail of Capper’s case which will interest you I hope my letter came to hand. This poor impatient patient was evidently much worse for the imprudence; the excitement & expectn seem abating. All yesterday he took hydrocarbonate as twelve <Atme> to one. He became cool: slept all night, coughed scarce at all; & expectd not more than 1/3 of the qty of the preceding night. He is languid however; & I think we must join some tonic or gently stimulating medicine with this plan –
Your MS makes 2 sheets within 3 pages – I wish you may send a little more –Suppose you describe your method of making flexible caoutihouc tubes – it will be useful in our pamphlet. This pamphlet I assure you, will contain much solid & useful matter – my experiments, which I have often repeated & varied, prove some things which to me were very unexpected & contrary to what has been universally believed – for the solution of this enigma I refer to my pamphlet which I shall dispatch to you as soon as it is printed – I hope the plates will come this week –
I said I wd not trouble you about apparatus again – but Capper wants that of which he has the pot & capital completed – the orifice of the horizontal tube of the capital is 13/8 inch diameter – he wishes for a conducting pipe, refrigeratory hydraulic bellows the same size as mine that is I believe a cubic foot – he intends to carry all this with him to Sidmouth in Devonshire; where he will go as soon as he receives it, if able –
I have heard nothing from Mr Knight, but his is a case much further gone in appearance than Capper’s –
I have hopes of soon trying unrespirable airs in a deep seated abscess of long standing in the pelvis – But we shall plenty of trials & so much the better, if prudently conducted –
I am Dear Sir
With compts to your family
Your obliged friend
Thomas Beddoes
Address: To / James Watt Esq / Heathfield / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr — Beddoes / Ocbr 1st 1794
MS: LoB MS 3219/4/28/19