1794

Thomas Beddoes to James Watt Jr, 20 November 1794

20 Nov^r 1794

My dear Sir

A paltry attempt of Schmeisser’s to commit a plagiarism against Westrumb gave me a strong dislike to the man. Westrumb in his obs^ns on the Pyrmont water says phosphorus burns dimly in the fixed air of the cavern. This put me upon trying whether phosp^s w^d burn in fixed air; & when it was not most accurately pure, it gave some light; but none, when it was quite pure. Now Schmeisser last winter came fullmouthed to a chemical society, that met at Higgins’s saying he had reason to believe phosp^s w^d burn in fixed air. It was tried with the result as above – I shall very willingly lend my assistance to your design of giving a view of Werners’ system: & wish you w^d do it. Schmeisser’s book I have not seen. he must according to your remarks, be a great culprit & deserve this punishment of shame –

Your list from Birm^h is most respectable; I trust Shrewsbury will equal Birm^h this or next week in proportion to the number of its physicians. The names of the Manchester physicians, if they are procured, will weigh with the public. So will one or two from Liverpool which we shall have – Gregory of Edin^h has written me a long letter containing a frank & manly refusal. It also contains a long argumentation against the application of airs to medicine which I suppose you will think as wrongheaded as his metaphysics when I tell you that the whole jot of his reasoning is ‘that he can see no reason why elastic fluids sh^d have more medicinal virtue than substances in a solid or aqueous form’. I will some time send you his letter.

Rather more than half the edition of the ‘Considerations’ is gone off & the London Booksellers say the sale is increasing. In 5 or 6 weeks it will probably be right to begin to reprint.

I am a little surprised that as the demand for the description has been so brisk, the orders for the apparatus have been so few. Mr Ackland, as I apprized you, wrote 2 days ago for an apparatus. I sh^d think a dozen might be made on speculation. I shall have occasion to order half that number of more in 3 months unless things alter very much. Whenever the patient is a stranger both to you, your father Mr Boulton & myself I will recommend it to him to inclose the amount with the order. You will always know when the order is suggested by me; & when I have not good reason to believe in the responsibility of the patient, I will apprize you in case he sh^d not follow the recommendation above-mentioned. L^d Daer did not leave the money for the app^s with me. Mr Gladwell did & shall remit it the moment he receives his bill of parcels –

I am glad you approve of the delay of a new edⁿ of the proposal & advertising in the London papers till Parliament meets. I rec^d only one Birmⁿ Gazette I sh^d be glad if you w^d order them <to me> as long as any subscriptions appear – I am Dear Sir

Yours

T. Beddoes

Dr Gilby in a day or two will send you a notice of some curious effects of oxygenation.

Address: Mr James Watt / Mr Boulton’s / Soho / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / 20th Nov^r 1794 // Upon Schmeisser / Promises to assist me in editing a Mineral System / Pneumatic Institution & Medicine
MS: LoB MS 3219/6/02/B/58