Thomas Beddoes to Thomas Wedgwood, 6 December 1794
Clifton 6 Decr 1794
Dear Sir
I received both your late letters in due time; & hope no consideration will prevent you from writing to me as often as you have leisure & inclination. I shall easily find time to answer, when that is necessary. I had conceived a new proposal very nearly on the plan you describe. The Watts agreed with me in thinking it eligible to wait 1. for the meeting of Parliament & 2. for some more scientific names, though the list is now both numerous & respectable – The Dss of Devonshire had promised to apply last week to Sir J. Banks & Mr. Cavendish. Sir Ch. Blagdon had expressed himself strongly in favour of the practice last year. But she has not written, as she gave me reason to expect – & I suppose the trials have engaged almost every person’s whole attention in London.
At Chester I have no correspondent. I believe I shd have applied to Dr Haygarth, but was told the Chester faculty had expressed great contempt of the whole design. I know not whether Dr H. was included in this expression. But if you can procure the insertion of an advertisement & a few names by way of sanction & example it wd be well to take the chance of that district. I have inserted your hint, respecting the diseases of animals, in the Worcester paper. I think the thought a very happy one – I had lately a consultation with Dr Hobbes of Monmouth, who informs me Mr Green has been very active & successful – The [xxxx] design had found more favour with medical men than I expected – At Yarmouth I have applied to Dr Girdlestone, who is very well disposed to the scheme. At York to Dr Hunter, but I know not whether he had moved – At Norwich to Dr Lubbock, presuming on his genius & knowledge but I know not the result – At Exeter to Dr Daniel who exerted himself – A very good & intelligent person has taken up the cause there also – Rev J. Acland of Broadclist – At Shrewsbury, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Oxford, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Southampton, Derby, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Sherborne, & in Cornwall the business has agents; & good
I submit to your correction the advt on the opposite page for Chester – Can you procure Wheeler’s Manchester papers for November? – you will see how successful they have been in cancer & other ulcers in the Infirmary there.
If you choose to draw out an hand-bill from the proposal & the advt together, it wd in the meantime supply the place of a more extensive proposal – you might refer to the Reports of ye Manchester infirmary, to the Rev. J. Townsend’s Guide to health for the case of F. Page Esq MP for Oxford, of Mr Russel Engraver London & some others, as well as to Ewart’s pamphlet & mine –
Medical Pneumatic Institution
From various trials of factitious airs in the Bath and Manchester hospitals, as well as in private practice by Dr Ewart, Bath, Dr Thornton, Mr Wathen & Mr Hill surgeons in London & Dr Beddoes, Bristol, there is good reason to believe that they will prove efficacious in many disorders hitherto found incurable: particularly in cancer, malignant ulcers, consumption & palsy. Experiments upon animals in a state of health corroborate these facts & suggest the application of the <same> practice to the distemper in dogs & the murrain in cattle. In order to discover the best mode of <procuring> & applying these substances, many eminent philosophers & physicians have approved of the formation of a temporary Institution: in which rooms may be filled with air properly modified, as will probably be necessary to a compleat trial of the practice in some diseases. Such an Institution wd also afford an opportunity of attempting the cure of various fatal disorders of animals in a manner that wd leave no doubt as to the result; at the same time, experimental investigation of longer continuance & greater extent than have ever yet been [xxxx] [xxxx] <devised> might be carried on for the purpose of useful discoveries, applicable to the practice of physic. These, it is to be understood, wd have healthy animals for their subjects.
According to the testimonies above quoted, unexpected success has attended many of the imperfect trials hitherto made in this way; & every case where <the treatment> has been employed, has contributed to shew that it is perfectly safe; it is moreover capable of almost endless variation & improvement; nor can it be doubted that when men of genius perceive that their suggestions will be realised, they will exert their inventive powers in behalf of humanity. – The Institution, being designed for the universal benefit of mankind, will be carried on with the greatest openness possible, & authentic accounts of its progress will be regularly published –
As there is scarce an individual who has not seen [xxxx] a relation or friend either tortured or prematurely destroyed by some disease, heretofore irremediable & to which he is himself liable, it will be felt that this design is more comprehensive than ordinary Institutions for the relief of the poor in a state of sickness – Moderate contributions only are necessary, if the subscription be general; nor will any second donation be solicited.
The design has already found most respectable supporters, whether rank, knowledge or profession be regarded. Among these, it is only necessary to particularise at present the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire, the Earl of Dartmouth, Matthew Boulton Esq., James Keir Esq, Rich Kirwan Esq, <J. More Esq Sec to the Sc of Arts> James Watt Esq, Josiah Wedgwood Esq and his sons, <Joseph Black MD Prof of Chemistry Edinh> J. Currie MD, Erasmus Darwin MD J. Ewart MD, T Hope MD Prof of Medicine, Glasgow, Dr Ingenhousz, James Johnstone MD Worcester, R. White MD St Edmundsbury, W. Withering MD Birmingham – D. Dundas, Sergeant surgeon to his Majesty; Walter Farquhar Esq Surgeon London &c &c &c – Persons, disposed to contribute, are desired to give in their names & subscriptions to [blank space] Banker of this city where a paper by T Beddoes of Bristol Hotwells naming the trustees & describing other particulars may be seen.
Address: Thos Wedgwood Esq / Basford / near Leek / Staffordshire
MS: WE/WM/1/1/1/WM35.8