Thomas Beddoes to Thomas Wedgwood, 27 March 1795
Dear Sir
I know not whether you think my idea of rendering pneumatic medicine popular by a device or two & by a pamphlet for readers of fashion worth carrying into practice. I wd print the letter on elegant paper in a small size. I wd have a frontispiece with Mr. Watt’s apparatus & people at work; a vignette with a patient inhaling from a bag & a tail-piece representing a breathing apparatus, particularly applicable to animals of which my new edition will furnish an engraving. I wd state the facts at present known & considerations connected with them, making the whole as light reading as I can – The ornaments & advertising of this little book wd perhaps produce a loss of 25 guineas, perhaps not – But I think the pneumatic practice, if not the Pneumatic Insitution wd be much promoted by it – Perhaps you & your brothers, if you did not think the scheme despicable, wd join me in sustaining the loss that might be incurred to the above amount – The expences that have fallen upon me in small sums at a time have amounted to near £150 – Even that of letters has for the last year been great, for I have carried on an immense correspondence on the pnc Institution, & you have hardly an idea of the number of letters of consultation, which have terminated in nothing but a great waste of time, & petty costs. – I wd add a list of subscribers to the above pamphlet – If you encourage me, I will set about it. The 1st plate (the frontispiece) shd be such a view of Mr Watt’s apparatus & such figures as the designer shd choose – the vignette shd be a patient inhaling & a legend ‘Facts airs successfully employed as medicine, in 1793, 4, & 5’ – & this I propose for your cameo –
Perhaps you know some artist who wd help as to the design – The sheet I mentioned in my last – is not quite composed the whole pamphlet will be done in 10 days; shall I send you one of the pf copies to Basford or Etruria
Yrs with much regard
Thos Beddoes
Friday 27 March
Address: Thomas Wedgwood Esq / Etruria / Staffordshire
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes
MS: WE/WM/1/1/1/WM35.11