Thomas Beddoes to Thomas Wedgwood, 9 June 1795

Dear Sir

I hope you received my letter of last week, I write now to express a wish that you w^d take the trouble to call on Mr Christie no. 2 Finsbury Square & converse with him on the means of forwarding the pneumatic Institution. It is particularly desireable that some philosophical persons sh^d be thought on for a superintending committee. I wish you w^d be one. It may be thought right perhaps who do not know the secret history of London practice that some of y^e eminent doctors sh^d be in the committee; but I know not one who has even an enlarged understanding, much less who has any uncommon knowledge of physiology or chemistry – Dr Crawford is not an eminent practitioner, I believe, but w^d be a very fit man for the purpose –

Mr Ralph Wedgwood came to me & gave me an acc^t of his wife – The convulsions he speaks of were no doubt true epileptic fits, followed as often happens by palsy. I suppose the fit was occasioned by the speedy healing of the ulcer; or the healing, at any rate. I desired Darwin might see Mrs R. W. & I hope he wil ascertain the point. The case sh^d be published by all means. Perhaps similar disasters may be avoided by opening an artificial ulcer. I have to day received some good accts – one of a lady far gone in consumption, all whose feverish symptoms have disappeared since hydrocarbonate – this is from Dr. Carmichael – Dr Redfearn of Lynn has sent me notices of 4 cases, all terminated well or in the best train – one of spitting of blood, 3 of asthma; this last harrassing disorder seems to be much mitigated by the pneumatic practice; but some marks, by which those cases which are to be relieved by oxygene & h.b.n. may be distinguished, are wanting. Darwin attempts to give them in his II. Vol.

You will be sorry to hear that William Reynolds is so ill that there is more to fear than hope. Darwin Sen^r has seen him. It has not been possible for me to go into Shropshire –

Yesterday I gave 3½ inches of hydrogen with triple atm^c air to a person violently affected with tightness of y^e chest from a cold; it was removed & he has felt it no more – it produced vertigo; & he was obliged to make 3 doses of it –

You see I write to you as one who will spare no pains to set this business forward: & who has just the same feelings relative to it as myself – My comp^ts to your brother John

I am D^r, Sir Yours

Tho^s Beddoes

If not too late, add to the advt^s ‘N.B. Mr Coutts has received XYZ’s half bank note’

For the history of this h.b.n. see Mr Christie

Address: Thomas Wedgwood Esq [the address is deleted and the letter readdressed ‘Etruria / Staffordshire’]
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / 1795
MS: WE/WM/1/1/1/WM35.15

The full versions of these letters with textual apparatus will be published by Cambridge University Press.