Thomas Beddoes to James Watt, 28 March 1796
Dear Sir
I think it is clear from a good deal of experience that no unrespirable air yet tried, occasionally administered, can be depended on as a cure for confirmed consumption; much relief of symptoms, not imputable to any other apparent cause I have seen produced by hdcarb. twice or thrice a day. And in a few cases, with the help of equitation I have compleatly cured a disease having all the marks of true phthisis; & these confirmed by the appearance of the individual & the history of the family – I have tried fixed air from effervescence in the intervals as pretty constant application. But this is trouble & in every way <I cd devise> inadequate to constant production. In the case where it was best tried, it did evident good; & the improvement of the patient was very visible for a fortnight. But I cd not secure perseverance – I have a Dr Cox under my care, too far gone, but willing to do any thing – I was thinking to try to direct towards him a constant stream from well-burned charcoal towards him. Will this be practicable? I have tried the dusting-box with a vast variety of powder among others cerussa by itself for a long time but have done nothing.
I wish I cd shew you Mr Hare’s letters. There is a constitution almost renovated—an asthma of 16 years almost extirpated by oxygene, as far as we can judge from 8 months experience – I will try the gaseous oxid of azote (dephld nitrous air) as soon as I can find an apparatus.
A remarkable case of scrophulous ulcer, where the sorrel produced the described effects, persuades me that if this wd cure scrophulous phthisis the patient cd hardly support the curative process. Oxygene ought to be tried to ulcers as Magellan or Ewart tried fixed air: – If you know any person interested in education, shew him this. I do not mean to ask you to subscribe. I shd think doing it directly wd be more handsome – The scheme is afloat.
Address: James Watt Esq / Heathfield / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / Mar 28th 1796 / Donnes Geometrical apparatus
MS: LoB MS 3219/4/029/02. The letter is written on the blank leaves at the end of Benjamin Donne’s Prospectus of an Essay on Mechanical Geometry (Bristol, 1796)