Thomas Beddoes to James Watt, 26 May 1797
Dear Sir
I received your two letters & am much obliged by your acct of poor [Beddoes leaves a blank space here]. I shall insert an abstract of your information that the public may know all we do on the subject – After much much enquiry I am likely to meet with an excellently qualified superintendant of a pneumatic Instn Before I engaged him provided the subscribers allow me to use my discretion, I should much like that you should see him – You never mentioned what you thought he should have per ann. Mr Hare’s great subscribers –whose contributions make about £500 – are not quite satisfied that the Inst. is not likely to be in London. At the same time they wish I should have the inspection of it – Thomas Wedgwood of whose additional £500 you have no doubt heard, is likely to be here soon & I hope we may then get something forward.
To day I received the inclosed & another letter in confirmation respecting the same patient. This is one of the cases which seem to shew the propriety of always trying airs in our present method, till a better is devised. Whatever the disease was it seems clearly of the most alarming kind & as clearly benefited by hydrogen – Please return the letter at your convenience – I have had a certain acct. from Paris brought by a Bristol Merchant lately arrived from thence that Fourcroy Morveau &c are very much interested by what we have attempted hereon the subject & are likely to prosecute it – Is it not extraordinary that they did not know a word of the matter till Gimbernat who went from England told them though the German journals have been full of this business & more than one translation has been published of the Considerations in German.
I wish you would give my compts to Dr Withering & tell him that I cannot allow Dr M– – –ffe to be the most fashionable Doctor here – The fashion of a physician is to be determined by the quality multiplied into the no. of great patients – Now from the Royal Family downwards a greater number of great invalids have consulted me here than any other Dr And they have come to the person not to the place – Now having troubled you with this weighty commission may I add another – viz that your clerk would draw on me for all except the larger-sized apparatus, which has not yet gone off – all I have had for myself or on your acct & Mr Boulton’s – I cannot well get bills on London – The drt may be on sight –
I also wish for a dozen mouth-pieces to be directed to Cottle’s bookseller Bristol –
I expect soon a cargo of German medical books – & suppose they will contain facts relative to airs – If so, I will let you know – you said, in one of your letters that we should by right have a change of ministry – I think so too – but I rather think the ministry will rather hazard any other change than indulge us in this – I am sure we cannot stare loco – Nor do I think Mr P will fully accomplish what he intends, if he means to put liberty under his feet rather than resign his misused powers – The current year will give us more accurate ideas on these great subjects – meanwhile sincerely wishing you may escape the ruder tossings of the political chaos I remain yours most truly
T. B.
Clifton
26 May
Address: To / James Watt Esq / Heathfield / Birmingham
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / Clifton, May 26 / 1797
MS: LoB MS 3219/4/029/13