1799

Thomas Beddoes to James Watt, [April/May] 1799

Dear Sir

The fear that people w^d not venture to the pneumatic Instⁿ out of dread of having experiments made upon them is pretty well over – We have now about 70 patients – all outpatients – for only part of our furniture is yet put in – All these patients are decent people – small trades people & upper servants – & they like better to come to us than go to the dispensary or a hospital – whither indeed they w^d not go at all – We reject none – but give such prescriptions as we think suited to their cases, when they do not suit our peculiarities of practice – & I think we have performed cures enough to establish a reputation – Our venereal patients – old stagers that have tried mercury in vain – do perfectly well under nitrous acid – I cannot account for the want of success with you – I am sorry for it, as it prevents the more general application of the acid. But negative results cannot invalidate positive ones – & the successful cases are too numerous to admit the supposition of any sort of fallacy – I every day see secondary ulcers healing – nodes melting away &c &c under the use of nitrous acid –

The re-application of digitalis (& its successful reapplication) in consumption is no merit of mine. Two of my correspondents fell without communication with one another upon this idea – Both succeeded – & their obs^ns are in the West Country contributions – I have confirmed the efficacy of the practice – & undoubtedly think that 4 out of 5 consumptive patients will be cured – It is quite a matter of course to cure patients not in the last stage; & of these cures are made – I have about 30 patients of one description or another – I think we are upon the track of a remedy for asthma – But we have not yet above 4 true asthmatic patients – We do great things in eruptions upon the pneumatic principle – Davy has made a curious discovery, relative to vegetation, which as it will be in the next n^o of Nicholson I will not describe – The gazeous oxyd of azote seems to have a power of retarding the pulse beyond any thing yet tried in the way of inhalation. But we have not yet made quite experiments enough to be certain – It may <be> freely breathed mixed with oxygen – Some patients can tell by their feelings when there are six quarts of oxygen in a bag – We have tried that fully – Mrs B’s cough & pain of her side & hectic fever are expelled by digitalis to which she doubtless owes her life – It seems you must have failed to receive several (5) copies of the first 5 sheets of the new Reports from some accident I cannot account for – I send the only copy I have of the W.C. Contributions & beg you to return it by any future opportunity –

I hope Mrs Watt & all your family are well – & that you will be now at peace from law – I am D^r Sir yours truly

Thomas Beddoes

Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / July 1799
MS: LoB MS 3219/4/41/5