1800

Thomas Beddoes to Matthew Robinson Boulton, 15 July 1800

July 15

Dear Sir

I lately received by way of Birmingham the acc^t of a large parcel of books from Leipsic. I think it is likely that Mr Busch was struck by the amount of Martini’s bill. There was however no occasion for him to hesitate on this head. I have engaged in the composition of a work on popular physiology & preventive medicine, in which I w^d derive all the aid I can from the whole literature of Europe. [xxxx] I hope, by placing in their proper light the whole body of facts constituting the records of medicine, to check the <premature> fabrication of vain systems – & if I can succeed in writing popularly, I shall save some individuals from becoming the victims of disease & others from becoming the dupes of medical imposters

Davy has just sent a copy of his book to Gregory Watt who I hope will circulate it at Soho – I esteem it to be a great effort of genius –

We continue to find the nitrous oxyd so efficacious in bad cases of palsy that it is worth every paralytic person’s while to try it –

The treatment of venereal complaints by acids, which seemed in England not to answer the expectations first raised concerning it has succeeded in Asia to a degree that I confess astonishes me – though I have scarce seen the acids fail in any case however inveterate – The last thesis brought me acc^ts for publication, so numerous & so well attested that I am sure they cannot fail to warm every heart, that is sensible to human misery – I cannot thoroughly account for the total failure of the nitrous acid in the hands of some able & candid men – but I feel assured that even in this country the want of power in this acid was not the cause of the failure –

I beg you will remember me to James Watt – I hope he keeps his health –

I beg you will not take the trouble to answer this letter – I sate down to write it merely to say that whenever any of your people transmit to me Mr Busch’s acc^t I shall thankfully discharge it –

I am D^r Sir
Your obliged & faithful ser^t

Thomas Beddoes

Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / July 15^th 1800 –/ His order of books to a larger amount than usual –/ Success of the nitrous acid in India / Opinion of the merit of Davy’s publicatⁿ
MS: LoB MS 3782/13/08/024