Thomas Beddoes to Matthew Boulton, 23 March 1802
My dear Sir
I conversed with Dr Carmichael, whose ideas are perfectly conformable to mine – I reflected, some part of the night, on what I had learned from you & the doctor – & am persuaded that your new & old complaints admit in part of a compleat cure, in part of very great mitigation.
In your part, it seems highly necessary to put a curb upon your active spirit – Indeed at present you ought to be between your bed & sopha – & you should consider not only yourself but society to which the loss or the disability of a member like you will not soon be replaced –
The medicine upon which I place great reliance has never been administered by any but myself & by a few, to whom I have communicated it – And I believe in many thousand instances, no failure in cases, such as yours is in part, no failure has occurred – It wd be quackery to speak of it as extremely difficult to manage – but you well know that in the simplest manipulation use goes for a great deal – & if possible, my large experience might make you give me an advantage for the moment – Therefore if you think it worth while, I wd try to spend 2 or 3 days with you – which wd be sufficient – as you cannot come hither without great suffering & even danger I will dispatch tomorrow the <medicinal> articles in a proper state & write to Dr Carmichael – Believe me my dear Sir
Yours with the most unfeigned esteem & respect
Thomas Beddoes
Address: Matthew Boulton Esqr / Soho / Birmingham / private
Endorsement: Dr Beddoes / March 23 – 1802 / of Bristol
MS: LoB Microfilm??