Thomas Beddoes to William Belcombe, before 29 February 1804 (report)
Scarborough, Feb 29,
1804
Esteemed Friend
I saw a letter from Dr. Belcomb of York to a friend of mine in which he mentioned a letter he had received from Dr. Beddoes on a discovery for the cure of the gout, which had never failed. The discoverer said that that no more was to be feared from an attack of the gout than from the common operation of bleeding. The history of the discovery was this, that the discoverer having a kind of rhumatic gout which withstood all the remedies before known, he despaired of relief from medicine – but being walking out one day, which in that condition could not be expected to be far, he espied some fruit of which the birds eat freely, as it was not ranked among the Materia Medica, curiosity induced him to taste, and finding though the taste was odd it was not disagreeable, he frequently eat of it, and in consequence, was soon freed from his complaint. Having thus experience the benefit of his discovery, he then began to try its efficacy on others; in this practice he met with the greatest of success; so that the fame of this discovery reached the ears of Dr Beddoes, who wishing to have the secret let the expence be what it might, he therefore wrote to the discoverer, offering him a considerable sum therefore, and a promise of strict secrecy. The discoverer wrote to him again that he was agreeable, upon his honor, to discover it to him without reward, hoping for his assistance in procuring either a private subscription or parliamentary reward, & accordingly discovered it to the doctor: it has been given by Dr Beddoes with the same success.
Published: Alexandria Expositor, Virginia, 28 September 1804