1808

Thomas Beddoes to Francis Douce, 29 June 1808

Dear Sir

It generally happens that the relaxation (which is conspicuous it seems in your uvula & if which the other parts about the fauces participate, I presume descends through all the bronchia – This is accompanied with a praeternatural sensibility & hence you take cold easily – It frequently happens that the similar mucous membrane, which divides off into y^e stomach is <at the same time> relaxed, whence indigestion – I am not acquainted with the Norwegian instrument for cutting off the end of the uvula – But sometimes I have advised the operator; & within this month a surgeon performed it on a patient of mine with perfect success by means of a silk ligature – But it is very seldom necessary – almost always an astringent gargle often used will reduce the part to its natural size and state – Such a gargle I have set down no 1 – In spite of the authority you quote I in y^r place w^d plunge my head into cold strong brine daily when the whole skin was drywarm – The hair may be defended by an oiled silk cap. This will do much to fortify the mucous membrane against impressions of cold – I have rarely found accumulation of cloathing about the feet effectual agt. cold – you must make them find their own heat, which with walking a mustard poultice as I have described in y^e manual will accomplish – The poultice might be wholly wrapped on a thin handkerchief & so applied without touching the skin – you w^d require it almost all flour of mustard – The misfortune of this is the trouble; but the same poultice heated afresh will do for several times –

Another thing is of consequence – Whenever you are likely to be exposed the damp or cold, just a bit of ginger or some black pepper corns into your mouth low down – This stimulus will often defend the parts ag^t the <causes of that> inflammation which constitutes a cold –

Astringents & balsam, taken into the stomach have very real power in correcting this defeat of the membrane – No II is an astringent pill – not astringent with regard to the bowels however – The balsam of copaiba is excellent, but disagreeable – However the gargle, cold dipping & heating the feet are sufficient in most slighter cases – & every one who can w^d I imagine avoid internal medicines –

I have no objection to any sort of strictures on our profession – & by no means assume the privilege of abusing it exclusively. Though the liberties I have taken in this respect have made me very unpopular among my brethren – But really we are many of us worse than swindlers not only taking people’s money under false pretences but cramming them <too> with nauseous drugs which we know will do no good – If the public were but informed respg. physiology & pathology to a very practicable degree, this sort of imposition must cease – & I think it will ere long – In some important departments of medicine I agree with you that we are not advanced beyond Galen Indeed in fevers I believe Cullen & the Scotch school went retrograde But in their knowledge & treatment of inflammatory & some other disorders, a degree of certainty, almost mathematical, has been attained – & if you consider that in very many cases we can write down beforehand the changes which will be discovered on dissection, you will see that our practice has a much surer aim than that of the antients, who were so little versed in anatomy – But the unprofessional world is a very ass or buzzard not to see how much preventive medicine is their affair –

The affection of the scrotum is I doubt not a well-known common cutaneous complaint – the prurigo scroti – There is no hazard at all in applying goulard & water to it, when bad –

I am obliged by y^r quotations from Stibbes & if you will send Borde &c by any Bristol coach (– I except only the mail –) particularly by Fremonts’ coach, I shall be more obliged still & will return them whenever you fix or in a reasonable time – Please to direct them to

Dr Beddoes
at Mr Mills’s
Printer
Bristol

I am sorry I did not know of Dr Coombe’s inclination to sell his old medical books – I w^d have bought them if I c^d – I once, at Mr Pinkertons suggestion, stated a few questions to Dr C. respecting the antiquities of consumption But he did not think it worth while to answer them or to notice my letter –

I have paid attention to foreign books on consumption & have made some personal observations. In Germany, France, Poland &c it is a very common disease, almost as much so in some parts as with us – what is remarkable is that in the army & navy, it has <of late> amazingly increased & almost taken the place of fever –

The advice to a studious sedentary person to put flannel next the skin is generally very bad – No doubt, it prevents chill in case of sweating – but it aggravates that diseased state of the skin, on which too easy & excessive sweating depends – I feel how difficult it is to get out of bad habits – Callico with flannel over might possibly be substituted – & the skin be kept from chill by a hot ointment over the chest – woollen is an excellent dress for the peasantry –

Mr Walpole’s case does not present a very difficult problem – that is – you can refer it to its analogies – which is all that can be said <in explanation> of any medical or physical phaenomenon whatever. His skin was highly susceptible of certain impressions, as the sun’s heat; but the mucous membrane of the chest had not undergone that change which renders people so liable to catch cold – There are many very weak people in whom that part is not so altered – & this inequality in the condition of organs is a fact that daily occurs –

I remain
Dear Sir
very respectfully yours

Thomas Beddoes

29 June 1808

MS: Bod MS Douce d. 21/ ff. 178a–178g