Thomas Beddoes to Davies Giddy, 9 November 1808
Dear Giddy.
I have been under the necessity of investigating my own disease & its remedy – It is clear those about me were not at all in the way to the truth – .
When you were here I got a bad cold, which went off my chest & left me drooping – the day Baynton & King told my eyes were yellow – In 2 days dg. which I took calomel & scammony bile disappeared from stools urine high, scanty pain in the liver – This last leeching removed, 7 grains of pulv scammon: with calomel followed by ½ oz of Rochelle salt produced above 6 bilious stools quite liquid – in 8 days – They came away as pleasant & easy as water when the sluices are raised not weakened – with some appetite – I had intended once a week to rub in mercury – Baynton came across me with his barbarous declamation – you read the sequel.
To my proposal of bleeding yesterday, King said ‘if there were inflammation I wd try a little digitalis’ – I cd not help crying out with a little warmth ‘What Mr King,’ acknowledge inflammation hourly increasing & which must be of a very active nature & trust a man’s life to a thing of which you know not but it does harm till that inflm is lowered’ – I gave my paper to Crauford Who after making me wait some most cruel hours gave the most candid & unequivocal assent to the reasoning. I was bled largely – blood buffy – compact I put 12 leeches to the sternum they bled 10 hours – blood rank a proof of the <enormous> circulation or congestion of blood in that thin skin & probably also in the mucous membrane below – .
I have had my first good night – have entirely lost all the symptoms described – & hope they will not return in any force this evg – .
They had talked to me about diuretics –Tis all nonsense’ was my answer ‘by & by, if you please but the urinary organs are inflamed & the lancet is the only diuretic to rely on’ I made twice as much last water last night – .
I do not see by what possibility if I had not seized the clue I cd have escaped going through membranous inflammation up to hydrothorax – This infln was in train I dare say before the mercury & the kindly activity of the liver though it cured itself, wd not perhaps have stopped it – .
Thank you for J. Pulteneys civil acknowledgement of the paper – return the enclosed – farewell Dear Giddy.
yrs always.
Thomas Beddoes.
9 Nov
1808
MS: Cornish Archives DG 43/63