Letter 1007

Preston did not hear from Sloane, so he was glad to receive news from Dr Gregory. He is delighted that Gregory was admitted to the Royal College of Physicians. Preston is going to send some natural curiosities with Dr Sandilands. He encloses an abstract sent from Italy and discusses his travels. Mr Sutherland has donated his medals and books with a salary for the keeper. Preston was a physician and botanist who established a lengthy correspondence with Sloane, exchanging plants, seeds, books and information. His main interest was in botany, and was well-known by his contemporaries for his botanical knowledge (Anita Guerrini, Preston, Charles (16601711), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/47084, accessed 1 June 2011]).