Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Alexander Cruden to Hans Sloane – Decr 21 1734
Item info
Date: Decr 21 1734
Author: Alexander Cruden
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4053
Folio: f. 358
Original Page
Transcription
Cruden writes to Sloane about his affair relating to him being “Her Magesty’s Bookseller”. He made his application after Mr. Matthew’s death (the previous bookseller) and had the recommendation of Lord Mayor, a Whig Alderman, and some citizens known to Sir Robert Walpole.
He asks Sloane for a favour, he would like him to tell Sir Robert of the affair.
He met his friend Dr. Shecort in the Grecuan Coffeehouse and wanted Cruden to introduce Sloane to Dr. Mortimer and to present the enclosed recommendation (a copy of the original) and would like Sloane’s recommendation also.
P.S.
Sir Robert Monro is speaking this day to Sir Robert Walpole before Tuesday.
Alexander Cruden (1699-1770), biblical scholar and bookseller. He began as a proof-corrector and bookseller at the Royal Exchange in London before becoming bookseller to the Queen. In 1730 he was committed to a private madhouse in Bethnal Green after his mental deterioration, though he escaped after 9 weeks and published against the people who had incarcerated him. He returned to proof-correcting and lived a quiet life. (Lionel Alexander Ritchie, ‘Cruden, Alexander (1699–1770)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6841, accessed 18 Aug 2015]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Keill to Hans Sloane – July 31, 1711
Item info
Date: July 31, 1711
Author: James Keill
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4042
Folio: ff. 338-339
Original Page
Transcription
Keill did not formally attend medical school, but through the patronage of Sloane he obtained the degree of MD from Cambridge. Sloane helped Keill enter into medical practice in Northampton (Anita Guerrini, Keill, James (16731719), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/15255, accessed 2 June 2011]).
Patient Details
-
Patient info
Name: Lord Lempster
Gender:
Age:
-
Description
Lempster's 'Dropsey is very much encreased' since Keill last wrote Sloane. He suffers from a loss of appetite, constant 'spiteing up', and frequent vomiting. Lempster expels more fluid than he takes in. '[H]is Belly, Hips Sides, and thighs are so hard that all Gestures are uneasie to him'.
-
Diagnosis
Lady Lempster wants Sloane to visit and advise them.
-
Treatment
Previous Treatment: Keill had Lempster purged the previous Monday and is going to have him vomited in the next day or so.
Ongoing Treatment:
Response:
-
More information
-
Medical problem reference
Back, Vomiting, Dropsy, Inflammations, Stomach
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Richardson to Hans Sloane – May 23, 1702
Item info
Date: May 23, 1702
Author: Richard Richardson
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 348-349
Original Page
Transcription
MS 4038 Fol. 348
Worthy Sr
I was from home when your obliging letter came hither where I was constrained to stay two or three days soe mist the opportunity of giving answer to yours by the first port. The day I went from home I put up for you a Box of Fossils & deliverd them to John At Kiroa (above) Houldesworth the Bradford carrier who Inns at the white Horse in Crippte: :gate; he wil be in London on Wednesday ^ night next you wil finde cinongil the coale plants some specimens I never had duplicats of exactly an: :swering the desingnes I left for you with Mr Buddle (?) the hary Eruca, the heade of a Cardum or jacea on impress not unlike some of the Tricoides Kinde, but a litle Broken & severall others. The small collection of naturell curiositys I have is at moment in very great confusion occasioned by mercuring them but if those already sent come to you unprejudiced I shall at an other time run over the rest & kind such as I Thinke wil be most pleasing to you. I was with Mr Thoresby yesterday he gives you his service & showed me a letter from Dr Woodward wherein he highly resents the unjustice I have don him by giving you the designes of those Coals plants I had observed, which you was pleased to showeh your Society at the Drs request I left them with him severall hoirs which was long enough to make his observations upon them I am sory I should give any accusion of displeasure either to him or any other in: :genuse person but I thinke his noe injury to him to dispose of my oun I Thinke convenient I am much obliged to him for his great anihty in showing me his collection which is very fine though at the same time wuld not forbeare reflecting upon severall of my friends which I have a great esteeme for he told me before severall gentlemen that I was mistaken in the remarkes I had comunicated to Mr Lhiney & that he had plenty of shells from Inglebough I desired Mr Thoresby long before to acquaint hime that in one part of the hill were there is lime stone I had since my former observation found shels & Sntrouhi which I am sure Mr Thoresby wuld him & I thinke hi more then then he ever woul dve to acknowledge a mistake but the greatest part of the top is the hill consuming of a corse ragg stone & the lower of a fine long stone of which stator for covering houses are made & in bath these which are the 20th part to one of lime stone there is not the least mention of a marine Body
Fol. 349
we have very fewe found here in this part of the country which affords neither chalsie limestone or think though the Dr fouls me that all stones would burne to Ailalx which if he can make out I wil be under an obligation to give him a very nouble reward, but I am affraide I have already measied your patience with this discourse. I had some years agoe made some remarkes upon the Coale plants of this country (if I may be allowed soe to call them) with references to the designes you now have but these cure jumbled together with the rest & now not easy to be found but if you have any Quere relating to them when you please to favoure me with a second letter upon notice shalt give you all the satisfaction I can or if either dried specimens or vivd radices of our northern plants may be acceptable to you or any of your Society I shall be very ready to serve you, but I wil not any longer treipes upon your time but desire the favoure of you to believe that I am
your assured friend & servant
Ric: Richardson
North Bierley
May 23 702
Posted on August 2, 2016 by Lisa Smith -
Matthew Combe to Hans Sloane – January 2, 1725
Item info
Date: January 2, 1725
Author: Matthew Combe
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4075
Folio: f. 16
Original Page
Transcription
Patient Details
-
Patient info
Name: Mrs. Sophia Howe
Gender: Female
Age:[b. 1698/9, d. 1726]
-
Description
[Possibly Maid of Honour to Queen Caroline.]
-
Diagnosis
-
Treatment
Previous Treatment: "Bals Sulp of olivfact secund phar Baleam"; "decoc Amar sine siena"; asses milk; pill Ruff.
Ongoing Treatment: asks about Balm of Giliad; asks about possible purging
Response: was well until Michaelmas now has bad cough, fever, night sweats. Too weak for any purging
-
More information
-
Medical problem reference
Lungs, Coughs, Fevers, Heart, phthisis
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
John Ray to Hans Sloane – October 10, 1701
Item info
Date: October 10, 1701
Author: John Ray
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 250-251
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 250] Sir the occasion of my giving you the trouble of a […] is to entreat Your assistance in dispatching the enclosed to Dr Preston. I am still busie in adding new species to my Supplement Dr Sherard hath lately sent me a parcell of about 230 dried plants, received from the Prince of Catholica, most of them new & unknown to me, all of them growing in the Hort. Cathol. I am also to make but slow progresse, by the reason of the pains & trouble I labour under. Our undertakers are very slack & remisse in printing this Supplemt. The time is past when they should have published it, & they have not yet begun it. I hear nothing of them I have sent up to Dr Hotton, at his request, a Method of grasses, such as one as I was able to draw up in the circumstances I am now in. My Wife & girls give You their humble services. I am not unsensible of my obligations to you, & return a gratefull memory of them though unable to make You any amends. & therefore must remain Sr, Your most obliged friend & servant John Ray Black Notley Octob. 10. 1701
Ray was a theologian and naturalist who collected and catalogued his botanical findings in the much lauded Historia plantarum (1686, 1688) (Scott Mandelbrote, Ray , John (16271705), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2005 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23203, accessed 18 June 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
William Stukeley to Hans Sloane – August 26, 1729
Item info
Date: August 26, 1729
Author: William Stukeley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: ff. 178-179
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 178] Honrd & dear Sr The inscription above was given me lately. it is out on the backside of a large silver plate of roman work in basso relievo, found by plowing in Risley park in Derbyshire June 6. 1729. the plate (they tell me) is an oblong Square 12 inches long, about 8 broad. tis high raisd thought to have been enameld, being now decayd by time, & rendred brittle as glass. it weighs 7 pound. the Sculptue or work on it represents a hunting, one man naked, another with a loose garment on. one has a sword, th’other a spear. two dogs siezing on a lyon lying under a tree. a lyoness at a distance running away. it was found standing on an edg, but two inches underground, & no doubt was deposited there in order to be taken away again by the same poison. it was within a mile of Fale abby. there is an imossd border runs round the outer edg chargd with variety of figures, sheep, goats, men, some on foot some mounted without bridle or saddle. I suppose thos are fauns, a temple, & many other grotesque figures. the outermost rim is set round with little knobs, somewhat bigger than peas. the inscriptions is set round the foot, at the bottom. I suppose like that of a salver. & probably in later times, that it might serve for administration of bread at the sacrament. for which purpose it was given tot he church (Bogiensi) It may originally have been a roman votive table. I know not the church nor the bishop. we have not books in the country to inform us of such things. next week I expect Mr Gale here, with whom I shall have the pleasure of drinking your health & our friends at the Greeks. I am Sr with hearty prayers for your health Your most obliged & obedient servant Wm. Stukeley Grantham 26 Aug. 1729.
There is a drawing at the top of fol. 178 depicting the ‘roman votive table’.
William Stukeley was an antiquary and natural philosopher. He studied medicine at Corpus Christi, Cambridge and practiced medicine in London and Boston before setting up a practice in Grantham in 1726. Stukeley was acquainted with Dr Richard Mead, Sir Hans Sloane, Edmond Halley, and other prominent intellectuals and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1718. He published several medical treatises and important texts on the stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury (David Boyd Haycock, Stukeley, William (16871765), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26743, accessed 19 Aug 2013]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by Lisa Smith -
Browne Langrish to Hans Sloane – September 12, 1732
Item info
Date: September 12, 1732
Author: Browne Langrish
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4052
Folio: ff. 180-181
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 181] Honoured Sir, Since I had ye Favour of your Letter I have thrice repeated the Experiment of tying up the Aorta descendens with all ye accuracy imaginable, & find that if ye Day be set down immediately after ye Aorta is tied up he can use his lower Parts & walk for a Minute or two, & then Palsy succeeds. This is what I have asserted in my Essay, & I Don’t in ye least dispute ye use fullness of ye Blood towards mucular motion, but I am of opinion its chief use is to distend & keep open the muscular Fibres, & to assist ye Motion of ye Animal Spirits thro’ ye nerves. Mr Cowper assures us that when ye Blood has been intercepted by a Ligature, & ye Muscles have lost their use, he has recovered their Motion again by injecting warm water into the Arteries. Now warm water cannot possibly have any other Effect on ye muscular Fibres than to distend, supple, & relax them, & by its warmth & progressive Motion through ye Arteries it may communicate some Motion to ye Animal Spirits; but it seems impossible for warm water or ye Blood to have any Share in contracting the Fibres. In short, I believe the Blood keeps ye Fibres moist, warm, supple, distended, & every way ready for muscular Motion, & that their Contraction depends upon ye Influx of some subtile Matter from ye nerves, which momentaneously increases ye Force of ye corpuscular Attraction in the Fibres, so as to make their component Particles run closer together. There are many Things which favour this Doctrine, & I hope I have deduced my Theory of muscular Motion from such Principles as will make it appear rational & consistent; though I am far from thinking it is without Faults, & therefore I am willing & ready to correct any of them which my Friends shall advertise me of. I intend to add a Page of two concerning the Laws of Attraction & Repulsion common to all Matter; whereby the Cause of the Elasticity & Contraction of a muscular Fibre may be more fully investigated; & I design to show why a Palsy arises when ye Aorta is tied up, whereby I hope to prove that ye use of ye Blood towards muscular Motion is as abovementioned. After this, Sir, I shall be ready to obey your Commands, & in the mean Time I beg Leave to subscribe myself Your most obedient and most humble servant Browne Langrish Petersfield Septr ye 12th 1732
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Cecilia Garrard to Hans Sloane – November 19, 1695
Item info
Date: November 19, 1695
Author: Cecilia Garrard
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4036
Folio: ff. 220-221
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 220] Sr Every day encreases my obligations to you for your so constant care with informing me of my Dear Brothers recovery which I much rejoice to hear of and should be very glad of his company but that the weather is extream cold and the grapes being not yet gather’d I fear would be an irresistable temptation to him and might impede the speedy perfect establishment of his health therefore unless you judge it absolutely necessary for him to be in the air I would willingly have his coming a littler deferr’d pleas by a line or two lett me know your thoughts as you’ll oblige Sr Your servant Cecilia Garrard
Cecillia Garrard (nee Steed) was the wife of Sir Nicholas Garrard (1665-1727), 3rd Baronet of Langford. They married in 1671 (‘Hundred of South Greenhoe: Langford’, An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: volume 6 (1807), pp. 20-26. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=78224).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Barham Sr. to Hans Sloane – May 14, 1722
Item info
Date: May 14, 1722
Author: Henry Barham Sr.
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4046
Folio: ff. 242-243
-
Language
English
-
Library
British Library, London
-
Categories
Royal Society, Scientific, Trade or Commodities, Travel
-
Subjects
Fossils, Geography, Geology, Jamaica, Mining, Precious Metals
-
Date (as written)
May 14, 1722
-
Standardised date
-
Origin (as written)
Jamaica
-
Others mentioned
Capt. Miers
-
Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 242]
Worthy Sr yours I Received Dated Jan: 24: And hope you Received Mine of the 31st of October by the Brown Capten Miers Commander It Would be to Tedious to give an Account of my Fatigues over Mountains & Crossing Rivers both North, & South; East, and West and in all these Journeys I Could not meet with any Vegetable (or at Least but very few) that Escaped your knowledg I Shall make What Collections I Can especially of Fossiles, and Minerals: I have not had the good Fortune yet to meet with any Oars that I Could Get any Silver from Altho I have met with great Variety, from all Parts of the Island, which Shows the Plenty of Mines Irons, and Copper, wee have in great Plenty, and are not without Lead, but the Difficulty I Meet with is; that Persons often brings me Oars taken out Gullies & Rivers, but Cannot or, Will not, Show where they come from: that wee might Set our People to Searching & Digging them Some […] them for fear of their Land be taken from them, Others Demands great Rewards for Discovery So that our People hath as yet Wrote but upon two mines: The first up Swift River in the Windward part of the Parish of St. Georges on the North side of the Island after some little Progress was made and the Oar Sent me wch was very Poor in Copper. I went Over to View there Work wch I found to be a Small String or Vein Running Parrellell with the Course of the River in a Strait Line like a Course of Mortar […] two Courses of Bricks in a Perpendicular Hard Rock of a bout 100 feet High the Vein having No Tendency to Dipp or Sloap Downwards I Expected no Good Would come off it wch Proved Soo. about this time I
Let a Diligent man to Search the Springs and Heads of the Riverlets that make Rio Cobra and out of the Head of Golden River which Runs in to Rio Pedro (and not Rio de Ora of the Spaniards which is towards the Magotty Sevanna) He brought some Oars that yielded about a fourth Part in Copper which He Said was Thrown down there out of a Mountain that was Much Shatterd with the Earth Quake but was very steep & Difficult to goe up it Neither did He understand a Vein of Oar if He Saw it Upon wch I Sent a Capten of the Miners & 2 or 3 Good Miners to Search the Mountain; who gave me an Account that there were Serveal Veins, wch Promised very Well I orderd them to Work upon the Fairest of them & Send as they Dugg Some of the Oar for me to Assay wch I found to Contain Copper, some little time after the Captyn Desired I Would come up & View His Work wch Accordingly I Did when I came to the Place I found it a Steep mountain in the Shape of a Sugar Loaf and Difficult to Get up it, a little Riverlet Running almost Round it; only in one Place where a Smal Ridge Joined to it South Easterly, from whence came the Weeping Springs that made the River Called Golden River by the English because the Sand Shines and looks like Gold, Upon my Searching this mountain I found Many Veins Some bigger than Others & Some Higher Up the Mountain & not far Distant from each Other all Running end Way wch was Oblique and Sloaping Downwards & in wards towards the Center of the Mountain: where about half Way Up they began to Strike their Shaft as they Dugg they found the Veins to Wyden & Grow Broader With all the Symptoms of a lasting Mine, but the Capten; before He Dugg Deeper in the Shaft Would Strike a Level or A dit
[fol. 243]
at the bottom of the Hill and bring it Right under the Shaft by wch means He believed He Should Strike throug Some of these Veins before He came under the Shaft this Delayed the further knowledg at Present of the Goodness of the Oar the Copper is as fine as […] Gold the Oar if of a Blewish Colour with Miuch Verdigress Sticking about Some of it I have Sent Some Samples to Col Long which I Doubt not but He Will Let you See them and in Deed I Flatter my Self that Wee Shall find Something better the further we goe, for if we may give Credit to Albaro Alonso Barba wee Need not Doubt it who Layeth that Copper ingendered (take His own Words) in Book 1 Ch. 29 Mineral Stones of Divers Colours, Although ever the most Predominant Colour is Blew or Green (so is ours) it is engendered in the Same places with Gold & Silver, and often times is following A Vein of pure Copper they have not met with a Nest of the finist Gold, but its more Familiar to have its veins Change into Silver and those Veins of Copper that make a Show above ground, Commonly prove very Rich as they are Dugg Deeper the Mine of […] in the […] was at the Top in a Manner all Copper & as they dug Deeper downwards; it Grew Rich in Silver &c they Mention the Same of Several Other Mines So that wee Cannot Expect any great Alteration before we have got a Considerable Depth, which Requires time & Charge and as we Succeed Shall give you a further account I Long to See your 2 Volumes & every thing that comes from you Will be Always Admired & Esteemed as the greatest Favour you can doe to your most Faithfull friend and servant to Command Henry Barham May 14th 1722 I Heartily Thank you for Recommending me to the Duke or any that may be Serviceable to me & Shall endeavour to Acknowledge & Returne all Favours my Duty to ye president & all the Worthy Gentlemen of the Royall Society & I hope our Patents Will Weather all Difficulys
Henry Barham (1670?-1726) was a botanist. He lived in Jamaica and corresponded with Sloane on the plant and animal life of the island. Parts of Barham’s letters to Sloane appeared in the latter’s Natural History of Jamaica (T. F. Henderson, Barham, Henry (1670?1726), rev. Anita McConnell, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1374, accessed 13 June 2011]).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
James Augustus Blondell to Hans Sloane – August, 1729
Item info
Date: August, 1729
Author: James Augustus Blondell
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 180
Original Page
Transcription
Blondell presents Sloane with a ‘small Treatise which I’m oblig’d to Publish’.
James Augustus Blondell (1666-1734) was born in Paris and took his MD at Leyden in 1692. He was admitted a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1711. Blondell authored two works: ‘The Strength of Imagination of Pregnant Women Examined’ of 1727 and ‘The Power of the Mother’s Imagination over the Foetus Examined’ in 1729 (http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/447).