Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Zabdiel Boylston to Hans Sloane – December 14, 1726
Item info
Date: December 14, 1726
Author: Zabdiel Boylston
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 238
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Language
English
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Collections, Curiosity Reports, Medical, Patronage, Scholarship, Travel
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Subjects
America, Animals, Horses, Inoculation, Recommendations, Smallpox, Stones, Voyaging
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Date (as written)
December 14, 1726
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Boston, New England
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Others mentioned
-
Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Boylston arrived in New England after ‘a long & Expensive voyage’. He thanks Sloane for his many favours and promises to send any curiosities he finds in New England. Boylston has enclosed a stone ‘out of a Gelding […] of about 17 years old’. It was removed just after he had left for London. The ‘Gelding’, or horse, was in pain for two weeks before it died. He was active, ‘fatt & lively’ before his illness. The first sign of sickness was a painful fit, ‘which lasted 2 or three days’. This pain subsided and he returned to riding and other activities, but ‘a week or ten days’ later the pain returned and he died shortly thereafter. It is thought that the stone removed from him was unrelated to the cause of death. The stone was found in his stomach. ‘When first taken out it weighed five pounds about Eight ounces, it now weighs but five pounds six ounces & seven drachms, and measures round one way, seventeen inches & 3 q’rs’. Many people have come to see the large stone, but Boylston thinks it would be best to give it to Sloane. He has not encountered any controversy for his publication on smallpox. The bearer is his nephew, Edward Boylston, who would appreciate a recommendation.
Zabdiel Boylston (1679-1766) was a physician famous for his inoculation of roughly 250 people during the smallpox epidemic of Boston in 1721. His method of inoculation was controversial because it was based on African practices. In 1724 Boylston traveled to London where he published the ‘Historical Account of the Small-Pox Inoculated in New England’. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1726 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabdiel_Boylston).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Elking to Hans Sloane – August 6, 1726
Item info
Date: August 6, 1726
Author: Henry Elking
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 183-184
Original Page
Transcription
Elking sends ‘the head of a Wallross’ preserved in ‘Salt Pickle’. He describes the specimen and how he got it to Sloane. A ship from Greenland is supposed to deliver an ‘uncommon’ specimen soon.
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax to Hans Sloane – August 30, 1726
Item info
Date: August 30, 1726
Author: George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 190
Original Page
Transcription
George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax (ca. 1683-1739) was a British politician. From 1705 to 1715 he was MP for Northampton and served, at various times, as Auditor of the Exchequer, Privy Councillor, and Lord Justice (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Montagu,_1st_Earl_of_Halifax).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
M. Reynaud to Hans Sloane – September 12, 1726
Item info
Date: September 12, 1726
Author: M. Reynaud
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 198-199
Original Page
Transcription
Reynaud praises Sloane and informs him that they have friends in common. He offers his service. Reynaud is staying at the Earl of Coventry’s residence.
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Johann Georg Steigertahl to Hans Sloane – September 30, 1726
Item info
Date: September 30, 1726
Author: Johann Georg Steigertahl
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 204-205
Original Page
Transcription
Johann Georg Steigertahl (1666-1740) was the personal physician to George I of England. He was a member of the Royal Society and secured the purchase of Engelbert Kaempfer’s collection of East Asian curiosities for Sir Hans Sloane in 1723 (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Georg_Steigerthal).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Johann Philipp Breyne to Hans Sloane – November 16, 1726
Item info
Date: November 16, 1726
Author: Johann Philipp Breyne
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 214-215
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Language
English
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Collections, Material Culture, Patronage, Philosophical Transactions, Scholarship, Social, Trade or Commodities
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Subjects
Amber, Anatomy, Books, Fraud, Inoculation, Natural History, Publishing, Smallpox, Specimens
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Date (as written)
November 16, 1726
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Dantz
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Others mentioned
Dr Hook Johann Jakob Scheuchzer James Petiver Dr Sherard
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Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Breyne sent some recently published treatises to Dr Sherard, who is supposed to pass them on to Sloane. He thanks Sloane for his letter of September 20, the Philosophical Transactions, the late Dr Hook’s book, and his comments on smallpox inoculation, which convinced Breyne to have his children inoculated. He hopes to acquire the works of Mr Petiver. Breyne puts himself at the service of Dr Scheuchzer. He warns Sloane about the authenticity of natural historical specimens and claims to have been duped several times. A portion of the letter is in Latin. One of the books Breyne has sent outlines the ‘Generation of Amber’. He is going to collect plants for Sloane and edit a new edition of his father’s book. Breyne discusses some ‘Plates relating to Anatomy’.
Johann Philipp Breyne (1680-1764) was a German botanist, zoologist, and entomologist known primarily for his work on the Polish cochineal, or Porphyrophora polonica, used in red dye production. He became a fellow of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 1715 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Philipp_Breyne).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Henry Elking to Hans Sloane – November 16, 1726
Item info
Date: November 16, 1726
Author: Henry Elking
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 216-217
Original Page
Transcription
Elking was glad to hear that Sloane values the Greenland specimens he sent. Sloane sent Elking both volumes of the Natural History of Jamaica as thanks. Elking is glad to be of service to Sloane. For more information on the exchange, see: Sloane MS 4048, fols. 183-184.
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Thomas Onslow to Hans Sloane – December 4, 1726
Item info
Date: December 4, 1726
Author: Thomas Onslow
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 227-228
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 227]
Sr
The report of a Woman’s breeding of Rabbits has almost alarm’d England and in a Manner persuaded severall people of sound Judgm:t of that truth; I have been at some pains to Discover the Affair, and think I have Conquerd My poynt; as you will se by the Depotition [sic] taken before Me, which shall be published in a Day or Two I am
Sr
Yr Hume Servant
Onslow
Clandon Decemr 4th 1726
Thomas Onslow, 2nd Baron Onslow (1679-1740) inherited his title from his father Richard Onslow in 1717. He commissioned Clandon Park in the 1730s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Onslow,_2nd_Baron_Onslow).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Pierre Louis Maupertuis to Hans Sloane – September 4, 1728
Item info
Date: September 4, 1728
Author: Pierre Louis Maupertuis
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4049
Folio: ff. 227-228
Original Page
Transcription
Maupertuis thanks Sloane for hospitably receiving him during his stay in London. He sends his compliments to Mr Scheuchzer.
Pierre Louis Maupertuis (1698-1759) was a French mathematician, philosopher, and man of letters. He was the Director of the Académie des Sciences and the first President of the Prussian Academy of Science at the invitation of Frederick the Great (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Louis_Maupertuis).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Louis Bertrand Castel to Hans Sloane – December 5, 1728
Item info
Date: December 5, 1728
Author: Louis Bertrand Castel
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4050
Folio: f. 15
Original Page
Transcription
[fol. 15] Monsieur Le Rang que vous tenez et a Reputation dont vous jouissez dans la Republique des Lettres, me portent à vous offrir un ouvrage de Mathematique que je viens de mettre au jour. Mr de Woolhouse mon ami es votre zelé admirateur ma fait esperer que vous l’agreriéz comme un gage de mon estime. Hureux s’il peut meriter quelque part dans la votre. j’espere aussi que vous voudréz contribuer à le faire un peu connoitre à votre illsutre et vraiment Royale Societé. Vous verrez, et ils verront que je suis fort admirateur declaré des Geometres anglais. je dois meme à cette occasion vous dire et vous prier de leur apprendre que je travaille avec deuz autres à une traduction francoise de l’abregé de Lowthorp qui est le plus beau receuil que nous ayons en fait de Physique et de Geometrie. je recouvrai avec plaisir vos bons avis es les leurs aussi sur une traduction de cette conséquence. je suis avec beaucoup de Respect et toute l’estime que vous meritéz Monsieur Votres tres humble et tres obeissant serviteur L. Castel jes. A Paris ce 5me Decembre 1728
Castel writes that he is a friend of Mr Woolhouse and offers Sloane a book on mathematics. He is working on an abridged translation of Lowthorp’s medical treatise and would like Sloane’s opinion.
Louis Bertrand Castel (1688-1757) was a French mathematician. He entered the order of the Jesuits in 1703. Castel authored severals works on optics a critique of Sir Isaac Newton’s system in 1743 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Bertrand_Castel).