My dear Fox

Will you be so kind as to tell Mr Wood,² I shall be happy to answer honestly & to the best of my power any question he may put—though any very general question could hardly be answered in the compass of a letter. I have only been at Geolog. meeting once this year,—Proh pudor.—

The day before yesterday Emma was confined of a little Boy. Her pains came on so rapidly & severe, that I cd not withstand her entreaties for Chloroform & administered it myself which was nervous work not knowing from eye-sight anything about it or of midwifery.³ The Doctor got here only 10 minutes before the Birth.— I thought at the time I was only soothing the pains—but, it seems, she remembers nothing from the first pain till she heard that the child was born.— Is this not grand?—

You ask after water cure.— I go honestly on & had the douche 36^o to 37^o for 5 minutes & the shallow bath with water at 39^o for 4 minutes this very morning: it is sharp work, but not half so sharp as you would think & admirably invigorating.— My health is better than when you were here.— Your visit was not thrown away upon us, we both much enjoyed it.—⁴

Pray remember me most kindly to M^rs. Fox | Ever yours | C. Darwin

I am now at work on fossil Cirripedia.—