From Henry Bence Jones to Emma Darwin 1 October [1867]1
5 Albion Villas | Folkestone
Oct 1.
Dear Mrs Darwin
This sudden temporary failure of memory by itself and in itself does not appear to me of importance.
Like a temporary affection of the sight which often occurs, it probably is only caused by some irregularity of circulation arising from indigestion.
As long as it only comes by itself and with no other nerve symptoms I do not consider that any concern need be felt about it.
The sudden coming in and out of the Eczema shews that there is some unusual state of the circulation & digestion also.2
Probably the increased mental work has determined the appearance of the new symptom in the new place.3
Now as to what should be done the best course would be to put mental work aside altogether for this month; except on wet days; & to think & do only what is best for the health.
It is a fine month to be out riding walking, driving as much as possible
To be very strict in the diet and to take a teaspoonful or two of compound tincture of Jentian or tincture of Chyretta with a few drops of mineral acid in a wineglass of water half an hour before breakfast & dinner for three weeks4
I shall stay on here as long as I can go yachting probably until the 28 of this month when I hope to return to Brook St 5
I live between Boulogne Calais Margate and Dungeness for seven or eight hours daily and I am getting much stronger.6
I wish Mr Darwin could have as much air without fatigue as I have; he wd soon digest better
Pray give him my kind regards I was about to write to him to ask how he was. I shall be very glad of a few words from you at any time about him
Believe me | Yours very truly | H Bence Jones
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Kyle, Robert A. 2001. Henry Bence Jones – physician, chemist, scientist and biographer: a man for all seasons. British Journal of Haematology 115: 13–18.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Post Office London directory: Post-Office annual directory. … A list of the principal merchants, traders of eminence, &c. in the cities of London and Westminster, the borough of Southwark, and parts adjacent … general and special information relating to the Post Office. Post Office London directory. London: His Majesty’s Postmaster-General [and others]. 1802–1967.
Ringer, Sydney. 1869. A handbook of therapeutics. London: H. K. Lewis.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
CD’s sudden temporary failure of memory and his eczema are not serious and would be relieved by rest and good diet.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5639
- From
- Henry Bence Jones
- To
- Emma Wedgwood/Emma Darwin
- Sent from
- Folkestone
- Source of text
- DAR 168: 78
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5639,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5639.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15
