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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Reginald Darwin   17 November 1879

Fern | Buxton

Nov 17 | 1879.

My dear Cousin

Noticing your allusion to our Grandfather’s short hand writing, I send you a Book on the subject which may interest you, as tho’ it bears the date 1776, a portion of it had then been written “long ago”—1

I have also found a curious paper, tho’ without date called “a Moral & Physical Thermometer” bearing on the subject of Temperance— In all probability he was the author— If you will do me the favour to accept the Book & the paper You will much oblige me—2

With best regards | Affectly yours | Reginald Darwin

Footnotes

In Erasmus Darwin, p. 17, CD remarked: ‘Whilst still young he filled six volumes with short-hand notes, and continued to make use of the art for some time.’ The book on shorthand has not been found; it may have been a copy of Thomas Gurney’s Brachygraphy: or short-writing (Gurney 1750), which went through numerous editions. CD mentioned that Erasmus Darwin had corresponded with Gurney about shorthand (Erasmus Darwin, p. 17).
CD discussed his grandfather’s strong advocacy of temperance in Erasmus Darwin, pp. 56–8. Various diagrams of ‘A moral and physical thermometer: or a scale of the progress of temperance and intemperance’ were published in the 1790s. Such works were often anonymous; see, however Rush 1790, p. 12, and Lettsom 1798, p. 12.

Bibliography

Gurney, Thomas. 1750. Brachygraphy, or short writing. Made easy to the meanest capacity. [London: n.p.]

Lettsom, John Coakley. 1798. Hints respecting the effects of hard drinking. London: C. Dilly.

Rush, Benjamin. 1790. An inquiry into the effects of spirituous liquours on the human body. To which is added, a moral and physical thermometer. Boston: Thomas and Andrews.

Summary

Sends a book on shorthand

and a paper, probably by Erasmus Darwin, entitled "Moral and physical hermeneutics", on the subject of temperance.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12323
From
Reginald Darwin
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Buxton
Source of text
DAR 99: 164–5
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12323,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12323.xml

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