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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. D. Hooker   23 [June 1858]

Down

23d

My dear Hooker

Poor dear Etty has been very seriously ill with Dipterithes1 (or some such name) but she is better this morning I am nearly sure. It has been a most suffering illness, with dreadful inflammation of whole throat. She will, I fear, be some time in getting her strength & will require constant attention. We are both rather knocked up & I have not spirits to see anyone, even you, at present. Fate seems determined to deny me the pleasure of seeing you.2 I fear that you will be wearied out with being put off.— It was very lucky you did not come here on last Saturday, for the attack began that morning, & our friends had to go. Some think the complaint infectious, which would be another reason for your not coming.— Thank God, I feel pretty sure, that all danger is over: but the Doctor has not been here yet & he damped us yesterday much.—

My dear friend | Yours affectionately | C. Darwin

For Dipterithes it was a mild attack; there was no actual choking, but immense discharge & much pain & inability to speak or swallow & very weak & rapid pulse, with a fearful tongue.—

The Dr. gives very good Report

Footnotes

Diphtheritis or diphtheria is a condition in which the air passages become covered with a leathery membrane. The condition was relatively unknown in Britain before the epidemic of 1857–8. Henrietta Emma Darwin had fallen ill on 18 June (Emma Darwin’s diary).
For CD’s invitation to Hooker, see letter to J. D. Hooker, 18 [May 1858].

Summary

Etty [Henrietta Darwin] very ill with diphtheria.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2290
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 114: 238
Physical description
ALS 4pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2290,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2290.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7

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