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To James Crichton-Browne 9 April [1871]¹

Down,

April 9,

My dear Sir

I have been led into a small speculation on the confusion of mind often or generally accompanying intense blushing.² I should not think of publishing this, without some able medical man looking it over. It is only 3 folio pages long, and is well copied out.³ It is founded chiefly on what you have told me, so that I should prefer much to get your opinion on it; but I have long hesitated to send it on account of your avocations and state of health; and please observe that I could easily get Paget, Sir H. Holland, or others to read it over.⁴ So I earnestly beg you to return the enclosed card with “I have not leisure” or with “yes”⁵

Yours most sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to James Crichton-Browne, 12 April 1871.

CD discussed confusion of mind in Expression, pp. 323–6, citing information from Crichton-Browne throughout.

The manuscript has not been found; see also letter to James Crichton-Browne, 12 April 1871, and letter from James Crichton-Browne, 16 April 1871.

CD refers to James Paget and Henry Holland; for Crichton-Browne’s health, see the letter from James Crichton-Browne, 16 February 1871 and n. 3.

The card has not been found.

Bibliography

Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.

Summary

Asks JC-B to read CD’s MS on confusion of mind, which often or generally accompanies blushing.

Letter details

Letter no.: DCP-LETT-7672
From: Charles Robert Darwin
To: James Crichton-Browne
Sent from: Down
Source of text: DAR 143: 337
Physical description: C 1p

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7672,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7672.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19

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