From Francis Galton 21 November 1871
42 Rutland Gate. S.W.
Nov 21/71
My dear Darwin
I am truly ashamed to have trespassed so long on your kindness, in keeping the rabbits, but until now,—owing to a variety of causes (including an epidemic where the animals are kept) I could not ask for them back.1 Now, all is ready to receive them in University College and I should be much obliged of you wd. instruct your man to send them there. I enclose labels with the address:—
Charles H. Carter
Museum,
University College
Gower St.
London
to put on them.2 Mr. Carter will receive them when they arrive. Please tell your man to keep the bucks & does separate and to write bucks on the hamper wh: contains them.
Will you also let me know what I am indebted to you for their feed & keep, including a judicious ‘tip’ to your man.3 I am really most obliged to you. I should have been stranded in this experiment, without the help because I have only 2 of my lots of rabbits alive & they are both out of condition & I doubt if one will live.
The College shuts up at 5 in the afternoon. & nothing can be received after that hour. If that is too early for the carrier, what shall I do?— When may I expect them to arrive?
My rats, have died sadly, but, owing to causes foreign to the effects of the operation. My last living pair, after being united nearly 3 months, were killed last week for the purpose of injection — Dr. Klein kindly did it for me. One animal was injected with blue & the other with red, and vascular union is proved; but the connection was small, however Dr. Klein thinks that with a more protracted connection, the union would have been more complete.4 So I shall go on with vigour
Very sincerely yours | Francis Galton
Footnotes
Bibliography
Medical directory: The London medical directory … every physician, surgeon, and general practitioner resident in London. London: C. Mitchell. 1845. The London and provincial medical directory. London: John Churchill. 1848–60. The London & provincial medical directory, inclusive of the medical directory for Scotland, and the medical directory for Ireland, and general medical register. London: John Churchill. 1861–9. The medical directory … including the London and provincial medical directory, the medical directory for Scotland, the medical directory for Ireland. London: J. & A. Churchill. 1870–1905.
ODNB: Oxford dictionary of national biography: from the earliest times to the year 2000. (Revised edition.) Edited by H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. 60 vols. and index. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004.
Summary
Asks that the rabbits CD has kept be sent to him; will continue [transfusion] experiments on rats, but using larger [surgical] connection.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8080
- From
- Francis Galton
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Rutland Gate, 42
- Source of text
- DAR 105: A35–6
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8080,” accessed on 13 December 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8080.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19
