Darwin, Erasmus (1731-1802)

Notes on Materia Medica from Dr. George Baker's Lectures at King's College, Cambridge: and on Poisons from Dr. Sir Noah Thomson's Lectures at St. Thomas's Hospital, London. With other medical notes, etc. Author's holograph MS., written mainly in shorthand. In a note written on the inside of the upper cover, Darwin has written: 'Contents of this End. 1. [Notes on Materia medica] These were taken down at Dr. Baker's Lectures, and only take in the fossil and animal Kingdoms, given at King's College Cambridge 1752 [p. 3]. 2. And there is a particular Account of the Method of Salivation in St. Thomas's Hospital which I had from Dr. Thomson's Lectures [P.] 179. 3. Two Lectures upon Poisons from Dr. Thomson [P.] 191'. At the end of this section (p. 227) 'From Dr. Thomson's Lectures in Cooks Court, Carey Street, London 1753'. P. 1 is inscribed 'Mater[ia] Medica' within a roughly drawn square, and below 'M.S.'. The lower cover is inscribed: 'Contents of this End'. 1. Some Introductory Notes left out at the other End from Dr. Heberden at Cambridge. p. 3. 2. Characters of same Authors upon the Materia medica by Dr. Alstone [sic] Edinburg [sic]. p. 9. 3. The Causes of Errors in the Materia medica and how to avoid them by ditto. p. 17.' Pasted inside the upper cover is an armorial book-plate in red, lettered 'Erasmus Darwin M.D., F.R.S. Litchfield 1771'. The book-plate has been slightly damaged. Below this is the signature of J[ohn] M[ilner] Fothergill M.D. [1841-1888]. Produced in Cambridge & London.

1752, 1753

1 volume 1 l. + 227 pp. + 10 bl. ll. + 27 pp. 8vo. 19 x 121/2 cm. Original quarter-calf binding worn.

Purchased 1934.

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).