Erasmus Darwin / by Ernst Krause ; translated from the German by W.S. Dallas ; with a preliminary notice by Charles Darwin.

  • Krause Ernst, 1839-1903.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Erasmus Darwin / by Ernst Krause ; translated from the German by W.S. Dallas ; with a preliminary notice by Charles Darwin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    59/230 (page 49)
    Nevertheless, his remarks, hereafter to he given, on the value of experiments and the use of hypotheses show that he had the true spirit of a philosopher. That he possessed uncommon powers of observation must be admitted. The diversity of the subjects to which he attended is surprising. But of all his characteristics, the incessant activity or energy of his mind was, perhaps, the most remarkable. Mr. Keir, himself a distin- guished man, who had seen much of the world, and who “ had been well acquainted “ with Dr. Darwin for nearly half a century,” after his death wrote (May 12th, 1802) to my father : “ Your father did indeed retain more “ of his original character than almost any “ man I have known, excepting, perhaps, Mr. “ Day [author of ‘ Sandford and Merton,’ &c.]. “ Indeed, the originality of character in both “ these men was too strong to give way to “ the example of others.” He afterwards proceeds: “ Your father paid little regard to “ authority, and he quickly perceived the “ analogies on which a new theory could be “ founded. This penetration or sagacity by “ which he was able to discover very remote