The medical side of Benjamin Franklin / by William Pepper.

  • William Pepper
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical side of Benjamin Franklin / by William Pepper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    134/202 page 80
    CHAPTEE Y 1780-1790 An interesting observation is found at the end of a letter here quoted. His treatment of the gout reminds one of William Harvey's method of sitting with his legs bare, on the leads of Cockaine-House, or putting them in a pail of cold water. Passy, July 22, 1780. To Alexander Small.1 . . . You inquired about my gout, and I forgot to acquaint you that I had treated it a little cavalierly in its two last accesses. Finding one night that my foot gave me more pain after it was covered warm in bed, I put it out of bed naked, and perceiving it easier, I let it remain longer than I at first designed, and at length fell asleep leaving it there till morning. The pain did not return, and I grew well. Next winter, having a second attack, I repeated the experiment, not with such imme¬ diate success in dismissing the gout, but constantly with the effect of rendering it less painful, so that it permitted me to sleep every night. I should mention, that it was my son who gave me the first intimation of this practice. He being in the old opinion, that the gout was to be drawn out by transpiration, and having heard me say, that perspiration was carried on more copiously when the body was naked, than when clothed, he put his foot out of bed to increase that discharge, and found ease by it, which he thought a confirmation of the doctrine. But this method requires to be confirmed by more experiments, before one can conscientiously recommend it. I give it you, however, in exchange for your receipt of tartar emetic, because the commerce of philosophy as well as other commerce, is best promoted by taking care to make returns. I am ever yours most affectionately, B. Franklin. 1 Alexander Small. An English Army Surgeon and a member of the Society of Arts. Author of a paper on Ventilation, read before the French Academy of Sciences.
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