To Thomas Jefferson from Jan Ingenhousz, 11 May 1789
From Jan Ingenhousz
Hotel de Thoulouse Rue du jardinet
quartier de st. andrè des arts 11 May 1789
Sir
I take the liberty to recommend to your care this three Copies of the II volume of my work on vegetables, one for Dr. Franklin, one for the Philosophical society and one for M. Sam. Vaughan junior. I begg the favour of you to accept the fourth as a remembrance of mine.
An other volume will soon appear, it being allmost out of press.
I should have pay’d you my respects a long while ago, but I was ill during the whole winter, and I am not yet strong enough to go far from my lodgings. Mr. Paradise told me to day that you would be so good as to pack up these books among your own baggage, if I could send them immediately; but that I have time enough to write a letter, as you doe not set out so soon your self.
I hope I will have the honour to see you before you goying away. I am respectfully Sir Your most obedient humble servant,
J. Ingen Housz
RC (DLC); endorsed. Recorded in SJL as received on the same day.
Ingenhousz’ work on vegetables was originally published in English in 1779, and the second volume of the author’s translation appeared under a Paris imprint in 1789, being entitled Expériences sur les Végétaux, spécialement sur la Propriéte qu’ils possèdent à un haut degré, soit d’améliorer l’air quand ils sont au soleil, soit de le corrompre la nuit, ou lorsqu’ils sont à l’ombre; auxquelles on a joint une méthode nouvelle de juger du degré de salubrité de l’Atmosphère. TJ’s copy of the second volume bears the following inscription in red ink on the back of the half-title: “For Mr. Jefferson, ministre Plenipot. of the United States of America from the Author” ( No. 829). For TJ’s earlier comment on Ingenhousz’ experiments, see TJ to Madison, 19 July 1788.