Benjamin Franklin Papers
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From Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Rush, 12 March 1784

To Benjamin Rush

ALS: Yale University Library

Passy, March 12. 1784

Dear Friend,

This will be delivered to you by Dr. Ross, who is strongly recommended to me by Persons of Distinction in England,6 and who, after travelling over a great Part of the World, wishes to fix himself for the rest of his Life in America. You will find him a very ingenious sensible Man, and be pleas’d with his Conversation: and you will therefore excuse my requesting for him those Civilities which you have a Pleasure in showing to Strangers of Merit, and such Counsels as from his Unacquaintedness with our Country may be useful to him.7 With great Esteem I am ever, my dear Friend, Yours most affectionately

B Franklin

Dr Rush

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

6For Andrew Ross see XLI, 513n; his recommendations from David Hartley and William Strahan are in XLI, 513–14, 527.

7Rush and Ross were amicable colleagues until the 1790s, when they differed over Rush’s treatments of yellow fever. In 1797 Rush believed that Ross had written an article attacking him; this misunderstanding escalated into Ross challenging Rush to a duel, which Rush refused: L. H. Butterfield, ed., Letters of Benjamin Rush (2 vols., Princeton, 1951), II, 675, 676n; George W. Corner, ed., The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush … (Princeton, 1948), pp. 101n, 369–70.

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