From Benjamin Franklin to William Withering, 1 March 1784
To William Withering
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Passy, March 1. 1784
Sir,
Mr Vaughan communicated to me a very ingenious & judicious Letter (as it appear’d to me) written by you on the Subject of calculous Complaints & the Remedies that had been propos’d for them. You were so good as to say that if I would send you a state of my Case, you might perhaps be able to point out some Plan of Proceeding that would be serviceable.4 I omitted it then, thinking the Disease had left me; & hoping by the Use of Honey to prevent its Return. I was however mistaken, as you will see in the Case, but have not since had recourse to any Medicine. I now request your Opinion and Advice;5 and am, with great Esteem, Sir, Your most obedient & most humble Servant,
B Franklin
Dr Withering.—
4. Benjamin Vaughan had solicited this letter from Withering when BF suffered an acute attack of the stone in 1782. The letter is now missing, but Withering used it as the basis for his 1782 essay entitled “On Calculous Complaints”; see XXXVIII, 39–41.
5. The enclosed case study is immediately below. BF made arrangements to pay Withering for this consultation: on the same day as the present letter he wrote an order for William Hodgson to remit five guineas on his account to “Dr Withering of Birmingham”: BF to Hodgson, March 1, 1784 (press copy of ADS), APS. BF added this sum to the account Hodgson had sent him on Oct. 30, 1783: XLI, 160n.