To Benjamin Franklin from Alexander Small, [before 22 July 1780]
From Alexander Small
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Hotel de York Paris [before July 22, 1780]8
Dear Sir
Being thus far in my way to England,9 and being informed that you live out of Town, I take this Opportunity of enquiring of your Welfare, and beg to know whether Capt Nairn, Brother to Mr Nairn in Cornhill, gave you a paper on Ventilation, and the History of it.1 I hope to receive a favourable Answer to these particulars, and ever remain Dear Sir Your Faithful humble Servant
Alexr Small
Addressed: A Monsieure / Monsieure le Docteure / franquelain a pacie
Notation: Alex Smal Paris.
8. Dated on the basis of BF’s letter of July 22, below.
9. The Scots army surgeon, F.R.S., and long-time friend of BF (IX, 110–11n and XIX, 105n) was on his way back to London from Minorca, where he had been since 1775 (according to his “Observations on the Gout,” for which see BF’s letter to him of July 22).
1. Small’s paper on ventilation included a number of BF’s views on the subject. In early 1777 he proposed to send BF a draft; see XXIII, 486–91, 497–8.