DR. ERASMUS DARWIN'S LIFE. IJJ 



' was my astonishment when, at the end of the three 

 hours during which the meal had lasted, he expressed 

 his joy at hearing the dressing bell, and hoped dinner 

 would soon be announced.' This was not mere glut- 

 tony ; he thought an abundance, or what most people 

 would consider a superabundance of food, conducive to 

 health. * Eat or le eaten ' is said to have been often 

 his medical advice. He had especially a very high 

 opinion of the nutritive value of sugar, and said ' that 

 if ever our improved chemistry should discover the art 

 of making sugar from fossil or aerial matter without 

 the assistance of vegetation, food for animals would 

 then become as plentiful as water, and mankind might 

 live upon the earth as thick as blades of grass, with no 

 restraint to their numbers but want of room.' Botanic 

 Garden, vol. i. p. 470." * 



"Professional generosity," says Miss Seward, "dis- 

 tinguished Dr. Darwin's practice. Whilst resident in 

 Lichfield he always cheerfully gave to the priest and 

 lay vicars of its cathedral and their families his advice, 

 but never took fees from any of them. Diligently also 

 did he attend the health of the poor in that city, and 

 afterwards at Derby, and supplied their necessities by 

 food, and all sort of charitable assistance. In each of 

 those towns his was the cheerful board of almost open- 

 housed hospitality, without extravagance or parade; 

 generosity, wit, and science were his household gods." f 



Of his first marriage the following account is 

 given : 



* Dr. Dowson's * Sketch of Dr. Darwin,' p. 53. 

 f Miss Seward's * Memoirs,' &c., p. 6. 



