62 MEMOIR OF DR. DALTON, AND 



Mary's broth. Of course, I could not digest much more of 

 the soup." 



Again, the year after, 



London, Jan. 29th, 1810. 



" You may perhaps have heard from Dr. Henry that I 

 have been nearly as ill as formerly, that 1 have been nearly 

 poisoned since I came here. I had been about three weeks 

 when I discovered it was the porter which produced the 

 effects.* I have not had a drop since, and have never had 

 any more of the symptoms. 



" I have had a pretty arduous work, as you may imagine, 

 having had three lectures to prepare each week; to attend 

 two others, and to visit and to receive visits occasionally 

 besides. I find myself just now in the focus of the great and 

 learned of the metropolis. On Saturday evening I had a 

 discussion with Dr. Wollaston, and a party at Mr. Lowry's. 

 On Sunday evening, last night, I was introduced to Sir 

 Joseph Banks, at his house, by Sir John Sebright. Sir 

 Joseph said, ' Oh, Mr. Dalton, I know him very well ; glad 

 to see you; hope you are well, &c.' There were forty or 

 more of the leading scientific characters present, many of 

 whom were my previous acquaintance, such as Sir Charles 

 Blagden, Drs. Wollaston, Marcet, Berger, and Roget; 

 Messrs. Cavendish, Davy, Tennant, Lawson, &c. ; we had 

 conversation for about an hour or more in Sir Joseph's 

 library, when the company dispersed. To judge from the 

 number of carriages at the door, it might be a court levee. 



" I paid a visit, in company with Dr. Lowry, to Dr. Rees, 

 the other day; we spent an hour in conversation in the 

 doctor's library. The doctor seems a worthy philosopher of 

 the old school; his evening lucubrations are duly scented 

 with genuine Virginia." 



• Lead had been found in it. This was probably owing to the use of lead 

 pumps, a very common and dangerous custom, whether used as is commonly 

 the case in public-houses, at least in this Neighbourhood, to pump the malt 

 liquor from the cellar, or for water for domestic supply. 



