CH. xii Amputation of Wedgwood's Right Leg 119 



clever watchmaker, and the Eev. William Willet, who 

 afterwards married Catherine, Wedgwood's youngest 

 sister. 



His affliction, therefore, was not altogether without 

 recompense, but it was an ever-present source of bodily 

 pain and commercial hindrance. 



While in London on the navigation business, in 

 November 1765, Wedgwood had a brief but alarming 

 attack of illness which greatly prostrated him. His 

 wife and cousin were happily near. They helped him 

 to conduct the business he had come to London about ; 

 and in a short time he was again at work, though far 

 from convalescent. 



The bilious attacks to which he was liable returned 

 in July 1767, and, as usual, depressed his spirits and 

 greatly disheartened him. His friend Dr. Darwin recom- 

 mended exercise ; and he rode on horseback from ten to 

 twenty miles a day. A month later, his unfortunate knee 

 again troubled him. He had intended to visit Bentley 

 at Liverpool, but he felt quite unable to ride so far. He 

 wrote to his friend : " I cannot do much longer without 

 seeing you, but I am at present disabled for travelling 

 far from home by a sprain of my bad knee, which will, 

 T fear, confine me some time near home." 



It was so constantly with him. He was sometimes 

 better, sometimes worse. At one time it was his liver, 

 at another time it was his disabled knee. It seemed to 

 be a case of metastasis, a change of the disease from one 

 part of the body to another. He wrote to Cox of 



