xii Amputation of Wedgwood's Right Leg 123 



tions. In one of Wedgwood's replies, written about a 

 month after the operation, he said : " My dear friend I 

 have many, very many, most kind and affectionate 

 letters from you to be thankful for, with a thousand 

 other instances of your esteem ; but that is too cool a 

 term to express the feelings of my heart. . . . You know, 

 indeed, that I could not for a moment cease to love and 

 be grateful to you, now I am recovered so far as to be 

 able to write. I find myself over head and ears in debt 

 as to replies to your communications, and every post is 

 increasing the heavy load. It is this that confines me 

 to the house, and retards my perfect recovery." 



"At present I am well, even beyond my most sanguine 

 expectations. My leg is almost healed. The wound is 

 not quite two inches by one and a half. I measured it 

 with the compasses this morning when I dressed it. 

 Yes ! when I dressed it ; for I have turned my surgeon 

 adrift, and Sally and I are sole managers now. Only, 

 we give him leave to peep at it now and then, when he 

 lifts up his hands and eyes, and will scarcely believe 

 that it is the wound he dressed before." 



Wedgwood continued to take his usual interest in the 

 building of the works at Etruria, and showed his kind- 

 ness to the workmen employed. On the 20th of June, 

 less than a month after the operation, he wrote to 

 Bentley : " I am pleased with your feeling so much for 

 the poor mortar-maker, and I will endeavour to set his 

 mind at rest. Mr. Pickford (the master builder) has 

 much of the Bashaw in his treatment of workmen, and 



