110 MEMOIR OF DR WRIGHT. 



priately opening with that interesting narrative of the 

 cure which Dr Wright had performed on his own 

 person, in the course of his former voyage from the 

 West Indies, in the month of August 1777- 



Although the right of these enlightened individuals 

 to the gratitude of posterity, may he said to rest on 

 the same basis ; yet, during the subsequent friendship 

 which subsisted between them, until the lamented 

 death of Dr Currie, in the year 1805, no feeling of 

 jealousy ever arose to disturb the sentiments of mu- 

 tual respect, which they continued to maintain for 

 each other, from the first to the last moment of their 

 acquaintance. On the one hand, the undoubted pri- 

 ority of Dr Wright in the application of cold water to 

 the body in cases of fever, was uniformly and unequi- 

 vocally admitted by Dr Ctrrie, during his lifetime, 

 in every possible form : and on the other, Dr Wright 

 was equally ready to concede the credit to Dr Cur- 

 rie, of ascertaining more precisely the rules by which 

 the application of cold to the surface of the body 

 should be regulated, and particularly for the introduc- 

 tion of thermometrical observations into the history of 

 diseases, a practice which had previously been either 

 unknown or neglected. 



Soon after Dr Wright had again settled in Edin- 

 burgh, a very interesting correspondence arose between 

 him and Dr Currie, on professional and miscellane- 

 ous subjects, which, had it consisted with the plan of 

 the work, would have been introduced into these pages 

 at greater length. A selection, however, has been 

 made ; and by the favour of the accomplished son of 



