1840-42. SEVERE ILLNESS. 263 



a letter in my handwriting ; the best evidence I can send you 

 that I am better. I had a very severe attack of illness, much 

 worse than in London, and the treatment was proportionally 

 rigorous. What was most annoying in the whole matter was, 

 that a week before I took to bed, I showed my eye to Dr E., 

 the oculist, and requested his advice ; by some strange mistake 

 he thought I complained of my eyelid, and said there was 

 nothing the matter. In this way precious time was sacrificed, 

 and my eye nearly lost. I never in truth spent such a fortnight 

 of misery. I was twice cupped, blistered five times behind the 

 ear, horribly sickened with colchicum, and severely saturated 

 with mercury. I got worse and worse, till within three days of 

 lecture -time, when things fortunately took a turn for the better, 

 and my eye rapidly recovered. My first two lectures I dictated 

 in bed or on the sofa to Mary ; and my third was made up out 

 of an old production. I have been left by the medical treatment 

 very weak, but in the meanwhile my rheumatism is gone, and 

 my appetite and spirits are good. Things here, however, are 

 looking very ill ; the classes are very thin ; my own is like to 

 be exceedingly small. We all looked for a diminution in 

 numbers this winter ; but the amount of decrease makes us 

 feel rather awkward. I hope, however, to weather the winter, 

 and have at least the consolation of feeling that I shall have 

 leisure to recruit my health, and some time for original 

 research. 



" I am obliged to take a coach up and down, which will prove 

 rather an expensive thing as we now are. I am so rapidly 

 recruiting, however, that I shall soon be able to dispense with 

 it, and take to walking again a mode of conveyance I for many 

 reasons prefer. 



" Along with this you will receive a note from Mary, saying 

 I would not write you, which will show what dependence is to 

 be placed on that lady's veracity. Indeed in writing my lectures 

 she made many (I am sure) wilful mistakes, and tried to put 

 me out by placing the stops at wrong places. I shall place the 

 stop at the right place, and end here." 



A month later he says : 



