DARWIN. 



585 



Darwin. Soon after the arrival of Dr Darwin at Lichfield, his 

 V ""Y*"""' skill and discernment as a physician were put to the 

 test. Being sent for to a young gentleman of family 

 and consequence in the neighbourhood, who lay sick of 

 a dangerous fever, and whose case had been pronounced 

 hopeless by a celebrated physician, that had for many 

 years possessed the business and confidence of the 

 Lichfield neighbourhood ; he, by a reverse and novel 

 course of treatment, gave his dying patient back to a 

 fond and despairing mother, with renewed existence 

 and renovated health. This was the foundation of his 

 prosperity,- and this successful attempt gave him so 

 higli a degree of reputation at Lichfield and the neigh- 

 bouring towns and villages, that his competitor finding 

 himself neglected, and his reputation eclipsed by his 

 youthful and ingenious rival, gave up the contest, and 

 left the place. From that time his practice became 

 very extensive ; and his future efforts were attended by 

 success equal to his first fortunate exertion. 



In the year 1757, he married Miss Howard of the 

 Close of Lichfield ; a young lady, who, though only 

 eighteen, possessed a mind of a very superior cast : a 

 strong understanding ; a taste for the works of imagi- 

 nation ; ingenuous sweetness ; delicacy, animated by 

 sprightliness, and sustained by fortitude, were the qua- 

 lifications which rendered her a proper and fascinating 

 companion to a man of talents so illustrious. To her 

 he could commit the important task of rendering his 

 children's minds fit to receive the seeds of knowledge 

 and of science, with confidence. But upon her youth, 

 and a too delicate constitution, her having children in 

 quick succession during the first five years after her mar- 

 riage, had probably a baneful effect. Dr Darwin ex- 

 erted all his skill and attention for i the preservation of 

 her valuable life : for thirteen years he was successful ; 

 and during that time she had five children, two of 

 whom died in their infancy. Three, Erasmus, Charles, 

 and Robert, were left to mourn her loss, and were dis- 

 tinguished instances of the importance of right prin- 

 ciples being early instilled into the youthful mind. 

 The first was an eminent attorney at Derby. To a 

 most engaging disposition he united considerable ta- 

 lents ; but his modest, diffident, and retired habits, had 

 a tendency to increase his naturally indolent, procras- 

 tinating, and perhaps melancholy disposition, to such a 

 degree, that the fatigue of attending his business 

 wrought so powerfully upon his mind, that he volunta- 

 rily put a period to his career in the flower of his age. 



Charles was born at Lichfield, in the year 1758. Af- 

 ter receiving a preparatory education, he was sent to 

 Christ-church College, Oxford, where he remained 

 some time. From that place he removed to Edinburgh, 

 where he studied medicine, and obtained the first prize 

 medal offered by the Esculapian Society for the best 

 essay. The subject was, the best means of distinguish- 

 ing pus from mucus. In this paper, he states, " as the 

 result of numerous experiments, when one wishes to 

 examine the matter expectorated by his patient, let 

 him dissolve a portion of it in vitriolic acid, and ano- 

 ther portion of it in caustic alkaline lixivium, and then 

 add pure water to both solutions. If there is a preci- 

 pitation in eacli solution, it is clear the expectorated 

 matter is pus ; if there is no precipitation, the matter 

 is simply mucus." He died at Edinburgh on the 15th 

 May 1778. He left behind him an unfinished account 

 of the retrograde motions of the absorbent vessels of 

 animal bodies in some diseases, in Latin ; a translation 

 of which, together with the Dissertation for which he 

 obtained the medal, were published by his father after 

 vol. vn. part ir. 



his death. Robert settled as a physician at Shrews- Darwin, 

 bury, where he still remains, eminent as a professional ""■"' "Y^— 

 man, and respected as a gentleman. 



Dr Darwin's house during his residence in Lichfield, 

 was the resort of a knot of philosophic friends, who 

 frequently met in social converse. Among those may 

 be enumerated Mr Watt, Mr Boulton, Mr Michel the 

 astronomer, Mr Edgeworth, Mr Day, Sir Brooke Booth- 

 by, and Miss Seward. It is singular, that though Dr 

 Johnson frequently visited his daughter-in-law, Miss 

 Lucy Porter, at his native place, Lichfield, he and Dr 

 Darwin had but one or two interviews ; and that a mu- 

 tual and strong dislike subsisted between them. Per- 

 haps Dr Darwin's scepticism, in what 'Dr Johnson 

 thought orthodox religion, supplies an easy solution of 

 the cause of this enstrangement. 



In the year 1781, Dr Darwin married a second wife, 

 Mrs Pole, the widow of Colonel Pole, of Radburn, 

 Derbyshire. This lady he had first seen in 1778, when 

 she had brought her children, who were indisposed, to 

 be under his care. While Mrs Pole remained with her 

 children at the Doctor's house, her external accomplish- 

 ments and internal qualifications inspired her philoso- 

 phic host's admiration, and secured his esteem. In 

 1780, Colonel Pole died; and an opportunity was thus 

 afforded the doctor of disclosing an affection, which 

 he had long entertained, but which he was obliged to 

 confine within his own breast. His addresses were ac- 

 cepted ; and very soon after he left Lichfield and re- 

 moved to Derby, where he resided about twenty years. 

 His reputation, and the unlimited confidence of the 

 public, followed him thither; and he once more became 

 a happy husband, with a second family of children 

 springing up fast around him. In the year 1 801, he 

 removed from Derby to the Priory, an estate which his 

 son Erasmus, whose unfortunate catastrophe we have 

 already noticed, had bought, and left to his father, who 

 took a great pleasure in improving it. But, alas ! Ins 

 residence there was destined to be of no long continu- 

 ance. He was subject to inflammation in his lungs, 

 and had a serious attack in the spring of the year in 

 which he left Derby. During these sudden and alarm- 

 ing disorders, he always applied the lancet, instantly 

 and freely ; and frequently rose in the middle of the 

 night and bled himself. On the 10th of April 1802, 

 he had a serious attack of this disorder, and at the same 

 time a shivering fit. His surgeon took 25 oz. of blood 

 from him at different times on that day ; and he so far re- 

 covered as to appeal- quite well, and walked and talk- 

 ed with his friends as usual. On Saturday the 18th of 

 April, he rose at six in the morning, his common prac- 

 tice; and wrote several letters. But he had written no 

 more than one page of a very sprightly one to Mr 

 Edgeworth, describing, in a serene and happy manner, 

 the Priory, and the alterations he intended making 

 there, when he was seized with a shivering fit. He 

 immediately rang the bell, ordered a quantity of but- 

 ter-milk (which it was his custom to drink every morn- 

 ing) and desired Mrs Darwin to be sent to him. She 

 immediately came accompanied by one of her daugh- 

 ters — they saw him shivering and pale ; and though for 

 a little he seemed to recover, he soon fainted, and ex- 

 pired between eight and nine o'clock, in the 71st year 

 of his age. His body was opened, but no traces of a 

 peculiar disorder was found; and the state of the viscera, 

 indicated a much more protracted existence. He left 

 a widow and six children, well provided for, all of 

 whom are now living. 



In his person, Dr Darwin was gross and corpulent, 

 "4 E 



