
          36


 Philad'a. [Philadelphia]
 April 22. 1819


 Dr Torrey


 Dear Sir, 


 Do not in this late offer 
 of thanks for your letter of Dec. last
 refuse them on acco't [account] my seeming 
 neglect. In truth, I waited to go
 over the little packet first, in which 
 I percieved some very small specimens
 without fructification. On the Penn'a. [Pennsylvania]
 mountains last summer I met with 
 an accident, blinding me for a week, 
 which since has subjected my eyes
 to occasional inflammation, and I 
 have lately been forbidden to subject 
 them to any severe test till the
 present tendency be subdued. Hence
 have I not for these 4 months attempted
 critically to behold a minute
 thing in natural history. My 
 sight is now better & I hope will
 be quite as before the injury.
        