
          Recd. [Received] Oct 21st
And. [Answered] Oct 24.

New Orleans Septr. 25th. 1834.

My Dear Sir

I recd. [received] you letter of the 9th inst. a few hours since, &
owe you many thanks for the corrections its contains. Cut off as
I am from society of kindred pursuits a letter from a Botanist is
to me like a fountain of water in a parched land. It will be
my aim to deserve a continuance of your favours.

One expression of yours has relieved me from a great embarrassment
I mean your request of a dozen specimens of
each of our species. When we take into account that our
flora must contain about 2000 species this demand includes
the putting up of 24000 plants. No trifling undertaking for a
practicing physician! My embarrassment was this. I have within
a few days been appointed to the Chair of Chemistry of a medical
school about to be established here, and, tho' earnestly desiring
it, was afraid to ask you to select for me certain articles of
apparatus not to be obtained in New Orleans, & to furnish me
with those rare materials for which I must nessarily be 
indebted to a Professor of Chemistry, such as the metalic bases
of the alkalies and earths, and specimens of the rarer metals. Now
I am aware, dear Sir, that this is an exhorbitant request and
I believe should not have found boldness enough in my composition
to make it but for your unfortunate (I fear you will
call it) demand above mentioned. I can only console you by quoting 
your own expression "you will greatly advance the cause of  science
by complying." I proceed to state the articles.

1. Galvanic apperatus. Such as you consider necessary and much
convenient for chemical purposes [merely?], say to cost $75.

2d. An air pump with the necessary appendages & glass. say $50.

3d. Porcelain & platina. A porcelain tube or two. platina wire
foil & capsule? *Crucible? say $30.

4. Stop-corks & caps of receiver tubes &c. 2 sizes, 1 doz. each size.
selected if possible so a [as] to fit the air pump and other
prepared apparatus with which the [they] are likely to be used. 
        