6 
DR. BENJAMIN ALLEN, OF BRAINTREE. 
extremely popular. 6 It was, no doubt, during the period when 
he held the deanery, that he suffered from the illness mentioned, 
and drank the water from the chalybeat spring at Wethersfield. 
This old mineral spring, now lost, has been noticed by Miss 
Thresh and myself in our article on the Medicinal Springs of 
Essex. 7 
One other passage dealing with medical matters shows Allen 
in a somewhat curious dilemma professionally. He is writing 
(p. 190) of some year in which small pox was prevalent in 
Braintree—probably either 1711 or 1721 8 —and of certain 
patients who suffered from “ rhume ” as well as small pox. He 
seems to have considered (so far as one can gather) that he could 
cure them by administering a certain remedy which would 
first cure the “ rhume,” though there was some risk that it might 
kill the patient by stopping the development of the small pox. 
He hesitated, therefore, to administer his remedy; 
wch., at that time might have cost me my life ; for the malice of the 
Empirics (chiefly, John Barnard, the apothecary, and Mr. Firmin) had so 
leaven’d the evil natnr of the town that, had I given him anything and he 
had dyd, they would have sayd I killed him and would have assaulted me, 
so I was forced to let him dy ; so, by abusing my reputation, several 
others in other cases have dyd, which I could without question have been 
a means to preserve ; but I could not carry it, so on them let it [i.e. the 
blame] ly.” 
It was a nice point in medical etiquette. How would a 
modern physician have dealt with it ? 
Ours is not, however, a medical society, and this fact debars 
me from dwelling further on the medical aspect of Allen’s notes. 
I may, however, repeat the belief I have already expressed 9 —- 
that these volumes of Allen’s are “ worth the serious attention 
of some student of the history of medicine in this country.” 
It is true that they are not of very early date ; but, taking the 
period to which they belong, it would be impossible, I apprehend, 
to find a fuller personal record of the practice of medicine as 
carried on at the time by an exceptionally-careful and observant 
country practitioner, or to discover another equally-precise 
6 Sir William Dawes (1671-1724), the youngest son of Sir John Dawes, Baronet, was born 
at his father’s seat, Lyons, in Braintree, and was educated at Merchant Taylors School and 
at St. John’s College, Oxford. Succeeding his father unexpectedly, he removed to St. 
Catherine’s Hall, Cambridge, of which he was chosen master in 1696, becoming chaplain to- 
the King in the same year. He was appointed Bishop of Chester in 1708, and Archbishop of 
York in 1713. 
7 See E.N., xv, p. 229 (1909). 
8 See ante, pp. 160 and 161. 
9 See ante, p. 158. 
