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OCR Rendition - approximate
Lehrjahre and Wanderjalire 185 second day as the case may be. In fact like the ordinary plan of statistical charts'. It seems of great use for noting cases quickly, since you can do all you want by the bedside of the patient and when going round -with the physician which wd be quite out of the question in the ordinary way of proceeding, and then many cases are noted which would otherwise be neglected. Do you remember my mother and myself talking about the connection of gout and asthma? I asked several medical men whether they had ever observed any and they all said no, when curiously enough yesterday Dr Haviland stated in his lectures that "from a wide observation he cd not help thinking that gout and asthma had certain connections which have not yet been investigated." I shall certainly look out for cases that way, for it would be very curious if such apparently unlike diseases were after all related. Dr Haviland spoke much of very strong coffee as often being of very great service in asthma;-that or tea, which is much the same, for their active principles are identical, I know you have found good only you don't take the former strong enough. Does my mother still adhere to her intention of accompanying me to Shrewsbury next Easter, will you ask her to write about it? I shall have I hope nearly a fortnight altogether, but must spend a week at home to talk over our future plans and Bob Sawyer dodges, for getting into practice and so on, with you-. You will probably have heard from Emma, who found it out through the Hallams, that I am a tea-totaller of about a month's standing. It suits with my constitution gloriously-but warm advocate as I am of the cause, whatever you do, my dear Father, don't lower yourself, as wine is a most necessary medicine for you. I am very glad I have taken the pledge. I told Delly my reasons, who -will tell them you. It was not done without a term's previous consideration. Your affectionate son, F. G. Tertius Galton was slowly failing in health during these years and very tender and playful are the letters of his medical son. On March 9, 1844, he writes Saturday morning. MX DEAR FATHER, As I was not able myself to enter into learned consultation with Pritchard and Dr Jephson I cannot altogether give up my privilege of "family doctor," and so will write this letter full of prescriptions. But first I must truly congratulate you on your convalescence which Delly tells me is in capital progress; and as I presume ' The suggestion becomes clear when one has seen the elaborate statistical charts of the grandfather-Samuel Galton-covering most complete records of his household economy. 9 From about this date have survived two plans, one an elaborate arrangement of the inside of a doctor's carriage with sleeping things, escritoire, pots and pans of all sorts; the other a description of a physician's waiting room with a number of devices to impress the patients with the scientific character of the consultant and some humorous items as "folio works of various authors, too large to be abstracted." P. G. 24
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