Requests a specially bound copy of Smith's "Insects of Georgia" for the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Asks for recent specimens of Lichens used in medicine or in the arts, and whether any foreign author has recently written on the anatomy of plants.
Received Smith's letter of 26 [January]. Impressed with the skills of Mr Williams, who has made an "excellent radical cure of Mrs Johnes toothache"; thinks he will be beneficial for the country. Pleased to hear of Johnson's "very handsome" behaviour towards Mr Enfield. Thanks for gift of "Bufris" fruit "very like an exceeding fine medlar"; asks for a good quantity of them and Mrs Johnes requests Norwich biscuits. The Cardigan salmon has been forwarded, and the cheese must be sent before March or April: it is ripened in ale, similar to how Cheshire cheeses are floated in brine, "for those that like mellow rotten cheese, it would be a treat". Mrs Smith's cordon finished.
Received seeds from Charlotte [his sister, in India], describes physical characteristics of one, the others only have their common names so impossible to name them. Expecting two hundred seeds from gardens of Zarsco Zelo [palace in Russia, near St Petersburg], including the "fine peonies that are in the "Flora Rossica"". Satisfied a plant he sent Smith advertisement of is from Russia. His daughter's health much the same. The poor are very sickly. High winds with rain, very changeable.
Has specimens of 'Poa bulbosa' from France, Syria and Switzerland but not England. Has compared his specimen of the 'viviperous' variation against two texts. Not sending his 'Clumae' as his specimens are foreign. Comments on grasses.
Encloses specimen of a small nondescript 'Medusa', it adheres strongly to 'Fucus cricoides', and sends phial of the purple tint of 'Fucus edulis'. Thanks for honour Smith did him in paper read last Linnean Society evening meeting.
[Spec 24 written in pencil at head of verso of folio]
Sends specimens and notes by himself and [William] Withering of three genera of grasses, including 'Poa angustifolia', 'P. bulbosa', 'Festuca rubra', 'F. duriuscula', and 'Bromus diandrus', and others.
In red ink at top of first folio: "Mr Davall's last unfinished letter".
Revived by Smith's letter of 17 January 1798. His health totally destroyed, intellect affected and faculty of speech impaired at age of 35 by "frequent attacks of one of the most terrible" convulsive disorders. Fears he was too copiously bled on 2 February 1797, losing 150 ounces between that date and end of March and blisters applied to his leg caused violent cramps and tortured his nerves. Attended by a too young doctor trained at Pavia who thinks his ills come from an obstinate constipation caused by too frequent use of purgatives. Has taken a deluge of 'Valerian officinalis', 'Cinchona officinalis', flores zinci, 'Moschus', 'Viscum album', and since 10 January wholly on milk diet.
Letter unfinished and unsent, enclosed in Henriette Davall's letter of 10 October 1798 informing Smith of Edmund's death.
Writes on behalf of her husband, Edmund, who is too ill to write himself.
Address written in Davall's hand.
Received the two volumes of Smith's "Insects of Georgia". Thanks for Lichen specimens.
No summary available.
Has obtained Peter Huber's paper on "the natural history of the humble-bees" for the Linnean Society and relates some of its principal discoveries; Huber is the son of William Huber of Geneva who published an "ingenious" work on hive bees five years ago including discovery that the queen bee is impregnated out of the hive whilst on the wing and that it is fatal to the males. Huber intends to publish further observations on bees in a second volume, including on the small pouches between the segments on the undersides of the abdomen, in which wax is inserted, and has also observed that the "yellow matter" found on the legs of bees is "bee bread", as discovered by John Hunter [(1728-1793), surgeon and anatomist] before him, but Huber found that this was known to an "old English author on bees which was translated early in [the eighteenth] century into German".
Grateful for Smith's assistance in helping him through France and during his "exile" intends to work on framing much better characters for the division of 'Phalaena' [moths]. Unable to give an account of [Edmund] Davall. Comments that "our revolution" has passed off without bloodshed [French invasion of Switzerland], however at the first moment of its revolt every Englishman except himself left Lausanne as it was expected that the [French] would attack, forcing the cantons to gradually fall off [from the Swiss Confederation] and leave Bern at the mercy of the French. Asks whether [William] Kirby has published on bees as was being reported before leaving England.
No summary available.