Ɛpsilon

From Joseph Fayrer   2 April 1882

53 Wimpole St

2 April 1882

Dear Mr Darwin

I am sorry to say I have not yet succeded in getting you some Cobra poison here, but do not yet despair of doing so.1

Meanwhile, a letter is on its way to Bengal to Mr Vincent Richards, Civil Surgeon of Goalundo in Bengal asking him to send you some by post direct, so that it will reach you within the space of time required to reply to a letter. Mr Richards who formerly worked with me in India is now carrying on some investigations in snake poisons and will I hope have what you want ready to send.2

If I get any here it shall be sent to you at once.

Yours very truly | J Fayrer—

1
In a letter of 30 March 1882, CD had asked Fayrer, an expert on snake venom, for some cobra poison.
2
Both Richards and Fayrer had been members of the Indian Snake Poison Commission and carried out research on snake venom (Report of the commission on snake-poisoning 1874). Richards worked for the Indian Medical Service as had Fayrer prior to his departure from India in 1871 (Bhaumik 2018). Goalundo, Bengal, is now Goalundo Ghat, Bangladesh.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13752,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13752