Ɛpsilon

From George Howard Darwin   [12 June 1862]1

My dear Papa

L. is unwell & the doctor says it is Scarlet fever so he asked me if it would be best to send home or to lodging so I said home.2

I remain | G. H D

As I thought you would like Mr. Williams to see him I have telegraphed to Mr. W. to go to Down so don’t send for him3

1
Dated by the reference to Leonard Darwin’s illness (see n. 2, below).
2
George and Leonard Darwin attended Clapham Grammar School in south-west London (see letter from Charles Pritchard, 17 June [1862] and n. 2). Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242) records on 12 June 1862: ‘Lenny came home with sc. fever’; George’s letter was probably sent with Leonard.
3
Edward Augustus Williams was a surgeon in practice with Charles Morgan in Bromley, Kent (Post Office directory of the six home counties 1862); he attended various members of the Darwin household between 1845 and 1863 (see Correspondence vols. 7, 8, and 9, and CD’s Classed account book (Down House MS)). In 1829, Williams had contributed articles on the treatment of scarlet fever to the London Medical Gazette (London Medical Gazette 4 (1829): 297, 432).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3598F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3598F