To William Ogle   17 December [1870]

Down | Beckenham | Kent S.E.

Dec. 17th

My dear Dr. Ogle

Absence from home has prevented me from thanking you before for your last to me very valuable letter. I think I need not trouble myself much more about the Platysma.1 If you shd. ever see any one suffering great fear & can remember the point do look at the neck.— I will enquire what muscle my informant named when he spoke about the longitudinal furrows.2 I think Duchenne always speaks of transverse furrows.—3

I have just been in London for 6 days for some rest, & intended calling on you; but days so short, & not much strength for what I was forced to do, that I failed. I shall be up again in some 6 weeks or 2 months, & much hope then to see you.—4 If at any time you write again, please tell me whether I may call early & how early—

With very sincere thanks | Yours truly | C. Darwin

Postmark: DE 17 70

1
CD stayed at his brother Erasmus Alvey Darwin’s house in London from 8 to 14 December 1870 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). Ogle’s letter has not been found, but evidently related to their discussions of the platysma myoides in November; see letters to William Ogle, 9 November 1870 and 17 November [1870], and letter from William Ogle, [10–17 November 1870]. See Expression, pp. 298–303.
2
See letter to William Ogle, 17 November [1870], and Expression, p. 298.
3
CD refers to Guillaume Benjamim Amand Duchenne and Duchenne 1862.
4
CD was next in London from 23 February to 2 March 1871 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Correspondence vol. 19, Appendix II)). CD and Ogle evidently did meet then; see Correspondence vol. 19, letter to William Ogle, 7 March [1871].

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Beckenham] interl before del ‘Bromley.’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7394,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7394