To William Ogle   7 March [1871]1

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

March 7th

My dear Dr Ogle

I wrote to Tyndall, but had no clear answer, & have now written to him again about odours.—2

I write now to ask you to be so kind (if there is no objection) to tell me the circumstances under which you saw a man arrested for murder.— I say in my notes made from your conversation—utmost horror—extreme pallor—mouth relaxed & open—general position—perspiration—no muscle of face contracted— Hair, observed on account of having been dyed, & apparently not erected.3

Secondly may I quote you that you have often(?) seen persons (young or old? man or woman?) who, evincing no great fear, were about to undergo severe operation under chloroform, showing resignation by (alternately?) folding one open hand over the other on the lower part of chest, (whilst recumbent?)— I know this expression, & think I ought to notice it— Could you look out for an additional instance?—4 I fear you will think me very troublesome, especially when I remind you (not that I am in a hurry) about the Eustachian tube.—5

Your’s very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the first letter to John Tyndall, 1 March [1871].
2
See letters to John Tyndall, 1 March [1871] (first letter) and 7 March [1871].
3
CD had met Ogle during his recent visit to London (see first letter to John Tyndall, 1 March [1871] and n. 1). In Expression, p. 294, CD included Ogle’s description of the murderer’s expression.
4
See Expression, p. 271, for CD’s reference to Ogle’s observations on patients expressing resignation.
5
In Expression, pp. 282–3, referring to the cause of the mouth being opened when astonishment is felt, CD cited Ogle as an authority on the function of the eustachian tube.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Beckenham] before del ‘Bromley.’
2.2 a] interl
2.2 made] interl
2.3 —utmost horror—] interl
3.1 (young … woman?) 3.2] square brackets in MS
3.2 evincing] above del illeg
3.2 were] after del ‘&’
3.3 showing] after del ‘express’
3.3 (alternately?)] square brackets in MS
3.4 (whilst recumbent?)] square brackets in MS

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7551,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7551