From James Crichton-Browne   3 April 1871

My dear Sir,

By this post I send you four photographs of General Paralytics now inmates of this Asylum.¹ They are I regret to say most unsuccessful and only indicate very imperfectly the labial tremor—which I have described to you.² The difficulty of photographic such shaky subjects is however immense and the artist is a novice.³ We shall have half a dozen more General Paralytics photographed on the first fine day.

In all those whose photographs are now forwarded to you—the exalted—extravagant profusive ideas have been well marked.⁴ They have given away millions daily. Unfortunately however they are a little too far advanced in the disease to afford good illustrations of its typical facial expression. Dementia is descending upon all of them—and their countenances are heavy and stolid.

I have been watching the Idiots under my care, and making various experiments upon them but have not been able to produce a genuine blush in any one of them.⁵ In several the face becomes red and engorged when food is placed before them and when rage is excited, but no amount or kind of scoldings produces a similar result even in those of the higher ⁠⟨⁠and⁠⟩⁠ more intelligent ⁠⟨⁠cl⁠⟩⁠ass.

With profound respect | I am | Yours most faithfully | J. Crichton Browne.

Charles Darwin Esq | &c &c