5/8/78.
I am glad, dear Dr Hector, that you are pleased with the English by me enlarged edition of Wittsteins work.1 It has been a heavy toil & great expense to me; the printing cost about £250, and I fear I shall not cover one fourth of that outlay by sale. Your principal medical men ought to purchase the work. Of course the book will greatly facilitate your own researches, as it brings together all that is known til date in this direction for comparison; besides Wittsteins method of analyzing is the result of half a centurys exertions. Could you not review the work in a local journal, to bring it there into notice
Only one vol. of the Institute is missing here.2 Kirk's compilation,3 (I think made on my suggestion) gives an opportunity of easily finding out, what has been added since Hookers Handbook4 appeared. Best thanks for the "New Zealand grasses"5
Regardfully
Ferd. von Mueller
Prof Kirk sent me years ago a solitary flower of a Brasenia (or Hydropeltis) from the Waikatoo or Wangenui River;6 how can I get a complete plant for comparison with the australian species. As the flower is rather showy, there ought to be no difficulty to get a specimen of this water plant.
Should you in using my translation derive great benefit from it in your laboratory, then say in the record a kind word of credit, as it will be a support to me in my "struggle for existence".7
Brasenia
Hydropeltis
Please cite as “FVM-78-08-05b,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/78-08-05b