WCP1538

Letter (WCP1538.1317)

[1]

Fang Castle1

June 4. 1870.

Thermo[meter] — 77 ¼ [°F].

[Sketch of a bearded man and butterfly.]

Thanks worthy signor for the enlightenment afforded by your Boke2 on "Natural Selection".3 But good as "Natural Selection" is, or may be: I like Mutual Selection much better: and to my thinking it is much of as much importance: ex[empli] gra[tia]4 [2] Mutual Selection is this — a Lady asks me to become her husband — I ax5 her to become my wife — that['s] mutual selection — 'ain't it Natural? the [sic] question of the "fittest" is a subsequent affair: as is the "Creation by birth" &c; &c. But the pleasure was sadly and suddenly interrupted: I was reading aloud, and got on pretty well through P: 90-1. At 92 Jaws ached terribly! but [sic] at P. 94 and 5 — even Vulcanite6 could not stand it; and to my horror my upper set of teeth gave way with a crash! divided between the right lateral and the canine[.] — I was helpless: and but for an old piece in [3] in reserve; my enjoyment of a suculent [sic] Roast Pig would have been entirely destroyed: it cost me dear — quite the value of our collection: I must give up reading scientific ? names aloud.

I picked up a good specimen of Lignum ambulans7 for a shilling a week ago: and it now forms a a prominent feature in our surgery. We are promised a "Phyllium"! In a few days: and a "Kallima paralekta". The "Rosa Canina" is a puzzle at present: I never saw a Red Canine tooth!8 speaking [sic] of teeth — Huxley9 [4] in his physiology10 says Bicuspids never have more than one fang — he knows nothing about it — I have them with three — and canines with three — molars with 4-5 & 6! In my lecture case, now before me. there are several: they are not so common as dirt: or earwigs in the country! but [sic] they often turn up:

I begin the second reading to night — not aloud — oh no! with our best Salaam11 to the lady12 I remain

Thine in amity13

Theodosius Purland [signature]

1
Purland used the pseudonym "Fang Castle" to refer to the operating room of his dental surgery on Mortimer Street, Cavendish Square. (Wallace, A. R. 1905. My Life: A Record of Events and Opinions, vol 2. London, UK: Chapman & Hall, Ltd., p.77.)
2
Archaic form of book.
3
Wallace, A. R. 1870. Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection. London, UK: Macmillan & Co.
4
Latin phrase for "the sake of example".
5
Archaic form of ask.
6
Refers to the use of vulcanised rubber as a denture based material. The American manufacturing engineer, Charles Goodyear discovered how to make vulcanite from Indian rubber and in 1864 founded the Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Company. (Davis, A. B. 1995. Samuel S. White Catalogue of Dental Instruments and Equipment. San Francisco: Norman Publishing, pp.xvii-xviii.)
7
A Latin phrase probably referring to a stick insect.
8
A pun on the botanical name for dog rose (Rosa canina).
9
Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-1895). British biologist known as "Darwin's Bulldog".
10
Huxley, T. H. 1866. Lessons in Elementary Physiology. London: Macmillan and Co.
11
A Muslim form of salutation consisting of a deep bow while placing the right palm on the forehead.
12
Wallace (née Mitten), Annie (1846-1914). Wife of ARW; daughter of William Mitten, chemist and authority on bryophytes.
13
Archaic form of "yours in friendship".

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP1538.1317)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Hijikata, Shori [2014-07-30] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2019-12-20]

Envelope (WCP1538.1443)

Black-edged envelope addressed to "Alfred R. Wallace Esq., Holly House, Tanner Street, Barking - E." with stamp, postmarked "LONDON-W | 5 | JU 4 | 70". Drawing by Purland pasted on back of a lady in a bonnet adorned with flowers marked "1846.". Back postmarked "LOND[ON] | KN | JU 4 | 70". [Envelope (WCP1538.1443)]

Published letter (WCP1538.7653)

[1] [p. 254]

Fang Castle1

June 1870

Therm. 771/4

Thanks worthy Signor for the entertainment afforded by your Boke on Natural Selection.2 But good as 'Natural Selection' is, or maybe: I like Mutual Selection much better; and to my thinking it is of much more importance: ex. gr. mutual selection is this — A lady asks me to become her husband I ax her to become my wife — that's Mutual Selection — ain't it natural? The question of the 'fittest' is a subsequent affair: as is the Creation by birth, etc., etc.

But the pleasure was sadly and suddenly interrupted: I was reading aloud, and got on pretty well through p.90-91. At 92 Jaws ached terribly! but at p.94 and 5, even vulcanite could not stand it; and to my horror my upper teeth gave way with a crash! divided between the right lateral and canine. I was helpless; and but for an old piece in reserve, my enjoment of a succulent Roast Pig would have been entirely destroyed: it cost me dear — quite the value of a collection: I must give up reading scientific(?) names aloud.

I picked up a good specimen of Lignum ambulans3 for a shilling a week ago; it now forms a prominent feature in our surgery. We are promised a Phyllium4 in a few days: and a Kallima paralekta.5 The Rosa Canina6 is a puzzle at present: I never saw a red canine tooth! Speaking of teeth — Huxley7 in his Physiology says Bicuspids8 never have more than two fangs — He knows nothing about it. I have them with three Molars, with four, five and six! In my lecture case, now before me, there are several: they are not as common as dirt, or earwigs in the country! but they often turn up.

[2] [p. 255] I begin the second reading to-night — not aloud — oh no!

With our best salaam to the Lady | I remain | Thine in amity | Theodosius Purland9

1
This fictional address was a reference to Purland's career as a dental surgeon.
2
Wallace A. R. (1870) Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection London: Macmillan
3
Latin: walking stick?
4
A type of leaf insect.
5
The leafwing butterfly of Indonesia.
6
Dog rose.
7
Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825-1895). British biologist known as "Darwin's Bulldog".
8
Premolar teeth.
9
Purland, Theodosius (1805-1881). British dental surgeon, antiquary and writer.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP1538.7653)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Paterson, Gavin [2019-04-17]

Please cite as “WCP1538,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1538