Memoirs of the life and scientific researches of John Dalton / by William Charles Henry.

  • Henry, William, 1774-1836.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoirs of the life and scientific researches of John Dalton / by William Charles Henry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    31/296 (page 9)
    But this epocli of his life was rendered especially in- structive and memorable by his close friendship with Mr. John Gough, towards whom, in the Preface to the first edition of his Meteorological Observations and Essays, 1793, he has thus warmly expressed his sense of obligation :—“ To one person, more particularly, I am peculiarly indebted, not only in this respect, but in many others; indeed, if there be anything new and of importance to science contained in this work, it is owing, in great part, to my having had the advantage of his instruction and example in philosophical investigation.” The following extract from a letter of Dalton's to Mr. Peter Crosthwaite, Keswick, conveys a more detailed notice of Mr. Gough :— “ Kendal, April 12, 1788. <c John Gough is the son of a wealthy tradesman in this town; unfortunately he lost his sight by the small-pox, when about two years old, since which he has been quite blind, and may now be about thirty : he is perhaps one of the most astonishing instances that ever appeared, of what genius united with perseverance and every other subsidiary aid, can accomplish, when deprived of what we usually reckon the most valuable sense. He is a perfect master of the Latin, Greek, and French tongues; the two former of which I knew nothing of six years ago, when I first came here from my native place near Cockermouth, but under his tuition have since acquired a good knowledge of them. He understands well all the different branches of mathematics, and it is wonderful what difficult and abstruse problems he will solve in his own head. There is no branch of natural philosophy but what he is well acquainted with; he knows by the touch, taste, and smell, almost every plant within twenty miles of this place; he can reason with astonishing perspicuity on the construction of the eye, the nature of light and colours, and of optic glasses; he is a good proficient in astronomy, che- mistry, medicine, &c. &c. His father being very able, has furnished him with every necessary help, and would have sent him to the university, had he been inclined. He has