[Lord Albemarle, Whig politician.] Autograph Signature (‘Albemarle’) to a long secretarial letter to the surgeon William Barnard Boddy, describing in detail the state of his cataracts, and discussing possible treatment.

An interesting item from a medical point of view, with a well-informed patient describing and discussing his condition, symptoms and treatment options. Three years after the writing of this letter the appropriately-named Boddy, who is addressed here as ‘W. Barnard Boddy Esqr / 3. Saville Row. Walworth’, published ‘Diet and Cholera’ (London, 1848). 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Fifty-five lines of closely-written text. The signature is large and shaky, and the use of an amanuensis is understandable in the light of the content of the letter. In fair condition, lightly aged, with negligible traces of mount along one edge. Folded twice. Albemarle is applying to Boddy on the recommendation of ‘Captain Randall’, regarding ‘the malady which affects my sight’. The ‘communication’ made by Boddy to Randall on the subject is ‘very satisfactory, except in one point, in as much as there is no mention of successful treatment of Cataract without the usual Operation of Couching’. The ‘medical men’ he has consulted concur that ‘there is a Cataract nearly matured in my right Eye, and an incipient one in my left, and that the only remedy is the usual operation of Couching in due time’. This takes the letter to the end of the first three pages, and Albemarle continues with his description of ‘the present state of my sight’, his symptoms and the options for treatment. He uses glasses ‘when in the open air prepared under the direction of Mr. Travers’. At the end of the second page he remarks: ‘I am in my 74th. Year, and could I be sure that the failure of sight would not encrease, [sic] I could cheerfully submit to the state I am in -’ He concludes: ‘Now the Question which I wish to put to you, and I hope you will excuse me for doing it so decidedly is first - “Whether Cataract is a cureable malady, or to be alleviated - and secondly - whether you can by any means remove, or dispel, or dissolve the Cataract, or stop its probable progress, so that the ultimate operation of Couching may not be necessary -’.