[Sir Thomas Clouston, Scottish asylum physician and psychiatrist.] Autograph Letter Signed ('T. S Clouston') regarding a donation to an unfortunate woman, and his family holiday on Orkney

Both in good condition, lightly aged, and each with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf. Both addressed to 'My dear Pierce'. (Pierce had worked under Clouston at the Royal Edinburgh Asylum, before taking up his post at the York Retreat asylum in 1892.) Clouston's hand is markedly disordered hand, and difficult of decipherment. ONE: 2pp, 12mo. He is enclosing a cheque for three guineas 'for [Maher's?] Fund'. He refers to a matter which is 'not a problem on which we will all agree', and a matter about which he observes: 'no Case of Divorce had ever taken place in the Society of Friends – a striking proof (if true) of their care in choosing partners in life . . and of your Christian practice'. TWO: 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. Begins: 'It is so sad what you say about Mrs [Maher?] I'll give something, but I am just leaving for [Edinb?] tomorrow & I cant make up mind what it is to be now.' He states that his family have had 'a first rate summer – far better than usually for Orkney', and that all are 'well & happy – our children & grand-children […] We have eaten Grouse, Snipe & [?] till we are fully satisfied!' He concludes with regards to the recipient's family. From the distinguished autograph collection of the psychiatrist Richard Alfred Hunter (1923-1981), whose collection of 7000 works relating to psychiatry is now in Cambridge University Library. Hunter and his mother Ida Macalpine had a particular interest in the illness of King George III, and their book 'George III and the Mad Business' (1969) suggested the diagnosis of porphyria popularised by Alan Bennett in his play 'The Madness of George III'.