Saturday, August 4, 1821

1821

August

Saturday 4

8 1/2

2 1/2

A few minutes conversation with Steph before breakfast.  Mention π [Mariana] and my suspicion of venereal.  He said he was treating her as for this and suspected it tho there were certainly some symptoms against it.  I hinted that some latent principle of the disease might have broken out in L [Charles Lawton].  He answered no, but it might (or must) be some late imprudence – Said I knew someone in the same situation, a young married woman, poor, who had tried much advice without relief, and therefore asked Steph for the prescription.  He gave π, which he promised.  I begin to look at home, for the heat and itching I felt last night have been considerable today, and I am persuaded of being touched with the complaint –

Speaking of Liverpool and the public libraries, Harriet said she knew a family, the gentlemen of which never suffered the ladies to see any books from the Lyceum, because, to the great disgrace of the institution, some members, who escaped detection, were accustomed to write on the leaves notes of the most grossly indelicate description –

Happening to mention the vicious horse that some time ago attacked me in the new bank in my way to Halifax, Harriet said the butcher’s horses in Liverpool were very much of this sort, owing, it was said, to their being very much fed on offal meat, entrails, etc., insomuch that they were almost altogether carnivorous animals –

These 2 facts concerning Liverpool, neither Steph nor I had heard before –

In the course of the morning, read (1/2 aloud) from page 155 to 414, Volume 2, Galiffe –

Steph went to Lawton this morning and brought back a good account of M- [Mariana] and Mr. L.  The former will be well in a few weeks –

Speaking of violent degree of scurvy, and eruptions on the skin almost like those of leprosy, Steph thinks them generally to be traced to the digestive organs being out of order – in which case, open the bowels with powders of Scammony 2 parts, Calomel one part, and sugar one part – Vide the formula in the pharmacopæa, Scammony et hydrangea and rub with brimstone ointment with the addition of a little pitch, vide pharmacopæa – In cases of scald-head, Steph has given these powders, and used this ointment for the head, with great success, when many other modes of treatment have failed; for some of the profession cry down brimstone ointment –

Harriet poorly again today, though better tonight than last night – While she was out of the room, asked what sort of man Mr. Isaac Wood, and mentioned (bidding him not name it) the story of his giving π Moore’s Epistles, that the thing and the manner of it had annoyed me, and I had bid π be particular.  Steph thought he meant nothing by it, but owned he was a gay man and likely enough to debauch Watson if she gave encouragement.  He had fancied Stamford Caldwell would like to flirt with π.  We both paid her prudence high compliments, and Steph said if she had no better safeguard than L, she would not be most secure – The subject seemed to rather agitate us both, but Harriet came in and we, of course, dropped it –

Sent my letter this evening (it will go at 2 tonight) to Isabella Norcliffe (William Vallance’s, Esquire, Sittingbourne, Kent).

Damp, rainy morning, but cleared about 11, and afterwards continued fine –

Came upstairs at 10 1/2 – Got ready for bed and wrote the above of today – Read numbers 3, 4, and 5. Egan’s Life in London

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/5/0048