[A letter from Dr. John
Trefusis to his friend Dr. Matthias Fruhling, of the American
Philosophical Society in Philadelphia]
Canaan — August 12th, 1775
Sir, dear friend —
Some two weeks ago, you received a manuscript copy of The Philosophical Ephemera of the Novanglian College of Lucidity which contained an article on the dissection of a subject afflicted with smallpox.
You have, I cannot doubt, read this excellent article and admired its formidable merits of proof and argumentation. Transparent in its prose; yet dense with the opacity of flesh; unflagging, even fleet, in its inquiries; yet never scrupling to linger sagely over the most minute of incisions; this most excellent of articles hath been purged of all speculation unacquainted with fact; and, a triumph of philosophy, hath been cleansed entirely of all the cloudings of passion, the confusions of humanity, the irritations of pity, the sorties of affection, indeed, anything which might mark the beating, breathing, humane breast.
However, I note that in a few regards its observations are incomplete, for which reason, I send this addendum to you, my ancient friend, so tender in your sensibilities, that you might circulate it as necessary at the American Philosophical Society and gratify them with further enlargement upon this interesting subject.
Of what does fact consist? This article — cacata charta1 — omitted, so far as I can tell, in both text and footnote, to mention that one of its authors, Mr. Josiah Gitney of the Novanglian College of etc. spent the day previous to the said dissection bowed by the insensate corpse of the woman he would soon dissect, holding its hands, touching its face, weeping and whispering, “I love you. I loved you. I love you.”
1. “shitty paper.” Dr. Trefusis draws the quotation from Catullus, Poems, XXXVI. — ed.
This, my colleague, is fact, true and empirical; yet Mr. Gitney saw fit to obscure it in his account. Why conceal it? In what way does it not merit scientific attention as well? When a man falls upon his knees and grieves, doth not his musculature contract and his ligaments distend? Doth the heart not dilate, the humors circulate? Do the animal liquors in the nerves not suffer agitation? Do the cortices not enter into lamentatory conversation, taking the impress of exteriorities?
Hath not his tears salinity, which might be measured, were they burnt away with flame?
Your humble & affectionate,
Dr. John Trefusis