| Description | <p>Letters from R J Ryle, the Pearson family doctor, were found divided into two folders. The letters have been described below in these groups.</p>
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<p>Letters covering the period May 1891 - December 1895, on Karl's book <i>The Grammar of Science</i> (including thorough notes on proofs), questions on inheritance and alcoholism, the birth of Sigrid and reflections on fatherhood, the behaviour of babies, notes on Roger Bacon, assisting with bibliography including recommended works on vitality of seeds, on plans to give University Extension Lectures on Chemistry, on medieval writers, his thanks on receiving a copy of <i>The Grammar of Science</i> in February 1892, his desiderata for the next edition of the book, on astronomy, on moving home and family business, on his telescope specifications, on obtaining papers by Karl and W F R Weldon on biological subjects and reading Karl's paper on Monte Carlo roulette, giving a General Practitioner's view on morbid inheritances, on Karl's measurement forms, and on not advising universal circumcision.</p>
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<p>Letters covering the period January 1896 - December 1921, on the current state of medicine and public perception of disease, cure and the doctor's role, on telegony enclosing cuttings from the <i>British Medical Journal</i> on the subject, regarding proofs of Karl's <i>The Chances of Death and Other Studies in Evolution</i>, regarding a paper by Karl on variation, asks if Karl has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society (he was elected in 1896), on pulse rate of foetuses and his own newborns, on sadness at hearing of his nephews death, offering congratulations on impending birth of Karl's third child (Helga, born 31 December 1899) and the birth of his seventh child (Bernard), on starting a small "Metaphysical Society" with two parsons and pleasure at hearing there will be a new edition of i>The Grammar of Science</i>, progress of his children, on the prospect of funding from Andrew Carnegie and suggestion that the study of variation and heredity could benefit, on seeing a lot of Herbert Spencer and his views on twin births and longevity, condolences on hearing of the death of W F R Weldon, agreeing with the view that the duty of the doctor is to "protect the individual against the race", regarding the death of his son in February 1908, on reading E M Elderton's paper on parental alcoholism and his own observations of the problem, on other studies touching on parental alcoholism and the effect on offspring, on eugenics and "feeble-mindedness" with reference to an address by Dr Saleeby at the Church of England Temperance Society annual meeting, congratulating Karl on being appointed Galton Professor of Eugenics at UCL, regarding a letter by Karl in <i>The Times</i> on eugenics, on Karl's article on German culture, and about his recovery from an abdominal operation.</p> |