Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1767-1780 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
19 volumes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Blagden was born at Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and received his MD in 1768. He was elected FRS in 1772 and served as a medical officer in the British Army from about 1776 to 1780. He was Henry Cavendish's assistant from 1782 to 1789, from whom he received an annuity and a considerable legacy. Blagden succeeded Paul Henry Maty as Secretary of the Royal Society in 1784 (while the Society was divided over the efficacy of its President, Sir Joseph Banks, a close friend of Blagden's), serving until 1797. Both in this capacity and as Cavendish's assistant he became involved in the prolonged 'water controversy' - who had priority in discovering the composition of water, claimed by both Cavendish and James Watt in England and A L Lavoisier in France. Blagden admitted responsibility for conveying, quite well-meaningly, word of the experiments and conclusions of both Cavendish and Watt to Lavoisier; and he overlooked errors of date in the printing of Cavendish's and Watt's papers. His experiments on the effects of dissolved substances on the freezing point of water led to what became known as 'Blagden's Law', where he concluded that salt lowers the freezing point of water in the simple inverse ratio of the proportion the water bears to it in the solution. In fact Richard Watson had first discovered the relationship in 1771. Blagden spent much of his time in Europe, particularly in France, where he had many friends among French scientists such as C L Berthollet. He died in Arcueil in 1820. He was knighted in 1792.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0120 MSS.1234-1252 1767-1780 Collection (fonds) 19 volumes Blagden , Sir , Charles , 1748-1820 , Knight , physician
Blagden was born at Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and received his MD in 1768. He was elected FRS in 1772 and served as a medical officer in the British Army from about 1776 to 1780. He was Henry Cavendish's assistant from 1782 to 1789, from whom he received an annuity and a considerable legacy. Blagden succeeded Paul Henry Maty as Secretary of the Royal Society in 1784 (while the Society was divided over the efficacy of its President, Sir Joseph Banks, a close friend of Blagden's), serving until 1797. Both in this capacity and as Cavendish's assistant he became involved in the prolonged 'water controversy' - who had priority in discovering the composition of water, claimed by both Cavendish and James Watt in England and A L Lavoisier in France. Blagden admitted responsibility for conveying, quite well-meaningly, word of the experiments and conclusions of both Cavendish and Watt to Lavoisier; and he overlooked errors of date in the printing of Cavendish's and Watt's papers. His experiments on the effects of dissolved substances on the freezing point of water led to what became known as 'Blagden's Law', where he concluded that salt lowers the freezing point of water in the simple inverse ratio of the proportion the water bears to it in the solution. In fact Richard Watson had first discovered the relationship in 1771. Blagden spent much of his time in Europe, particularly in France, where he had many friends among French scientists such as C L Berthollet. He died in Arcueil in 1820. He was knighted in 1792.
The Blagden Collection has been deposited in the Wellcome Library on permanent loan from R. G. Sherwood Hale of Mount House, Alderley, Glos., a descendant by marriage of John Blagden, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, who married Ann Hale in 1779, and assumed the name of Hale on succeeding to the Alderley estates in 1784. It was presented June 1954.
The collection chiefly comprises material generated whilst Sir Charles Blagden was a student at Edinburgh University: notes of lectures, clinical notes of cases observed at Edinburgh Infirmary, commonplace books, dissertation drafts, lists of materia medica, etc. Also included are two papers addressed to the Royal Society, 1767-1780.
Arranged in sections as follows: Notebook, 1767; Case notes, 1767-1769; De causa apoplexiae: dissertaion drafts, 1768; Commonplace book, 1769-1773; Lectures: "methodus medendi", c 1770; Notes of lectures on physiology, pathology, obstetrics, etc, c 1770; "Quibus hepar circumcirca dolet...": short article, c 1770; Materia medica, c 1770; Miscellany, c 1770; Case addressed to Royal Society, c 1780; Memoir on animal acids, addressed to the Royal Society, c 1780.
The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.
Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.
English, Latin and French
Described in: S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).
Entry copied from Wellcome online catalogue by Sarah Drewery.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Sep 2008 Manuscripts Commonplace books Body regions Extremities Biology Anatomy Body fluids Liver diseases Teaching methods Lectures (teaching method) Information sources Documents Medical records Students Medical students Medical conditions Disorders Disorders of environmental origin Wounds and injuries Trauma, nervous system Cerebrovascular trauma Pathology Diseases Rheumatic diseases Obstetrics Higher science education Medical education Medical sciences Clinical medicine Chemical compounds Acids Therapy Physiology Pharmacology Chemistry Blagden , Sir , Charles , 1748-1820 , Knight , physician Edinburgh University Edinburgh Infirmary Royal Society Edinburgh Midlothian Scotland UK Western Europe Europe London England Primary documents
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The Blagden Collection has been deposited in the Wellcome Library on permanent loan from R. G. Sherwood Hale of Mount House, Alderley, Glos., a descendant by marriage of John Blagden, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, who married Ann Hale in 1779, and assumed the name of Hale on succeeding to the Alderley estates in 1784. It was presented June 1954.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The collection chiefly comprises material generated whilst Sir Charles Blagden was a student at Edinburgh University: notes of lectures, clinical notes of cases observed at Edinburgh Infirmary, commonplace books, dissertation drafts, lists of materia medica, etc. Also included are two papers addressed to the Royal Society, 1767-1780.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged in sections as follows: Notebook, 1767; Case notes, 1767-1769; De causa apoplexiae: dissertaion drafts, 1768; Commonplace book, 1769-1773; Lectures: "methodus medendi", c 1770; Notes of lectures on physiology, pathology, obstetrics, etc, c 1770; "Quibus hepar circumcirca dolet...": short article, c 1770; Materia medica, c 1770; Miscellany, c 1770; Case addressed to Royal Society, c 1780; Memoir on animal acids, addressed to the Royal Society, c 1780.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
The papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.
Conditions governing reproduction
Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English, Latin and French
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Described in: S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English