Fragmentary Remains, Literary and Scientific, of Sir Humphry Davy, Bart., Late President of the Royal Society, Etc; With a Sketch of His Life and Sele

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VIII. HIS LAST ILLNESS AND HIS LAST DAYS. This last portion of his life was short, barely extending over two years, reckoning from the time, not of incipient ailment and a somewhat precarious state of health of longer duration, but from indisposition so severe as to render him unequal to the duties of President of the Royal Society, and to engaging in original scientific research, in which he so much delighted. It is sadly contrasted with any preceding period, having been one of uninterrupted bodily suffering, of struggle and endurance, of fluctuating feeling, of hope and despair--hope of recovery gradually waning with increase of bodily debility. It was ushered in by a severe attack of a paralytic kind, shortly after his last election, viz., in the beginning of January, 1827. Previously, his health for three or four years had begun to fail him; his constitution, hitherto so resisting and vigorous, seemed to be giving way; he was specially subject to attacks, bilious and rheumatic as he considered them, towards the fall of the year, of which mention is made in some of the preceding letters. His disabling, severe illness, began suddenly, when on a visit in Sussex, at Firle Place, the seat of Viscount Gage. I was in England at the time, and as soon as possible joined him in town, and I had the satisfaction of accompanying him into Italy, through France and Piedmont, as far as Ravenna, the journey to which we accomplished between the 22nd January and the 20th February. An account of this journey is to be found in the Memoirs of his Life. It was undertaken by the advice of his medical advisers, his old and attached friend, the late Dr. Babington, and Dr. (now Sir Henry) Holland. At Ravenna, where I had to leave him, having to return to the Ionian Isla...