2 DR. BENJAMIN ALLEN, OF BRAINTREE.
be a matter of great interest if we could discover the fellow-
volume"; but I expressed a fear that it had "disappeared
beyond hope of recovery."
At the time when I wrote this, I expected few things less than
that the missing fellow-volume would shortly come to light.
Yet, after all, the unexpected happened; for, within six months,
the missing volume appeared in a London sale-room. The
occurrence is all the more remarkable, because its appearance
in the sale-room at that particular time was, so far as I can
ascertain, purely accidental, and had no connection whatever
with the publication of my paper. The volume appeared (lot
520) in a sale at the rooms of Messrs. Hodgson & Co., of Chancery
Lane, on 7th July 1911. It had been sent there for sale by
Mr. Albert Cubitt, the well-known dealer of Ipswich, who has
been good enough to inform me that he acquired the book in a
mixed lot in a Colchester sale-room some time ago. It appears,
therefore, that both volumes had found their way somehow
to Colchester. At the sale in London, the book was purchased
by our Vice-President, Mr. John Avery, to whom I am indebted
for permission to describe it. Both volumes are, therefore,
now in the possession of members of our Club.
This newly-discovered volume is of smaller size than that
already described, being a pott-folio (121/4 ins. by 8 ins., trimmed).
It is bound substantially in contemporary vellum, similarly
in all respects to the other volume. On the back, it is inscribed
in ink: "Obs. Med., B.A., No. One"—that is to say, "Ben-
jamin Allen's Medical Observations, Volume Number One."
This proves that the volume I described previously was "No.
Two."
The newly-discovered volume contains [14] + 345 + [22]
pages, practically every one being closely written upon.
The first 12 pages are insertions. There have been inserted
also, in various parts, several letters from Allen's patients,
medical correspondents, and others.4 The last four pages
are devoted to a fairly-complete index to the diseases
discussed.
The lengthy title on the title-page sets forth the nature of
4 One letter of advice from Sir Hans Sloane is noticed hereafter (see post, p. 7).
Another, giving advice how to cure "Mr. Pyke's child." is from Sir Richard Blackmore
(d. 1729), Physician-in-Ordinary to King William III. and Queen Anne and a voluminous
writer of verse.