Memoirs of Dr. Joseph Priestley : $b To the year 1795, written by himself: with a continuation, to the time of his decease, by his son, Joseph Priestley: and observations on his writings, by Thomas Cooper, President Judge of the 4th. district of Pennsylvania: and the Rev. William Christie.Priestley, Joseph
Religion
Memoirs of Dr. Joseph Priestley : $b To the year 1795, written by himself: with a continuation, to the time of his decease, by his son, Joseph Priestley: and observations on his writings, by Thomas Cooper, President Judge of the 4th. district of Pennsylvania: and the Rev. William Christie.
Priestley, Joseph
Chemists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Priestley, Joseph, 1733-1804
On Monday morning, the 6th of February, after having lain perfectly
still till four o’clock in the morning, he called to me, but in a
fainter tone than usual, to give him some wine and tincture of bark.
I asked him how he felt. He answered, he had no pain, but appeared
fainting away gradually. About an hour after, he asked me for some
chicken broth, of which he took a tea-cup full. His pulse was quick,
weak, and fluttering, his breathing, though easy, short. About eight
o’clock, he asked me to give him some egg and wine. After this he lay
quite still till ten o’clock, when he desired me and Mr. Cooper to
bring him the pamphlets we had looked out the evening before. He then
dictated as clearly and distinctly as he had ever done in his life the
additions and alterations he wished to have made in each. Mr. Cooper
took down the substance of what he said, which, when he had done, I
read to him. He said Mr. Cooper had put it in his own language; he
wished it to be put in his. I then took a pen and ink to his bed-side.
He then repeated over again, nearly word for word, what he had before
said; and when I had done, I read it over to him. “That is right; I
have now done.” About half an hour after he desired, in a faint voice,
that we would move him from the bed on which he lay to a cot, that he
might lie with his lower limbs horizontal, and his head upright. He
died in about ten minutes after we had moved him, but breathed his last
so easy, that neither myself or my wife, who were both sitting close to
him, perceived it at the time. He had put his hand to his face, which
prevented our observing it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account