[Letterbook], 1783 Aug 12 - 1787 May 16 | WorldCat.org (original) (raw)

Summary:Manuscript, in a single hand, of an unbound collection of over a hundred drafts and copies of letters, primarily concerning the affairs of the Royal Society of London, of which Blagden was Secretary. Topics of the letters include publications of scientific papers; experiments; and scientific phenomena. He praises Claude Louis Berthollet for his stance against animal magnetism; informs Joseph Priestly that Priestly's paper is currently being printed and asks if Priestly has any specific directions or wishes to have separate copies for his private use; and writes to Sir William Herschel about the recent appearance of a meteor, a subject about which he also writes to Jonathan Osborn. With a Mr. Wotton, he makes plans to conduct an experiment in private, in case it fails, to avoid being laughed at. Other correspondents include Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, Erasmus Darwin, and his brother, to whom he writes about the ascension of Blanchard's hot air balloon