| Collection | GB 0231 University of Aberdeen, Special Collections |
| Level | Item |
| Ref No | MS 2206/8/15/36 |
| Alt Ref No | 46/D/11 (48/D/11) |
| Title | Gregory family: papers of James Gregory (1753 - 1821): Letter from James Gregory (1753 - 1821) to G Cuvier |
| Date | 20 January 1818 |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Creator Name | Gregory, James (1753 - 1821), professor of the practice and theory of physic at the University of Edinburgh |
| Description | Letter from James Gregory to G Cuvier, Secretary of Institut de France, Academie Royale des Sciences, in response to their invitation for him to become a corresponding member of the Academie. He states that he writes in Latin as he has not used French for 40 years; thanks them for the signal honour that has given him much pleasure as he had never thought himself worthy of obtaining it; does not fear new information or the futile labours of learning; attempts to protect life with his skills and strength and to mitigate the innumerable sorrows affecting human beings; does not scorn wisdom and learning from other unwearied and lucky men of science; teaching demonstrates the habitual errors of ignorance; with difficulty, objects can be reduced to their elements and we can understand how much they are refined by the waters of the ocean, fire or the interior of the earth and thus how they can be made to change; he is unwilling to despair of the improvement of medicine especially if true science is at the heart; the ultimate goal of medicine is furthered by their academy, 20 January 1818. |
| Access Status | Open |
| Access Conditions | The records are available subject to the signed acceptance of the Department's access conditions. |
| Physical Description | This item is in Latin. |