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C H A P T E R 7 Friends and Medical Connections Without my having made any application for that honor, they chose me a member. —Benjamin Franklin on his election to the Royal Society of London in 1756 Benjamin Franklin made two extended diplomatic trips to England prior to the American War for Independence. Both occurred because he was active in the Pennsylvania Assembly, which represented the citizens of the colony. In the first mission, from 1757 to 1762, his main goal was to try to convince the two surviving sons of William Penn, Thomas and Richard, to pay taxes on their vast Pennsylvania lands for the security and welfare of their colony. There were other issues as well, such as having to work with an inflexible governor—a man appointed, instructed, and salaried by the Penns. Faced with their own problems and having different priorities, the Penns were less than cooperative. In fact, after lengthy delays and then some accusations , they told Franklin that they would no longer meet with him, because he was not a person of candor. When Franklin sailed home on the Carolina five years after arriving in England, he had little to show for his efforts with the Penns. In addition, the Privy Council had exhibited no interest in turning Pennsylvania from a proprietorship into a Crown colony. Franklin’s second mission on behalf of the Pennsylvania Assembly was even lengthier, beginning in 1764 and ending in 1775. This time his diplomacy was largely concerned with the taxes Parliament was imposing or was planning to impose on the colonies. Britain’s need for revenue stemmed from the costs associated with the French and Indian War in North America and the partially overlapping Seven Years War in Europe. These conflicts severely depleted the treasury. Supporters of the taxes contended that, because the colonists were the major beneficiaries of the fighting that started in 1754 and ended in 1763, they must contribute more. But many colonists felt that Parliament had no right to impose these taxes, as the colonies were not represented in that legislative body. Moreover, 118 MEDICINE IN GREAT BRITAIN they contended that they had contributed more than their fair share to the war effort. The second diplomatic mission also proved unsuccessful. Franklin returned home just as blood was being spilled in New England and each side was mobilizing for war. Franklin’s many biographers have emphasized what he attempted to accomplish, the methods he employed, how the aristocracy treated him, and how his feelings about the king, Parliament, and mother country changed as a result of this mission. In contrast, much less has been written about Franklin’s extensive medical connections and his medical forays during his two lengthy stays in Britain. ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS With his inquiring mind and love of nature, Franklin sailed from Philadelphia not just with a diplomatic agenda, but with every hope of discussing new ideas in natural philosophy and medicine with kindred spirits across the Atlantic. In fact, one of the first things he did after arriving in London was to purchase the latest copies of Gentleman’s Magazine to catch up on the newest developments. He also brought with him or soon constructed the most powerful electric machine ever seen in London. Much has been made of the celebrity status Franklin enjoyed and the popular cult that surrounded him when he went on to become ambassador to France (see Chapter 12). But it is also clear that he was well known and that there were many people who wanted to meet, share ideas, and dine with him after he arrived in Britain. To some of these people, he was a moral philosopher with interesting ideas about self-betterment. To others, he was a perceptive colonist who seemed to understand the needs and hopes of family members and friends living on the western side of the Atlantic. To yet more people, he was the witty author and savvy printer of Poor Richard’s Almanack. But more than anything else, Franklin’s worldwide fame in 1757 rested on his experiments, understanding, and control of electricity. The lifesaving and property-saving attributes of Franklin’s pointed lightning rod were by this time widely known among the common people and the gentry. Moreover, his work showing the “sameness” of electricity from machines and lightning had a tremendous impact on natural philosophers, as did his single-fluid theory of electricity and naturalistic explanations for heavenly events, such as thunder and lightning storms...

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