Gilbert Elliot Murray Kynynmound 2nd Earl of Minto 1782 – 1859
January 11, 2009
Gilbert Elliot Murray Kynynmound 2nd Earl of
Minto,
GCB,
PC
1782 – 1859 was the eldest son of the first
earl.
Lord Minto was a patient of Frederick Hervey Foster Quin in Paris.
In 1830, in answer to Frederick Hervey Foster Quin’s queries about the Cholera in England, Lord Minto wrote to Frederick Hervey Foster Quin:
“As you are in pursuit of information respecting cholera, it occurs to me that it might be worth your while in the first instance, to pass a week or two in investigating the character of the complaint, and I have no doubt that a great deal of useful information may be obtained from the reports of its medical agents.
“As far as my information goes, this complaint is the genuine Indian cholera, differing, as of course you know, in very essential characters from the cholera of Europe, and though there are of course varieties of opinion and systems for its treatment, one extremely intelligent practitioner told me that he had very early in his experience been induced to abandon the established treatment by opium, calomel, and bleeding, and resort to a different plan, which proved extremely successful…
“If it be true that extremes meet, you will soon have all the London doctors with you, for they have but one system for all complaints. Calomel measured by the bushel, bleeding by the gallon, and a continual stream of tonics and restoratives for the remaining few days of life.”
He was ambassador to Berlin from 1832 to 1834, first lord of the admiralty from 1835 to 1841 and Lord Privy Seal from 1846 to 1852.
His influence in the Whig party was partly because his daughter, Frances, was the wife of Lord John Russell.
Of interest:
Amelia Matilda Murray (1795-1884) ‘…one of Queen’s Victoria’s Maids of Honour, and Extra Women of the Bedchamber; daughter of Lord George Murray, Bishop of Saint David’s…’ social reformer, traveller, author. Amelia was a close friend of James John Garth Wilkinson ( Swedenborg Archive Family Register A148a Temple Bar loose leaf Documents and Summary Enclosed English Documents from 1662 (Latin documents begin 1621, letter from James John Garth Wilkinson dated 19.6.1851).