IX. _The_ History _and_ Antiquity _of the_ Venereal Disease _in Three Letters to Dr_ Douglass, _Dr_ Wagstaffe _and Dr_ Halley.
It is with the greatest Satisfaction that I now lay before you the Performance of those Commands, with which you were pleased to honour me, of collecting the _Chirurgical Pieces_ which were singly published by Mr BECKETT in his Life time.
This Gentleman might be said to have been begotten in his Profession, as being the Son of Mr ISAAC BECKETT, Surgeon of _Abington_ in _Berkshire_, where he was born in the Year 1684.
He received his Education under Mr PLEDWELL, then Master of the excellent Free Grammar-School belonging to that Town, served four Years of his Apprenticeship with his Father, and the three last with Mr _Joseph Bateman_, of St _Thomas’s Hospital_ in _Southwark_.
Mr BECKETT died, SIR, at his Sister’s House in _Abington_, _November_ the 25th 1738, in the 54th Year of his Age, and lies interred in St _Hellen_’s Church there.
Of this his Native Place, he drew up a _Brief Account of it’s History and Antiquities_.[1]
[1] See Mr ASHMOLE’s Antiquities of _Berkshire_, 3 Vols. 8vo. p. 111 of Vol. 1st.
A faithful Account of his WRITINGS is prefixed to this Volume; your Generous Patronage of which, he would himself have looked upon as the greatest Honour and Friendship that could be conferred on his Labours, and for which, I most humbly request your Acceptance of the Grateful Acknowledgments of,
_Your Obedient, And Obliged, Humble Servant_,
In the Year 1709, He Published, I. _Chirurgical Remarks, Occasioned by the Death of a_ CHILD, _whose_ CASE was _printed_ in that Year by _Daniel Turner_, Surgeon. To these Remarks Mr _Beckett_ subjoined, _An Account of a_ Wound _of the_ Brain _by_ a Bullet; _with Reflections thereon_. And at the End of this TRACT, Mr _Beckett_ gave an _Advertisement_ that He had almost ready for the Press, _Annotations and Practical Observations on the Learned and Ingenious Monsieur_ GENDRON’s _Enquiries into the Nature, Knowledge and Cure of_ CANCERS.
II. _In the Year_ 1711, He published NEW DISCOVERIES _relating to the Cure of_ CANCERS. _Wherein the painful Methods of cutting them off, and consuming them by Caustics are rejected, and that of dissolving the Cancerous Substance_ is recommended; _with various Instances of his Success in_ this Practice _on Persons reputed incurable. Also a Solution of Four curious Problems concerning_ CANCERS, viz. I. Whether the Cancerous Juice _is corrosive or not_. II. _Whether_ Cancers _are contagious or not_. III. _Whether if the extirpating a_ Cancerous Breast _happens to be successful, it ought to be looked upon as a Consequence of performing the Operation better than our Predecessors_. IV. _Whether a_ Salivation _will Cure a_ Cancer.