RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1915. [Letter to T. M. Coan]. In Anon. Benefit sale for the Belgian sufferers: under the auspices of the Authors Club: original manuscripts, presentation books, autograph letters and original drawings: on public exhibition from Saturday, May 15 and to be sold Thursday afternoon and evening May 20, 1915 at…The Anderson Galleries. New York, p. 21.
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 10.2023. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Freeman Bibliographical Database, enter its Identifier here.
Titus Munson Coan (1836-1921) was an American surgeon and editor born at Hilo, Hawaii, the son of the famous missionary Titus Coan. He graduated from Williams College in 1859. During the American Civil War he was a naval surgeon. Settled later in New York City. In preparation for the second edition of Descent of man in 1874, Darwin sent queries to various authorities on the practice of female infanticide in different cultures. One asking about possible Hawaiian practices was forward to Coan by who forwarded the queries to his missionary father in Hawaii. Darwin cited T. M. Coan in Descent 2d ed., pp. 187-8: "One of my informants, Mr. Coan, who was born on the islands, remarks that the natives have undergone a greater change in their habits of life in the course of fifty years than Englishman during a thousand years." The letter sold with a copy of Origin is probably a reply to Coan's 24 April 1875 letter to Darwin which provided the information Darwin no longer required.
There are three letters from T. M. Coan to Darwin (also 14 February 1874 and 22 June 1874, Correspondence vol. 22) in the Darwin Archive in CUL. Previously there were no known extant letters from Darwin to Coan.[page] 21
116. DARWIN (CHARLES). The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. 2 vols. in one, 12mo, cloth. N. Y. 1912
* Inserted is an A. L. S. of Charles Darwin (to Dr. Titus M. Coan): "I am much obliged for your interesting letter and for all the trouble which you have so kindly taken; but it is not likely that I shall never again return to the subject of female infanticide."
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 25 October, 2023