measure lie at the inoculators' doors. Then the persons gave up this point, but continued to maintain the rest, till they found some of the inoculated with immense numbers of pustules, &c. &c. These extracts confirm the fact, which Mr. Barlow doubts. The small-pox, it appears, was propagated by infection from. the inoculated, when the disease was not confluent; for the immense number of pustules, or, in other words, the conflu ent small-pox from inoculation, was not known till after the idle notion of the non-infectious nature of the inoculated small-pox had been given up. It is very well known, that Mr. Maitland, the first Eng lish inoculator, entertained the opinion, that the inoculated small-pox would not communicate the disease by casual infection; and in consequence, he took no care to separate his inoculated patients from persons liable to receive the infec tion; but woeful experience soon taught him otherwise, and made him more cautious in future. If the pages of your Journal are not better occupied, I will request you to insert an extract from another letter of the same Doctor Douglass. It shews, in a very lively manner, the danger of promiscuous inoculation, and will, I think, convince all who consider the matter temperately, that the Gover nors of the Small-pox Hospital, and of some other charitable Institutions, have acted a wise, humane, and patriotic part by altogether prohibiting variolous inoculation at these institutions. I wish the facts stated by the worthy Doctor, who "though dead, yet speaketh," may have the effect of ́influ encing others to refrain from sowing the seeds of so destructive a malady as the Small-pox, in the narrow courts and alleys of this great metropolis; where, unfortunately; a soil is found too well fitted for the propagation of this loathsome and fatal disease: but I can have little expectation that this or any thing else will induce those persons to desist from the practice, who find their account, in being at the expence of advertising for poor objects to be inoculated gratuitously. There are, I know, in this town, apothecaries who profess to give advice gratis, at certain hours of the day, but oblige their patients to pay for their medicines; and I apprehend that the same plan is followed by the advertisers of small-pox inoculation gratis. If so, it may certainly answer their purpose; for what with preparing persons for the inoculation, purging them afterwards, and giving them medicines during the disease, a large expence may be incurred under the idea of performing an act of humanity and kindness gratis. (No. 148.) 3 R Extract Extract of a letter from Dr. William Douglass, to Dr. Boston, Feb. 15, 1722. "Last small-pox, the month of the greatest mortality. (December, a severe winter month) did not exceed eighty persons at this time, the month of the greatest mortality (October, a favourable autumn month) exceeded four hundred burials, which is more than all that died of the small-pox nineteen years ago. "For the three months of September, October, and November last, in which inoculation prevailed, the town was a mere hospital, and we buried seven hundred and sixty persons. The last small-pox spread gradually in the extent of ten or a dozen months, and vast numbers escaped. Inoculation of the small-pox this time set us all in a flame, and in half the time leaves few exempt from its rage. With what face can any man call our methods of inoculation a regular procedure? "I heartily wish success to this and all means designed to alleviate the epidemic distempers incident to mankind, whether casually discovered, or ingeniously contrived by the sons of Esculapius; but rashness and headstrong irregular procedure I shall for ever exclaim against, ESPECIALLY THAT DETESTABLE WICKEDNESS OF SPREADING THE IN- I am, &c. REPREHENSOR. To the Editors of the Medical and Physical Journal. THOUGH your Correspondent H. R. has professed to "reply in a few words" to the observations on what he is pleased to call (I will not say unjustly) "the uncourteous attack” on Dr. Harrison's Bill, which you did me the favour to insert in your Journal for March last, I cannot yet acknowledge myself satis fied fied with his explanations, or admit that he has obviated any of the material objections to the proposal in question. I must, indeed, plead guilty of some inaccuracy of language in describing the leading features of the Bill; but I was perfectly aware, that the comfort and advantage of "the present generation" were not consulted in its provisions; and instead of thinking it too mild, as H. R. would insinuate, I have spoken, in express terms, of "the mischiefs that must arrise" from its enactment, because "every thing seems to have been studiously contrived with the view of degrading all that is great, and learned, and respectable in the profession; of consolidating every abuse that exists, and of perpetuating every irregularity of which Dr. Harrison and his fellow-reformers so loudly complain." A bill to oblige all future physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries, "to take out annually certificates" of leave to practise, just in the same manner that people take out licences to kill game, or to retail beer!—a bill to enable half-educated country magistrates, or their clerks, to license bone-setters!—a bill which interferes not with the sale of stamped medicines !-Is this the mild bill for the improve ment of the Medical, Surgical, and Veterinary Sciences," which has been "most favourably received by the faculty," which will produce the gradual amendment of medical men," and "be productive of immediate advantages to society at large?" No, ye sapient worthies of the Lincolnshire Benevolent Medical Society, this bill has been egregiously misnamed; it should be termed, A BILL FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF IRREGULAR PRACTITIONERS, AND FOR PROMOTING THE SALE OF QUACK MEDICINES. Your Correspondent, however, is not disposed to admit these consequences, and declares himself unable to see either how "additional countenance" will be afforded to the sale of stamped medicines," or how "the powers of the existing corporations" will be strengthened by the passing of the projected act. Now, really, Gentlemen, as to the first point, I scarcely know how to express my astonishment that Dr. Harrison and his friends should, notwithstanding all the objections that have been urged, and notwithstanding all the happy ridicule of Dr. Beddoes on this great defect of their scheme, persist in asserting that it gives no sanction to the sale of quack-medicines. Cannot they be made to understand, that if, in any legislative measure professing to be" for the improvement" of a particular art, a saving clause be introduced in favour of any abuse prevalent in that art cannot they be made to understand, that this abuse becomes, by such a proceeding, directly countenanced and legalized? Cannot they perceive how much it is the interest of the proprietors of nervous cordials, solar tinctures, and vegetable balsams, to assist them in forwarding a bill that shews them such marked SR2 marked favour? But the Association, it seems, discovered, that they were treading upon tender ground, when they touched upon the province of quackery, and deemed the clause in question necessary to assuage the fears of those alarmists who might apprehend a falling off in the revenue from the passing of the proposed act. Such an extreme degree of prudence may be commendable, but on the wisdom and policy of the proceeding it is impossible to bestow applause.-The assertion, that the powers of the existing medical corporations would be confirmed and increased by an act which greatly extends their jurisdiction, seems to require equally little proof. It is true" the Licentiates of the College of Physicians may prefer their claims with as much cogency, after, as before the passing of the Bill, as may the commonalty of surgeons and independent apothecaries, for the severe treatment received from their respective corporations :" but does your correspondent believe, that the vast augmentation of funds which those societies must experience, if the scheme were carried into effect, would be of no account; or that the disposition to abuse their authority would not be increased by it? Let him take the case of the London College of Physicians which has now on its list nearly three hundred members, and which after the passing of the proposed act, would probably reckon thousands; let him consider how its finances would be improved by this addition, and then say, whether its rulers would not be supplied with all the power which wealth could bring, "to purchase up submission and to overawe resistance.' The Association resolved, at one of their earlier meetings, "that the reform, to be complete, must pervade all the departments in physic," and yet, according to their present plan, the most perfect immunity would be granted to all the intruders "at present practising, however irregularly." They regret, "that women, porters, grinders of paint, pestle-pounders, distillers of peppermint, &c. soon think themselves qualified to sell drugs, and prescribe them too, in all cases;"* and yet they introduce a clause into their bill, by which these anomalous beings are to be protected, and empowered to prescribe and kill "impune per totam terram." It may be urged, that the magistrates, who are to take cognizance of their behaviour, will be able to check any daring attempts at imposture, or, to use the words of 66 your correspondent, secure the suppression of notorious offenders." Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes ?-Will those guardians of the public health be so far above all suspicion themselves, that the public may safely rely on their vigilance? Will they be always so well versed in medical science, as to * Harrison's Address, p. 67. judge judge correctly of medical ability? And will they never bestow licences but upon those who are truly skilled in the art?-To these questions the best answers will be found in the attestations of wonderful cures performed by advertising quacks, which are daily presented to the world, under the hands of worshipful judges, and right reverend bishops; who, whether it be in their own cases, or in those of their butlers and coachmen, decide on the virtues of a medicine with much greater confidence than Sydenham or Ratcliff would have shewn; and who declare, without scruple, their implicit belief in the efficacy of nostrums, which are commended for the cure of all incurable diseases. When such is the case, what man in his senses would think of appealing to Their Worships the Justices at the General or Petty Sessions, as a competent tribunal to decide on the practice of physic? In perusing the "Address to the Lincolnshire Society," I was not a little surprised to find the author alluding to the late Dr. Beddoes, as one of those who were disposed to second their view-to the same Dr. Beddoes, who, in his "Letter to Sir Joseph Banks," had so successfully exposed the futility of their former scheme, and who, in the following passage seems to have anticipated something like their present bill. "To an individual, or a body, which has once lost the public confidence in a matter dependent upon skill, rehabilitation by dry statute is impossible. The power of a former French king, or present French emperor, would be unavailing. Whereas, to use, by way of example, the words of the Association, abundant proofs have been produced of the deplorable state of society, in being exposed to the injuries resulting from a numerous race of unqualified practitioners, and the consequent discouragement of well-educated members of the . faculty, what would it avail, if, to this litany, our legislators were, nemine contradicente, to respond- be it therefore enacted, by and with that Doctors of Medicine, of the Universities A. B. C. are from the present date respectable; and let them henceforth be respected, and feed in preference to all pretenders whatever ?" (Letter, p. 16.) "There are laws," says Montesquieu, 66 so little understood by the legislator, as to be contrary to the very end he proposed;" and of exactly this nature would be those which our medical reformers are desirous to enforce. Nothing, in fact, can be more preposterous, than the idea of regulating the practice of physic by an act of parliament, at least by such an act of parliament as that now recommended. If carried into execution, it would have about the same effect, and be about as much regarded by the public as the ordonnance which was issued by the Spanish court in the year 1785, when a destructive epidemic raged at Cartha gena, |