grand jury, he would then be his own judge, whether he ought, or ought not, to be tried for the offence: and were he on the petit jury, he would then be his own judge, whether he was, or was not, guilty of that offence Now this appears to be a very ftrange kind of an human tribunal; and yet, this strange appearance must be entirely owing to our not being accustomed to this kind of proceeding at a county affize: for, it is the fame thing, when an officer of ftate has a feat in parliament; which, by being accustomed to the idea, does not appear fo very strange, though in reality thefe two cafes are the fame: for, fhould an officer of state be accused of a neglect of his official duty; if he has a feat in the lower houfe, he is impannelled on the grand jury, to be his own judge, whether he ought, or ought not, to be tried for the neglect: and if he has a feat in the upper house, he is impannelled on the petit jury, to be his own judge, whether he is, or is not, guilty of that neglect. Thefe two cafes are nearly fimilar, and are equally repugnant to every principle of good government, and in both cafes there is this plain error; that when a man is impanuelled on a jury to try his own caufe, if he is afterwards ftruck off the jury, because he has no right to be his own judge, it is a defect in the form of government, first to impannel a man on a jury to be a judge, and then to ftrike him off that jury, becaufe he has no right to judge; and, if he is continued on the jury, it is a direct violation of the great law of all focieties, viz. That no man fhall be his own judge. The two cafes are fo nearly fimilar, I can only perceive this difference, that in the cafe of the petty offender, it is only a defect in the fmaller fprings in the machine of government; but in the cafe of the great offender, it is a defect in the first, the main fpring of government, which may deftroy the whole machine.

An Anfwer to Baron Dimfdale's Review of Dr. Lettfom's Obfervations on the Baron's Remarks refpecting a Letter upon general Inoculation. By John Coakley Lettfom, M. D. F. R. S. and S. A. 8vo. Dilly.

It always gives us concern to fee gentlemen of character and abilities engaged in literary warfare and appealing to the public on trivial matters, for we cannot help thinking the prefent altercation between Baron Dimfdale and Doctor Lettfom, of too little confequence to have merited difcuffion in three or four pamphlets. Yet furely it would not have difgraced the Baron to have acknowledged an acquaintance or intimacy with a gentleman of Doctor Lettfom's reputation.

The

The Doctor has chofen for a motto to this answer a fentence from Gil Blas, chap. xiii.

"J'étois devenu i fier et fi vain, que je n'étois plus le fils de mon père et de ma mère. La cour à la vertu du fleuve Léthé pour nous faire oublier nos parens et nos amis."

Whether the allufion is just or not, the Baron best knows. From the Appendix we have taken the following extract,: which we think well worthy the confideration of our medi'cal readers.

With all the improvements which have of late been intro duced in the management of the fmall-pox, it is a melancholy truth, that this disease still continues to be one of the most fatal fcourges of the human race; not less than fifty persons have been carried off by it, in the metropolis, every week for fome months paft. If, by the united aid of the Faculty, fome new lights may be thrown upon the disease, with respect to either its prevention or cure, I fhall think myself amply compenfared for the trouble I have taken in circulating the following letter, which I fhall infert with a view of promoting thefe important defigns.

When it is confidered that the fmall pox is one of the chief caufes of depopulation, and that, in London alone, one hundred and feven thousand one hundred and fifty perfons have been carried off by it within the last fifty years; inoculation feems to have been providentially introduced, to difarm the natural disease of its malignant power-to promote the increase of mankind, fecure the prefervation of individuals, and leffen the fum of human mifery.

When it is further confidered, that scarcely one in five hun dred die in the Inoculated fmall pox, we cannot but lament over the lofs of thofe one hundred and feven thousand one hundred and fifty victims, most of whom might have been redeemed from the grave, and, by the probable increafe of their offspring, have made an immenfe addition to the strength of the state.

"The means of counteracting the ravages of this fatal diftemper by inoculation, have been very generally embraced by the higher claffes of people in this nation; but, to a very useful, and the moft numerous part of the community, the advantages refulting from it have hitherto in great measure been loft, either from the confined circumstances of the poor, or from their prejudices. against fo extraordinary an innovation in practice.

"At length, however, examples of the dreadful effects of the nataral, and the wonderful fuccefs of the artificial disease, have overcome these ill-founded prejudices, and nothing feemed wanting to enable the poor to reap the benefit of this practice, but an establishment fuited to their condition and circumstances.

"In London alone upwards of ten thousand children annually die under feven years of age, a great part of whom fall victims to the natural fmall pox; but, till very lately, the poor had no means of avoiding this disease by Inoculation, as no inftitution for that pur pofe exifted here till the year 1775, when the Society for General Inoculation of the Poor was first established. X x

VOL. XI.

"To

"To humane and benevolent minds, it must have afforded a high degree of pleafure, to fee fuch ample means extended for faving the offspring of the poor; and that their avidity to embrace this falutary practice was exceeded only by the fuccefs of it: for hitherto not a fingle unfavourable event has taken place; nor has any instance occurred to the medical practitioners engaged in this inftitution, to prove that the infection has been propagated from an inoculated patient.

"But though fuccefs has thus removed the prejudices of the lower clafs of people, and increated their defire for Inoculation, there are, however, individuals, whofe oppofition to fo benevolent an inftitution has been proportionally augmented; and much labour has been employed to prove, that whilft the Inoculation of the rich at their own houses, is a laudable practice, it is highly injurious to the community, when introduced among the poor. The poor, however, though flow in admitting new improvements, are not foon to be reafoned out of self-evident facts; and their willingnefs to try Inoculation, continues to augment with the fuccefs of the practice.

Pofitions, however, though ever fo repugnant to experience, when advanced by perfons of acknowledged ability in their profeffion, will have fome influence on thofe individuals, from whofe approbation and bounty every useful inftitution muft derive its ftability. It, therefore, behoves every friend of the poor, to oppose facts to bare affertions, when the interefts of fo useful a part of the community are in danger of being effentially injured.

"Hence it is that this appeal is made to the Faculty, and other perfons acquainted with the comparative effects of the natural and artificial difeafe, in hopes of acquiring fuch further information, as may more fully afcertain the fum of good and evil confequent on each; and they are respectively requested to answer as many of the following queries as come within the compafs of their perfonal experience.

I. At what periods of time is the natural fmall pox most prevalent or fatal?

II. In thofe places where the fmall pox apears at certain intervals, has Inoculation been known to propagate the disease during fuch intervals?

"III. What diffempers appear to have been the confequences of the natural, and what of the artificial small pox :?

IV. After the natural disease has broke out in

any particular district or quarter of a town, has the practice of Inoculation appeared to top the progrefs of the infection, or has it accelerated. it?

V. Has Inoculation been practifed in any particular district or quarter of a town, without extending the infection to other parts?

,

VI. At what period of life are people moft likely to pass through Inoculation with the leaft hazard, and at what seasons of the year is the practice moft fuccefsful?

I

" VII. After

« VII. After the infection of the fmall pox has been received, can its operation be deftroyed by Inoculation?

"Communications upon thefe fubjects, are of facts in general, which tend to throw a light upon the natural or artificial difeafe, muft greatly conduce to improvement in this department of medicine; and as it is propofed to reduce them into one general history, now preparing for the prefs, the favours of correfpondents will then, with their permiffion, be acknowledged, by the author."

R.

Confiderations upon the American Enquiry. The fecond Edition. 8vo. Is. Wilkie.

In this pamphlet we find good fenfe well expreffed; a relation of fome facts that tend not to luftre fome characters concerned in the enquiry. We think, however, fome of the confiderations more plaufible than juft. The following extract bears too great figns of truth to be in the above predicament. We therefore prefent it to our readers rather than the more exeptionable parts; as fuch might prejudice them against perufing the pamphlet, where they will find some obfervations not unworthy their notice. The sketches of two characters are judiciously drawn.

"We have feen that enquiry proceeded upon; and there are three things neceffary to be confidered; the nature of the tribunal, the evidence given, and the refult of the enquiry.

"It may, perhaps, hereafter be a matter of furprize, that no Court could be found in this kingdom to fit in judgment upon military operations, but the Houfe of Commons; and that no better time could be appointed but at the clofe of a laborious Seffion, and at a moment of great national difficulty and danger. It is not eafy to conceive, how men not bred to the profeflion, and only accustomed fictis contendere verbis, could be able to form proper opinions upon the lift of complicated military manœuvres that have fo peculiarly diftinguifhed the prefent war. The honourable Mr. C. Fox has a quick understanding, and Mr. Edmund Burke *

When I mention the names of thefe two gentlemen, I do not mean to represent them as ignorant beyond the reft, but only as having been most active in this enquiry. I refpect their abilities; and have, perhaps, a better opinion of their patriotifm than the public. Whatever is fuggested by them should be heard with attention. Their efforts can only proceed from a pure affection to their country; for, if our enemies were to become poffeffed of every acre of land in the kingdom, they cannot be lofers by the event: and their opinion ought to be attended to; for they are certainly beft judges in a cause who are not parties interested.

X x 2

most

most furprising volubility; but we are yet to learn that they have military judgment, and experience in the art of war. Were they witneffes of the condition of the rebel army, of their numbers? of their want of difcipline? Are they acquainted with the face of the country or can they, from a defcription of it, form any comparative opinion upon the the ftrength of particular fituations, from fimilar fituations that come within their own experience! When and where was this experience acquired? During their fervice laft awar in Germany? The idea is too abfurd for ferious refutation! It is true the conduct of the Howes was of great national confequence, and merited the confideration of the reprefentatives of the people. But this confideration fhould not have been confined to the House of Commons. The reports of men, enabled from profeffional knowledge and faithful fervices to decide, might have merited their most ferious attention. In effect, we should be at a lofs to fay, how it was poffible that this enquiry found its way into the Houfe of Commons, if we did not know that Oppofition * had taken it by the

* The following sketches are hazarded with diffidence ; Mr. EDMUND BURKE is attached from friendship and interest to Lord Rockingham, and fhared in his fhort administration. As his character was 66 debility," ,"fo is that of Mr. Burke. He poffeffes genius, but he wants judgment; and is better calculated for the clofet than a public affembly. Intent upon the display of his own abilities, he cannot watch the paffions, or accommodate himself to the temper of his audience. In his reafoning he is too fubtle and abftrufe. He never ftrikes boldly at his adversary, but by endeavouring to circumvent, fuffers him to efcape. He renders politics a sustem of metaphyfics. We admire, but we are not convinced. Trifling, diffufive, and puerile, he feems to have chofen the ludit amabiliter for his motto; and when we expect him in all his dignity upon the front of the theatre, we find him at play behind the fcenes. -Yet he has his excellencies. His imagination is warm and fruitful. He plays with the most difficult fubject; he leads it through the winding mazes of his fancy; he places it in a thousand lights; he gives it an infinity of colours. We admire for a while the Splendour of the drefs; but the eye becomes tired with the gaudy glare of the glittering tinfel, and wishes for the beautiful fimplicity of nature. Inftead of bringing forward the bold outlines and prominent features of his figure, he beftows his labour upon the drapery, and even in this he is faulty. His purple robes resemble a patched garment. He often debafes the fublimeft thought by the coarsest allufion, and mingles the vulgarity of idiom with the most delicate graces of expreffion. Mr. Burke has a certain currency with all parties, he never can rife into ferling value with any.

Mr. Fox wants every requifite to form the exterior of an orator. His perfon is fhort and fqualid; his appearance mean and disagreeable; his voice, naturally inharmonious, is rendered more fo by his unfkilful management of it. His countenance is strongly Judaic.

At