fat fubject, whofe abdomen is full, buried at no great depth in a warm feafon, will exhibit this bloated ftate of the abdomen in three or four days, while a dry meagre fubject buried deep in cold weather, may remain for feveral weeks without any perceptible change. The grave diggers think they have obferved, that tempeftuous weather accelerates the diftenfion of the abdomen, which goes on increafing till the integuments, becoming too weak, yield to the force of the internal rarefaction, and burft with a fort of explosion. It would appear to be about the ring, and sometimes about the umbilicus, that this eruption happens, and then there iffues a fluid farins, brownish and fetid, to gether with a very mephitic elastic fluid, the effects of which are much dreaded by the grave diggers. Tra dition, corroborated by experience, has taught them that it is only at this period that the miafmata difengaged from bodies in a state of decompofition, expose them to real danger. It has fometimes happened that, in digging, the pick-axe has opened the abdomen, from which that elaftic vapour efcaping has fuddenly induced afphexia on the workmen employed. It will be understood that the fame rupture of the abdomen, and the difengagement of the very mephitic gas taking place in vaults as well as in the earth, this elaftic fluid being condenfed in fuch places, the perfons defcending into them imprudently will be exposed to fimilar accidents. We wished very much to afcertain by experiment, the nature of this fatal gas, but had no opportunity, as no perfons had been buried in the cemetery of the Innocents for three years before*; and because the laft corpfes that were depofited here in 1782 were paft the ftage in which this feptic explosion of the abdomen happens. In vain we endeavoured to prevail on the workmen to procure us an opportunity of examining this elastic fluid in other burying places; they always refifted our intreaties, affuring us, that it was only by an unhappy chance that they found in the earth a corpfe in this dangerous state. The dreadful fmell and poisonous activity of this elaftic fluid, prefuppofes that it is mixed with the hydrogene and azote gas, holding fulphur and phofphorus in folution, the ordinary and known products of putrefaction; it may alfo contain fome other deleterious vapour, the nature of which is hitherto unknown, but whofe terrible effects on the life of animals is unhappily, but too well proved. Perhaps it is to another order of bodies, to an effence more divided and fugacious than the bafes of the known elaftic fluids are found to be, that we must refer the matter which conftitutes the nature of this fatal fluid. But however this may be, the people employed in digging in cemeteries, all acknowledge that they dread no danger except from the vapour difengaged from the abdomen of dead bodies when that cavity burfts. They have likewife obferved, that this vapour does not always produce afphixia; that if they are at a diflance from the corpfe whence it proceeds they feel only a flight vertigo, a fenfation of uneafinefs and debility, with nau fea: these symptoms laft for feveral hours, and then fucceed loss of appetite, weakness, and tremor; all thefe effects announce a fubtile poifon which happily does not fhew ittelf, except in the firft ftages of the decompofition of the bodies. May we not fuppofe that from thofe feptic miafmata proceed the difeafes to which thofe perfons are expofed who live in the neighbourhood of burying places, common fhores, and in general in all places • This cemetery is now converted into one of the moft elegant fquares and finest markę, et places in Paris. places where animal fubftances in heaps are left to fpontaneous decompofition? May we not believe that a poifon fo violent as to kill animals fuddenly, when it efcapes pure and concentrated from the matrix in which it was generated, and is received and diffufed in the atmosphere, will preferve fufficient activity to ope rate on the nervous and fenfible organs of animals, an impreffion capable of fufpending their action, and of deranging their motions? Whed one has been witnefs to the terror with which this poifonous vapour infpires the labourers, and has obferved in many of them palid countenances and all the fymptoms which indicate the action of a flow poifon, one would imagine that it would be more hazardous to deny entirely the effect of the atmofphere of cemeteries on the people in their neighbourhood, than to multiply and exaggerate the complaints that have been made for fome years paft, by the abufe that has been bestowed on the difcoveries made on the air and other elaftic fluids. But to resume our account of the deftruction of corpfes. The diftenfion and rupture of the abdomen take place both in the bodies accumulated in the common pits, and in those that are buried a part; but the changes that fucceed this first flage of fponta neous decompofition, are very differ ent in the bodies in thefe different circumftances. Carcafes in graves, furrounded with a quantity of moist earth, are entirely deftroyed, after undergoing all the fucceffive degrees of the ordinary putrefactive procefs; this deftruction is rapid in proportion to the humidity of the body, the warmth or humidity of the aumof phere; for moisture and heat are the prime fource of putrefaction. If the bo 'ies thus detached are dry and emaciated, if the ground in which they are placed be dry and arid, and the atmosphere without humidity; and, laftly, if the fun's rays favour and adə celerate evaporation, all thefe circums ftances united, will fo parch the body by abforbing and volatilizing the juis ces, by conftringing and contracting the folids, that it will affume the appearance of thofe mun mies I have mentioned above. But the procefs is different in the common pits; the bodies there being heaped upon one another, are not like the others expofed to the contact of a foil which can absorb their humidity. As they co ver one another, the evaporation cau fed by the atmosphere has little or no influence on them; in fhort, they are not exposed to the action of external circumstances, and the alteration they undergo depends on their own fubftance. When the rupture of the abdomen has taken place, the internal putrefac tion which occafioned it has already deftroyed the ftructure of the soft vifcera of that cavity; the stomach and intestines no longer form one continuous membranous tribe. The dif ferent portions that ftill remain, being broken and diffolved into a putrid fe rofity, fall down and fink upon one another; immediately the putrefaction becoming more and more rapid, entirely destroys their texture; so that there remains, after the rupture of the abdomen, nothing but fome fragments which attach themselves to the fides of that cavity. The parenchyma of the liver, being firmer, feems to refift this feptic folvent, its humidity is not fufficient to allow a total decompofi tion, and this, no doubt, is the caufe of thofe fragments of greafe, which are found in the place of all the viscera of the abdomen. The fame change happens in other cemeteries, where the fame method of interment prevails; but to investigate the whole procefs of the decompofition, at every different period, would require many experiments and a great length of time. General 1 F General Defcription of the Roads, and mode of Travelling, in Sweden. URING my whole journey, the provisions put into my Wallet at Droningaard by my friends were very useful, and prevented my to nplaining of a country, which, at the places where you are neceffarily obliged to change horfes, affords no other fort of refreshment than fome Excellent milk, and bread of the fort defcribed to you in my letter from Fahlua I found the inns upon this road, as in all the other parts in Sweden, very miferable. The houfes, being all of wood, and never washed, abound, in fummer, with every fort of vermin; and the little cribs without curtains expofe you to the percing ftings of a most dreadful number of gnats, while the beds themfelves contain various forts of infects, against which even the mattrefs that I carried with me proved á very feeble defence. You are recompenfed, however, for the fare, and the beds at the inns, by the excellence of the roads, which, though a little rough in fome parts of the mountainous country, may rival thofe fo much boafted of in England. The bottom of thefe, except in Scania, where there is a good deal of fand, is a hard rock; and their breadth is fuch, that four voitures may easily pass at a time, even in the narrowest part: The bed of gravel, which they lay upon the top, is alfo fo beaten and compacted, as to have no where any appearance rut. This is to be understood, however, chiefly of the high roads and thofe they call royal; and upon thefe you may travel with great ease and rapidity, the horses, though very fmall, being ftrong and fwift. of a The order eftablished in the conduct of pofts, is very convenient to ftrangers and travellers, but equally burthenfome to peafants, and highVOL. XII. No. 68. L ly prejudicial to agriculture. Of this you may judge from the following account: In all the high, and even in the cross roads, poft matters are appointed (chiverhoors), who are all a fort of innkeepers (gaft vry-bous), and have under their direction a certain number of peasants. The pea fants in their turn, and according to the value of their farms, are obliged to provide one, or fometimes two, fervants, with one, two, three, four; or more horses, which remain in waiting for twenty-four hours, and are then fucceeded by others. If any traveller arrives, they are paid for their time and trouble, if not, they lofe both. You must perceive that thefe fervices are very oppreflive, and cannot be performed without great detriment to the cultivation of eftates; although they are not very rigorously demanded, efpecially in the time of harveft. The horfes are by no means always in waiting; and unless you fend forward a man and horfe, you may be detained a long time for each relay. I therefore took the precau tion of difpatching a vooroode (fo they call them), and bis orders procured every thing to be in perfect readiness. Each post-mafter, who is commonly a peafant imfelf, and obliged to furnifh horfes in his turn,, has under him an infpector, (hali karl), who, upon the arrival of a traveller, inquires the number of hotfes wanted, fetches them, and has them harneffed. He then prefents a journa!, (dag bok), divided into feveral columns, in which the traveller, immediately before he fets off, is required to write his name, and character, the day and hour of his arrival, thofe of his departure, the place from whence he came, and to which he is geing, with the number of horfes he takes. One column in this * From a Journey through Sv£den, by a Dutch Officer. book book is appropriated to complaints, and, if the traveller makes any, there is another to receive the defence of the poft mafter, who, at the end of each month, is refponfible to government for his conduct. Many patriotic writers have reprefented the grievance of thefe kind of fervices, and propofed in their ftead a fmall tax upon the peafants, that, with fome affiftance from the state of the crown, would be fufficient for the fupport of poft horfes, and a great relief to agricult, which cannot be too much encouraged in Sweden. Hitherto, however, government has not regarded their complaints, though in many other refpects agriculture has been greatly attended to and promoted. I had forgot to tell you, that the afe of hired voitures is unknown here, and at no ftage can you find either a chariot or a poft-chaife. The traveller muit, therefore, take his own voiture, or be contented in the carriage of a peafant, with two or four wheels, in which he may be jolted perhaps more than he defires. Indeed the number of travellers in this kingdom is too fmali to defray the expence of proper conveniences. Upon my arrival at Gottenburg, at eight o'clock at night, I was ftopped at the barrier, and ated in Swedith, "Have you any thing probibited by the King?" but perceiving my ignorance of their language, they put the fame queftion to me in German, and I answered, "No." "Who is Monfieur ?"-" A Dutch officer travelling for his pleasure.""Has Monfieur nothing?" Nothing Nothing but his nightcap and a little linen:" to affure them of which, I dropped a billet for fix daalders cooper munt, and was immediately answered by "Pafs Monfieur." Having got over the bridge, I came to a gate, and was addreffed by an officer, "Who is Monfieur? from whence comes he? and whe ther is he going?"—" I am a Datch officer, on my way from Copenhagen. to Stockholm.""Monfieurwill few me his paffport."-I produced it :— "Very well, Monfieur, this must be figned by the captain of the grand guard, and you will receive it at your inn." Officer, your fervant." "Good night,' Monfieur." A few fmacks of the coachman's whip foon brought me to my inn, where I wifhed for nothing fo much as a fupper and a good night's rest, and was juft ftepping into bed, when Iwas furprifed by the found of clarionets, hautboys, French-borns, and a trumpet. I ran to the window, and my fervant, whom I had fent to enquire what was the matter, brought me word that these were the muficians of the Count de Saltze's regiment, who came to welcome the arrival of a Dutch Officer, or, in plain terms, to beg, by means of mufic. After liftening to a few marches, I difmiffed them with fome money, and desired they might drink to the health of the Prince of Orange. This fort of ferenade is common at Gottenburg upon the arrival of a stranger; but I have fince paft through many garri fon towns, without receiving fuch an honour, for which I have confoled myfelf by the poffeffion of iny daalders and plottes. The mufic was gone, and I had prepared to ftretch out my limbs, almost dislocated by a joiting of eight-and-forty hours, upon my uncurtained bed, when a rapping at the gate again prevented me. They opened it, and admitted a hero of about two pence a day, covered with feathers, and rofes of ribbands, fomething in the fashion of Henry the Fourth's time." My officer," fays he, "I have brought your paffport, figned by the captain." "Ah, my friend, how comes it you fpeak French!"-"Thank God, captain, I am a Frenchman. A with to fee the world leads me, by turns, into the fervice of many powers: when when I am tired, I defert; and, as my figure is of the military height, I never want bread. I can, befides, dress hair, and shall be proud of serving Monfieur the captain in that way." I took the paffport, thanked him for his offer, and difmiffed him. He went, however, with a very lingering pace, and at laft, with a certain arrangement of his fingers," It is ufual, captain, upon thefe occa fions"-" I understand you, my friend, here's fomething for you.""Oh, captain, I abfolutely muft enter once more into the service of Holland---brave generous Dutchmen! but a good night to my most noble captain." He flew down ftairs by leaps of four at time, and I ftretched myfelf upon my crib, where, in spite of the music of the goats, I foon fell aleep." Account of Sir Alexander Dick, Bart. of Preftonfield, late Prefident of the Royal College of Phyficians of Edinburgh, and F. R. S. Elin. By Dr Duncan, Profeffor of the Theory of Medicine in the University of Edinburgh. IR ALEXANDER DICK of of receiving a fecond diploma for 22d of October 1703. He was the third fon of Sir William Cunningham of Caprington, by Dane Janet Dick, the only child and heirefs of Sir James Dick of Preftonfield. While his two elder brothers fucceeded to ample fortunes, the one as heir to his father, and the other to his mother, the provifion made for a younger fon was not fufficient to enable him to live in a manner agreeable to his wishes, without the aid of his own exertions. His inclination led him to make choice of the profellion of Medicine; and after being inftructed in the preliminary branches of education at Edinburgh, he began his academical ftudies in the fcience of Phyfic at the University of Leyden, under the celebrated Boerhaave, at that time the moft eminent medical profeffor in Europe. After having completed the ufual academical courfe under Boerhaave and his colleagues, he obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Ley. den, on the 31st of Auguft 1725; and, upon that occafion, he published an inaugural differtation De Epilepfia, which did him much credit. Not long after this, he returned to his native country, and had the honour L2 which was conferred upon him by the Univerfity of St Andrews, on the 23d of January 1727; and on the 7th of November of the fame year he was admitted a Fellow of the Roy. al College of Phyficians of Edinburgh. But after Dr Cunningham (for at that time he bore the name of his fa ther) had received thefe diftinguishing marks of attention at home, he was ftill anxious to obtain farther knowledge of his profeffion by the profecution of his ftudies abroad. With this intention, he made th tour of Europe; and although medicine was uniformly his first and principle object, yet other arts and iciences were not neglected. During this tour, he refided for a confiderable time in Italy; and there an elegant claffical tafte, and extenfive know ledge of the history and antiquities of the country, could not fail to afford him a very high degree of gratification. Upon his return to Britain, Mr Hooke, a gentleman with whom he formed an intimate friendship, and who poffeffed a large fortune in Pembrokeshire, perfuaded him to fettle as a phyfician in that country. For feveral years he practited medicine there with great reputation and fuc ceis, |