86

Mr. Blair on Nitrous Acid.... Inutility of Tontines

have happened. From an hint which this respectable physician has dropped, it appears, that "only a fecond letter from Mr. SCOTT, of Bombay," has yet fallen into his hands: I therefore conceive, that it may be a piece of agrecable intelligence to him, as well as to the other advocates for "the new fpecific," to be informed, that feveral letters have been lately received from Bombay, in which Mr. SCOTT endeavours to corroborate his former remarks, and propofes another mode of adminiftering this remedy. In the fourth letter, dated Auguft the 5th, 1797, he relates, "A cafe of lues venerea cured by bathing in the diluted nitric acid, that affords (he fays) the moft fatisfactory evidence of its great and truly furprifing efficacy:" and he even fuppofes that this method is ftill more effectual than its external ufe." The ingenious author concludes with thefe remarkable words: "In a few years, I think, that mercury, as a remedy for the lues venerea, will be banished by this acid; and, in fome of my dreams for the improvement of the condition of man, I even imagine, that the poifon of Syphilis may, in a great measure, be extinguished over the face of the earth, not by the efforts of the magistrate, but by an agent like this, fafe, fimple, and efficacious."

As the refult of my own trials, in nearly fixty cafes of lues venerea, differs, in toto, from the experience of Mr. SCOTT, and of many other gentlemen,

I cannot but feel anxious to fee a detail of "the facts" which Dr. BEDDOES has promised; and as the truth, wherever it may lie, can only arife from the general mass of evidence, I fhall deem it incumbent upon me, to publish all my cafes, as foon as the other duties of my profeffion afford me leifure. In the interim, I shall be happy to receive fuch additional communications as practitioners may pleate to honour me with. Every cafe, faithfully drawn up, will ferve to throw light on this interefting fubject; and therefore ought not to be loft to the public.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

Aichunts were emned, under the name

BOUT seven years ago, a variety of

of Tontines, which promifed great advantages to fubfcribers, from the improvement of money at compound intereft, increafed by the benefits arising from furvivorship; and as many of these schemes are now about expiring, it is very proba ble that the managers and fecretaries (who appear to be the perfons most benefited by them) will offer to the public new propofals, holding out a still more alluring profpect of accumulating wealth, from the prefent high intereft of money. Schemes of this kind are principally adapted to a clafs of perfons who are leaft qualified for examining into the principles upon which they are founded; and fuch perfons, not finding the unwarranted hopes they had been led to entertain realiied, may, in their difappointment, reject every mode of making provifion for a future period, and, confequently, a difpofition highly laudable in the individual, and beneficial to the community, be much difcouraged. This confideration, I hope, will be a fufficient apology for submitting to the public, through the medium of your Magazine, a few remarks on the ftatement lately published, for the information of the members of one of these focieties; the term of which being expired, the members are about to receive their expected profits in the divifion of the stock.

The plan was formed for feven years; the contribution being thirteen fhillings per quarter: the total fum appears by the account as follows:

986 Deaths and Defaulters, £3,872 30 3550 Subfcriptions compleated 64,610 0 0 Fines 928 150 11,679 7 8

Dividends on Stock

Total 81,090 58

Thefe fums appear as the total receipt; but, it must be obferved, they are exclufive of fixpence per quarter, paid on each fhare for management, which amounts on fhares that have been compleated to 24851. betides what has been paid on the fhares forfeited; which, if they are fuppofed to have been continued on an average three years each, makes 2951. to which must be added, a demand of two fhillings per share, made on the payment of the laft fubfcrip tion. What this additional payment of 3551. was for, unless as a year's finecure falary to the projector, till he fhall have found out a new fet of fubfcribers, is difficult to conceive; but, with the two former, it makes the expence of management W. BLAIR. amount to three thousand, one hundred, and

I cannot forbear fuggefting a hint, which, I fear, fome of our zealous experimenters ftand in need of; that an hafty opinion may be the occafion of accumulated fufferings to our patients; and that a wife man will fufpend his judgement until the matter of enquiry fhall have been fully inveftigated: the introduction of a doubtful remedy, and the rejection of an almost infallible one, in the treatment of Syphilis, is too ferious an affair to be trifled with.

I remain, &c. Treat Ruffel-freet,

Inutility of Tontines-Books for Charity-Schools...Mr. Burke. 87

Had the deaths and defaulters been given feparate, it is probable that the latter would have appeared the greater number; from which the prefent members may draw the satisfactory inference, that they have acquired about two thousand pounds from the poorer fubfcribers, who have become incapable of continuing their payments, and thus, inftead of deriving any benefit from the fcheme, have loft the little fums that, if they had not been drawn from them by the hope of improvement, might have been laid by, and afforded them fome relief in a time of want. But it is not my object at present to notice, particularly, the immoral tendency of encouraging hopes of gain from the diftreffes of others, or to fhow how delufive and unprofitable most of the Tontine fchemes appear, when examined upon the principles on which they pretend to be formed; the latter was done, at a time when these mischievous projects were very prevalent, in a manner that must have determined every one, who could be con-, vinced by demonftration, or biaffed by the opinion of acknowledged abilities and judgment on the subject*. It is evident, however, that the majority of the fub fcribers to the different Tontines must have been ignorant of the fmall profits they could reasonably expect from these schemes, and, perhaps, placed too implicit a confidence in fpecious propofals, fanctioned by the names of perfons of character, whom they confidered better informed than themfelves. Such fubfcribers

very

muft, by this time, have been undeceived, or very foon will be; and it is to prove to others the neceffity of understanding the nature of any fpeculation, that may be propofed to them, before, they engage in it, that the following fact is stated:---The whole amount of ftock purchafed with the above fum of 81,09ol. 5s. 8d. is 118,1981. 8s. 4d. in the three per cent confols, which is now to be fold, for the purpofe of making the expected divifion of accumulated capital, intereft, and profits. If fold at the prefent price of 48, it will produce 56,7351. 4s. 1od. which, divided among the prefent members, gives them 151. 19s. 7d. each. So that, after the trouble of making quarterly, or halfyearly payments, for leven years, the poi fibility of having been unable to continue the fubfcription, the risk of lofing what they had paid, by the death of the nominee, and the lofs of all intereft what ever, they must be content to receive 21. 18. d. less than they have actually

paid, and confefs that they have been
grofsly deceived by falfe expectations.
Feb. 8, 1798.
J. J. G.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.`

SIR,

AM a fubfcriber to a charity-fchool,

the regulations of which are in many refpects judicious and liberal; but where, from time immemorial, the "Bible" and "Church Catechifm" are the only books which have been used; and I find, upon enquiry, that this remark will apply to many other fimilar foundations, especially fuch as have been long established. Now, though it may be ealy to produce reafons why thefe are not the moft fuitable fchoolbooks that might be thought of, yet it is' not quite fo eafy, for those who are not converfant in fuch matters, to recommend. the moft proper fubftitutes. If, therefore, any of your intelligent correfpondents, who may have turned their attention to the fubject, would have the condefcenfion to fuggeft a few popular works on religion, morality, natural and civil hiftory, &c. proper to be adopted in charity-fchools; or to communicate any other practical information relative to the adminiftration of fuch inftitutions, they would, probably, render an effential fervice to the public, and would greatly oblige your conftant reader,

M. S.

Lincoln's Inn, Feb. 7, 1798.
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

A Correfpondent of your's, in the laft Magazine, is hardy enough to affert, that the late Mr. Burke was ignorant of the Greek alphabet; and knew fo little or Latin, as not to be able to tranflate his own quotations.

Of Mr. Burke's claffical attainments, I know nothing from any other fources of information than thofe aiready before the public, and Mr. M'CORMICK, in his life of that singular man, is fiient on the fub- . ject; but I think the public know enough to render the affertion of your corref pondent very doubtful; and, as one of that public, I will here flate the probable evidence in favour of Mr. Burke's learning.Mr. Burke was early devoted to claffical purfuits, under the direction of a maiter, who has not been charged with entire ignorance of letters. Mr. Burke fpent foine years at college in Dublin, and obtained honours in the college. The whole life of Mr. Burke was spent in literary pursuits. He was the conftant companion of Dr. Johnfon, a man as fu

perftitiously

88

Mr. Henry on the External ufe of Nitric Acid.

perftitiously attached to ancient learning as to religion, and in the habit of reproaching every one (Garrick, for instance) who had not a confiderable knowledge of ancient authors and yet this literary cenfor always beltowed upon Burke indifcriminate and unbounded praise.

Mr. Burke was the admired companion of Mr. Fox, whofe attic tafte is wellknown.

Mr. Burke, in his writings, often refers to Grecian literature; and fometimes appeals, in his late works, for the juftice of his criticisms, to the decifion of Mr. Fox. The Latin quotations, in the writings and fpeeches of Mr. Burke, (in fome of his fpeeches, too, conceived and delivered in hafte) are numerous and appofite.

I ftate these facts, in refutation of the affertion of your correfpondent, as what the public know, and as probable evidence that Mr. Burke was learned, in the common acceptation of that term.

I have an object in view. I am anxious to know the truth in this particular concerning the attainments of Mr. Burke: and I wish as well to invite the communications of your correfpondents on this fubject, as to imprefs upon the mind of Dr. LAWRENCE, the neceffity of affording us exact information on this head, in his life of his illuftrious orator and states

man.

Were it known that Mr. Burke was ignorant of Latin and Greek, it is to be feared, that it would banish Horace and Homer from the fchools. We must know the fact.

I had conceived, and I do conceive, that it is almost impoffible to form an orator and writer, like Mr. Burke, without giving him a knowledge of the languages of Greece and Rome. I do not mean to fay, that a knowledge of Latin and Greek will make any man a fine writer, or a fpeaker; nor have I forgotten the dry reproof that a man of wit once gave a pedant in my prefence :---" Sir, I have read all the best authors of Greece and Rome." "Yes, Sir," was the reply. " you can boast of attainments that Shakespeare ne

ver knew."

Landon, Feb. 18, 1798.

PYRRHO.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.
SIR,

T
HE attention of medical men has
lately been much directed to the
effects of the Nitric Acid, exhibited in-
ternally and though those effects have
been found very different, by different
practitioners, yet it is evident, from the
whole collective teftimony, that a very

valuable medicine, which had been hitherto wholly neglected in its uncombined ftate, is added to the Materia Medica.

But as the difagreeable taste which it poffeffes, and the bulky form in which it has been given, have raifed objections to its ufe, it is a matter of confequence, that gentlemen, who are engaged in making trials with it, fhould have early information, that there is great probability, that the Nitric Acid, diluted to the degree at which it has been given by the mouth, is, like Mercury, when applied to the skin, abforbed, and afterwards produces in the fyftem, the fame effects that arife from its internal use.

By the last fleet from the Eaft Indies, I received a letter from Dr. ScOTT, of Bombay, the gentleman who first recommended, and himfelf commenced, the internal use of the Nitric Acid. Inclofed was a pamphlet, containing, in addition to the letters which he had before publifhed, two additional ones, in which he communicates this important information, not founded on conjecture only, but on actual experiment.

In one inveterate cafe of Syphilis, in which the relief from Mercury had been imperfect and temporary, Dr. ScоTT applied cloths, wet with the Nitric Acid; with these the legs of his patients were furrounded, and the cloths were kept meift with additional water, for an hour or two daily. The relief received was remarkable: the fymptoms, which were of the worst kind, difappeared; his strength returned; and, at the end of three months, he continued in good health, though, during that period, he ufed no other remedy than Nitric bathing.

In other cafes, Dr. SCOTT caufed the legs, and part of the thighs, to be immerfed for an hour, night and morning, in water, acidulated with Nitric Acid, as far as the fkin could bear it without uneafinefs. This mode was attended with equal fuccefs. And, as a fmall quantity of acid is fufficient to acidulate a large portion of water, and as the fame acidulous water will last for a long time, Dr. SCOTT obferves, that a bath fo large as to cover the whole body may be prepared at a small expence.

From the marked action of the Nitric Acid, on the refinous fubftance of the bile, Dr. ScorT thinks it probable, that bathing in dilute Nitric Acid may be ferviceable in the early ftages of the yellow fever. I am, Sir, your very humble fervant, THOMAS HENRY. Manchefter, Feb. 22, 1798.

Improvement in Orthography Defended.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

YOUR Correfpondent V. O. V. (vol.

4. p. 429.) appears to have misunderstood my letter (p. 195). My purpofe was not to refute objections to a new mode of fpelling, but to difprove an opinion of the Analytical Reviewers, which feemed to reprefs attempts at improvement. With this view, I endeavoured to fhew how much fuperior the method propofed by Mr. Elphinfton, was to that of Mr. Webfter, in adapting orthography to pronunciation.

In this I had nothing to do with the connection of orthography with etymology. I left Meffrs. Elphinston and Webfter to examine and refute the objections which have been advanced against alteration, and contented myself with expreffing a with that fuch improvements might be adopted, as appeared to be neceffary.

Your Correlpondent thinks no change at all advifeable, and offers fome arguments in proof of his opinion, which he feems to confider unanswerable. To one or two of his objections I mean to reply. The one on which he lays moft trefs is, that an alteration in the method of Spelling would deftroy all etymology.

Etymology, though an amuling, is by no means a neceffary ftudy, it can only be ufeful fo far as it affifts in fixing the meaning of words; now it is apparent that derivative words bear frequently fo very different a fignification from their primitives, that etymology is full as likely to mislead, as to affift, in difcovering their meaning. Some examples, taken from Mr. Elphinston's work, are fubjoined.

These are only a few of the many examples that might be given, to prove the variance of words from their primitive fignification, in all of which, a learner would be mifled by trufting to etymology, the deftruction of which, therefore,

* This word is likewife ufed in French to fignify a perfon on whom the furgeon is performing an operation, but never means what we mean by the word patient, as attended by a phyfician or apothecary.

MONTHLY MAG. No, VIII.

89

(even if it were effected by it) cannot be of confequence enough to prevent altera. tion.

But it does not appear that etymology will, or can be destroyed by a new or thography, efpecially if in forming this, no new letters or figns are introduced: for inftance, the derivation of very many words would be as readily discoverable in Mr. Elphinston's orthography, as in the prefent mode of fpelling, and many words, particularly thofe derived from the French, would much more resemble their primitives for as the French have made very confiderable improvements in spelling, and have dropt unneceffary letters in a great number of words, the adopting the fame plan in our language, would, in many inftances, keep us to a right etymology, whereas, at prefent, we are liable to miftake the originals of many words, by fuppofing them, on account of the spelling, derivatives from the Latin, though, in fact, they came to us from the French.

Such mistaken derivations have formerly been made. The earlier etymologists were chiefly acquainted with the Latin language; of French they knew little or nothing; no wonder then, that in tracing etymologies, they overlooked the medium, through which words were derived to us from the Latin, and thinking this laft the immediate original, they frequently introduced unneceffary letters into words, to fhew, as they thought, more effectually their derivations. This is the reafon why we have written, and ftill continue to write, fuch words as feign, fovereign, &c. with the unneceffary g. Some etymologift, ignorant of the French feindre, fouverain, &c. derived these words from fingo, fupra regnum, &c. and introduced the g to preserve the etymology.

In the Italian language, in which a reformed orthography has been carried further than in any other, the etymology of words is easily discoverable; neither in the French is it more difficult to be traced than it was two hundred years ago, though a very confiderable alteration in fpelling has likewife taken place in that language. In no other European language, which I have been able to examine, has etymology been deftroyed; though in all, the fpelling has been confiderably

altered.

Orthography....On Waste Lands.