tion. To them we really owe the information, that our Author has made another book, entitled, Pharmacopoeia Domeftica Nova ; and to fuch as fhall approve his matter and method, this work will be abfolutely neceffary.---The contrivance is arch enough, to make one book fell another.

But what feems to have the greatest appearance of novelty, and which is not of little importance, is a fort of appendage to the chapter on the small-pox; upon this we beg leave to offer a few remarks, first letting the Author fpeak for himself.

.

As there may probably be feveral perfons, who do not altogether approve of inoculating the fmall-pox, it may not perhaps be improper to communicate in this place a fhort, eafy, and fuccefsful method of preparing the body for a mild reception of that diftemper in lieu of inoculation *.

Whenever, therefore, the fmall-pox are predominant, either in town or country, let fuch as have never gone through this disease, bathe their bodies, before they have received any infection, all over, in a tub, or any other convenient veffel of warm water, and which may be occafionally repeated. After bathing, if the perfon is ftrong and vigorous, or of a plethoric habit of body, bleeding may be neceflary; and if the ftomach at the fame time fhould be loaded with pleghm, bile, or food unfeafonably taken, a gentle vomit may fucceed bleeding; but if neither plethora, foul ftomach, &c. indicate these evacuations, they may both be omitted, or deferred, till we fee whether they are required after the infection or not. These being occafionally performed or omitted, it will be highly neceflary to exhibit two, three, or four dofes of proper cooling phyfic, at fuitable diftances after each other. The perfon thus properly prepared, fhould frequently enter into the room of the infected perfon, and be more particularly about his bed, with the ⚫ curtains open to him, before, about, and after the time of maturation, till he is feized with the diflemper: and during the whole time of preparation, till he takes the difeafe, let him abftain from all heating and high-feafoned meats, vinous and fpirituous liquors, and let his diet be fparing, thin, cooling, and diluting; fuch as gruel, panado, pudding, roafted apples and bread, milk and water, butter-milk, whey, lemonade, orangeade, and the like; and fometimes fmall broths, a little light meat, and cooling fallads, &c. Let his mind alfo be kept chear

6

6

But is there not fome abfurdity in fuppofing, that those who difapprove of inoculation, will gladly embrace the infection in any other manner; feeing the popular objection is not against communicating it by an incifion, but againft wilfully feeking the distemper?

fu

ful and easy, and the ufe of the rest of the non-naturals as regular as poffible; and especially let him avoid all violent exercile, • and anxiety of mind, as fear, grief, intenfe thought, or study, and the like, as much as poffible.'- In truth, this, or fome ⚫ fuch like method of preparing the body to receive the difeafe, is the chief, if not fole advantage which the practice of inoculation has above that of having it by infection in the usual ⚫ and common natural way.'

We well remember to have feen, between twenty and thirty years ago, a fubftitute for inoculation much of the fame nature with this, propofed in a long-fince-deceased news paper; it was then received with contempt, nor do we recollect to have heard of any practitioner hardy enough to recommend a revival of the experiment, from that time till now. Indeed, we must not only difapprove the mode of infection here advised, but we also cannot help thinking our Author's preparatory inftructions, defective and erroneous.

With respect to the former, the great uncertainty of knowing the precife commencement of infection, may reafonably be objected; we should not imagine a perfon who had breathed but a minute within the circle of a contagious atmosphere an eligible fubject even for inoculation, at leaft till fuch time as there was a probable affurance, that there was no prior infection. Contagious effluvia are in general fubtle, active, and diffufive; and where difeafes of this kind, to make use of our Author's own expreffion, are predominant, it does not feem very prudent. to fuperadd to the quantity of infection that may have already been received.

Another objection to this mode of infection is, that by whatever channel the infection is received, whether it is swallowed with the faliva, or infpired with the air; whether it takes its route down the afophagus, or through the trachea, there is great eafon to apprehend the variolous miafmata coming into a more immediate contact with the nobler vifcera, and confequently affecting the vital parts more dangerously. That violent oppreffion and inflammation of the lungs, which is fo frequently feen in a fortuitous reception of this diftemper, rarely occurs under inoculation.

It is agreed even by Mr. Ball, that in order to a happy paffage through this disease, the mind fhould be kept chearful and ealy, and that all occafions of fear, grief, and anxiety fhould be carefully avoided. There is not, perhaps, any distemper incident to human nature more disgustful to the fight or smell than the fmallpox; what may be deemed a moderate degree of natural infecjon, is apt to prove more than a little offenfive to a by-stander, G 4

who

who has nothing to fear. Is there not then great reason to dread the effects the fight of fuch an object may have upon an uninfected perfon? Is the reflection, that he is courting a loathfome difeafe likely to abate his terrors, banifh anxiety, encourage his hopes, or promote that neceffary tranquility of mind? Or should the perfon from whom the infection was received, happen to die, is it probable, that the knowlege of fuch a circumftance would alleviate the fears, mitigate the diftrefs, or add to the confolation of the present fufferer? Our Author feems perfectly indiferent, as to the kind from which he would communicate the difeafe; but should an uninfected person, even of the firmeft dif pofition, and after the best inftituted preparation, be introduced to the bed-fide of an unhappy patient, labouring under a putrid, confluent fort, it is much to be feared, that refolution would ficken at the fight, and that the first impreffion might be fatal.

The above may ferve, in fome meafure, to fhew the unfitness and hazard of embracing the mode of infection here recommended: let us next examine the propriety of Mr. Ball's precepts for preparation. We have already pronounced them defective and erroneous: they feem to us defective, in being too indifcriminate; for furely there are many and various dyfcrafies, both accidental and natural, that deferve to be seriously adverted to, and if poffible removed, before the admiffion of this always troublesome and often dangerous gueft.---And to direct bathing previous to evacuations, muft, more efpecially in plethoric habits, be erroneous; at least it is a practice not known, or not used by rational phyficians, for many obvious, and very fubftantial reafons. We are perfuaded the reputation of our Author's work will not be hurt, nor its utility diminished, if, in the next edition of it, he fubititutes Before, instead of After.

That a judiciously conducted preparation is generally of great importance to the fuccefs of inoculation, will not be denied; but that it is the chief, or fole advantage of this practice, as our Author fo pofitively alierts, will, we apprehend, not be fo readily admitted: Mr. Bali might have feen, even in Dr. Huxham, fome other reafons for giving the preference to inoculation: 'Not but that the mild kind,' fays that ingenious Phyfician, from whence the variolous pus is taken, and the very small quantity. of infectious matter received by infition, in part also contribute to the mildness of the difeafe.'

We have extended our ftriétures on this part of Mr. Ball's performance to fome length, from a certain knowlege, that mistakes, in no diftemper, are of more fatal confequence, than in this. We may, perhaps, hereby incur this Gentleman's re

fentment;

fentment; but our refpect for the Public ever has fuperfeded, and, we hope, ever will, every other confideration. Malevo lence and partiality are imputations we have long learnt to defpife, as the mere angry overflowings of trifling or ill-judging Writers.

L

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For JULY, 1758.

POLITICA L.

Art. 1. A Propofal to render effectual a Plan, to remove the NuiJance of Common Proflitutes from the Streets of this Metropolis ; to prevent the innocent from being feduced; to provide a decent and comfortable Maintenance for those whom Neceffity or Vice hath already forced into that infamous Course of Life; and to maintain and educate thofe Children of the Poor, who are either Orphans, or are deferted by wicked Parents. To which is annexed, A Letter upon the Subject of Robberies, wrote in the Year 1753. By Saunders Welch, one of his Majesty's Jultices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex, and for the City and Liberty of Westminster. 8vo. Is. Henderson.

We congratulate the public upon the noble emulation which appears between Meffrs. Welch and Fielding, for the difinterefted fervice of their country. Our Readers are acquainted with many of their schemes and projects, and none, as Mr. Welch obferves, will doubt their motives, who know either of them, or their views.'

In Mr. Welch's Propofal before us, he takes notice, that- It was · generally hoped, that the Act to encourage Prosecutions against Bawdy-houses, &c. would effectually fupprefs, at leaft, the open and bare faced Bawdy-houfes; as the procefs against them upon this ftatute, not only fhortens the proceedings, but prevents that 'kind of chicanery by which they had formerly eluded punishment; and alfo affigns a pecuniary reward to enforce its execution. The 'confequence of this act was fo much apprehended by the Bawds of • Covent Garden, that upon its commencement, and fome little time after, they stopped their infamous practices. But unhappily the ⚫ execution of this excellent law requires the information of two House-keepers who pay Scot and lot in the parish where the offence is committed: and fuch is the dread every man is under of incurr'ing the odious name of Informer, that few profecutions have been commenced upon this act. This the Bawds faw, and availed themfelves of it, by returning openly and publicly to their trade of prostitution; and one of them, with an impudence agreeable to her calling, advertized in the News-papers, that he was removed • from the Piazzas, Covent-Garden, to Bow fireet, which the alfo • infcribed

infcribed under her fign; and that ftreet is now almost filled with infamous boufes."

To remove the inconvenience occafioned by the House-keeper's dread of incurring the name of Informer, Mr. Welch proposes,

That the Keepers of common Bawdy-houses, their Agents, and Servants acting in fuch Bawdy-houfes, being convicted thereof, fhall be tranfported for the term of seven years, according to the laws made for tranfporting felons; excepting those ⚫ fervants or agents who fhall voluntarily offer themselves to give evidence in his Majefty's behalf, and be accepted by the Juflice before ⚫ whom the charge fhall be made; fuch Evidences to be imprisoned until the parties fo charged fhall be tried.

That every Juftice of the Peace, in his respective jurisdiction, be impowered to convene before him, the Conftables, or any other peace or parish Officers, of the parish or place where he fhall fufpect any Bawdy-houfes to be kept, and upon their oaths enquire of the truth of fuch fufpicion; and if fuch fufpicion be confirmed by the oath of any peace or other parish Officer, fuch Juftice of the Peace fhall be impowered to enter into fuch fufpected Bawdyhoufe, and upon his own view apprehend the Occupier of fuch houfe, together with the Servants or Agents there acting, and commit them to prifon for a time not exceeding three days; when the ⚫ parties fo committed fhall be brought up before the faid Justice for further examination; and the faid Juftice fhall be impowered to fummon before him fuch perfon or perfons whom he shall deem to ⚫ be material evidence in his Majefty's behalf, to prove the truth of the fact against fuch Bawds, their Agents, and Servants; and if fuch parish or peace officers, or fuch persons whom the Juftice shall deem material evidence, fhall neglect or refufe to appear before the Juftice according to the fummons, then fuch Juftice fhall iffue his warrant to bring fuch perfons before him: and if the parties fo convened and fummoned, or brought before him by warrant as aforefaid, fhall refufe to be examined upon oath touching the premises, (except the people called Quakers) the Juftice fhall be impowered to commit fuch perfons fo refufing to anfwer, to prifon, there to ⚫ remain until feffions, or until they fhall fignify to the Juftice that' they are willing to be examined as the law directs.'

But as Mr. Welch is apprehenfive that a regulation of this fort muft of courfe reduce a great number of unhappy young women, who now live only by prostitution, to abfolute difrefs, he propofes an Hofpital, to be fupported by voluntary fubfcription, for the reception of fuch proflitutes, and the orphan and deferted children of the Poor. And he concludes with a particular fpecification of the causes of Robberies, together with the propofal of fome means to prevent them for the future.

We will only obferve of this fcheme, and others of the like kind which have been lately offered, that if Juftices of the Peace, and other fubordinate Officers, would diligently, faithfully, and impartially exe

cute