sent enlightened British legislature recognize any charter founded on such tenets, or exercising the principles of a proscribed religion, inconsistent with the constitution of these realms, and which sets the lives and best interests of the community, even the most valuable subject of the state, at the price of a mulct or fine?

To close my remarks, how degrading must it be, Sir, to you and every gentleman of a liberal mind, to act under such a constitution as that by which the College is established. In order to punish, you must allow you are placed in no better situation than common informers, and you can only recover the mulct or fine, by a qui tam action. That it is to the honour of the College, that they have not been anxious to prosecute offenders till of late I admit; but now that so many Junior Physicians finding their connexions scanty and barren, apply for assistance to the College, against men whom the public prefer, and matters seem pushed with a revenge, which must ever turn the A tottering Government should act by policy rather than by force, and the College should voluntarily make such alterations in their charter as the progress in science, their own consequence in society, and the improvements of the present day, require. The age of prejudice and terror is past, Mystery has for ever lost its charm. Reason should be the only guide of every institution,

where the human mind and the exercise of its best powers are concerned.

In regard to those to whom the College grant licenses for the exercise of their profession, their fitness for the office should be the only point requisite, and the conduct of this the College have in their own power by a full examination of the candidate. Having ascertained this, it is certainly of little importance whether his studies were conducted in the South, in the North, in the East, or in the West; or whether he had the boasted advantage of an academical education, or was bred in a private seminary.

Such, Sir, are the observations I have been induced to address to you, from a perusal of the Charter of the College, in consequence of some late transactions which led me to look into it. The perusal of it excited in me those lively sentiments of indignation which every liberal mind. must feel in contemplating the degrading situation in which you and your colleagues in office are placed, and still more so, that men of science and high character, such as you are, should submit to act under such a tyrannical and inquisitorial constitution. I trust that this relique of Romish superstition and monastic persecution will be done away by a free act, of a majority of those for whom individually as gentlemen, and men of science, I profess the highest respect.

I am, &c. &c.

PHILO-MEDICUS.

The encroachments of the College of Physicians, and the persecution instituted by them, in the metropolis, against all those who practise and do not belong to their body, having excited the just indignation of a number of respectable practitioners, whose right to exercise their profession was never before called in question; they have come to the laudable resolution of resisting this power of the College, by forming an association for the purpose. This is the more necessary, since the College have threatened to extend the prerogative which their obsolete or Monkish Charter, as is pretended, gives them over the whole of England, as well as the Metropolis. Such gentlemen as are actuated by the liberal principles of science, and despise yielding to this species of medical despotism, will be so good as to leave their names with the Editor, of the Medical Observer, who will be ready to communicate with them on the subject.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Mr. White of Prince's Street will find, on perusing the preface of the first number, that his address to Samuel Whitbread, Esq. is inadmissible. The Editors cannot discover any connexion between Cow-pox and Quackery.

The Editors return their thanks to Mr. Hunneman, for his ready compliance with their request.

Mrs. Willich's complaints shall be attended to in the next number.

The editors are very sorry that J. L's observations, and the accompanying copy of a letter from a vender of Quack Medicines in the country, could not appear in the present number for want of room.

Mr. Oldfield's conjecture, respecting the cause of the delay in the publication of the second number, is somewhat illiberal. The Gentleman whose name he has thought proper to introduce in his letter as an Editor, is a contributor, but certainly not an Editor. As Mr. O. is so desirous that the work should be regularly published every month, they hope he will favour them with his assistance for that purpose.

J. G. of Royston, is entitled to their warmest thanks. His suspicions respecting the basis of Chase's drops, are correct; and the case he has been so obliging as to send, is a proof, that in the hands of ignorance, they may be productive of fatal consequences. The Editors cannot however insert it on anonymous authority. If he will favour them with his name,

and that of the patient, they will give it a place in their next number; neither of the names shall appear, if a wish to that effect be expressed. Chase's newly invented Alterative Drops, they purpose noticing in the next number.

Philo-medicus will observe, that the Editors have attended to his letter in their further notice of the Reverend Mr. Lucas's Pure Drops of Life. In the next number they purpose giving an official copy of the spccification of the Essence of Mustard: as it differs very much from the recipe sent by Philo-medicus, they will be obliged to him to make further inquiries respecting Mr. Whitehead's original mode of preparing it. The specification at the Patent office is so truly ridiculous, as to excite a suspicion that it was composed with no other view than to insult the understanding of the Members of his Majesty's Privy Council.

Veritas's communications respecting Dr. Harvey, the advertiser of Pills for the cure of the Venereal Disease, and his successor Mr. Hilliard, shall appear, if possible, in their next number. If Mr. H. has not served a regular apprenticeship to a Surgeon, and attended the practice of an Hospital in London, and Lectures on Anatomy, his application to the College of Surgeons in London for a diploma, will assuredly be unavailing. His hints respecting Dr. Brown, of the City of London, shall be attended to. They would with great pleasure comply with his suggestions of publishing the Medical Observer in shilling numbers, but the expense attending the work, from purchasing medicines, and obtaining copies of the specifications from the Patent office, (many of which are charged a guinea each) will not at present admit of it. The expense of advertising, and the allowance to Booksellers, are so great, that the profit arising from the last number, was not sufficient to pay their Secretary.

The publication of Mr. R's letter on the sudden promotion of Mr. T. to the distinguished honour of M. D. is rendered unnecessary, that Gentleman having relinquished the title. Should the worthy Secretary reassume it, they shall consider it their duty to insert it.

Scrutator's advice shall be taken into consideration. All works published for the purpose of recommending a nostrum, they intend to notice; but the Treatise alluded to by Scrutator, is published by a regular practitioner, who makes no secret of the remedy he recommends.