a judicious regimen, I cannot take upon me to determine. I think, however, every medical man must agree with me in opinion, that he would, in that case, have stood a better chance of recovery.

To give you an idea of the absurd and dangerous doctrines of quacks, I annex the following

case.

In May, 1804, a young lady of very delicate habit, applied to me with an affection of the lungs, so slight that I could hardly pronounce it more than catarrh, although it had evidently a great tendency to consumption. Being a little conversant with physic, she insisted on knowing what medicine I purposed giving her, and with what view. I candidly told her that the object of my practice would be to prevent that mischief taking place on her lungs which would lay the foundation of a dangerous consumption. She replied, that she wished to know whether I was of opinion that she had tubercles in the lungs, and being answered that it was probably the case, she observed, that she had been told so by the proprietor of a celebrated medicine for consumption of the lungs, whose name she mentioned; that this medicine was recommended by the first characters in the kingdom; and that the proprietor had assured her that it radically cured consumptions, by dissolving tubercles, so that they were afterwards easily coughed up. This doctrine appeared so plausible to her, that, in spite of my advice to the contrary, she took his infallible specific, and I, in consequence, heard no more of her for about six weeks or two months, when she sent to request my attendance. She then informed me, that the medicine had dissolved all the tubercles in her lungs, and she was afraid a portion of her fungs too. She was so emaciated, that I could not have

supposed that the disease could in so short a time have made such rapid progress. Having every symptom of a speedy dissolution, I ordered her a simple mixture to quiet her cough and bowels; and, on leaving the house, I acquainted her friends with her danger, and gave my opinion that she would not survive a week. On the fourth day afterward I was apprised of her death. The thoughts of not having attended to my advice in the first instance, her friends informed me, had made her so truly miserable the last fortnight of her life, that they were of opinion, uneasiness of mind accelerated her death.

Dr. Hamilton's observations on quackery are so applicable to this case, that I have thought proper to send you a transcription of them, from his po pular work on the Management of Children.

Many shocking cases have occurred within the observations of the author of this work, where women have neglected pursuing with steadiness the suggestions of regular practition ers, in consequence of the false confidence they were induced to place in the dishonest promises ' of the discoveries of nostrums. A simple re'cital of the agony of such women might appear incredible. The interference of the legislature, in checking this species of robbery, is certainly required, since not only is money stolen, ⚫ but also life destroyed, and that in a way of torture, too, which the severity of the law has never yet exercised on the most flagitious criminals.' Page 68.

In this communication, I beg you will make such omissions as you may judge proper; and

am,

Sir,

March 3d, 1805.

Your obedient servant.

Our correspondent has been so explicit in his communication, that we judge any further remarks from us unnecessary. We assure him that the letters shall be taken proper care of, and sincerely thank him for the promise of his observation on the present state of the medical profession, for our next number. We have received several letters from the different parts of Norfolk, respecting the first avocation and education of the inventor of the vegetable balsam, which are inadmissible; our sole object being the examination of their medicines, which, if we found of any merit, we should be happy to allow, notwithstanding the inventors may not have had the advantages of a regular medical education. The properties and compositions of the medicines, and not the origin and education of the proprietors, are the objects of our investigation.

PECTORAL BALSAM OF THE LICHEN ISLANDICUS,

OR,

ICELAND LIVERWORT OF MOSS.

Prepared by J. P. Cramor, M. D.

Dr. Cramor has published "A treatise on the nature, causes, and cure of consumptions, asthma, dropsy, and difficulty of breathing, spitting of blood, and hooping-cough," for the cure of which

he recommends his pectoral balsam as an infallible remedy.

This work is dedicated to the "Faculty of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," wherein he condemns with severity the slovenly manner in which medicines are compounded in this country, many nice processes being left to an ignorant apprentice, which he thinks has brought many medicines of ancient repute undeservedly into disuse. "Fearful, therefore, that the inva"luable properties of the Iceland Liverwort might, "through the same causes, be much impaired, or "totally destroyed, I have thought proper," says the proprietor, "to conceal its process and combi"nation, upon the very careful preparation of "which depends its efficacy, its consequent repu "tation, and my veracity; but when such regugulations take place in the profession that the "different departments be strictly observed, I "shall with pleasure divulge it."

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The learned Doctor prefaces his history of pulmonary complaints, with a dissertation on the properties of the lichen islandicus, which he candidly confesses he has taken from an English publication, entitled, "Thesaurus Medicaminum,' which occupies seventeen pages of his valuable treatise. He then proceeds to the consideration of consumption of the lungs, asthma, dropsy, and hooping-cough; the history, symptoms, and causes of which he has handsomely copied from Dr. Cullen's First Lines on the Practiee of Physic, which he has not, however, the candor to confess, neither does he intimate or give any marks of it being a quotation!!

An enquiry into the compounding of medicines by apothecaries' boys, so much complained of by our worthy compiler, will constitute part of our

next number, which will be devoted to investigation of the practice of the medical and chirurgical professions, and the businesses of chymists, druggists, and apothecaries.

As we expected, so, on examination of this balsam, we find that instead of its possessing the medicinal properties of the Iceland liverwort, it is not even flavoured with it; nor is it possible, by any chymical process whatever, so far to concentrate the virtues of this herb, that a tea-spoon should contain a proper dose. This pretended balsam does not appear to be any thing more than oxymel of squills, flavored with the essential oil of anise and caraway-seeds. The observations we have already made on the balsam of liquorice, therefore, equally apply to this preparation,

The Doctor, in order to make up for the omission of the liverwort, recommends his balsam to be taken in a strong decoction of the herb, which we can venture to assert will prove more beneficial without than with his pretended balsam.

We are at a loss to conjecture in what respect dropsy resembles consumption of the lungs. We suppose that it is on account of the squills this nostrum contains, that it is recommended in dropsical complaints.

The best form for the exhibition of the lichen islandicus is that of decoction, which contains both its bitter and mucilaginous properties. The different preparations of this herb advertised under the direction of Dr. Regnault, as concentrated syrup and lozenges, we are disposed to believe have contributed much to bring this valuable medicine into disrepute. The observations on Dr. Regnault, communicated by Mons. La Touch, belongs to our next number, in which they will appear.