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a half of dollars had been taken on board; that there was a strong smell of fire. He went below to discover if possible, whence it proceeded, and finding the people at work in the main hatchway, inquired whether they perceivedany smell of fire, to which they replied in the negative. The captain then went to the fore hatchway, uncovered it, and removed the hatches, when the flame burst forth with great fury as high as the main stay. He ordered the hatches to be put on again, and used every endeaYour to extinguish the flames, but with out effect. At three A.M. on the 5th, the ebb tide having made, she went over on her broad-side. The decks by this time were so much heated, as to oblige the people to quit her. At four P.M. she was completely burned to the water's edge. Such was the fury of the flames, that the treasure between decks was run

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REPORT OF DISEASES,

Under the care of the late senior Physician of the Finsbury Dispensary, from th 20th of December, 1808, to the 20th of January, 1809.

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Five thousand four hundred deaths from consumption are recorded as having rccurred within the bills of mortality du ring the last year-a melancholy and decisive proof of the fatality and frequency of this encroaching disease, as well as its annual growth and endless ramifications. In spite of all other circumstances of fashion or atmosphere, which are calculated to urge on the propensity to phthysical complaints; in consequence of its hereditary nature, it cannot fail to be. come more prolific in every succeeding generation. Every phthysical parent communicates the danger at least, of disease to his offspring. Phthysis is often the only patrimony that is bequeathed:-an unenviable possession which may possi bly be entailed upon perhaps an indefinite series of posterity. At the same time it ought to be known and practically considered, that it is only tendencies that are inherited, not actual malady; so

AMERICA.

Accounts from Brazil state that the vaccine inoculation, first practised in St. Salvador, towards the close of 1804, has since been spread through all the provinces, by the orders of the Princeregent. His royal highness appointed Dr. J. A. Barbosa to superintend and promote the new practice, and so bene ficial have been its effects, that the smallpox, formerly very destructive there, has almost totally disappeared.

that a man whose body and mind have

been well educated, may be able to coun

teract the original sin of his consitution. We depend more upon what occurs after, than previously to our birth. What out

of self-complacency we are apt to attribute to our fathers or our mothers, much more frequently arises from a feebleness of volition, a weakness of the will, from a careless indiscretion, or a too luxurious indulgence.

As for any farther particulars than have already been mentioned in these Reports, with regard to the cure or rather care of phthysis, for the latter is always necessary, although the former may be often impracticable, nothing on this occasion can be said without committing the crine of an idle and tiresome tautology. If the consumptively disposed are not suf ficiently on their guard, they cannot be excused upon the ground of not having been sufficiently admonished.

Asthma is a complaint in consequence of its connection with the lungs, that appears to indicate a consanguinity with pulmonary disease; but in fact they are essentially dissimilar. Besides many other features of variety, the one is for the most part connected with an undue hope and hectic vivacity, whilst the other is in general accompanied with an hypochondriacal despondence, or an unrea

sonable

sonable dejection. How can we wonder that one under the actual agonies, or under the dreadful prospect, of an approaching paroxysm of asthma, should not be chearful, or even be composed. Asthmatics are often, perhaps more generally than others, men of mind and of manly energies. But there are feelings of pain which must get the better, for a time, of the sturdiest fortitude, and no man can be blamed for not enduring with tranquillity sufferings which are almost beyond the limit of human toleration.* Bleeding, or the vein-evacuating system, as being too indiscriminate and profuse, the Reporter has frequently had occasion to reprobate; by the energy and decision of his remarks he has incurred some reproach, although not that of his own conscience. Every new day throws new light, and gives an additional flash of conviction upon the subject. Among the asthmatics more especially, any detraction of blood is inevitably followed by a diminution of strength, and too frequent ly by an entire dissolution of the faculties of vitality. This remark peculiarly applies to those who are far gone in life. To tap the sanguiferous system when the cask is well nigh exhausted, is a cruel and wasteful expenditure of that which is necessary to support even a feeble perpetuity of existence. Dr. Flower, who has concentrated in his little treatise almost all that can be usefully said on the subject of asthma, more than a hundred years ago, gave an opinion which harmonizes with and of course confirms my own. "Bleeding," he says, "though never so oft repeated, will not cure the asthmatic, but a little for the present relieve the straitness and suffocation. It is agree. able to young persons, but very prejudicial to old habituated asthmas, who at present are not much relieved thereby, but after some time they become cachectic." +

An anonymous note lately received, though by no means unfriendly or unhandsome, animadverted upon my last Report, which stated some facts with regard to an asthmatic patient that applied to him for

rellef. But it should be announced and understood, that what was communicated concerning this individual, was not without his express permission, which the Reporter is in the habit of requesting from his patient, before he notices to the public any private communications.

Treatise of the Asthma, by John Flower, M.D. p. 108.

MONTHLY MAG. No. 181.

Cachectics, native or artificially manufactured debilities of the constitution, although they hold no specific rank in a medical nomenclature, occupy the largest space in the field of a physician's professional observation. Diseases that have acquired no name, and are incapable of any precise or discriminating definition, constitute the majority in the melancholy group of maladies.

Dropsy, alas! has fallen in several instances under the Reporter's care within the last few weeks. Dropsy is nearly allied to despair, and may be considered as the last step before the threshold of death.

In the presence of the Reporter, a plebeian illiterate patient of this class, conscious of his vicinity to the grave, breathed a confession, that he was ashamed of feeling] so much attached to this last rag of life."

66

Distempers of every, and more remarkably of this kind, originate in a great measure from excess in the luxuries of eating or of drinking, and perhaps quite as frequently from the former as from the latter. The former is the most frequent cause of abrupt dissolution, but they are both rival candidates for executing the rapid and premature destruc tion of the human frame. Hippocrates, one of our venerable fathers in medicine, tells us, that "he who eats and drinks little will have no disease." This axiom perhaps contains in itself more of the rashness of youth than the reason of age. But at any rate it must be confessed that inordinate gratification of every species must be followed by grievous calamity, and that to the inhabitants at least of this island, the fluid incentives to exhilaration is more dangerous than the effects which may arise from a more solid and substantial epicurism. Wine is perhaps more corrosive in its operation, and more perilous in its ultimate consequence, than any other superabundance of diete tical oppression.

Alchohol is bad aliment; and the more fearful diseases arise from spirituous ex◄ cess. Dropsy, hypochondriasis, asthma, paralysis, and asthenia, are all members

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J. REID.

Grenville-street, Brunswick-square, January 26, 1809.

§ Dr. Beddoes's Hygeia.

of the same family, children of the same cordials. The last scene of these maladies is often a partial or general dropsy, which, after having passed the tedious and fitful purgatory of pain, must inevitably lead to the calamitous conclusion of life.

Nothing could be better adapted to apartments in which the orgies of Bacchus are celebrated, nothing more like to preserve those who unwittingly join in the celebration,than bloated dropsical figures, some overwhelmed by death-like languor,

some starting out of their sleep under
those horrors which water in the chest
brings on, and others in one of those
gasping fits which 'come on with greater
and greater violence till the lungs are
entirely overwhelmed by the increasing
inundation." §

STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN JANUARY.
Containing official Papers and authentic Documents.

PRUSSIA.

TH
HE King of Prussia transmitted the
following letter on the 24th of Decem-
ber, 1808, to the Magistrates of Berlin:

"Worthy, beloved, and faithful subjects, my provinces being evacuated by the French, my attention is now directed to the accomplishment of my heartfelt wish of returning to my capital of Berlin, with the Queen my spouse, and my family-an object which I have by all possibie means endeavoured to attain since the conclusion of peace. I have given orders that the Constituted Authorities shall leave this place for Berlin, as soon as the districts on the other side of the Vistula have begun to breathe a little from the effect of the heavy burthens they have sustained in furnishing carriages and supplies, both before and during the evacuation of the country. This short interval I shall employ in a journey to St. Petersburgh, in consequence of the repeated friendly and urgent invitations, both verbally and by letter, of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia. I shall expedite my journey, and hope within a few weeks, to revisit my provinces on the other side of the Vistula, to which I owe so many proofs of exemplary fidelity; and shall in particular hasten my return to Berlin, to tes"tify to my subjects of that city my gratitude for their firmness and good conduct, and to assure them of my attachment and satisfaction. I inform you hereof, and command you to notify the same to my loving and faithful citizens of that city; and I am your loving Sovereign.

"FREDERIC WILLIAM."
SPAIN.

Thirteenth Bulletin of the French Army.
St. Martin, near Madrid, Dec. 2.-On the
29th uit. the head quarters of the Emperor
vere removed to the village of Bouzeaullas.
On the 30th, at break of day, the Duke of
Belluna presented himself at the foot of Sa-
mosierra. A division of 13,000 men of the

Spanish army of reserve defended the passage

of the mountains. The enemy thought themselves unattackable. They had entrenched themselves in the narrow passage called PuerThe 9th light to, with 16 pieces of cannon. infantry marched upon the right, the 96th upon the causeway, and the 24th followed, by the side of the heights on the left. Gen. Senarmont, with six pieces of artillery, advanced by the cause way.

The action commenced by the firing of musketry and cannon. A charge made by General Montbrun, at the head of the Polish light horse, decided the affair. It was a most brilliant one, and the regiment covered itself with glory, and proved it was worthy to form a part of the Imperial Guard. Cannons, flags, muskets, soldiers, all were taken or cut to pieces. Eight Polish light horse were killed upon the cannon, and 16 have been wounded, among the latter is Captain Dzievanoski, who was dangerously wounded, and lies almost without hopes of recovery. Major Segur, Marshal of the Emperor's household, charged among the Polish troops, and received many wounds, one of which is very severe ; sixteen pieces of cannon, 10 flags, 20 covered chests, 200 waggons laden with all kind of baggage, the military chests of the regiments, are the fruits of this brilliant affair; among the prisoners, which are very numerous, are all the Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, of the corps of the Spanish division; all the soldiers would have been taken if they had not thrown away their arms and dispersed in the mountains.

On the 1st of December, the head-quarters of the Emperor were at Saint Augustin, and on the 2d, the Duke of Istria, with the cavalry, commanded the heights of Madrid.

The infantry could not arrive before the 3d. The intelligence which we hitherto received, led us to think that this town is suffering under all kinds of disorders, and that the doors are barricadoed. The weather is very fine.

Fourteenth Bulletin.

Madrid, Dec. 5.-The 2d at noon, his Majesty arrived in person on the heights

which impend over Madrid, on which were already placed the divisions of dragoons of Generals Latour Maubourg, and Lahoussaye, and the imperial horse-guards. The anniversary of the coronation, that epoch which has signalized so many days for ever fortynate for France, awakened in all hearts the most agreeable recollections, and inspired all the troops with an enthusiam which manifested itself in a thousand exclamations. The weather was beautiful, and like that enjoy ed in France in the month of May. The Marshal Duke of Istria sent to summon the town, where a military junta was formed, under the presidency of Marquis of Castelar, who had under his orders General Moria, Captain General of Andalusia, and InspectorGeneral of Artillery. The town contained a number of armed peasants, assembled from all quarters, 6000 troops of the line, and 100 pieces of cannon. Sixty thousand men were in arms.-Their cries were heard on every side; the bells of 200 churches rung altogether; and every thing presented the appearance of disorder and madness. The general of the troops of the line appeared at the advanced posts to answer the summons of the Duke of Istria. He was accompanied by 30 men of the people, whose dress, looks, and ferocious language, recalled the recollection of the assassins of September, When the Spanish general was asked whether he meant to expose women, children, and old men, to the horrors of an assault, he manifested secretly the grief with which he was penetrated; he made known by signs, that he, as well as all the honest men of Madrid, groaned under oppression; and when he taised his voice, his words were dictated by the wretches who watched over him. No doubt could be entertained of the excess to which the tyranny of the multitude was carried, when they saw him write down all his words, and caused the record to be verified by the assassins who surrounded him. The Aid-de-camp of the Duke of Istria, who had been sent into the town, was seized by men of the lowest class of people, and was about to be massacred, when the troops of the line, indignant at the outrage, took him under their protection, and caused him to be restored to his general. A little time after, some deserters from the Walloon guards came to the camp. Their depositions convinced us that the people of property, and honest men, were without influence; and it was to be concluded that conciliation was altogether impossible.

The Marquis of Perales, a reputable man, who had hitherto appeared to enjoy the confidence of the people, had heen on the day before this, accused of putting sand in the cartridges. He was immediately strangled. It was determined that all the cartridges should be remade; 3 or 4,000 monks were employed upon this work at the Retiro. All the palaces and houses were ordered to be

open to furnish provisions at discretion. The French infantry was still three leagues from Madrid. The Emperor employed the evening in reconnoitring the town, and deciding a plan of attack, consistent with the consideration due to the great number of honest people always to be found in a great capital.

At seven o'clock the division Lapissi of the corps of the Duke of Belluna arrived. The moon shone with a brightness that seemed to prolong the day. The Emperor ordered the General of Brigade Moison to take possession of the suburbs, and charged the General of Brigade Lauriston to support him in the enterprize, with four pieces of artillery belonging to the guards. The sharp-shooters of the 16th regiment took possession of some houses, and in particular of the grand cemetry. At the first fire, the enemy shewed as much cowardice as he did of arrogance all the day. The Duke of Belluna employed all the night in placing his artillery in the posts designed for the attack. At midnight the Prince of Neufchatel sent to Madrid a Spanish Lieutenant-Colonel of Artillery, who had been taken at Samosierra, and who saw with affright the obstinacy of his fellow citizens. He took charge of the annexed letter, No. 1. On the third at nine in the morning, the same flag of truce returned to the head-quarters with the letter No. 2. But the General of Brigade Lenamont, an officer of great merit, had already placed 30 pieces of artillery, and had commenced a very smart fire, which made a breach in the walls of the Retiro. The sharpshooters of the division of Villatte having passed the breach, their battalion followed them, and in less than a quarter of an hour 1000 men, who defended the Retiro, were knocked on the head.

The Palace of the Retiro, the important posts of the Observatory, of the porcelaine manufactory, of the grand barrack, the hotel of Medina Celi, and all the outlets which had been fortified, were taken by our troops. On another side, 20 pieces of cannon of the guards, accompanied by light troops, threw shells, and attracted the attention of the enemy by a false attack.

The enemy had more than 100 pieces of cannon mounted; a more considerable number had been dug up, taken out of cellars, and fixed upon carts, a grotesque train, and in itself sufficient to prove the madness of a people abandoned to itself. But all means of defence were become useless. The possessors of Retiro are always masters of Madrid. The Emperor took all possible care to prevent the troops from going from house to house. The city was ruined if many troops had been employed, Only some companies of sharp-shooters advanced, and the Emperor constantly refused to send any to sustain them. At eleven o'clock the Prince of Neufchatel wrote the annexed letter, No, 3, His Majesty at the same time ordered the fire to cease on all points,

A but

A butcher's boy of Estremadura,who commanded one of the gates, had the audacity to require that the Duke of Istria should go himself into the town with his eyes blindfolded. General Montbrun rejected this presumptive demand with indignation. He was immediately surrounded, and effected his escape only by drawing his sword. He narrowly escaped falling a victim to the imprudence with which he had forgot that he had not to make war with civilized enemies.

At five o'clock General Morla, one of the Members of the Military Junta, and Don Bernardo Yriarte, sent from the town, repaired to the tent of the Major General. They informed him that the most intelligent persons were of opinion, that the town was destitute of resources, and that the continuation of the defence would be the height of madness, but that the lower orders of the inhabitants, and the foreigners at Madrid, were determined to persevere in the defence. Believing that they could not do it with effect, they requested a pause of a few hours to inform the people of the real state of affairs. The Major-General presented the Deputies to the Emperor and King, who addressed them thus:-

You make use of the name of the people to no purpose; if you cannot restore tranquillity and appease their minds, it is because you have excited them to revolt: you have seduced them by propagating falsehoods. Assemble the clergy, the heads of the convents, the alcaides, the men of property and influence, and let the town capitulate by six o'clock in the morning, or it shall be destroyed. I will not, nor ought I to withdraw my troops. You have massacred the unfortunate French prisoners who had fallen into your hands; only a few days ago, you suffered two persons in the suite of the Russian Ambassador to be dragged along and murdered in the public-streets, because they were Frenchmen born. The incapacity and baseness of a general, had put into your power troops who surrendered on the field of battle, and the capitulation has been violated. You, Mr. Morla, what sort of an epistle did you write to that general?-It well became you, Sir, to talk of pillage, you who, on entering Roussillon, carried off all the women, and distributed them as booty among your soldiers! What right had you to hold ch language elsewhere?-The expectation ought to have induced you to pursue a different line of conduct. See what has been the conduct of the English, who are far from piquing themselves on being rigid observers of the Laws of Nations. They have complained of the Convention of Portugal, but they have carried it into effect. To violate military treaties, is to renounce all civiliza tion: it is placing ourselves on a footing with a banditti of the desart. How dare you, then, presume to solicit a capitulation, you who violated that of Baylen? See how

injustice and bad faith always recoil upon the guilty, and operate to their prejudice. I had a fleet at Cadiz; it was under the protection of Spain, yet you directed against it the mortars of the town where you commanded. I had a Spanish army in my ranks; I would rather have viewed them embark on board the English ships, and be obliged to precipitate it from the rocks of Espinosa, than to disarm it; I would rather prefer having 7000 more enemies to fight, than be deficient in honour and good faith. Return to Madrid-I give you till six o'clock to morrow morning-return at that hour-you have only to inform me of the submission of the people-if not, you and your troops shall be put to the sword."

This speech of the Emperor, repeated in the midst of the respectable people, the certainty that he commanded in person, the losses sustained during the preceding day, had carried terror and repentance into all minds. During the night the most mutinous withdrew themselves from the danger by flight, and a part of the troops retired to a distance. At ten o'clock Gen. Belliard took the command of Madrid; all the posts were put into the hands of the French, and a general pardon was proclaimed.

From this moment, men, women, and children, spread themselves about the streets in perfect security. The shops were open till eleven o'clock. All the citizens set themselves to destroy the barricades and repave the streets, the Monks returned into their Convents, and in a few hours Madrid presented the most extraordinary contrast, a contrast inexplicable to those unaccustomed to the manners of great towns. So many men, who cannot conceal from themselves what they would have done in similar circumstances, express their astonishment at the generosity of the French. Fifty thousand stand af arms have been given up, and 100 pieces of cannon have been collected at the Retiro. The anguish in which the inhabitants of this wretched city have lived for these four months cannot be described. The junta was without influence; the most ignorant and maddest of men had all the power in their hands, and the people at every instant massacred, or threatened with the gallows, their Magistrates and their Generals.

The General of Brigade Maison has been wounded. General Bruyere, who advanced imprudently the moment the firing ceased, has been killed. Twelve soldiers have been killed, and fifty wounded. This loss, so trifling for an event of so much importance, Is owing to the smallness of the number of troops suffered to engage: it is owing besides, we must say, to the extreme cowardice of all those who had arms in their hands against us.

The artillery, according to its usual custom, has done great services. Ten thousand fugitives who had escaped from Burgos and Sa mosierra, and the second division of the Army

of

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