THE CONTENTS. Memoirs of Mr P. COLLINSON 57. OPIUM a cure for a mortification 60. An examination of the word THOUGHT 62. Propofals for increasing our trade with IR E- BRITAIN'S rights against the claims of AM E- A CALM ANSWER to Mr Wesley 69. PARLIAMENT. Gov. Penn's examination 72. On the petition of the congrefs 74 Lords on the American prohibitory bill 6. Commons on the motion to inform who advised the American measures 79. On Mr Burke's motion for a bill to com- pofe the troubles in America 80. AMERICA. Gen. Lee to Capt. Kennedy by Gen. Lee 89. Indians folicited 90. Operations in Virginia ib. A notice to POETRY. On friendship 97. Ode to in- fpiration 98. Infeription for Gen. Mont- gomery's cenotaph ib. On the Chaife-pin contrivance ib. To the females of the Books. Plaidoyer fur la validité d'un ma- riage Proteftant 99. Price on civil liberty, HISTORICAL AFFAIRS. A pardon offer- - Scottish Affairs 107, 8. MEMOIRS of Mr PETER COLLINSON. extenfive utility, is not a small one. We participate afresh in every focial action of the friend whom we loved whilft living, and pay that tribute to his name which love and friendship demand,- a grateful The juft efteem which Mr Peter Col- liofon had acquired, among the chief promoters of Natural History in moft parts of the world, and among men of under- fanding in general, in every part of ufe. Mr Peter Collinfon was the great- grandfon of Peter Collinfon, who lived fpecimens well chofen,-his botanic garden contained many curious plants not to be met with in any other, and the number of fuch kept increasing to the laft period of his life. The first-rate naturalists of the age, Drs Derham, Woodward, Dale, Lloyd, Sir Charles Wager, and Sir Hans Sloane, were among his friends.-He was one of thofe few who vifited Sir Hans at all times familiarly, and continued fo to do to the latest period; and among the great variety of articles which formed his friend's fuperb collection, fmall was the number of thofe with whofe history Mr Collinfon was not well acquainted. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, Dec. 12. 1728, and was one of the moft diligent and useful members of that refpectable body, not only in fupplying thm with many curious obfervations Tafelf, but in promoting and preferving tenfive correfpondence with learned Ceners in all countries, and on every ciclul subject, and thus excited others to contribute largely to the inftruction and entertainment of the fociety. Indeed be fuffered nothing ufeful in either art or fçience to efcape him.There were but few men of learning and ingenuity of all profeffions who were not of his acquaintance:he acquainted the learned and ingenious in diftant parts of the globe with the difcoveries and improvements in natural history in this country, and received the like information from the most eminent perfons in alimoft every other [xxix. 74.]. His corretpondence with Cadwallader Colden, Elq; of New York, and the celebrated Dr Franklin of Philadelphia, furnish mamy inftances of the benefit refulting from his attention to all improvements. To him Dr Franklin communicated his firft effays on electricity. Their minds in this refpe&t were congenial, ever intent upon promoting public good. Perhaps in fome future period, the account he procured of the management of theep in Spain [xxvi. 361.], in refpect to their migrations from the mountains to the plains, and their stated returns, may not be confidered among the leaft of the benefits accruing from his extenfive and inquifitive correspondence. When America is better peopled, the mountaines parts more habitable, the plains und of their vaft forefts, and culti, the finest sheep in the world may poly cover the plains of Carolina, Georgia, and the Floridas, in the win ter months, and retreat to the mountains as the fummer-heats increase, and dry up the herbage. Probably it might be practifed even in this ifland to advantage; with this difference, that the highest ground fhould be chofen for the winter. refidence of these animals, proper shelter being made for them, and the wetter low lands left for fummer. Mr Collinfon's converfation was chearful, and ufefully entertaining :-it generally turned to fome interefting difquifition, or imparting fome beneficial information. With fome of the most eminent perfonages of the kingdom, as diftinguished by their tafte in planting and horticulture as by their rank, he frequently spent a few days at their feats, imparting many advantageous hints as to the improvements they were defigning. By his extenfive obfervation and experience of the effects of different methods of cultivation; what foil, what afpect beft fuited different plants and trees; how beft to cover incurable defects; how to improve beauties, &c.. he often prevented young planters from committing capital mistakes, rectified others who had been milled, and prevailed upon many of his friends, and young people of fortune, to embark, in this rational amusement, and to persevere in it, greatly to their own emolu. ment, and the lasting advantage of their country. Planting, he used to say, and gardening, fupply a fund of entertainment the moft lafting and reasonable of any occupation in this life; pleasures not to be purchafed. The trees which we ourfelves have planted, the fruits we have raised, the plants we have cultivated, feem to be like our children, a kind of new creation; their fhade, their tafte, their fragrance, and their beauties, affect us with a richer repaft than any o thers. What a pleasing scene, would he obferve, lies open to a young man of fortune devoted to fuch amusements! Each fucceeding year produces new fhades, other fruits, fresh beauties, and brings befides moft certain profit. To behold the rifing groves, barrennef made fertile, our country improved, ourselves made useful and happy, and pofterity enriched! When on this fa vourite fubject, a very natural reflection often efcaped him, That he feldom knew a man poffeffed of a tafte for fuch pleasures, pleasures, who was not at the fame time temperate and virtuous. And indeed he had a right to make the obfervation; for he had the fatisfaction of reckoning among his most intimate friends, men of the most amiable and unblemished characters in all stations, parties, and diftinctions. Nor was he only employed in promoting this taste amongst his friends, in enlarging their views, correcting and re. fining their judgement, but also in furmithing them with the means of increafing their plantations; and it is but do ing juftice to his memory, to mention, that he was the first who introduced the great variety of feeds and fhrubs, which are now the principal ornaments of every garden; and that it was owing to his indefatigable induftry, that fo many perfons of the first diftinction are now enabled to behold groves tranfplanted from the western continent, flourishing fo luxuriantly in their feveral domains, as if they were already become indigenous to Britain. His bufinefs in the mercantile way was chiefly to North America and the Wet Indies, the former particularly. He had perufed every performance that was wrote refpecting the natural hiftory and produce of all our own fettlements, and indeed of all the European colonies in the new world. This enabled him to make inquiries after every thing that was curious and useful, and brought him acquainted with the most intelligent people who came over from America: his inquiries raised fome curiofity in thofe countries, and excited a tafte for natural history and botanical refearches. It perhaps may fafely be faid, that every thing of this fort that has appeared in those parts of the world, was chiefly owing to his encouragement. That eminent naturalift, John Bartram, may almoft be faid to have been created fuch by Mr Collinfon's affiftance: he firft recommended the collecting of feeds, and afterwards affisted in dispofing of them in this country, and conttantly excited him to perfevere in inveftigating the plants of America; which he has executed with indefatigable labour thro' a long courfe of years, and with amazing faccess. The quantities of new feeds he received from America, not only supplied his own garden with every thing that was curious, but furnished him with the means of procuring others, in exchange, from other parts of the globe. He had fome correfpondents in almoft every nation in Europe; fome in Afia, and even in Pekin; who all tranfmitted to him the most valuable feeds they could collect, in return for the treasures of America. In this exchange of good offices, there is abundant caufe to believe, no man ever exceeded him in respect to punctuality, care, or generofity; few had ever more intelligent correfpondence, or fucceeded better in enriching this country with the vegetable produce of every other, that could add either to its advantage or ornament. The great Linnæus, during his refidence in England, contracted an intimate friendship with him, which was reciprocally increafed by good offices, and continued to the laft without any diminution. Mr Collinfon frequently prompted the Americans to purfue improvements alike beneficial to themselves and to his country. He often urged the benefit, nay neceffity, of cultivating flax, hemp, wine, filk, and other products. In most of the northern and southern colonies, there are a variety of native grapes growing wild in the woods, and thriving among the trees and bushes for their fupport. These yield fruit in plenty of different kinds, and many of them are capable of producing a rich good wine. It would be eafy in autumn to collect a fufficient quantity of the fruit to make trial of the wine. A few have done it with fuccefs; and the fault seems not fo much in the fruit, as want of skill or care in making the wine. . It is certainly now high time for the Americans to apply themselves diligently to cultivate their native produce; and the meafures of administration have at length forced them to do it, whether they chose it or not. He was a member of the fociety of Antiquarians from its first inftitution, and fupplied them often with many curious articles of intelligence and obfervation refpecting this and other countries: for where-ever he was, or however seemingly engaged, nothing efcaped his notice, if it appeared likely to be useful or inftructive. He had no greater ambition than to collect what knowledge he could, and to render this knowledge fubfervient as much as poftible to the good mankind. He lived many years in great domeftic happiness; and his family took H 2 the the fame bias, and aided his purfuits. He had a pleafing and social afpect, his temper open and communicative, capable of feeling for distress, and ready to relieve. He rofe very early, and whilft in the country his time was almoft conftantly employed in his garden, obferving and affifting the operations of nature, or in the ftudy of other parts of phyfical knowledge, which contributed to his health and pleasure. He was fond of fruit to an extreme, and of flowers a perpetual admirer: he was feldom without them in his house, from the early fnowdrop to the autumn cyclamen. He would often relate with pleasure the aftonishing advancement made in his time in horticulture; gave inftances of many plants, which, at their first introduction, would not bear our winters without shelter, and now endured almost our hardest frosts; so that foreigners flood amazed at the power of vegetation in this country, and the happy temperature we enjoy, notwithftanding the unmerited murmurs of the unthinking and injudicious against a climate the most favourable of all others to the real happiness of mankind. He hath left behind him a vaft treafure of dried fpecimens of plants; and in fpite of repeated and cruel depredations on his garden, whereby he loft a multitude of valuable plants and fhrubs, and had many others deftroyed by the villains in the act of plunder, he has nevertheless left a small treasure of rare plants, in greater perfection than can be feen perhaps in any other spot. Excepting fome attacks of the gout, in general he enjoyed perfect health, and great equality of fpirits; bearing thofe trials which are incident to man with fortitude and refignation. In fuch a courfe he arrived at his 75th year; when being on a visit to Lord Petre in Effex, for whom he had a fingular regard, he was feized with a total fuppreflion of urine; which baffling every attempt to relieve it, proved fatal on the 1th of Auguft 1768, and deprived his family, his friends, and country, of a man devoted to their intereft and advantage. Inclosed in his will was found a paper, importing, "That he hoped he hould leave behind him a good name, which he valued more than riches; that he had endeavoured not to live ufelessly; and that all his days he conftantly aimed to be a friend to mankind." Such in deed he was, to the utmost of his abili ty; and he may juftly be confidered as a latent fpring to many important improvements, as well as one of the principal promoters of natural hiftory in general, and of horticulture in particular, in the age in which he lived, Opium found to be an efficacious remedy in a certain fpecies of mortification. From Pott's Chirurgical Observations. THE powers and virtues of the Peru vian bark are known to almost every practitioner in phyfic and furgery. Among the many cafes in which its me rit is particularly and juftly celebrated, are the diftempers called gangrene and mortification: its general power of ftop. ping the one, and refifting the other, have made no inconsiderable addition to the success of the chirurgic art. But ftill there is a particular species even of thefe, in which this noble medicine mot frequently fails: I mean, that particu lar kind, which, beginning at the extremity of one or more of the fmall toes, does, in more or lefs time, pafs on to the foot and ancle, and fometimes to a part of the leg, and, in spite of all the aid of phyfic and furgery, most commonly deftroys the patient. It is very unlike to the mortification from inflammation, to that from external cold, from ligature, or bandage, or to that which proceeds from any known and visible cause; and this as well in its attack as in its procefs. In fome few inftances it makes its appearance with little or no pain; but in by much the majority of these cafes, the patient feels great uneafinefs through the whole foot, and joint of the ancle, particularly in the night, even before thefe parts fhow any mark of diftemper, or before there is any other than a small difcoloured fpot on the end of one of the little toes, It generally makes its first appearance on the infide, or at the extremity, of one of the smaller toes, by a small, black, or bluifh fpot: from this fpot the cuticle is always found to be detached, and the fkin under it to be of a dark red colour. If the patient has lately cut his nails, or corns, it is moft frequently, though very unjustly, fet to the account of fuch operation. Its progrefs in different fubjects, and under different circumstances, is differcat in fome it is flow, and long in paffing palling from toe to toe, and from thence ing fui generis; and under this restric to the foot and ancle; in others its pro- tion I muft repeat, that I have feldom, grefs is rapid, and horridly painful: it if ever, feen the bark fuccessful. In all generally begins on the infide of each other cafes wherein it is used or recomImall toe, before it is vifible either on its mended, no man has a higher opinion of under or upper part; and when it makes it; but in this I cannot give it a praise its attack on the foot, the upper part of which it does not deferve. it firft fhews its diftempered ftate by tumefaction, change of colour, and fometimes by vefication; but where-ever it is, one of the first marks of it is a feparation or detachment of the cuticle. Each fex is liable to it; but for one female in whom I have met with it, I think I may fay, that I have feen it in, at leaft, twenty males. I think alfo that I have much more often found it in the rich and voluptuous, than in the labouring poor; more often in great eaters, than free drinkers. It frequently happens to perfons advanced in life, but is by no means peculiar to old age. It is not, in general, preceded or accompanied by apparent diftemperature, either of the part, or of the habit. I do not know any particular kind of constitution which is more liable to it than another; but, as far as my obfervation goes, I think that I have moft frequently obferved it to attack thofe who have been fubject to flying, uncertain pains in their feet, which they have called gouty; and but feldom in those who have been accuftomed to have the gout regularly and fairly. It has, by some, been supposed to arise from an offification of veffels; but for this opinion I never could find any foundation but mere conjecture. The common method of treating this distemper is, by fpiritous fomentations, cataplafms actually and potentially warm; by dreffings of the digeftive kind, as they are called, animated with warm, pungent cils and balfams, &c. and internally by the Peruvian bark. I believe I may venture to fay, that I have tried it as fairly, as fully, and as varioufly, as any man has or can. I have given it in the largeft quantity, at the thorteft intervals, and for the longeft poffible space; that is, as long as the patient's life would permit : I have given it by itself in decoction, extract, and fubftance; I have combined all these together; I have joined it with nitre, fal abfynth. with fnakeroot, with confect. cardiac. with volatile falts, and with mufk, as different circumftances feemed to require or admit: I have used it as fomentation, as poultice, as dreffing; I have affifted it with every thing which has been ufually thought capable of procuring or aflifting digeftion: fill the diftemper has continued its course, perhaps a little more flowly, but still it has ended in death. I am forry to rob one of our great medicines of any part of its fuppofed merit; but as, on the one hand, its claim in this inftance is unjust; and as, on the other, I hope to add as much to the character of another, the res medica will be no fufferer. Some time ago, I had a patient labouring under this complaint, who, from antipathy, obftinacy, or fome other caufe, could not be prevailed on to take bark in any form, whatever. I made ufe of every argument; but to no purpose: fomentation, poultice, and the ufual dreffings, were applied in the usual manner; the disease advanced fome days more, fome days lefs, and, at the end of a fortnight, the small toes were all completely mortified, the great one become black:fh, the foot much fwollen, altered in colour, and the disease seeming to advance with fuch hafty ftrides, that I fuppofed a very few days would I am fenfible that many of my read- determine the event. The pain in the ers will be surprised at my affirming, that foot and ancle was fo great, and fo conthe Peruvian bark will not ftop a morti- tinual, as totally to deprive the patient fication; a distemper in which, for fome of fleep. On this account, and merely years, it has been regarded as fpecific: to procure fome remiffion, I gave two but I muft beg not to be misunderstood. grains of opium at night; which not ha I mean to confine my obfervation and ving the defired effect, I repeated it in my objection to this particular fpecies the morning. Finding, during the folof mortification, which I regard as be lowing day, fome advantage, I repeated I wish I could say, that this, which, with little alteration, has been the general practice, had been most frequently, or even often, fuccessful; but I am, from long and repeated experience, obliged to fay that it has not. the |