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1759.

Method for the Benefit of Mines.

129

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON To the AUTHOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE.

SIR,

a free circulation of

MAGAZINE. Vita Brevis, Ars Longa.

SIR,

Leigh, 1769.

Tair in coal mines, is a point of So fhort is the life of man, that were

very great and acknowledged utility in the working of them: Let me then fuggeft an expedient to this purpose, which appears equally plaufible, and feafible to me, and perhaps may do fo to the world.

Place a large machine, fomething in form of a funnel, at or near the mouth of the pit, with an aperture of fix feet diameter, or more, as occafion fhall be; let it converge into one or two tubes, each of one foot, or nine inches diameter in the clear; let these tubes be carried down the fhaft to the bottom of the pit, and thence branched off into other fmaller tubes, or air-pipes, all along the cavity of the pit, much in the fame manner as the air-pipes which teed the coal-fire furnace do. In thefe circumftances it is obvious to conceive, that if the aperture of the funnel at the top is expofed to the wind, there will be a currency of air (ftrong in proportion to the velocity of the wind) down the pipes into the cavity of the pit, and that this current will difcharge itself at the extremity of thefe pipes: Now if the current fhould do this (and upon this very fuppofition my project is founded) and if the ca vity of the pit does not communicate with any other old work, or pi, then the egrefs of air muit be by the mouth of the pit, and fo a free circulation will enfue; and, to favour this egrefs, a fcreen of wood, or strong canvas, may be placed on the leeward fide of the mouth of the pit.

Whether the above fuppofition is juft, or not, I fubmit to your readers valeat quantum valere poteft. Certain it is, that in a circulation of this kind, promoted by fire, the operation is a kind of violence, and not so easy and natural as it might be by any pneumatical machine. There is great room for improvements in pneumaticks and mechanicks, and eminent conveniencies might accrue from them to the public, the welfare of which has long engaged the favourite paflion of your's, Dorfet, Feb. 18, 1769. March, 1769.

CLERICUS.

it not for the afliftance he receives from the joint labours of his predeceffors, he could of himself alone make but little progrefs in the fcience and practice of phyfick: Wherefore that the venerable names, and useful dif coveries of many of thofe worthies, may not be utterly forgot, but be had in refpectul remembrance, we have here made a brief collection of several of the most noted, and which, I doubt not, will be agreeable enough to fome of your more curious readers; to fee thus at once, in one view, fuch a number of able authors, and of new difcoveries, the learned fubjects of fo many volumes.

Vefalius, and Fallopius, difcovered the curious fibres of the ftomach, and inteftines, as their proper organs of motion. Dr. Jollife the Lymphaticks, and the motion of the lymph to the common receptacle. Ailelius the lacteals; and Pacquet the receptacle of the chyle. Dr. Glyffon, and Dr. Wharton, found out the motion of the chyle, through two kinds of mefenterick glands into the common cystern; and Dr. Wharton, and Steno, the true ufe of the glands. Malpighius the cerebral glands, and fibrous compage of the brain, as alfo the glands of the liver, fpleen, and kidneys; and the lobules, and vehicles for air in the lungs. Bitholomeus Euftachius the urinary ducts of the kidnies, and Dr. de Graaf the feminal veffels of the teftes.

The Doctors Glyffon, Wharton, Ridley, and Willis, have difcovered the fuccus nervoíus, and the last of them, its production into the cortical glands of the brain. Doctors Grew and Malpighi the vellels of air, fap, milk, refine, turpentine, &c. in plants. Dr. Croon difcovered the mufcles called perigotaphy lini to belong to the palate, and not the uvula, and hath very well explained the nature and afe of the parts of the ear; as has Sir George Ent diffected many animals, and made new difcoveries of parts not mentioned by other anatomifts, and more particularly in the rana pifcatrix. Dr. Lower, and Steno, found

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Difcoverers in Medicine and Anatomy.

found out the fpiral fibres, and many other ranks, di pofed in great order in the heart. Dr. Charlion, and Sir Thomas Millington, Dr. Lanfon, Dr. Tyfon, with many more of the college of phyficians at London, have been very fkilful in anatomical diffections of animals, wherein they have Jaid open many fecrets of nature; and there are not wanting feveral able gentlemen of the profeffion, who are at prefent daily doing the fame, which good manners allows not to mention. But to go on with the deceafed, who, though dead, yet every one by his works ftill fpeaketh, to whom we are beholden for a short way to come at their knowledge, and a quicker method of improving our own.

Bafil Valentine, the chemift, difcovered the fafe ufe of crude antimony, and the excellent virtues of the fame; as did Glauber his purging falt; and Angelus Sala, the fuperior benefit of crude tartar as a laxative. It would be almoft endlefs to reckon up every article that has been added to the noble study of medicine, and anatomy, by the many able ftudents, and practitioners in thefe fciences; but for variety, and amufement of the curious, we will add as many more as we think may be admitted in the reafonable limits of a Magazine: not forgetting our induftrious Lemery, who found out that even fo foft a fubftance as water was a menftruum capable, in time, to diffolve filings of feel into an impalpable powder, by always itanding in them. To proceed, Bauhinus difcovered the valve of the colon, or Varolius, as others fay. Witzungius the duct that leads from the pancreas into the fift inteftine; as alfo did Steno. Ruifch difcovered lymphaticks of the spleen, both on its furface, and within its fubftance, as alfo in the Jungs; as did Bartholine, and Claus Rudbech, likewife Nicholas Hoboken, and our Dr. Needham, the alantoid membrane; and our Roger Bacon was the first introducer here of chemitry. Gulielmus de Saliceto in 1250, profefir at Verona, was the first who preferbed chemical medicines. Guido de Cauliaco reduced the art of furgery into a fyftem. He was phyfician to Pope Clement the 5th, in 1353. Caius John, born at Norwich,

March

1550, wrote of the fweating fickness, and died 1570. George Torella, Pope Alexander the 6th's phyfician, was one of the first who wrote on the lues venerea; as Leonicenus, about 1498, was the very firit who wrote on that French pox; and Jacob Carpus was the first who railed a falivation by unction, 1510.

We are beholden to the judicious Keill for the glands; to the famous Glyffon, for the liver; the ingenious Havers, and Monro, for the bones; the fagacious Douglas, and Cooper, on the mufcles. The curious Euftachius for his delicate cuts of the human body, and Chefelden for thofe of the bones. To Fallopius for finding out the ovarian tubes, called ever since by his name.

And Van Horn, and De Graaf, for the cua in women; to fay nothing of Paræos, Paracelfus, Helmont, Mead, Freind, Fernelius, Fracaftorius, Riolanus, Sennertus, Sydenham, Boyle, Boerhaave, and my late good friend Arbuthnot, with feveral more moit eminent in their profeffion. I fhall only add our own immortal Harvey, phyfician to King Charles the Firit, who in 1628 difcovered the circulation of the blood, and the ovarian doctrine befides; which latt difcovery fhews that all animals, even man himself, proceeds originally out of an egg, as these few lines do both truely and worthily exprefs, with which I conclude:

A calmer welcome this cheite
piece befall,
[duced ali;
Which from fresh extract hath de-
And for belief, bids it no longer
beg,
[an eggi

That Caftor once and Pollux were
That both the hen and housewife
are to matcht,
[hatcht;
That her fon born, is only ber fon
That when her teeming hopes have
profperous been,

Yet to conceive is but to lay within ;
Experiment, and truth, both take
thy part,
[there's the art.
If thou can't fcape the women!
Live, modern wonder, and be read
alone,
[loins have none.
Thy brain bath illue, though thy
Let frail fucceffion be the vulgar
[heir.
Great genera ion's felf is now thy
M. L. L. M. D.

care;

Your's, J. Coox.

Alluding to the great and many difputes, and oppofitions, Ilarvey met with againgt bis at covery of the circulation of the blood at first jetting out.

A bart

ACCOUNT OF POLAND.

1769. A fort Account of Poland. From Dr. Smollett's Prelent State of all Nations.

TH

HIS large kingdom is bounded towards the fouth by Moldavia, Transylvania, and Hungary; to the north by Pruffia, Livonia, and Ruffia; to the welt by Silefia, Brandenbourgh, and Pomerania; and to the east by Ruffia, and Little Tartary. Its extent from east to west is about eight hundred miles, and from north to fouth about five hundred and fixty. It was antiently a part of SarmatiaEuropea.

The air is cold in the north, but temperate in the other parts of the kingdom, both in fummer and wiuter, and the weather in both, more fettled than in many other countries. The face of the kingdom is, for the moft part, level, and the hills but few. The Crapack, or Carpathian mountains, feparate it from Hungary on the fouth. The foil is very fruitful both in corn and pafturage, hemp and flax. Such is the luxuriance of the paftures in Podolia, that it is faid one can hardly fee the cattle that are grazing in the meadows. Vat quantities of corn are yearly fent down the Viftula to Dantzic, from all parts of Poland, and bought up chiefly by the Dutch. The eaftern part of the country is full of woods, forefts, lakes, marshes, and rivers, of the last of which the most confiderable in Poland are, the Viftula, Nieper, Niefter, Duna, Bog, Warta, and Memel. The metals found in this kingdom are iron and lead, with fome tin, gold, and filver; but there are no mines of the two laft wrought at prefent. The other products of Poland are, moft forts of precious tones, oker of all kinds, fine rock chryftal, Mufcovy glafs, talc, alum, faltpetre, amber, pit-coal, quick filver, fpar, fal gem, lapis calaminaris, and vitriol. In leffer Poland are falt-mines, which are the chief riches of the country, and bring molt money into the exchequer. In the woods, which conlift mostly of oak, beech, pine, and fir trees, befides the more common wild beafts, are elks, wild afles, wild oxen, or uri, lynxes, wild horfes, wild theep with one horn, bifons, hyenas, wild goats, and buffaloes. In the meadows and fenny ground is gathered a kind of manna; and the

131 kermes-berries produced in this country are ufed both in dying and medicine.

The inhabitants confift of nobles, citizens, and pealants. The first poflefs great privileges, which they enjoy partly by the indulgence of their kings, and partly by antient custom and prefcription. Some of them have the title of prince, count, or baron, but no fuperiority or pre-eminence on that account over the rest, which is only to be obtained by fome publie pott or dignity. They have the power of life and death over their vaffals; pay no taxes; are subject to none but the king; have a right to all mines and falt works on their cftates; to all offices and employments, civil, military, and ecclefiaftic; cannot be cited or tried out of the kingdom; may choole whom they will for their king, and lay him under what reftraints they please by the Pacta Conventa; and none but they and the burghers of fome particular towns can purchafe lands. In fhort, they are almolt entirely independent, enjoying many other privileges and prerogatives befides thole we have fpecified; but if they engage in trade, they forfeit their nobility.

The Polish tongue is a dialect of the Sclavonic: it is neither copious nor harmonious. Many of the words have not a fiagle vowel in them; but the High Dutch and Latin are underftood and fpoken pretty commonly, tho' incorrectly. The language in Lithuania differs much from that of the other provinces. True learning and the study of the arts and fciences have been little attended to in Poland, till of late they began to be regarded with a favourable eye; and to be not only patronized, but culti vated by feveral of the nobles and others, both laymen and ecclefiaftics.

There are two archbishops in the kingdom, viz. thofe of Gnefna and Leopol, and about a dozen bishops. The archbishop of Grefna is always a cardinal, and primate of the kingdom, of which, during an interregnum, and in the king's abfence he is alfo regent. The prevailing religion is Popery; but there are great numbers of Lutherans, Calvinils, and Greeks, who are called Dillidents, and by the

laws of the kingdom were intitled to

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toleration;

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INSTRUCTIONS

toleration; but were much oppreffed till very lately, that by the powerful interceffion of the emprefs of Ruffia, and the proteftant powers, they have obtained a confirmation of all their religious rights, with additional privileges, under the guaranty of the said powers. In confequence, however, of the confederacies that have been formed by the mal content party, who oppofed the elevation of Count Poniatowski to the throne, and the refolutions of the laft Diet in regard to the Diffidents, the kingdom is now a fcene of anarchy, bloodshed, and confufion. Thefe calamities are, in a great measure, owing to the perfecuting intolerant fpirit of the Popish clergy, joined to the bigotry of their blind deluded followers, who plunder and destroy all who are not of their party, especially the Diffidents. Thefe confederates have alfo prevailed upon the Turks to declare war again the Ruffians; fo that there is no likelyhood that the troubles and calamities of this unhappy kingdom wild foon be at an end. The Jews are indulged with great privileges, and are very numerous in Poland; and in Lithuania, it is faid, there are a multitude of Mahometan Tartars. We may judge of the numbers of Jews in this country by the produce of their annual poll tax, which amounts to near fifty-feven thousand rixdollars.

There are few or no manufactures in the kingdom, if we except fome linen and woollen cloths and hardwares; and the whole trade is confined to the city of Dantzic, and the other towns on the Vistula or Baltic. s. d. The gold ducat of Poland is worth about

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March

Efq; came foon after, in confequence of a meflage for that purpose. Sir Jofeph Mawbey defended the propriety and neceflity of inftructions at this critical period, in terms that met with the general approbation of the meeting, and declared his intention of sup. porting the constitutional liberty of this country without place, penfion, or emolument whatever, unawed by power, and influenced only, not by men, but meafures; and avowed his ftrong attachment to his majesty's perfon and family, and the principles of the glorious revolution. A queftion was put, and the fenfe of the company taken, whether inftructions should be given? When there appeared many hundreds for the propofition; againit about a dozen of a contrary opinion.

The following inftructions were afterwards twice read, and almost unanin.ously agreed to:

To Sir Jofeph Mawbev, Bart. and Henry Thrale, Efq; Reprefentatives in Parliament for the Borougbof Southwark.

"We, the electors of the borough of Southwark, this day affembled in the Town-hall, think ourselves indifpenfibly obliged by the duty and loyalty we owe to the best of kings, as well as by our love for the constitution, to exercife, at this time of national discontent and danger, our undoubted right to inftruct you, our reprefentatives in parliament: And we do therefore earneftly recommend to you,

1. That you endeavour to continue to us, and to confirm our old conítitutional rights of juries, to the exclufion of all proceedings by information, 6 attachment, and interrogatories.

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2. That you carefully watch over that great bulwark of our liberties, the Habeas Corpus act; and that you 6 enquire into, and punith, any attempt that may have been made to evade the force of the law.

N March I was held, at the Town-hall in Southwark, the moft numerous and molt refpectable meeting of the electors of that borough, that was ever known in the memory of man; Edward Stevens, Efq; by general confent, was appoint ed chairman. Sir Jofeph Mawbey, bart. one of the members, attended, and the other member, Henry Thrale,

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1769: Of the Borough for redress of the grievances of the fubject, by promoting a ftrict enquiry into every illegality committed against any petitioner that may appeal to parliament; and that you oppofe the felecting fuch parts only for proof, as may tend, not to relieve, but to criminate the petitioner.

5. That you promote fuch meafures, as may have a tendency to fecure every British fubject the full and entire poffeffion of every liberty derived to him from the principles of our excellent conftitution.

6. That as the trade and commerce to our American poffeffions is of the utmost importance to the manufacturers of Great Britain, you use your utmoft endeavours to reconcile the unhappy differences fubfifting betwixt the mother country and the colonies, to the total exclufion of the manufac

tures of other nations.

7. That you ftrictly enquire into the ufe which has lately been made of the military power; and particularly, whether many innocent lives were not taken away, and much blood fpilt, by the foldiery, in the most inhuman and wanton manner, in St. George's Fields, within this borough, in the month of May laft; and to remove every pretence for calling in a military force that you endeavour to put the civil magiftracy on a more refpectable footing, by restoring the of fice of constable, or confervator of the peace, to its ancient power and authority.

8. That you use your beft endeavours for having a ftanding committee appointed for the regular examination of the public accompts.

9. A requifition having been laid before parliament for payment of the civil lig debts, that you enquire how thofe debts have been incurred; and if any of them fhould appear to be Owing to the creation of new and unBecellary places, the augmentation of the falaries of old ones, the defence of illegal attacks on the liberties of the fubject, or the grant of penfions to the members of both, or either Houfe of Parliament, that you oppofe the giv.. ing of public monies for fuch purpoles.

19. That you promote a bill for limiting the number of placemen and pensioners in the Houfe of Commons,

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and for preventing the peers of Great Britain from interfering in the elec tions for members of parliament.

11. That you endeavour to quiet the apprehenfions of the public, arifing from the idea of an intended exertion of the obfolete claims of the crown, by fupporting a bill for fe curing the poffeffions of the subjects.

12. That you use your utmost endeavours to obtain an act to fhorten the duration of parliaments, as one of the best and most likely methods of putting a stop to the bribery and corruption fo univerfally complained of. March 1.

EDWARD STEVENS,

Chairman." After this a motion was made, feconded, and unanimously agreed to, "That the thanks of this meeting be given to Sir Jofeph Mawbey, bart. for his fpirited and unbiaffed conduct in parliament, and for his fervices to this borough."

Mr. Thrale afterwards addrefied the company, afferted the integrity and the purity of his intentions and conduct, and promised the utmost impartiality and difinterestedness in his behaviour in difcharge of his duty in parliament; and the thanks of the com pany, after fome oppofition, were given him for the declaration then made by him. The thanks of the meeting were then given to Edward Stevens, Efq; for his great candour and impartiality in the chair; and the company feparated in the greatest good humour and temper.

The Cafe of Mr. John Adams, humbly Jubmitted to the Confideration of the independent Freeholders of Middlefex, at this critical Period.

JOHN

OHN ADAMS, Efq; a member of the House of Affembly in the island of Barbadoes, in the year 1762, had armed his flaves to oppofe the sheriff in the execution of his duty. This act was attended with flagrant circumftances. He was profecuted, convicted, fined, and imprisoned. The house thought Mr. Adanis unworthy of holding a feat in it; and a motion being made to expel him, he was expelled accordingly. A writ was iffaed for the election of a reprefentative for the parish of Christ Church, which Mr. Adams had reprefented. The electors faid, the crime or crimes for

which

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