1769. Of the Stone in the Bladder. 17 To the AUTHOR of the LONDON heels made to approach his buttocks, NOTWITHSTANDING the pompous titles of Lithontriptic Noftrums, and even inftances of their good effects related to fupport their affertions, I aver they are calculated to delude the credulous public, and to anfwer private intereft more than the welfare of mankind; the proprietors of fuch Noftrums, if men of knowledge, experience, and of honeft principles, muft allow the juftnefs of this accufation. Not a medcine ever was discovered that can diffolve the ftone in the bladder; if they do it out of the body that is no proof they will do it in; the various changes which a medicine undergoes in paffing through the ftomach and bowels, muft greatly alter it from its original state, and the fmall quantity of it which muft arrive at the part which it is intended to act upon, will render its lithontriptic power very little and very uncertain. The only method of curing the ftone is by the operation of lithotomy; however dreadful and dangerous in idea it may appear, experience proves it to be at tended with little danger, or inconvenience, when it is judiciously performed, and upon a good fubject, of the great numbers which I have, and have feen cut by others, not one ever died, or had the leaft inconvenience afterwards; the method of operating is as follows: The patient is to be laid on a table, three feet and a half high, with a pillow under his head, his thighs contracted towards his belly, and his Jan. 1769. ligatures are to be faftened round his wrift, and tied to the bottom of his feet, his thighs are then to be extended from each other, and fupported by proper affiitants, then let the staff be introduced into the bladder, and held by an affiftant, a little leaning on the left fide of the perinæum, then make an incifion upon the groove of the staff, beginning about the bottom of the fcrotum, and finishing a little below the anus, between it and the tuberofity of the ifchium; the cutting gorget is then to be introduced through the wound into the bladder, and by the direction of that the forceps, and the ftone to be then extracted; the gorget cutting as it is introduced divides the proftate gland without lacerating any of the parts, hence the wound will with more facility be healed; the forceps ought to be large, for we cannot tell what fize the ftone may be, and a large pair will extract a fmall stone with as much eafe as a fmall pair; if any confiderable blood veffel is wounded it ought to be fecured by needle and ligature; the wound is to be dreffed with dry lint, the patient put to bed, and his legs kept close together. The radical cure for the stone is not to be expected but by fubmitting to the operation, yet temporary relief may be procured. A fit of the tone, or gravel, is well known to be attended with the most excruciating pain, and the common method of treatment ra ther aggravates than cafes. A little reftection will foon inform us that all stimulating forcing medicines are prejudicial, the utmost that art can do is to relax the parts, and make the urinary pallages more foft and yield. ing; to this end oily emollient glyfters will be of the greateft fervice, not only by relaxing the bladder and parts adjacent, but also by emptying the inteftines of indurated excrements, and thereby removing the preffure from the parts contiguous; fmall but frequent draughts of gruel fweetened with honey, barley water, and now and then a draught of warm flender gin and water will be beneficial; warm fomentations to the belly are to be used and diuretic anodyne medicines adminiftred: The medicines I should recommend are the following, C R Bacc. 18 OF BOROUGH-JOBBING. B Bacc. junip. cont. 3 fs. fem. anifi 3ij; for. chamame fal gem a 3ij; coque in aq. font. q. s. ad colatur 3x ij; adde ol. olivar, opt. 3 ij; f. enema tepide injiciend. RAq. Fanicul. 3 if; lixes tart. q. viij Ly. ex althea 3iij; gum arabic ; tinct. thebaic.q. x vj ; fpt. nit. dpr. xx. m. f. bauft poft operatione enemæ fumend. B. Sy. ex althea Ziiij; ol amygdal. d 3ij. lixes tart. q. xxx; tinet. thebaic q. x. ij. misce capiat. coch. ij quartes vel fextis boris res, poftulant fæpius vel citius durantibus torminibus veficæ. Such a method as this is conformable to reason, and will be found beneficial in the experience of others, as well as the manifold experience of THOMAS BREWER. To the AUTHOR of the LONDON MAGAZINE. SIR, TH HE facetious Joe Miller, or fome excellent author of the fame ufeful clafs, tells us that a great orator once promifed his audience three very ftrong reafons in proof of his point, and went through two of them with prodigious eloquence and vaft applaufe, but when he came to the third, alas! he either could not recollect it, or found it mal a propos, and fat down abruptly:The reader will easily conceive that he was extremely chagrined, and think he did very wifely in refolving never to give the number of his reafons again. This, firs, is a very curious and instructive anecdote. A finall kill in alchymy is fufficient for extracting many valuable hints from it. Why did not I confider it fooner? When I told my friend preferment was derived from four fources, might not I have forefeen that he would be importunate with me to confider them all?-In the former, firs, I delivered my fentiments freely and without restraint, fure of the fupport of the good and virtuous, whilft I attack the enemies of their country, the corrupters of principle, the foes of morality, the defpifers of religion and decency. The fame worthy part of my readers will forgive my digreffing a moment to declare, that as I would gladly contribute towards erecting a Statue to the memory of the excellent Jan clergyman and magiftrate whofe cha racter Veritas Reverfa gave us September 1767, fo I would lend my pen, credit and purfe, to confign to eternal infamy thofe defpifers of the laws and conftitution of their country, who deprive their fellow fubjects of their liberty and franchifes, by making arbitrary and partial rates, which he fo juftly argued. I heartily with there could be fome law made to declare infamous the parish officers who make, and those who induce them to make, the magiftrates who fign, the officer who returns by fuch inequitable rates, and that all the juries before whom fuch practices shall come, would fhew their zeal for the laws and conftitution of their country, for the liberty, property, and franchifes of their fellow fubjects, by fuch verdicts as will confign over to due fhame and punishment the perpretators of them. A regard to their own honour and reputation, as well as to juftice and their country, will certainly incline them to act this part-Since they must know that if they act otherwife, they will be esteemed by the worthy part of mankind either pitiably weak, fhamefully ignorant, or fcandaloufly partial and flagitious.Would any man quainted with the principles of modern religion, morals, and politicks, think it poffible that gentlemen of rank fhould induftriously publish to the world, that they thought confcience and honefty were not to be confidered in election bufinefs; that they never confidered the merits of election petitions, but always ferved their friendand that they were glad when the merits were devilishly against him, that they might fhew their regard and claim the greater merit by fupporting his caufe? A fhort paraphrafe of the laft of these frank declarations may poffibly help to fet its propriety and excellence in it's juft light. If the merits had been for my friend,-law, justice, equity and confcience, would have ob liged me to fupport him,-where then would be the merit of doing fo?-Or what compliment would be paid him? But as the merits are devilishly against my friend, I have the happiness to make a facrifice of law, juftice, equity, and confcience to the fervice of his caufe, and to fhew my regard to him by trampling upon the franchises unac of 2. Of a Bishop's Donation. 19 F. It is easily told---you have nothing to do but write over what you have already published. Z. Pardon me, Sir, if... F. If...what? Pray how do you think a poor curate can be introduced to a b---p without the intereft of a borough or fome great man? Would you with your great wifdom have the b---ps forget their maker? Z. I am really quite in the dark, and cannot fee the drift of your question. As I understand it it makes against you, for furely their 1--dships beftowing their favours on worthy, friendlefs curates would be fo far from fhewing any forgetfulness of their great Lord and Maker that it would be a very strong proof of their remembring him. 1769. of my fellow fubjects, countenancing illegal oppreffive proceedings, conniving at measures which tend to deftroy the freedom of elections on which our liberty much depends.-Surely the devil must be in him if he does not think this a hand fome compliment... Now furely, courteous reader, fince fuch are the fruits of borough jobbing,—I might fafely have depended on your countenance and approbation whilft I endeavoured to expofe it's infamy--in my first letter.---And I hoped I might presume on favourable allowance, whilst I attempted to fet in it's true light the indecent behaviour of the great and vulgar, to poor dependent clerks, and the mean fneaking tamenefs of those who submit to it. If in thefe cafes I gave my pen too much liberty, I flattered myself I fhould ob- F. Throw away your pen for fhame. tain your pardon, if I could not merit. But furely you do not in earnest your approbation. But if I proceed think I meant by the word Maker the to confider the third fource from which Creator of the universe. preferment flows---a bishop's donation---no favourable allowance is to be expected. The leaft hint bordering upon fatire will be interpreted to be a defigned invective against the hierar. chy, and an oblique blow at chriftiaty, which is often ftruck at through the fides of its minifters.---As I am proud of profeffing myfelf a chriftian, a firm believer of revealed religion, and a true church of England man, every reader will perceive I must take every step with a caution and reserve which will deprive my compofition of that free fpirit which was the only recommendation of my former ones. This and much more Í fuggefted to my friend, as an excufe, for dropping the fubject, but to no purpose. His importunity could not be diverted. Glad then to oblige, and fearful to offend, I applied to an honeft fenfible neighbour for advice in this delicate point. I was fure of having his thoughts frankly, for he is a plain blunt fpeaker.---Rufticus abnormis fapiens---a great reader of the papers and Magazines from which he has collected many curious anecdotes, by reafoning on which he has acquired jufter ideas of life and manners then one could well conceive.--- Sir, fays he, you boggle at a ftraw, you ftart at a fhadow, you may fafely proceed.-- Z. Pray..-how? tell me my dear friend. Z. I did think fo, but fuppofe now you mean the king, and pray how much is your argument mended on this fuppofition? Do you think that a truly religious prince who has the good of church and ftate, the fpiritual and temporal interefts of his fubjects at heart, would not efteem their lordfhips promoting the worthieft of their clergy one of the best returns of gratitude to him? Can you conceive that he could deem it any fign of their forgetting their maker? F. Worse and worfe; but not to be plagued any longer with your ignorance---let me afk you do not you recollect the anecdote I allude to? Z, Anecdote---what--- ? F. To what purpose do you read the papers and Magazines? I thought every man in England knew that when moft of the bishops once took fides against the minifter...L..d Ch-ft-rfi-ld obferved to them that they furely had mistaken fides for he could not imagine they had forgotten their maker. I give you only the fenfe of the ftory, not his lordship's proper and witty terms. But you know my meaning. 2. It is plain enough indeed---but wit is to be read with grains of allowance. And I cannot perfuade myself that their lordships are fo much devoted to the minifter as you imagine. F. What an excellent hand you are • See Lond. Mag. for 1767, p. 226. Z. Gratitude, amiable and excellent as it is, ought to give way to duty and publick utility. Suppofe the minifter propofes a clerk not fo worthy as many curates in the diocefe---what do love to the church, regard to the flock, duty to God require? F. Supoofe your felf the minifter. In what light would you view the bishop who owed his preferment to you, if he fhould difpute the merit of the perfon you recommended? What fort of idea would you entertain of his politenefs, which you know, according to the prefent established fyftem, contains all the moral virtues? There can be no doubt of your efteeming him a bad cafuift. For you would fee On one fide the obligation of gratitude to induce him to prefer your friend, on the other no obligation at all: For furely a bishop is under none to give livings to every curate who does his duty. With respect to the good of the church, which you lay fo great a ftrefs upon, I could name you many clergymen who have been spoiled by promotion. If this does not fatw fy you, but you will ftill be talking of confcience, pray would you have a bishop renounce the faith in order to fatisfy your humour? Jan. at a compliment or apology?--you liged he will probably return the fawould, it feems, free their lordships vour with great intereft---the latter's from a flight afperfion by blackening petition may without injuftice be laid them all over. Ingratium fi dixeris-afide to another opportunity. In this omnia dixeris-I prefume you know. cafe your great wifdom and confcience If I give you 2000l. per ann. fhould I would, it feems, oblige the curate and not have reafon to call you ungrateful neglect the wholesome apoftolical rule. if you refused to give my friend the Methinks I hear you fay to the minifpreference in the disposal of a living of ter-really, Sir, I must own I have 100l. great obligations to you, I owe indeed all my preferment to your goodnefs--but a worthy curate has applied for the living, and confcience obliges me to give it him. I have read that a bifhop (I think he was of Exon) gave an answer of that kind to a minister--who answered coolly...this, my lord, is not the way to Winchester. Would not fuch an answer have the fame effect upon you as it had upon the bishop, and make you immediately grant the favour to his honour as be did? This anecdote brings us back to the point from whence we let out, which was to prove a fact, which might have been long fince done, if your questions had not drawn me off to fhew the equity or probability of it. As I find you are determined to defend your notion inch by inch, I fhall call in fome help and attack you with an obfervation of a very celebrated writer, a bishop too, in a very cele brated piece, which may poffibly abate your prejudice against my Hypothe fis. "Religion having loft its hold on the people; the minifters of reli gion were of no further confequence to the ftate; nor were ftatefmen any longer under the hard neceffity of feeking out the most eminent, for the honours of their profeffion.They could now employ church honours more directly to the use of government, i. e. of their own, by conferring them on fuch subjects as most gratified their talte or humour, or ferved beft to ftrengthen their connexions with the great.---In the courfe of forty or fifty years (I am not fpeaking of prefent tranfactions) a new generation or two are fprung up: And thofe, whom their profef fion has dedicated to this fervice (of reafoning men back to religion), experience has taught, that the talents requifite for pushing their fortune, lie very remote from fuch as enable men to figure in a rational defence of religion. And it is very natural to think that, in general, they will be chiefly Z. You are fo ænigmatical that I am conftantly in want of an OEdipus to explain your dark questions. F. This is the cafe with all whofe knowledge is circumfcribed within narrow limits. But I thought you might have recollected a pallage of holy writ..." He that provideth not for his own, &c." Do not you know that a bishop by keeping up the port of a 1--d is frequently obliged to live up to the extent of his income which drops with him? Would you have him leave his family in an abject state of dependance? His lordfhip has a living to difpofe of the minifter applies for it, and a petition is prefented by a worthy curate. If the former is ob difpofed 1. 1769. Le SEASONABLE MEMENTO. disposed to cultivate thofe qualities on which they fee their patrons lay the greatest weight. "If (fays Bishop Burnet) laws have been made in fome ftates reftraining all ambitious afpirings to civil employments, certainly it were much more reasonable to put a stop to the fcandalous importunities of the clergy, that are every d where complained of, and no where more visible and more offenfive than at court.---The strange practices of many patrons, and the conftitution of molt courts, give a colour to excufe fo great an indecency. Men are generally fuccessful in those practices, and as long as human nature is to ftrong, as all men feel it to be, it will be hard to divert them from a method which is fe common, that to act otherwife would look like an affectation of fingularity; and many apprehend, that they muft languish in mifery and neceffity if they are wanting to themfelves in fo general a practice.---As long as the fhort methods, of application, friendship or intereft, are more effectual than the long and hard way of labour and study; human nature will always carry men to go the fureft, eafieft, and quickest way to work." Paft. Care, 12mo. p. 158, 9, 60. If you will compare thole two quotations, and give them fair play, I believe you will make no more objections to my affertion. 2. I am afraid my notion is indefenfible. But ftill a worthy curate might have a chance for a small living beneath the acceptance of a perfon who has intereft at court. F. A small chance indeed. Bishops have friends and acquaintance to make a compliment of fuch to. Their ladies might even be permitted to beflow fuch trifles. But fuppofe a bishop fully determined to bestow them on the worthieft---how is he to know them. His chancellors, and the dignitaries of his church can recommend their acquaintance as very worthy men. And few recommendations will want the plea of merit. What chance can you fuppofe a country curate to have of making his worth known? A man who (as Bishop Burnet advises) makes his friends (not great friends) and garden his chief diverfion---and his study and parish his chief business ?---Such a man is not in 21 a way to make fuch connections as will P. S. I am much obliged to your correfpondent in October for his cau tion with respect to the Trinitarian Controversy---and agree with him entirely-- and can affure you that many of your readers expreffed a great dif like to it, and heartily wifhed it finished---though there feemed little hopes of this event, as the difputants feemed like thofe in Milton to "find no end in wandering mazes loft." A feafonable Memento, for the Year 1768. "It is generally known, that the women of China (by bracing and binding them hard, from their infancy) have very little feet Befides this, it is obferved, that their women are also very little, and fhort-lived: Whereas, the men are of the ordinary ftature of other men, and live to a proportionable age. Thefe defects, in the female fex, in that country, are by fome imputed to the unreasonable binding of their feet; whereby the free circulation of the blood is hindered, and the growth and health of the whole body fuffers--How much greater inconveniencies may we expect, when the thorax (wherein is placed the heart and feat of life) is unnaturally compreffed, and hindered from its due expanfion !--- The application is easy. LOCKE. BE it remembered, that there are, at this very day, in Ireland, no lefs than four archbishops and eighteen bishops; in Wales, four bithops: One of whom was formerly, it is faid, an archbishop; in England, two archbishops and twenty-one bishops. In all, fix archbishops, and forty three bishops.-Total: forty nine archbifhops and bishops. Now, on the above view of things, • St. Davids. |