ledged duties, and of protecting the public from the effects of the frauds and abuses alluded to.

The author feels confident, that the present Bill, if passed into a law, will serve as an effectual check to the daring and the ignorant. He founds his opinion upon much and attentive consideration of the whole subject; and he has endeavoured to illustrate that opinion by quotations from, and comments upon, every material clause. He has been as studious to avoid unmerited severity in his remarks, as he shall ever be anxious to abstain from flattering prejudices by the sacrifice of veracity; being only desirous of convincing the understanding of his readers, by a clear statement of facts, with direct inferences from them, and of conciliating those who may have misunderstood the principle of the Bill, and the motives of its advocates, by a plain detail of proceedings.

Is it not, then, reasonable to expect, that the Legislature and the public will unanimously admit the necessity of instituting a Tribunal, for the future preservation of the community from the dreadful consequences alluded to, involving the lives of themselves and their families?

. Can it be denied, that men, who have passed through a regular course of studies in the best school for instruction (London) ought to feel anxious to assert their just claims to public confidence, and that they should wish to prevent their successors from suffering the degradation they have long sustained, by being indiscriminately confounded amongst a crowd of ignorant people, whose practices detract from the reputation of a learned and liberal profession?

Will it be called presumption in men, who have received an early education to the useful duties they profess, and have been afterwards daily employed, during many years, in the honorable discharge of those duties, to consider themselves capable of forming such a Board of Examiners, as shall be able to judge of the qualifications necessary to be possessed by Apothecaries, even in the absence of the President, or some Member of the Royal College of Physicians in London ?See Note', page 226.

It has been mentioned, that many of the Fellows or governing Members of the Royal College, are Physicians to Hospitals, and

receive pupils from amongst the young men, who afterwards settle as Apothecaries and Surgeon-Apothecaries. There are others also who give lectures on the practice of Medicine and Chemistry, and no inconsiderable part of their income proceeds from the fees of attendance paid by those students. Surely, then, such Physicians and Lecturers, as are Fellows, will not give their votes in Comitia (an assemblage) of the College, nor the Licentiates lend their sanction, directly or indirectly, to any measures of opposition to the Bill. A proceeding of this kind would exhibit a line of conduct highly disgraceful, subversive of their reputation and interest, and could not be tolerated by the profession at large.

To conclude, the Author sincerely hopes, that the opposition which the Royal College of Physicians has declared to the Bill is rather intended as a vigilant endeavour, to see that all its. clauses be made most effective to secure the accomplishment of their objects, than an opposition to its principle, or an attempt to frustrate its enactment, by any means which would expose that learned body to the suspicion of being actuated by jealousy, illiberality, or injustice.

Let it never be forgotten, that the original establishment of the College (in common with all chartered bodies) was not intended for the narrow limits of private advantage, but for the wide circle of public good.

1 The Lecturers in London, at present, are Dr. George Pearson, Dr. Babington, Dr. Hooper, Dr. Ager, Dr. Marcet, Dr. Adams, Dr. Curry, Dr. Tuthill, Dr. Hue, Dr. Clutterbuck, Dr. Roget, Dr. Harrison, Dr. Davy, Dr. Chomeley, and Dr. Buxton.

HISTORY

OF

JAMES MITCHELL,

BOY BORN BLIND AND DEAF,

WITH AN

ACCOUNT OF THE OPERATION

PERFORMED FOR THE RECOVERY OF HIS SIGHT.

BY JAMES WARDROP, F. R.S. EDIN.

LONDON:

ΤΟ

DUGALD STEWART, ESQ.

Dear Sir,

&c. &c. &c.

The great interest you have taken, and the exertions you continue to make for the welfare of the unfortunate Youth whose History is now presented to the Public, will, I trust, be deemed a sufficient apology for the liberty I take in thus prefixing your Name.

The Memoir, when presented to you in manuscript having met with your approbation, I am induced to publish it in its original form. As your valuable Account of the Boy has been circulated only among your friends; and as there are some facts connected with the Operation, and its immediate effects, which you have purposely omitted, I hope this Publication will not be deemed superfluous, and that may, in some degree, promote the objects of your benevolent exertions.

it

With every sentiment of respect,

I remain, Dear Sir,

Your much obliged and obedient servant,

Charles Street, St. James's Square,

December, 1812.

JAMES WARDROP.

THE HISTORY, &c.

THE following History of a Boy born Blind and Deaf

affords a most interesting, though lamentable, example of a defect in the organization of the human frame, which, as far as I know, has not yet been described; and lays open a field of curious and valuable philosophical investigation, which has not hitherto been much explored.

The boy, when brought to London, and put under my care, had passed the fourteenth year of his age. He was accompanied by his father, a respectable clergyman in the North of Scotland, and by his sister; from whom, and from the observations I was enabled to make, the subsequent history has been collected.

He had the usual appearances of strength and good health, and his countenance was extremely pleasing, and indicated a considerable deal of intelligence.

On examining the state of his eyes, the pupil of each was observed to be obscured by a Cataract.

In the right eye the cataract was of a white color and pearly lustre, and appeared to pervade the whole of the crystalline lens. The pupil, however, readily dilated or contracted, according to the different degrees of light to