24S Dr. Goring's Commentary on 



Commentary on a Paper in the Philosophical Transactions of 

 the Royal Society for 1829^ p. 9, entitled " A Description 

 of a Microscopic Doublet, by W. H. Wollaston, M.D., 

 F.R.S., &c." Bi/ C. R. Goring, M.D., &c. 



[Communicated by the Author.] 



Commentaries afford a very useful method of communicating 

 information, for they give us an opportunity of telling the 

 public what is wrong as well as what is right, I have ever 

 found, from experience, that he who instructs only on one 

 of these points, does his work by halves : moreover, commen- 

 taries on the writings of distinguished persons (if ably exe- 

 cuted) frequently attain a consideration which the matter 

 contained in them would not receive in another form, purely 

 on account of the reputation of the writer commented upon ; 

 accordingly, most of the ancients of note, and many moderns, 

 have had commentators upon their works : several of our most 

 valuable law books have been given to the world in the form of 

 comments on those of other lawyers. No apology, therefore, 

 can be necessary for my present illustration of Dr. Wollaston's 

 paper. I hope that the same indulgence which Dr. Wollaston 

 seems to petition for, on the score of his health, will be con- 

 ceded to me also, for I am equally entitled to it ; and I seize 

 this opportunity of apologizing for my productions in general^ 

 of which I am heartily ashamed, for almost all I have given 

 to the public has been dictated^ and few can dictate as accu- 

 rately as they can write. I am distracted, stupified, and con- 

 fused by a constitutional determination of blood to the head, 

 which rarely permits me to write myself, or indeed to read 

 much, without a dangerous aggravation of the distemper : 

 moreover, I have frequently been unable to correct my printed 

 proofs^ and my papers are thus given to the world at the 

 mercy of the printer, or of some friend ignorant of the sub- 

 ject, with all their sins and blotches about them ; nevertheless, 

 I know, that if a man, sick or well, commits a faux pas in 

 print, he will be laughed at, for what is written is written, as 

 the Turks very justly observe — such allowances, however, as 

 the public can, in conscience, make for me, on account of my 

 infirmities^ I shall be grateful for. I shall do by Wollaston 



