212 STUDIES OF "NATURE. 



of a poor Tick man, would produce a ftill farmer 

 faving, by contributing to the fupport of his wife 

 and children. A fick perfon of the commonalty 

 has hardly need of any thing more than good 

 broths ; his family might partly fubfift on the 

 meat of which they were made. 



But hofpitals are fubj^d to many other incon- 

 veniencies. Maladies of a particular chafa6ler are 

 there generated, frequently more dangerous than, 

 thofe which the fick carry in with them. They are 

 fufficiently known, fuch efpecially as are denomi- 

 nated hofpital-fevers. Befides thefe, evils of a 

 much more ferions nature, thofe which aiTed: mo- 

 rals, are there communicated. A perfon of exten- 

 five knowledge and experience has affured me, 

 that mod of the criminals who terminate their days 

 on a gibbet, or in the galleys, are the fpawn of 

 hofpitals. This amounts to what has been already 

 afl'erted, that a corps, of whatever defcription, is 

 always depraved, efpecially a corps of beggars. I 

 could wifh, therefore, that fo far from coUeding, 

 and crowding together, the miferable, they might 

 be provided for, under the infpedion of their own 

 relations, or entrufted to poor families, who would 

 take care of them. 



Pui^lic prifons are necefTary ; but it is furely de- 

 firable that the unh.ippy creatures there immured, 



fliould 



