1824.] On the Precautions lately introduced against Hydrophobia. 
him to perplexity of process) are calcu- 
lated to repel the student; but that a 
work, unique in its way, for profundity, 
in the range of English mathematical 
publications, should, at the same time, be 
a disgrace to our language, when brought 
into comparison with similar productions 
of the continental mathematicians. 
The Quarterly Review, for August, is, 
indeed, principally made up as its anta- 
gonist describes. With the exception 
of thirty-seven pages, devoted to the 
Essay on Political Economy, in a Sup- 
plement to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 
thirty-seven more to publications refer- 
able to prisons and prison discipline, 
nine more to fresh abuse and misrepre- 
sentations of Mr. Hone, and thirty-eight 
on Mr. Canning, the West Indies and 
negro slavery,—the bulk of the 400 pages 
must plead guilty to the indictment of 
mere belles-lettres disquisition, and at- 
tempts at amusement. Of which plea- 
sant sin, however, we should not blush 
(were their manner as inviting as their 
subjects) to avail ourselves in an ensuing 
number. —=_- 
« For the Monthty Magazine. 
Remarks. on the Precautions insti- 
tuted against HypRoPHosia. 
ONSIDERABLE alarm having for 
some time prevailed of the disease 
termed hydrophobia, measures have been 
taken which have not quite coincided 
with the ideas of all persons; and an 
ingenious letter has consequently ap- 
peared in the Morning Herald on the 
subject, showing the impropriety of the 
indiscriminate slaughter of all those poor 
dogs, who had the misfortune to be found 
at large, unmuzzled. The intention, dic- 
tating this letter, reflecting more of ho- 
nour on its author, than his observa- 
tions, would seem to have produced, of 
humanity, in those, who have been in- 
strumental in issuing this inconsiderate 
decree. An instance of this fact has, it 
appears, lately occurred at Wigan, in 
the case of Mr. Lord’s dog, which had 
been wantonly shot, without evincing 
the slightest symptoms of hydrophobia, 
and by a constable employed for the 
purpose of killing dogs. The purest mo- 
tives, however, have been alleged to 
bave dictated the measure of destroying 
these animals, and the act having only 
been performed in obedience to higher 
authority, no redress could reasonably 
be anticipated. Still we do not ques- 
tion the purity of the motive ; and we 
doubt not the resolution was formed 
with violence to the feelings of those 
who thought themselves in duty bound 
421 
to take this step. “ Better to destroy 
a million dogs, than suffer one of our 
own species to be endangezed !”” This 
is the kind of argument used, and by 
one, who (judging by his own declara- 
tion) is “as fond of his dogs ‘as any 
other man.” But let us apply the same 
reasoning to things of still less import- 
ance, than a poor dumb animal. Per- 
sons are, sometimes, crushed to death, 
by carriages. The magistrate, therefore, 
should issue an order for all carriages 
found wandering about the streets, to be 
destroyed—certainly less worthy objects 
of sympathy, than a favourite and faith- 
ful dog. But, admitting the preserva- 
tion of the life of a dog to be less va- 
luable than a carriage, have these dumb 
animals, no rights of their own? and 
does not the encouragement, given to 
the indulgence of a sanguinary dispo- 
sition towards the brute creation, create 
greater dangers than we attempt to 
spurn? The truth of this will be rea- 
dily admitted by all who have watched 
the course of cruelty, from “ the tying a 
kettle to a dog’s tail, to the commission 
of human murder.” I beg to subscribe 
myself a stranger to any of the parties, 
but a friend to them all.—L.. Gomrertz. 
———= 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
UMEROUS, interesting, and im- 
portant as the communications 
relating to the Population of Great 
Britain, which have appeared in your 
magazine, have been, “ the eternal in- 
terest of the subject”? will, I doubt not, 
be deemed sufficient to justify a recur- 
rence to it, as long as an additional 
ray of light can be elicited. 
Under such an impression, in despite 
of the frivolous taste of the time, and 
prevailing repugnance to matter of fact, 
I venture to send you a further series 
of tabulated statements, every line of 
which will be found to supply the means 
wherewith ‘ topoint the moral, oradorn 
the tale” of history. 
The first statement exhibits the an- 
nual average number of marriages, bap- 
tisms, and burials in each county of 
England, in the ten years, 1811-20, com- 
pared with the number of each, in the 
latter year of that decennial period: 
The counties, being arranged in order of 
total population, with the numerical 
ratio, affixed to each county, will facili- 
tate the investigation of the proportions, 
On examining this statement with refe- 
rence to that of the amount of paro- 
chial assessments in each county, as 
stated 
