1829.] 
and much celebrated, also, as a chemist. 
He was senior physician to St. George’s 
Hospital ; some years since, Lecturer on 
Chemistry, and the Practice of Physic, and 
physician to the Duke of York’s household, 
and the Vacine Institution. Dr. Pearson 
was a man of indefatigably studious habits ; 
and it was his custom to sit up later at night 
than any other person of his family. On 
the night of Saturday, the 24th of October, 
he is supposed to have been proceeding 
towards his bed, and to have fallen back- 
ward on reaching the top of ihe first flight 
of stairs. In the morning, he was found at 
the bottom of the stairs, alive, but with a 
large wound on his head, breathing heavily, 
and senseless. He was placed in bed, and, 
through professional aid, he, in the course 
of the day, recovered his consciousness, but 
Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. 
103 
expired towards the evening. His death 
took place in his own house, in Hanoyer 
Square. He is understood to have been 
between seventy and eighty years of age. 
Besides many articles contributed to the 
Philosophical Transactions, Dr. Pearson 
was author of the following works, all of 
them more or less distinguished by origin- 
ality of thought :—Observations and Ex- 
periments on the Buxton Waters, 2 vols., 
1784;—A Translation of the Table of 
Chemical Nomenclature, 4to. 1794 ;—Ex- 
periments on the Potato Root, 1795 ;—An 
Enquiry concerning the History of Cow- 
Pox, 8yvo. 1798 ;—Lecture on the Innocula- 
tion of Cow-Pox, 1798 ;—Examination of 
the Report of the Committee of the House 
of Commons, on the Claims of Remunera- 
tion for the Vaccine Innoculation, &c. 
MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
To wind up our agricultural and economical reports of this variable and checquered 
year, 1828, the autumn just concluded will dwell on the memory of our country friends 
as most memorable for its superiority over the preceding summer; and with few interrup- 
tions for its most propitious forwarding, not of this or that, or a part, but of every required 
or possible operation of husbandry. No living man has witnessed, no Chronicle has 
recorded, a more practicable and bountiful autumnal season. Nature, however, has 
decreed that the best of things must have some alloy. The balance is our object. 2 
The April-December now fast flitting away, has even exceeded the two preceding 
months in mildness. T'wo days and nights of frost, at least in the south, have proved the 
sum total of frost or cold, during the season. At the commencement, the heavy and 
repeated falls of rain forced up such a sudden growth of latter grass or fog, as was appre- 
hended would be little beneficial, if not prejudicial to the cattle grazing upon it, and during 
some weeks, little improvement appeared in their condition ; but subsequently, in conse 
quence of the brisk winds and general warmth of the atmosphere, evaporation took place 
so speedily and constantly, that the quality of the grass became gradually improved, and a 
simultaneous improvement followed in the condition of the grazing stock. The arable soils 
also were equally benefited, and generally have been in the finest state imaginable, whether 
for the seed process or for fallowing. In the mean time, we have to lament some serious 
calamities from storms of wind and from floods. Wheat sowing, which had been impeded 
by the state of the land, in certain districts, has since commenced, and has been finished 
in as husband-like a state as the disgraceful accumulation of weeds, of every known family 
and description, could possibly admit. This process, renewed in December, has touched 
nearly upon Christmas ; an uncommon practice, since it seems to have been heretofore the 
rule, to defer latter wheat sowing until the commencement of the New Year. The favour- 
able season and the shortness of the last crop, have certainly proved a stimulus to increase 
the breadth sown; and our letters reiterate the opinion given in our last report, that never 
before were so many acres sown with wheat in Britain. As to the deficiency of the last 
crop, it has been reported in Mark Lane, where information may be expected most uni- 
yersal and correct, to be on the average one third minus on the most productive soils ; on 
the waste, from one third to a half. From the genial warmth of December, the latter 
sown wheat was above ground sooner by two or three days than the early. A great draw- 
back upon the benefits of the season, is the general devastation of the slugs, unless we may 
calculate on the benefit of thick sowing. Did our slovenly farmers merit such a piece of 
good fortune, how it were to be wished that these slugs, alas, too well qualified by nature, 
both in smell and taste, would take or mistake the weeds for the corn. The trading of 
sheep has somewhat abated this evil, for which frost is the best specific. The winter tares 
have suffered full as much as the wheat, from vermin ; both crops, however, generally, are 
in a beautiful state of health and luxuriance, the wheat is now said not to be winter-proud 
to that degree which might have been expected from so prolific an autumn. The winter 
or Swiss beans, of which Messrs. Gibbs have a fine sample, has been cultivated to a con- 
siderable extent. 
Notwithstanding the obvious benefit to the public at large, from the late bill, by the 
greater facility and encouragement it afforded to importation, wheat must necessarily 
maintain a high price in the spring, vacillating, however, from the effects of speculatio.. 
The deficiency of the Jate harvest having been general in foreign countries, the supply, by 
