TROTTER’S MEDICINA NAUTICA 
of the fleet to which he was physician, 
and of various strictures and observations 
relating to the diseases of seamen, both 
by himself and numerous correspon- 
dents. ‘The enthusiastic zeal with which 
Dr. Trotter has prosecuted his labours, 
- for the improvement of that department 
of naval discipline which relates to 
health, is highly creditable, an1 in some 
important particulars has led to very 
beneficial changes. He laments, how- 
ever, that his suggestions have not al- 
ways received that degree of attention 
which, in his estimation, their importance 
demanded, and with others, who have 
aimed at material innovations, has had 
Occasion sometimes to complain of the 
disinclination of public offices, to listen 
to any deviations from established usage. 
Tn order, however, to prevent such hints 
as he deems worthy consideration from 
being entirely lost to the world, he has 
thought it adviseable to insert them in 
the present volume. 
With an honourable zeal in the cause 
of a numerous and deserving body of 
the profession, the author has used every 
endeavour in his power, to ameliorate 
the condition of navy medical men, who, 
he thinks, have been hitherto very much 
and very impoliticly neglected. His ob- 
servations on this subject, which are in- 
terspersed through various parts of his 
book, are more particularly stated in a 
letter to the present first lord of the ad- 
miralty, in which thermerits of this class 
of men are spiritedly pointed out, their 
hardships noticed, and such a plan of 
encouragement recommended, as ap- 
ears to him expedient. The author con- 
siders it to be absolutely necessary, that 
the services of medical men, in public 
situations, should be uninterrupted’ by 
private practice. But in order to with- 
draw any kind of apology, which the 
narrowness of pecuniary circumstances 
may give, for such a combination of 
public and private duties, it is necessary 
that their emoluments should be increas- 
ed. He gives some striking examples of 
the disadvantages which have arisen, 
from the interference of the one with the 
other. 
In the history which is given, in this 
volume, of the health of the fleet, we 
find a very creditable and humane inter- 
position, on the part of the author, to 
check the great increase of dissipation 
at Plymouth, occasioned by the impru- 
dent augmentation of public houses, 
which, in the town of Dock alone, had 
- 
727 
an increase of one hundred and forty.— 
The board of admiralty attended to his 
suggestions on this subject, and very 
wisely ordered the number to be reduced 
to the old establishment. 
Dr. Trotter, it is well known, has al- 
ways been a violent opposer of nitro.s 
fumigation, which, like every other pro- ' 
cess of a similar kind, he is convinced, 
does nothing more than overpower, or 
neutralize a disagreeable odour, and 
divert the attention from the use of a 
free ventilation, a safe and efficacious 
means of destroying the contagion., The 
exertions made by him with a view to 
procure a more perfect ventilation to the 
decks of ships, are very meritorious, and 
‘tend materially to remove the causes, or 
arrest the progress of disease, while the 
separation of febrile cases, which he has 
practised with so much success, has fre- 
quently stopt the course of a contagion, - 
which threatened to commit the most 
formidable ravages. ‘The propriety of 
the means recommended by him; are 
thus fully demonstrated ; and if he were 
satisfied with stating his conviction, that 
those means were sufficient for the pur- 
poses in view, without having: reconrse 
to any other, he would do no more than 
is completely warranted. Dr. ‘Trotter, 
however, goes much further; and, from 
what appears to us # very imperfect ex- 
perience, takes every opportunity of 
vilifying the use of nitrous iumigation, 
as a destroyer of contagion. ‘Chis, in- 
deed, seems to he a favourite topic with 
him ; for the slightest occasion is inva- 
riably embraced, to make some ill-hu- 
moured reflection on its use. If Dr. 
Trotter spoke from a fair, impartial, and 
candid trial, his tene might, with reason, 
be decided; but it is apparent, that the 
feelings with which he was actuated when 
the subject first came under his discus- 
sion, and those which‘still remain with 
him, are by no means favourable to phi- 
losophical examination. Dr. Trotter’s 
reasoning on this subject, has always 
been weak, and is by no means im- 
proved in the present volume ;. for. 
whatever may be the merits of the nitroue 
or muriatic fumigation, they can’only 
be known by fair experiments, institut. 
ed by men accustomed to inquiry, and°” 
who have not prejudged the practice 
which they are to examine. Various 
trials, itis true, are mentioned in the 
present volume, by the author’s corre- 
‘spondents, in which the practice is said 
to have been ineffectual; but the ime 
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