442 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



in the neighbourhood, and is so 

 alarmed about the steadiness of her 

 hand, that she is perpetually trying 

 whether it will carry to her head. — 

 Other persons in advanced life, in- 

 deed all I have consulted, agree that 

 nerves were not known in their ju- 

 venile days, and their opinion is, 

 that they must have crept in within 

 the last thirty or forty years. 



It would, therefore, be a great 

 object for curious persons to learn 

 the precise time of their appear- 

 ance, and, if possible, the inventor's 

 name. I have no doubt that he 

 would, whether dead or alive, be 

 highly honoured for his ingenuity, 

 as it has tended more to the con- 

 sumption of medicinal and other 

 cordials than all the rest of the con- 

 tents of Pandora's box. I have no 

 doubt, therefore, that the persons 

 most obliged by the discovery, such 

 as the apothecaries and distillers, 

 would erect a grand stomachic pil- 

 lar, with suitable devices, as deli- 

 cate fibres, the sensitive plant, aspen 

 leaves, &c. &c. and, like the Mo- 

 nument, a flaming fire at the top. 



It is seldom, as hath been Avell 

 observed by philosophers, that the 

 first inventor foresees all the conse- 

 quences of his invention. This in- 

 genious man, for example, whoever 

 he was, did not foresee that a time 

 would come when nerves should 

 supply conversation with the most 

 charming anecdotes, when every 

 pretty speaker should not only be 

 extremely nervous, but delight in 

 the enumeration of the many tre- 

 mors, palpitations, and feelings she 

 was afflicted with. Even the war 

 and the taxes are nothing opposed 



to a budget of spasms, and the most 

 serious discussion of the affairs of 

 Europe hath often been interrupted 

 by a vigorous attack on the pit of 

 the stomach, or a sudden something 

 in the head, which can be seen in 

 the highest perfection through the 

 medium of a glass ! It was this 

 which made a wicked fellow say of 

 ray aunt Deborah, " That old lady's 

 conversation is an odd composition. 

 It is all religion and cherry- bounce." 



These are matters of obligation 

 which the inventor of nerves may 

 be assured will be gratefully ac- 

 knowledged, as soon as he avows 

 himself, or his relations will make 

 known the place where his hal- 

 lowed remains are in sweet repose. 

 The benefits he has conferred will 

 be suitably acknowledged by all 

 who know and value the luxury of 

 complaining, by all who are tired 

 of colds, which are indeed too ge- 

 neral to confer any merit, or disturb 

 the harmony of a party, and who 

 have found more liveliness and 

 variety in the family of spasms. 



Although, as before observed, the 

 prin cipal obj ect of this letter is rather 

 to acquire than impart information, I 

 may add, in point of fact, a few 

 other circumstances which have 

 come under my observation. I 

 would therefore briefly state that 

 nerves, from whatever origin 

 they may have sprung, are princi- 

 pally confined to large and popu- 

 lous cities, and I think more pecu- 

 liar to Westminster than to Lon- 

 don ; not to deny, however, that 

 there are many persons in the city, 

 who are persons of property, keep 

 their carriage, and are very ner- 



it from l/r/uors, an attachment to which is a thing of a very different description. 

 Taking a quantity of liquors is downright drinking ; but three or four glasses of 

 liyueurs, in the course of a day, is, as 1 am confidently assured, uo euch thing ! 



