44 Memoirs of Erasmus Darwin^ M. D. 



putation of the doctor, and the many wonderful ciires be 

 had performed, and she resolved to consult him. The doctor 

 heard the case with patient attention, and with honest in- 

 tegrity told her ladyship, " that if she would confide in 

 his judgment he had full hopes of her recovery." One in- 

 junction he made, that the countess would remain at Lich- 

 field. He condemned the system her ladyship had followed, 

 of nutritious food, rich jellies, and wine, and a quantity of 

 medicine every three or four hours, with forcible exertions 

 of body and mind, and substituted exactly a reverse system; 

 and in three weeks the countess was completely restored, and 

 able to resume her journey, not for health, but to enjoy the 

 society of her elegant circle of friends, who admired greatly 

 the saaacity of that physician who had saved her life. 



One may here remark that Dr. Darwin was ever unfriendly 

 to the system of too much excitement, and so decidedly ini- 

 mical to the use of wine and strong spirits, that he insti- 

 tute(! a spirit of sobriety in the inhabitants of Lichfield 

 which was almost incredible. His cautions he sometimes 

 gave even in a poetic dress. 



Address of a Water-Nymph at Belmont to the Owner of 

 that Place. 



O friend to peace and virtue, ever flows 

 For thee my silent and unsullied stream. 

 Pure and untainted as thy blameless life ! 

 Let no gay converse lead tiiy steps astray 

 To mix ray chaste wave with immodest wine. 

 Nor with the poisonous cup, which Chemia's hand 

 Deals, fell enchantress, to the sons of Folly ! 

 So shall young Health tliy daily walks attend, 

 "Weave for tl\y hoary brow the vernal flower 

 Of cheerfulness, and with his nervous arm 

 Arrest th' inexorable scythe of Time. 



His sentiments respecting fermented liquor are very sin- 

 gular, and worthy of attention. In the note to his Vcrseg 

 on the Vine, ^vhere he complains that by chemistry fer- 

 mentation converts sugar into spirit, and food into poison ; 

 he adds, that from this process more than half of our chro- 

 nical 



