(54 On the Nature of the alkaline Matter contained in 



the Alaianac of 1812, and the two immediately preceding 

 and foliowing that period, to lead him to an adoption of 

 one quantity in preFerenee to the other, because it has been 

 considered inconsistent with itself, and with the deductions 

 of the astronomers upon the continent. 



I also trust he will always bear in his recollection, that his 

 learned and profound predecessor never did a thing hastily 

 and carelessly; that whatever was done, was done with 

 judgement and deliberation, and founded on the establish- 

 ment of the best facts which the existing circumstances 

 could procure; that if errors arose in his work, they were 

 such as were unavoidable, or such as could not he removed 

 by the means which he possessed ; and that he always ad- 

 hered to his own deductions notwithstanding they might 

 varv from established authority, unless the means which 

 gave rise to such authority were in his own opinion superior 

 to those from which his had been derived. A close inves- 

 tigation accompanied with sound judgement, and a posi- 

 tive adherence to his own deductions, were the leading traits 

 in the character of Dr. Maskelyne : they will speak for him 

 more than a thousand fiimsy panegyrics : they are the cha- 

 racteristics of a sound and well informed mind. 



Yours, &c. 



T. FiRMINGER. 



IX. A Reply to some Observations and Conclusions in a 

 Paper J2ist published, in the Second Fblume of the Mcdico- 

 Chirurgicul Transactions, on the Nature of the Alkaline 

 Matter contained in various dropsical Fluids, and in the 

 Serum of the Blood. By George Pearson, M.D. 

 F.R.S. Physician in Ordinary to their Royal Highnesses 

 the Duke and Duchess of York, and their Household, 

 &'c. &c. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, 1. "WAS favoured a few weeks ago, by Dr. Marcet, 

 the author, with the above named paper. In it I have the 

 satisfaction to find many of the facts confirmed, and none 

 contradicted, which I have published in the Philosophical 

 Transactions 1809 and 1810, on Expectorated Matter and 

 Purulent Fluids; except with regard to the alkaline impreg- 

 nations. My experiments informed me that expectorated 

 matters and pus contain potash neutralized by an animal 

 substance, or by an acid destructible by fire. I likewise 

 found, as I prosecuted my inquiries, that there is the same 



kind 



