88 Medical Premium of Fifty Guineas, 



the supposition contained in the last question be correct, the 

 method of estimating the height of balloons by barometers must 

 be very uncertain. 



I am, sir, yours sincerely, 

 Dec. 16, 1816. F. 



XXI. Medical Premium of Fifty Guineas offered hj A CoR- 



UESPONDENT. 



To Mr. Tillock. 



Sir, — J_yuRiNG the reign of pedantry, knowledge that was not 

 dug out of a folio was considered as triuing, and beneath a man 

 of letters. But now, the diffusion of science in periodical publi- 

 cations has been found so useful to mankind, that men of the 

 first eminence do not disdain to send their contributions to li- 

 terary journals. 



I was led to these reflections by some useful medical papers, 

 which I have lately seen in the Philosophir-al Magazine, and in 

 other publications, in which medical knowledge of the first im- 

 portance has been communicated to the public. 



The columns of that excellent paper The Star have lately 

 been filled with an^swers to a riddle, which it was said had been 

 proposed bv Miss Seward. This good-natured condescension 

 could onlv be attributed to the liberal desire of giving to some 

 of various competitors the chance of .gaining 50/. I have rea- 

 son to doubt the existence of the legacy which ha? given birth 

 to so uianv rhimes. But I now, sir, beg leave by your means 

 to offer Jifty guineas reward, for the solution of a problem 

 which would be really useful to my fellow creatures. It is a 

 case in medicine; and I promise to pay fifty guineas to any per- 

 son who shall point out a cure for the disease, or a part of that 

 sum proportioned to the degree of palliation which may be pro- 

 duced by his prescription. 



As 1 have lieen your correspondent from the commencement 

 of yoi!r Magazine, in 1797, to the present time; and as I have 

 by other means been known to you, you will, I think, trust to 

 the per'ormaiice of my promise. 



Should this public application be successful, it would I think 

 open the vvay to similar proposals for the advancement of the 

 practical part of medical science, giving a motive and an op- 

 portunity for the exertion of latent merit. 

 I am, sir. 



Your obedieiit servant, 



Z. 



Z. of 



