REPORT ON THE HOSPITALS. 157 



the Tribunal of the Marshals of France for having broken 

 his word of honour. 



But, I may be allowed here to remark, superior men 

 have always had the privilege of upsetting, by the mere 

 influence of their name, the obstacles that routine, preju 

 dices, and jealousy wished to oppose to the progress and 

 the union of souls. 



REPORT ON THE HOSPITALS. 



Scientific tribunals, which should pronounce in the first 

 instance while awaiting the definitive judgment of the 

 public, were one of the requisites of our epoch ; and thus, 

 without any formal prescription of its successive regula 

 tions, the Academy of Sciences has been gradually led 

 on to appoint committees to examine all the papers that 

 have been presented to it, and to pronounce on their 

 novelty, merit, and importance. This labour is generally 

 an ungrateful one, and without glory, but talent has im 

 mense privileges ; entrust Bailly with those simple 

 Academical Reports, and their publication becomes an 

 event. 



M. Poyet, architect and comptroller of buildings in 

 Paris, presented to Government in the course of the 

 year 1785, a paper wherein he strove to establish the 

 necessity of removing the Hotel Dieu, and building a new 

 hospital in another locality. This document, submitted 

 by order of the king to the judgment of the Academy, 

 gave rise, directly or indirectly, to three deliberations. 

 The Academic Commissioners were, Lassone, Tenou, 

 Tillet, Darcet, Daubenton, Bailly, Coulomb, Laplace, 

 and Lavoisier. It was Bailly, however, who constantly 

 held the pen. His reports have been honoured with a 

 great and just celebrity. The progress of science would 



