USEFULNESS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE. 19 



which prevented many able and benevolent but pre- 

 judiced men from perceiving its true character, and 

 yielding at once to the imperious dictates of nature 

 and of duty. That there were great difficulties in 

 the way of every alteration is quite true ; but surely 

 no question of mere gain to any or to every class 

 ought to be allowed to stand for ever in the way, 

 when the lives and happiness of multitudes of our 

 fellow-creatures are at stake ; and unless we begin 

 somewhere, how can any improvement be accom- 

 plished ? 



Another instance of the dangers of ignorance 

 lately presented itself. In the Edinburgh Advertiser 

 of the 1st March, 1833, we are informed that " a dis- 

 tressing occurrence was discovered on Wednesday 

 forenoon, on board the Magnus Troil, Shetland 

 trader, Captain Ganson, lying at Leith. The master 

 and mate, who are brothers, went as usual on Tues- 

 day night to sleep in the cabin of the vessel, but not 

 appearing at the Customary hour in the morning, the 

 crew thought they had merely slept beyond their 

 time. A little time having elapsed, they were re- 

 peatedly called, but no answer being returned, one 

 of the men went into the cabin, where he found the 

 two brothers almost dead through suffocation. It is 

 thought that they had shut the companion and sky- 

 lights so close, that they had during the night ex- 

 hausted the whole of the vital air necessary for respira- 

 tion contained in their confined situation. Medical 

 aid was procured, and hopes are entertained of their 

 recovery. Both were much respected." Captain 

 Ganson, however, did not recover, but died convulsed 

 on Thursday morning. 



Since the publication of the preceding statement, 

 doubts have been entertained whether the catastro- 

 phe resulted simply from confined air, or from the 

 stove not having been extinguished, or from impure 

 air proceeding from the bilge-water. The cause, 

 however to which it may be ascribed is not of much 



