opinions on religious and moral subjects; I am 

 disposed to regard you almost in the light of a 

 dictator, and to consider you as invested with an 

 office of extraordinary and undefined responsi- 

 bility. By the range which you have taken of 

 delivering your sentiments on political and theo- 

 logical subjects, you have voluntarily exposed 

 yourself to the 'criticisms of those who have no 

 immediate connexion with your professional 

 studies: for, ignorant as I anrt of physiology and 

 anatomy, I can perceive in your researches the 

 evils which they portend to society in general, 

 and to the morals of your awn profession in par- 

 ticular. 



From your Introductory Lecture, I learn, that 

 Mr. Abernethy has also been struck with this 

 dangerous tendency in your speculations; but 

 remember, Sir, that I charge you " with no un- 

 worthy design of propagating opinions detrimen- 

 tal to society." Far be from me to impute to 

 you such wicked and malignant motives. I doubt 

 not that you are engaged in the most honour- 

 able of all occupations, that of diffusing what 

 appears to you to be important truth. It is 

 with the effects, not the intentions, of your 

 writings that I have any controversy; and, as 

 you profess to be a lover " of fair argument and 

 free discussion," I trust that you will not disdain 

 to give me a patient hearing. 



I repeat, Sir, that I have no concern with 

 your professional studies ; and that, if you had 

 confined yourself to a statement of anatomical 



