36 Literary and Philosophical Society. 



CHAPTER V. 



DR. PERCIVAL'S writings AND EARLY SANITARY WORK 



IN MANCHESTER. 



Having given these necessary details it is now intended to 

 say a little of some of the prominent members, and give an 

 account of some of the papers which may seem most 

 interesting ; and, however contradictory to this conclusion 

 it may appear, it is intended to leave the society for a little 

 so as to view Dr. Percival's work here more clearly, and to 

 do this it is quite necessary to allude to his sanitary work, 

 and to show that Manchester was then the great centre of 

 sanitary knowledge and Percival the true apostle. A few 

 remarks may come in here regarding his general literary 

 work. For a man like Dr. Percival, gentle and benevolent, 

 with wide extent of reading, but with time chiefly occupied 

 with his profession, it is not to be expected that, unless in 

 cases where physical strength is great, any long-continued 

 scientific investigation should be possible. And so we 

 find in Dr. Percival's works much good sense, good lan- 

 guage, and excellent arrangement, but a want of that 

 power which sends words or works to a very attentive 

 posterity. 



* A Father's Instructions, adapted to Different Periods of 

 Life from Youth to Maturity,' consists of short tales, fables, 



