62 Miscellaneous Intelligence 



O' 



lated themselves with the morbid secretion of patients who 

 have died of that disease in the hospitals. Dr. Gregory, in 

 the course of his memorial on the subject of the infirmary, 

 observing upon the zeal of some members of the profession 

 for the advancement of science, states, that 'Those to whom 

 this subject is new, may form some notion of the ardent zeal 

 of some of the votaries of medical science, and may be en- 

 tertained as well as instructed, when they are informed that 

 many of them have long persisted in trying severe and dan- 

 gerous experiments on their own persons ; that one of 

 them, wishing to ascertain the medical effects of camphor, 

 took, at one dose, such a quantity of it, that his senses failed 

 him, and he was very near dead, and must have died, in 

 good earnest, but for the lucky accident of the physician, who 

 was called to his assistance when he was speechless, casting 

 his eyes on the papers which lay on his patient's table, and 

 which contained an account of the experiments he had been 

 trying ; that one of the most eminent surgeons that this age 

 or country had produced, deliberately inoculated himself, by 

 means of a lancet dipped in the matter of a foul disease, 

 and kept himself thoroughly tainted with it for about three 

 years, that he might have the satisfaction of observing the 

 regular progress of it through every part of his body ; that 

 another very ingenious man of our profession, in order to 

 ascertain the effects of different kinds of food on the human 

 body, lived for two months or more on bread and water — 

 then, for some time on roast goose — then, on suet — then, on 

 sugar — and, at last, fairly died on Cheshire cheese. But 

 hundreds or thousands of experiments, more or less severe 

 or dangerous, have been tried by physicians and surgeons 

 on their own bodies, without the least necessity, and purely 

 Jfrom their zeal for the science.' 



To MAKE Sealing Wax. 



Those who use large quantities of sealing wax may find 

 it economical to make it, which is very easy. Take equal 

 weight of gum lac, vermillion and pure Venice turpentine. 

 Melt them over a gentle heat, and stir them well together. Take 

 a detached portion of the mass and roll it with the hand upon 

 a plate of copper slightly heated ; or rather it may be cast in 

 a mould made on purpose, of plaster, of horn, or of copper. 

 Instead of vermillion, other colors may be used, according to 

 the tint which it is desired that the wax may have. 



Jour, de Connois, ^c. 



