PATRICK RUSSELL, M.D. 
XIll 
him to make a separate publication of his own observations in Syria. In 1794, there¬ 
fore, he published in two volumes quarto, “ the Natural History of Aleppo, by Aiex- 
“ ander Russell, M. D. the second edition ; revised, enlarged, and illustrated with notes, by 
tc Patrick Russell, M.D. F.R.S.” The truth however is, that the book was not only 
“ new modelled,” as mentioned by Dr. Patrick himself, in the Preface, but many emenda¬ 
tions were made, and very large additions were introduced by him, under the modest 
title of “ Editor.” 
It was above stated, that Dr. Russell had received the sanction of the Government of 
Madras, to his favourite undertaking of preparing drawings and descriptions of the useful 
plants of Coromandel. His plan, with a list of the plants he had selected to begin with, 
was not only honoured with the approbation of the Honourable Court of Directors at 
home, but (with a liberality becoming the first mercantile Company in the world, and 
which has at all times induced them to encourage whatever has appeared calculated to 
promote science in the East) they resolved to provide for the publictiaon, in the most 
splendid style, of such figures and descriptions as should be sent home ; and at the same 
time requested the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Banks, to take the general superinten¬ 
dance of the whole: this gentleman, with his well known zeal in all matters of science, 
kindly undertook the task. Before advice of this favourable disposition of the Court of 
Directors could reach India, Dr. Russell had embarked (as already mentioned) on his re¬ 
turn to Britain. “ The task, however,” as he himself observes in the Preface, “ fell for¬ 
tunately into hands well, qualified for carrying it into execution.” He here alludes to 
Dr. William Roxburgh. Between the years 1790 and 1 79 5, that gentleman transmitted 
about five hundred specimens, with drawings and descriptions, from India. Dr. Russell, 
according to his own very modest account, “ lent his assistance in correcting the letter- 
press of the Descriptions.” The Preface was from his own pen. Eight fasciculi have 
been already published, under the title of “ Plants of the Coast of Coromandel, from 
Drawings and Descriptions presented to the Honourable Court of Directors by William 
Roxburgh, M.D. published by their Order, under the Direction of Sir Joseph Banks, 
Bart. P. R. S. 
In 1 7 99, the Privy Council of Great Britain, alarmed by reports that the Plague had 
broke out in the Levant, resolved to adopt measures to prevent the infection being 
brought into this country. They appointed a Committee to draw up quarantine regula¬ 
tions, and to report their opinion and advice as to the permanent measures of precaution 
which ought in future to be adopted. The celebrity of Dr. Russell’s Treatise on the 
Plague naturally led to his being asked to lend his assistance to the Committee. This he 
cheerfully granted; and in his attention to this piece of public business he was indefati¬ 
gable. The regulations approved of by a majority of the Committee did not, in Dr. 
Russell’s opinion, go far enough: he judged more strict and rigorous prophylactic mea¬ 
sures to be necessary; and he was not singular in his opinion : his reasons of dissent were 
signed also by Sir Lucas Pepys, and, with the exception of one paragraph, by-- 
Boone, Esq. This dissent accompanied the final Report of the Committee in March, 1 800, 
and was printed along with it. It may be considered as a valuable document, highly 
interesting to this country. By some strange oversight, the important and solicited ser¬ 
vices which Dr. Russell at this time gratuitously rendered to his country, were never 
acknowledged even by a letter of thanks, although the Doctor was the only member of 
the Committee who did not hold some official situation under Government. 
Previous to his appointment as Naturalist to the India Company, Dr. Russell, as before 
