— . 
16 
become myfelf a vi@im to this fafcination. 
While in garrifon at Ceylon, and amuting my- 
felf, like you, im hunting in a marfb, I was, in 
the courfe of my fport, fudden! y feized with a 
convulfive and involuntary trembling; différent 
from any thing I had ever experienced, ard at 
the fame time was ftrongly attra@ed, and in 
fpite of myfelf, to a particular fpot of the marin. 
Direéting my eyes to this fpot, I beheld, with 
feelings of horror, a ferpent of an enormous fize, 
whofe look inftantly pierced me. Having, how- 
ever, not yet lott all power of motion, I em- 
braced the opportunity before it was ee late, 
and faluted the reptile with the contents of my 
fufee. The report was a talifman that brcke 
the charm. All at once, as if by miracle, my 
convulfion ceafed; I felt myfe If able to fly 5 
and the only inconvenience of this extraordinary 
adventure was a cold {weat, which was doubtlefs 
the effect of my fear, and of the violent agitation 
my fenfes had undergone.’—Such was the ac- 
count given me by this officer, I co not pre- 
tend to vouch for its truth ; but the ftory of the 
moufe, as well as of the thrike, I aver to be 
es 
1 fhall hope to fee this curious fubject 
fairly difcufled in your fatare Numbers. 
Glalgow, Noles, .02e- 
Dec. 29, 1796. InQuisiToRr. 
* 
To the Ediior of ibe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
fee account, by H. P. (to which you 
ave place in your Magazin ne for 
oe aN of the dangerous defect of the 
Poos’s bath at’ Buxton, is @riétly jul, 
asthe fubjeét fo deeply concerns the | 

1 Sy ere 
Gp 
fering part of our fellow-creatures, [ 
conclade you will not objeét to the 
tion of the foliowing remarks. 
remife, that I am eae 
lame to the very refpeétable and atten - 
tive perfon who now difiributes the money 
colleéted. It is true, that an attempt to 
remedy the defects alluded to, would be a 
very humane one, and perhaps its ‘uccefs 

infer+ 
if tae 
>a ing OPS} ny 

may be pelos Wathoroehles nib] ae ph 
rited and aétive individuals are ‘rar@avess’ 
the public atiention is nor eattly excited, 
though when it is, 1 agree w a H. P. 
Britith charity blazes with a lvitre ua- 
heard of in other countries Many cir- 
cuinftances make me fear the i imiprove- 
ment of the Poor’s bath is not to be ex- 
Sostade and I fhall extend my ob{ervation 
of thefe to others, which concern «1! ranks 
who may have Beer to go co Buxton 
as invalids, for the firft time. 
The bathing-room for the rch 1s simott 
eguall, faulty. It ts an arched cellar. The 
bath extends to the wall on two fides, ard 
there is not the {malleft window or outlet 
4 
Defects of Buxton Bath: 
[ Jani. 
for the fteam, which runs down the wall 
onall fides. The mats, to fit and put the 
feet on, though generally freth brought 
in for each bather, become wet even while 
he is barHtae, and there being no drefling 
room, he dreffes in all the fleam, rifng 
and falling. The covered paflage through 
which» he goes-to the bath, has fo many 
doors in it opening into a garden, and fo 
frequently open, that the current of air 
frequently injures a rheumatic patient 
more than the bath benefits him, unlefs 
he conftantly goes and returns in a chair, 
and perhaps he is ordered to exercife his 
limbs. Thefe obfervations I made myfelf 
at Buxton. They have been very feel- 
ingly repeated to me, with fome addi- 
tional, and I think ufeful ones, by a friend 
who was fent there fura rheumati(m, of 
long fiending, it is trve, and very acute, 
cin pain I mean, for I do not know that 
it was not chronical). As each of the 
houtes is let either to a fhop or tavern- 
Keeper, the houfe door is always open. 
A parlour on the ground-Hoor fets in fo 
much wind, that a table-cloth wav es like 
a flag, and the carpet rifes in waves. ‘This 
a fire rather increafes than remedies. My 
friend has the misfortun: of being a bat- 
chelor. On his recetving the intelligence 
of a firft fleor 1 being vacant, which flat- 
tered him with the hopes of a warm par- 
four, and of a bed-room without climb- 
ing up three pair of fairs, the proprietor 
let -him know; he could not divide the 
apartments, confifting of five rooms, be- 
fides fervants’ rooms ; howey er, his fuffer- 
ings getting the better of his ceconomy, 
he offered to take the e wae The fhop- 
keeper refufed it to him pofitively, fay- 
ing, he preferre ing families with 
it, and he expected fi fome in a day or two. 
Thus, fir, thefe toymen and perfumers 
keep their ratiiing i hops open for the 
drétfy and the idle, and deny refuge to 
thofe whofe pay icians have fent them 
hundreds of miles for the chance of relief. 
My friend left ‘Buxtok worle than he 
came tovit, thoug: a he had made his trial 
in the bees amer months, and, I believe, like 
Garrick, would welcome gout, rheuma- 
tifm, and all diforders, rather then repeat - 
his experiment. 
In. faét, the me gnificent Crefcent at 
Buxton feems calculated for parade, oe 
the great object of it is groisly violate 
The late admired barrifter, member for 
ilrath, wheeled about by his affeéhonate 
children, was not foothed by the fuperb 
colonnade and piazza, but he might have 
been by.a better bath and more commo-~ 
dious houfe. 1 fhou!d mention, that there 
BS, 

