1796] 
‘tioned its having led to the eftablifhment 
of a houfe of recovery im Manchefter, for 
the reception of fever patients—and it is 
faid that an inflitution of afomewhat fimilar 
nature was formed at Afhton under Line, 
in Lancafhire. 
ticular ftate of the atmofphere ; whether - 
to the increafed price of provifions hav- 
ing produced.a change in diet, which has 
renderedthe bedy more fufceptible of 
this diféafe ;-whether the contagion has 
been more diffufed through the coun- 
«tty 5 or whether it is to be afcribed 
-~.to fome other caufe, profetfional men can 
beft inform us.. Whatever the caufe has 
been, the fact is, I believe, undoubted, 
that this fever has been more prevalent 
than ufual, of courfe there has been a 
demand for a larger fupply of wine than 
ufual: for it is upon wine, I underftand, 
that medical men chiefly depend for the 
removal of this fever, and of the debi- 
lity which it produces. We all know 
that the loweft clafs of people, in whofe 
habitations there is the greateft want of 
cleanlinefs, and the feweft means of fup- 
port, are the mof frequent fubjects of 
this malady. They could ill afford to 
purchafe wine for themfelves before the 
large addition lately made to the expence 
ef it: it is now‘become impoffibie that 
they fhould. Tam not going to queftion 
the humanity and the charity of their 
more wealthy neighbours; we have too 
many noble proofs of the high degree 
in which Englifhmen poffefs thefe vir- 
tues, to doubt, for a moment, the rea- 
dinefs of thofe whom fortune has bleffed 
with the means, to affift their fellow- 
creatures in diftrefs ; but it is not to be 
fuppofed that even charity will entirely 
- fet prudence afide; andi have lately often 
heard it lamented, by thofe whofe hu- 
manity made them defirous of allifing 
their neighbours, and who a fhort time 
ago were in a fituation to do it, that they 
now found it impofhble, from the iwercafed . 
"price of ‘wine, and every other article of 
life, to render that affijiance they wifhed, 
and which they were fenjible was wanted. 
' Even their medical attendants have in- 
formed me, that inftead of the full bottle, 
as formerly, now only the piat, or the 
half pint is often fent; whale their 
tients have feemed to require a larger 
fupply than ufual, perhaps from fome of 
the caufes before mentioned. The con- 
fequence has been, that many have funk 
under this difeafe, whofe lives might 
probably have been faved, had they been 
furnifhed with a larger fupply of this 
Monrary Mac. Na. Y. 
iat 
sa-~ 
at 
2 
Whether the frequency — 
of this fever has been owing to any par-_ 
Ufe of : Wine to the Sick Poor. 385 
neceffary article. When the bill was in- 
troduced into the houfe of commons, it 
was moved, I think by Mr. Courtenay, 
that the wine ufed in difpenfaries and 
hofpitals fhould be exempt from the 
duty ; but this motion was negatived, 
under the idea that it might lay opena 
way to fraud: and the Britith legiflature 
thought it better to fet afide their hu- 
manity, than to run the fmalleft rifque of 
taking an iota from the revenue. To 
an humble individual, like myfelf, it 
feems extraordinary that the colleéted 
body of the houfe of commons fhould 
not have been able to devife fome means 
of reducing the price of this very necef- 
fary article, when it was applied to the 
purpofes of charity; and I could have 
wiihed, for the credit of the nation, and 
for the good of the community, that they 
had fubmitted to the diminution of re- 
venue, which might have been the pof- 
fible confequence of this humane attempt, 
rather than fuch an obftacle fhould be 
thrown in the way of the endeavours of 
thofe in the middle clafs in life, to affit 
their diftrefled neighbours; and rather 
than many of the unfortunate fubjeéts of 
this difeaie fhould fall a facrifice to it, for 
want of the means'to afford them relief. 
It is much to be wifhed that our legifla- 
ture would give this fubjeét a further 
confideration. My only objeét in ad- 
dreiling you, has been to point-out the 
evil. If any of your correfpondents can 
fugeeft a mode of remedying it, attention 
may poflibly be paid to any probable plan 
propefed, by thofe who poffefs the power 
of effecting this. Iam, Sir, 
Vour’s,"6ec: da BP 
eet Re ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the Fir Number of your Magazine, 
a corre{pondent has favoured the pub- 
lic with fome ftri€tures, which I confefs 
appear to me very inconclufive, on the . 
philofophy of the celebrated Helvetius,. 
The paflage which he has quoted from 
a Spantih writer on education, reminds 
without a genius. 
being, commonly well organized, with 
an eblolute incapacity for learning, or, 
ha 
ledge, is furely equally abfurd and un- 
bi 
philofophical. He, who can add fimple 
VY 
