Proceedings at New-York refpecting the Peftilence. 
tufts of trees by the fides of thefe moors, 
form quite a northern fcene, and which 
is {till rendered more ftriking by the ir- 
regular face of the country; only, in 
paiing a hollow here, I do not meet with 
a bubbling tranfparent brook, the fure 
concomitant of every dell in Cumberland. 
Petersfield appears at two miies diftance, 
on alow, extenfive plain, the defcent to 
which, from the higher ground, is down 
afteep bank: it is a very fmal] market- 
town; but open, and very clean: the 
country around it is level, and fertile in 
corn and grafs. Potatoes are a late arti- 
cle of cultivation here, and found very 
ufeful and profitable. A great number 
of pigs are bred and fed in this neigh- 
bourhood ; pork and bacon being almoft 
the only animal food ufed by the poorer 
forts of people. A number of French 
prifoners, many of whom are petty offi- 
cers, are kept in this town: they walk 
at large in the ftreets, and behave very 
well, 
[ To be continued. | 
eG 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
INDING from the Englith publica- 
tions, that much di{cuflion has taken 
place in Great. Britain, on the method of 
deftroying contagion and infection by 
means of nitrous gas, or {moking nitrous 
acid, I fen¢ you air American publica- 
tion, which is the refult of much difcuf- 
fion too, publifhed in the city of New- 
¥ork, foon after its laft visitation by the 
plague in 1796. The hiftory of the 
pamphlet is briefly this ; for very ftrange 
caufes, an aét had been pafled (fect. 4. 
in the firft chapter), in 1797, ordering 
all manufacturers ot foap and candles out 
of the city, under pretext of producing 
pettilential air, and generating yellow- 
fever, This grievance was fo great, that 
the trade tock counfel, and were advifed 
to remonftrate againit the act during that 
very feffion, and ftate their grievances to 
the reprefentatives of the people, then 
fitting in Albany. This memorial is con- 
tained in fect. 1. of the 2d chapter. They 
employed Dogtor MircHi Lt further, as 
counfel to argue their cafe before the le- 
giflature ; and the argument contained 
in the fecond fe&tion of the 2d chapter, 
was drawn up and employed for the pur- 
pote. In confequence of this, the act of 
mitigation contained in the fifth feStien of 
the firft chapter, was pafled a very fhort 
time after the firft. 
While thefe things were doing, the 
Gitizens of New-York were creatly agi- 
Monruiy Mac. Ne. xxXxiv. 
. adopted. 
25 
tated. The healthinefs of their city, and 
the prefervation of their lives, were at 
ftake. The fubjeét was viewed, turned 
and examined in all manner of ways. Fi- 
nally, the aggrieved tradefmen begged 
their counfel tor a copy of his argument, 
of the affidavits, proots, and illuftrations 
he had made ufe of in their behalf, and 
caufed them to be publifhed in the form 
of a pamphlet, together with all the exe 
ifting laws of the ftate of New-York, 
concerning infectious diftempers.- The 
publication has had its full effet. The 
public is fatisfied, the reafoning is con 
clufive; and atew weeks ago, when Dr 
MITCHILL (who is one of the members 
of the legiflature for the city of New- 
York) moved the repeal of the flatutes of 
1797; and the old ones printed in this 
colleétion, the motion was agreed to al- 
moft without debate; and a new and 
modern Peftiiential bill introduced and 
The legiflature are thus fatis- 
fied of the fairnefs of the reafoning. 
_ Even the municipality of the city agree 
to the ftatement ; and the commiflioners 
of the health-office read the pamphlet, 
quote it, and refer to it as an authority. 
It ftands unan{wered; and nobody has at- 
tempted to refute it. 
A difcuffion thus ferioufly and publicly 
carried on, among a people where a fpirit 
of free inquiry prevails, and on a fubjeé 
in which thes lives and property are fo 
-deeply concerned, way be tairly confider- 
ed as of tome importance.” .‘The argu- 
ment, though particularly reierring to 
certain trades and manufactures, ‘is fo 
drawn up, as to involve the gevera/ prin- 
ciple of the /cptic wature oi peitilential air. 
And as it was addrefled to a body of 
people, few ot whom were much verted in 
deep ipeculations of a chemical nature, 
the coumel endeavoured, as much as pof- 
fible, to diveft it of technica! Janguage, 
and to render itas familiar as pofhible, by. 
obvious figures and plain allufions. 
Tr your uteful Magazine can be made 
the vehicle cf laying'the whole of this 
memorable public proceeding before the 
readers and lovers of {cience in Great 
Britain, there is little doubt it will have 
a tendency. to expofe the fallacy of a mif- 
chievous practice, now, or lately, much 
in vogue in the Britith navy. 
A Fricad to the Monthly Magazine, 
New-York, Mey 1798. 
The other pamphlet came out a few 
days ago, an inaugural exercife, by one 
of the medical graduates in the college of 
New-York. You will fee he adopts 
lit CHILL’s principles entirely. Much 
D more 
