492 - 
the moment when the flame of life was 
about to be extinguifhed. If artificial 
ftimuli tended merely to contract the fpan 
of life, there would not exift {o formidable 
an obje&ion againf their habitual apphi- 
cation—but unfortunately the excitement 
of the fyitem can in no inftance be raifed 
above its natural pitch, without being fuc- 
ceeded by a proportionate degree of depref- 
fion—like the fabulous flone of Sifyphus, - 
it invariably begins to fall as foon as it 
has reached the fummit, and the rapidity 
of its {ubfequent defcent is always in pro- 
portion to the point of its previous eleva- 
tions The author of thefe reports is 
aware, that he may feem, in various in- 
ftances, to have afflumed a tone of unbe- 
coming and premature decifion—but atter 
having undergone the labour and fuffered 
the anxiety neceffarily involved in the care 
of upwards of 3000 patients, within the 
{pace of little more than two years, he 
may perhaps without an inexcufable pre- 
fumption confider himfelf as having earned 
the privilege of {peaking with fome de- 
greeof confidence, concerning the nature 
and treatment of the generality of difeafes. 
Difpenifary-praétice muftappear to afford 
opportunities for medical improvement, 
incomparably fuperior not only to thofe 
which are enjoyed by phyficians in general, 
but even by thofe who proteffionally of- 
ficiate in hofpitals. The facility of accefs 
to a Difpenfary gives the phyfician an op - 
portunity of watching a difeafe from the 
moment of its commencement to that of 
its conclufion—he fees it too on the fpot 
which had given it birth, and f{vrrounded 
with the circumftances which affect and 
modity it. A mere Hofpital-phyfician, on 
the other hand, hasno chance of obferving 
a difeafe till it is coniiderably adv anced, 
and then obferves it only in an artifejal 
fituation: He may be compared toa man, 
who, in order to acquire a knowledge of 
plants, fudies them merely in a hot. houfe, 
not con dering that,to become agenuinebo- 
taniit, “he ough t to contemplate them in the 
Retrofpect of the Fine Arts. 
[June 1, 
fields, as they firft {pring from the earth, 
to.analyfe their native foil, and to exa- 
mine the properties of the atmofphere, — 
under which they grow, and to which 
they are expofed during every flage of 
their progrefs and decay. _ 
The wide range of obfervation afforded 
by the Diipentary of a vaft metropolis, is 
almoit necellary to jultify a decided opinion 
with regard to the genuine lich of 
medicalicience. | 
From a few fats, only uinfafe and un- 
certain inferences can be drawn, efpeciaily 
when thefe faéts occur at different periods, 
and perhaps at diftant intervals. 
In order to pe thghaa my and accurately 
acquainted with the dilcrimisating fymp- 
toms of difeafes, itis as neceflary for the 
phyfician to have a confiderable number of 
jpecimens before him at the fame time, as 
it is for the naturalift, who wifltes to dif- 
cern the diftinguifhing "fhades of his moffles, 
or the fenfible qualities of any mineral 
productions. Another advantage, aloft 
appropriate to the Medical Officer of a 
public charity, is the permiffion which he fo 
frequently obtains, to learn, by means of 
diffection, after death, the internal caule of 
the previous diforder. 
In confequence of a confiderable period 
of this {pecies of experience, the praéti- 
tioner acquires the talent of afcertaining, 
from the phyfiognomy and obvious fymp- 
toms of a patient, the intrinfic nature and 
invifible origin of his difeate. 
It is to be hoped that a digreffion from 
the appropriate fubject of this article may _ 
be candidly pardoned, as in all probabi- 
lity this is the lait Medical Account from 
the Finfbury Difpenfary, that will ever be 
fubjected, by the prefent reporter at Jeatt, 
to the notice and attention of the public. 
J. Rein, M.D, 
“Senior Phyfician of the Finfbury Dif | 
enfary. 
Eaft-fireet, Rea-hon-{quare, 
May 22, 1802. 
MONTHLY RETROSPECT OF THE FINE ARTS. 
( Communzcations and ihe Lean of all new Priats are requeffed.) 
. ~ =z 
HE Exhibition of the Royal Academy 
opened at the ufwal time, with up- 
wards of s300 piétures and drawings. It, 
as ufual, abounds in portraits ; but we in 
vain look for produétions of that marked 
gud prominent merit which were wont to 
be difplayed in the piftures of Sir Jofhua 
Reynolds, Mr. Gainfborough, &c. 
The works of the prefident are entitled 
to the firft notice. He has feven pictures. 
That of the Paddington Paflage-boat is 
the largeft and the worl 3 but we have been. 
been 
