1806. } 
having their centre in the centre of a fe- 
micicrcle, but capable of having their 
points drawn back fo as to admit of their 
application to any fmall cryftals. The 
are of the femi-circle is divided into two 
quadrants by a hinge, fo that one part 
may be turned back out of the way of 
the mineral, which may require to be 
brought up towards the centre for admea- 
{urement ; and the fame are can be aiter- 
wards refored to its place, to fhew the 
degree and fra@ion of the angle. By 
Mr. Bancks’ improvement this joint is 
avoided, and he obtains a much firmer 
‘framing by maxing the arc in the form of 
a protractor, having a hollow centre and 
a ftud both lying in the direétion of chat 
diameter, which terminates the gradua- 
tions. 
On Sunday the 8th of December, about 
fix o’clock in the evening, Mr. FirMIN- 
GER, the able ard indetatigable affiftant 
at the Royal Obfervatory, Greenwich, 
difcovered a comet in the conftellation 
Aquarius. To the naked eye, its appear- 
ance was fimilar toa ftar of the firft mag- 
mitude when covered by a cloud, through 
which it might beefaintly feen; or rather 
like what Jupiter would appear under fi- 
milar circumfances ; but when viewed 
through a night-gtafs, it appeared to have 
a bright nucleus furrounded by a coma. 
As it was approaching the meridian, 
Mir. F. found that its light was fufficiently 
{trong to enable him to illuminate the 
wires in the focus of the telefcope, fo as 
to obferve its paflage with great accuracy. 
The mean time of its tranfit was 6". 24'7", 
with right afcenfion, 115. 23° 6’ a9”, and 
fouth declination 23° 41’ 8", Dr. HER- 
SCHEL obferved the {ame comet at Slough, 
about the fame time that it was difcovered 
by Mr. FikmMiNGER. 
Tn confequence of the mifreprefentations 
of the refult of certain cafes of Vaccine 
Enoculation, and of the malicious induftry 
which has been exerted to circulate thofe 
milrepref-ntations, a committee of twenty- 
five aclive and intelligent members of the 
Royal Jennerian Society was appainted to 
enquire into’their validity, and they have 
made their Report in the following terms: 
“¢'The Medical Council of the Royal Jen- 
nerian Society, having been informed that 
various cafes had occurred, which excited pre- 
judicesagainft. Vaccine Inoculation, and tended 
to check the progrefs of that important dif-' 
covery in this kingdom, appointed a com- 
mittee of twenty-five of their members to: 
inguire, not only into the nature and truth 
of fuchcafes, but alfo into the evidence re- 
| inftances of Small Pox, alleged to 
ave occurred twice in the fame perfens 
* 
Literary and Philofophical Intelligence. 
Gi 
<£ In confequence of this reference, the Com- 
mittee made diligent inquiry into the hifory 
of a number of cafes, ‘in which it was fup- 
pofed that vaccination had failed to prevent 
the {mall-pox, and alfo of fuch cafes of fmall- 
pox as were ftated to have happened fubfe- 
quently to the natural or inoculated {mall- 
pox. 
6¢In the courfe of their examination the 
Committee learned, that opinions and affer- 
tions had been advanced and circulated, which 
charged the cow-pox with cendering patients 
liable to particular difeafes, frightful in their 
appearance, and hitherto unknown, and judg- 
ing fuch opinions to. be connected with the 
queftion as to the efficacy of the practice, 
they thought it incumbent upon them to ex- 
amine alfo into the validity of thefe injurious 
ftatements refpecting vaccination. 
“ After a very minute inveftigation of thefe 
fubjects, the reiult of their inquiries has been 
fubmitted to the Medical Council; and from 
the Report of the Commitee it appeags : 
I, <¢ That moft of the cafes which have bee 
urged in proof of the inefficacy of vaccination, 
and which have been the fubje@ts ef public 
attention and converfation, are either wholly 
unfounded or grofsly mifreprefented. 
II. ‘¢ That other cafes, brought forward as 
inftances of the failure of vaccination te pre- 
vent the {mall-pox, are now aJlowed, by the 
very perfons who firft related them, to have 
been erroneoully ftated. 
Til. *¢ That the ftatemeats of the greater 
part of thofe cafes have been already carefully 
inveftigated, ably difcuffed, and tully refuted, 
by different writers on the fubjee. 
IV. ** That notwithftanding the moft incon- 
teftable proofs of fuch mifrevrefentations, a 
few medical men have perfifted in repeatedly 
bringiug the fame unfounded and refuted xe- 
ports and mifreprefentations before the public, 
thus perverfely, and difingenuoufly labouring 
to excite prejudices againft vaccination. 
V. 6 That in fome printed accounts adverfe 
to vaccination, in which the writers had no 
authenticated facts to fupport the opinions they 
advanced, nor any reafonable arguments to 
maintain them, the fubjeé& has been treated 
with indecent and difguiting levity ; as if the 
good or evil of fociety were fit objects for 
farcafm and ‘ridicule. 
VI. “¢ That when the pradtice of vaccination 
was firft introduced and recommended by Dr. 
JENNER, many perfons, who had never feen 
the effects of the vaccine fluid on the human: 
fyftem, whe were almoft wholiy unacquaint- 
ed with the hiftory of vaccimation, the cha- 
racteriftic marks of the genuine veficle, and 
the cautions neceffary to be obferved in the 
Management of it, and were therefore ingom- 
petent to decide whether patients were pro- 
perly vaccinated or net, neverthelefs ventured 
to inoculate for the cow-pox., 
VII. “That many perfens have been declared’ 
duly vaccinated, when the operation was per-’ 
formed in avery aegligeat ard unikiltal man- 
acts 
