and he told the preacher that he had a fine field, &c. But I told him, Sir, I will hear your sermon, and if you utter one word unbecoming your office, I will communicate it to those by whom you will be chastised, and to whom you can make no answer. This threat enlightened, terrified, and reformed him. He has assured me that he will not say any thing either to defame those who met at the club, or to excuse those who engaged in the riots; or to gratify those who condemn the club, and rejoice at the riots. But what then? Are not these alarming symptoms of the general temper of the country? The gentlemen, the clergy, nay, the very farmers, all say, why punish the rioters? Were they not acting for their King? Is not Dr. Priestley so and so? Dr. Johnstone, experience makes us all wiser, and, I hope, better. Two months ago I should have pronounced that incredible and impossible which I now know to be real. I hope there will be proper persons to watch all that passes in the Courts of Justice; all that is said by the Judges (who rule the Court), either to the Grand or Petty Jury; all that is expressed by the countenance or the tongues of the audience. This is a most important matter, and I advise you to advise others to be on their guard, and to mark, all, all, all these circumstances. Pray meet me on Tuesday next at Solihull, or meet me somewhere or other in the course of next week, before the Assizes come on. Indeed, dear Sir, you will see at last that my judgment on the conduct of the Dissenters is deep and solid. As to prejudices, you will not impute them to such a man as myself. My fears, and my rage, are all pointed to those among whom I must live, &c. &c. God bless you! I have a thousand things to say. The Chaplain is a sensible, popular, but Toryish clergyman. I believe he will keep his word and be wise. DEAR SIR, You are a Philosopher, with the spirit of a Religionist. Let me then entreat you to use your influence, in order to obtain the mildest measures possible in punishing the rioters, who were misled and inflamed, we know by whom, and by what means. A declaration to this purpose will do immortal honour to the sufferers, and direct the attention and the scorn of all good men from the rabble to the proper objects. Anticipate the mercy of the Crown by your own... this will be wisdom and virtue. I entreat you, dear Sir, to use healing and moderate persua sions, both for the peace of the country, and the honour of the parties. My books, &c. have all been in danger, and removed to and fro; but the sufferings of Mrs. Parr's spirits wound my very soul. Her wisdom and fortitude are above all description, and above all praise were the friendly and active exertions of my parishioners in assisting Mrs. Parr, and in quelling the reports which held me out as a Presbyterian. All such calumnies give me no pain; for I am in principle, and in conduct, a Churchman; firm, but not intemperate; a lover of all wise and good inen, and an enemy to bigots, by whatever name they may be distinguished. God bless you.-Sunday. Dr. William Lambe, of Warwick, became early a friend of Parr. When Leamington was set afloat by the exertions and the publications of Dr. Lambe, they were naturally brought much together; and, in Bibl. Par., he eulogises him "as a man of learning, a man of science, a man of genius, a man of distinguished integrity and honour." MY DEAR SIR, Dr. Lambe, to Dr. Parr. Worthing, Sussex, July 10, 1803. I beg you will remember my doctrine, that all pump water is poison, and act accordingly. I showed my preparations, and explained my doctrine to Pitcairn, who was very attentive, and seemed to put as much faith as could be expected in one so extraordinary. I think and hope he will act upon it. Unless he can be saved by some new plan he cannot be saved at all, if I can judge by his haggard looks, his feeble voice, and cadaverous palm. I have been advised to withhold the publication till I go to town, and indeed I do not think I can be ready before. If I can do the greatest Doctor in London any good, the thing will come with so much weight before the public as to have infinitely more effect than premature publication. Whatever occurs, good or bad, you shall be acquainted with my motions. Believe me, dear Sir, yours ever, W. LAMBE. I believe I shall have the first detachment of children sent off about the time you will receive this. If so, your answer will come as soon by them as by the post. There is a passage in Athenæus saying that two persons, whom he names, drank nothing but water all their lives. They enjoyed good health, but had so offensive a smell, that persons in the baths avoided going near them. This accords admirably with the fetid animal oil I find in pump water. MY DEAR SIR, Worthing, September 17, 1803. I am principally contented to have deferred publishing my Water System, as it has given me the opportunity of observing the genuine effect of the use of distilled water on healthy subjects. The most obvious consequence is the removal of the black fur from the teeth, and, in general, the correcting the offensiveness of the secretions. How much this is connected with the condition of the stomach, and of the circulating fluids, is sufficiently obvious. I hope to have the whole story ready next month. Believe me, dear Sir, your faithful and affectionate, W. LAMBE. I had a letter last week from W. Landor, from Bath. Dr. Duck* of Norwich was Parr's Physician and friend, for Dr. Richard Lubbock had not risen to eminence during Parr's residence there; but he afterwards knew him, when consulted for his * There is a character of Dr. Duck in the Gentleman's Magazine from Parr's pen. cousin Mr. Robert Parr, and finally wrote an inscription for his tomb. There is one letter from Dr. L. concerning him, and I shall take occasion from the introduction of his name, to say a few words. Dr. Lubbock had an enlarged and sensitive mind, and became a distinguished practical Physician. Dr. Black, in his Lectures on Chemistry, used to quote Dr. L.'s thesis for his degree, "De principio sorbili," as comprehending the germ of the Lavoisierian system of chemistry. Dr. Male of Birmingham was one of the guests at the annual birth-day feast. Dr. Parr entertained great respect for the firmness and worth of his character, and for his medical attainments and judgment. The following letter returns thanks for Parr's approbation of his book on Juridical Medicine, and is interesting on account of the notice of several juridical cases. DEAR SIR, Dr. Male, to Dr. Parr. Birmingham, August 1, 1818. I am obliged to you for your kind letter, and feel highly flattered by your approbation of my book, which I trust will be the means of affording some information to medical men, as well as barristers, on very important subjects, which, in their present system of professional education, they have not any opportunity of acquiring. Respecting the case of Donnellan, I was unwilling to say more; wishing to confine myself as much as possible to facts, I decline disquisitions. Poor Fenning's case I have mentioned, as you will see by referring to page 85, but I avoided saying more as her trial was published by Hone with notes of extreme asperity, and, in fact, I am not desirous of plunging myself into hot water, which does not suit my irritable constitution. I entirely agree with you that she fell a sacrifice to the prejudices of her judge and the shameful ignorance of the medical witness: but since ex-officio informations have become fashionable, these are facts not to be stated in a book.. I was present at the trial of Thornton; he was tried for murder only, and not rape, and whatever may be the private opinions of the respectable individual to whom you allude (which I have heard differently represented), I assure you his evidence before the court was very direct and proper, and I think it but justice to him to say, that he there stated nothing which he was not warranted to assert. I beg my respectful compliments to Mrs. Parr, and have the honour to be, dear Sir, your obliged humble servant, GEO. EDW. MALE. The celebrated Dr. Thomas Percival of Manchester, and Dr. E. Percival, his lamented son, met with that respectful attention from Dr. Parr to all their wishes, which their love of learning and their amiable manners entitled them to. Dr. E. Percival was cut off by consumption just when he had risen to distinction in his profession. I insert two letters. Dr. T. Percival, to Dr. Parr. DEAR SIR, Manchester, Nov. 1, 1794. For your very obliging and valuable letter I would have returned my acknowledgments much sooner, if you had not given me reason to flatter myself with the expectation of being speedily honoured with further strictures on the Medical Jurisprudence. Your comments on the fourth section of that little work will be peculiarly acceptable to me; and I rejoice the quotation from Beccaria has arrested that attention from which I hope to derive important benefit. For I need not assure you that holding, as I sincerely do, your learning and talents in the highest estination, your judgment will be regarded by me as authority of the greatest weight. But I should be sorry to intrude on your necessary |