Another notable recipe for pleasing others, and satisfying ourselves, is in the amenity of friendly

discourse.

To fhape our opinions to the faces and fancies of others, would be mere facility and softnefs, ending in confusion and contempt; but to fhun disputatious arguments is no small argument of a man's sense and goodnefs of nature. To split hairs, and cut cummin seeds with a man's family, friends, and acquaintance, is but an ill heartning for good agreement in greater affairs; and therefore when a man finds his opinion strongly besieged, and that his adversary pours heavy shot into his citadel, let him handsomely negociate and march out of his trenches with the honours of war, gently manifesting his so doing to eschew the spilling of good humour and friendship; which if handsomely done, will give much contentment both to a man's self, and to others.

Whosoever hath his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits and understanding do clarifie and break up in the communicating and discoursing with another; he tofseth his thoughts more easily, he marshalleth them more orderly, he seeth how they look when they are turned into words. Finally, he waxeth wiser than himself, and that more by an hours discourse, than by a days meditation *. Let a man therefore so order his discourse, that he may not hurt the self-love of his friend or companion, or of him with whom he talketh in the ordinary occasions of company and festivity, and let

*This is set down verbatim in his efsay on friendship.

July 3: him above all things dilligently and curiously eschew the most remote allusions to those things which may lefsen men in their own eyes, or recall to ther remembrance unlucky disappointments, misfortunes, or disgraces.

Talk not of hemp, sayeth the common adage, before the man whose father hath been hanged; and we shall ever see, that a man will sooner pardon and forget a violent open attack, than the levelling of the insidious fhafts of malignant ridicule. It is base and cowardly to draw the sword against the defencelefs foe; and how much more so to jeer inhumanly with a plain honest friend who is unprovided with the artillery of wit and humour in colloquial inter

course.

The only excusation of frequent and terse wit and humour, that cuts as well as thrusts, is when a man is often and vehemently attacked by witlings, so that then he may stand a fair tryal of his politenefs, and be brought in by a rigid jury on a se deffendendo; or as when in glee he may dart forth sayings that may hit without being levelled, and so he may have a verdict, (as it were,) of man slaughter without malice.

Another especial canon in the regiment of politenefs, is that we fhould honour our humbler friends when we meet them among the great, and not treat them like cyphers, that depend upon their situation in the grand summa totalis.

The neglect of this genuine offspring of a worthy heart and a sound understanding, hath cost many a man a worthy neighbour and friend, not to be com

327 pensated by the braggard importance of a meeting of the quorum, or the triumphs of vain ostentati

on.

It is good, also for a man to guard his place with decent apparrel, and not to degrade himself by mean appearances

***

Here follows a great chasm in the M. S. which I infinitely regret.

To be continued.

SIR,

ON THE HYDROPHOBIA.

To the Editor of the Bee.

WITHIN these twelve months, there has been a greater number of mad dags in this country than we find to have existed in any former period. Humanity as well as self-preservation calls upon us to use every probable mean, not only for averting that direful disease, but also for curing those who are unhappily infected. Perhaps it may be said with truth, that there is an antidote against every malady, provided it were known; and if applied, it would invariably have its effect, excepting where nature was so far reduced, that it could not perform its fuctions. As no certain remedy has yet been discovered for canine madness, it is not only excusable; but highly proper to make use of any expedient, which has even the least probability of succefs.

Washing the part bitten as soon as pofsible, seems to be a likely method of preventing the poison from

July 3 being thrown into the circulation, and of course from producing any bad effects. It has been recommen- ́ ded to pour cold water upon the wound, from the spout of a tea kettle, as long as the patient is able endure the cold, and after intermitting a fhort time till the part recover its usual warmth, to proceed again in the same manner, repeating the operation several times; and at length to use warm instead of cold water. The practice too of cutting out the part which s bitten, appears to be a safe and commendable proceeding.

During the last summer, when mad dogs were so common, I had it in contemplation, to have proposed the use of mild vegetable alkali. The method, which I meant to have proposed, was to have made a solution of pearl afhes, in the proportion of one pound of ashes to three English gallons of water, and to have bathed the patient in it once every day. This perhaps would have been more effectual than sea water, and it can in general be more easily obtained. I meant also to have recommended the patient to drink a glass or two daily, as circumstances. would permit, of a solution of the best pearl afhes, in the proportion of one pound of ashes to an English gallon of water.

It has been supposed, that mercury in a certain d ease, has its effect by neutralizing the virus. As the vegetable alkali has a very powerful tendency to combine with every known acid, is it not reasonable to conjecture, that it might unite with the canine poison, and prevent its destructive operation, as by the method which I have proposed, it

would be speedily thrown into the circulation, both by the absorbent vessels on the surface of the body, and by the chyle which immediately inters into the mafs of the blood? As barytes takes the lead of vegetable alkali, in the tables of elective attractions, it might be recommended as more proper to be taken into the stomach; but it is not so easily procured, and if it were not carefully prepared, it might be found to be dangerous. It has poisoned dogs in its crude state, which probably happened from a small portion of arsenic in combination with it.

*

In the 2d No of the 14th volume of the Bee, you inform us, that a Mr John Williams of the East Indies found "the caustic volatile alkali," effectual in curing the bite of the cobra de capello, if it was properly administered. It is recommended to be given in small doses, and repeated at fhort intervals.

are

The bite of a serpent, and that of a mad dog are different, as the effects of the former, are more immediate; yet being so similar in their tendency, there is good reason to hope for succefs in giving the caustic volatile alkali to animals which bitten by a mad dog. Experiments might be made upon dogs, both with the fixed and volatile alkalis. If the canine poison produce its effects by debilitating the frame, creating spasms, and finally destroying the powers of the nervous system, then a medicine which would stimulate and counteract these effects, seems to be of all others the most proper. It is on account of the stimulating quality, which

* See Mr Watt junior's experiments on barytes in the transactions, of the Lit. and Phil. Society of Manchester.

VOL. XV.

T T

t