The National Register. — London, England, 1816-05-26 00:00:00

Cpctsical*onitor. NUMBER XIV. SAT.VS Pn?l'Ll 6I'PREMI LEX. Parlor in lore 'ed. 1 : Medea 'N CO pore. ON Risks abest Noe jieliegr 10110110. ••—•••••""''' Ac. MET. THERE is scarcely any disease more intolerable to those who labour under it, end yet which obteina km+ pity and commiseration from indifferent persons, than hy pechondrimis, or, as it istrtquentlyealled in familiar lan guage, the ANL The former of these tircumstanees is the consequence of those distressing feelings which inva riably attend this complaint ; and the latter arises from an : T inton, universally entertained, that imaginary fancies alone constitute the indisposition of the patient ; and that !te has no more to do than to think himself well, to bo ra= so. How erroneous this opinion is, appear, if we merely enumerate a me of the principal symptoms which are found to annoy the hypochondriac. Whatever share moral causes may have in producing the disease, it is certain that there exists great bodily indisposithm. A want of appetite usually accompanies this complaint, and the food which is taken does not undergo proper digestion ; acidities, heart-burn, oppression of the stomach, irregular action of the alimentary canal, languor, aversion to ex ercise, and inability of much muscular cxettion, are among the deviations from a healthy state, which usually take place. Were these the only symptoms, the complaint would not differ from dyspepsia, or ordinary stomach dis orders ; but there is added to them, a peculiar state of mind, very different from the ordinary and general dia. position of the individual, when in a state of health. A very great and unaccountable depression of spirits, an ex cessive irritability of temper, easily provoked by the slightest and most inadequate causes ; vague and un limnded suspicions are excited and maintained without the least apparent reason, and the unhappy sufferer is con stantly tormented with the fear of dying ; for, to nu other termination of his complaint does he ever look forward, although hypochondriaais has nu mortal tendency, except when the state of melancholy is so excessive as to induce the patient himself voluntarily to seek this last and deplo rabic relief. I lyp.xliondriasis may be said to occupy the middle paint between dyspepsia, a mere disorder of the organs principally concerned in digestion, and melancho lia, one of the species into which mania or madness is di vided. It is bath a bodily find a mental disorder, although perhaps the one is the consequence of, or dependent upon, the other ; the primary affection, whether of body or mind, giving rise to the subsequent trent of cons anal symptoms. There are some physicians who so decidedly attribute the whole complaint to a derangement of the digestive functions, as to speak confidently of curing the complaint by fceely emulging the biliary ducts, anti who require no other weapons than a few doses of calomel to rout the enemy, and put him completely to flight. That the dyspeptic symptoms may be thus occasionally relieved, there can be no doubt ; that the patient. is by these means alone to be cured, may be justly questioned. The ma nagement of the mind claims no inconsiderable share in conducting the cure ; and, without attention to this cir cumstance, all endeavours will frequently prove abortive. In the greater number of cases, it is probable that the deranged functions of the body depend upon the mental disorder, an opinion which is confirmed by observing the usual predisposition to the disease, and by the methods ft earl most effectual in removing it. This mental share of the disease does not occur in every constitution, and at every age, however aggravated the disordered state of the corporeal functions may, from any cause, he. Persons of a melancholic temperament arc alone subject to hypo chondriasis ; and, in these, it does not occur usually until middle life. How much the body is influenced by the state of the mind we all know ; it is not therefore to be wondered at, that the functiens of the flintier should be deranged, when the latter is from any cause perturbed or distressed. If there be cases in which hypochondriesis entirely depends upon a disordered state of the digestive otems, and can - be cured by an attention to these, it is well—of such cases we need not speak : but, as it is ter. tain that the greater number of cases will be of a differ ent deserlrion, let us attend a little to the causes and appropriate treatment of those. One of the most power cal exciting causes is an inactive and unemployed mind; one of the most invincible obstacle. to a cure, that con stant and anxious attention of the patient to his own feelings, which leads him to notice every the least varia tion ; and that state of alarm, which anticipates danger from the most trifling sensation. Who are the victims to this deplorable malady? the idle and unoccupied, those who arc absolved from the necessity of earning their daily bread by manual labour, and who enter into no useful pursuit which may call forth an active exertion of the powers of the mind. The languor and inactivity of the mind arc communicated to the laxly ; the re-action of each upon the other confirms the malady of both. However trifling in our estimation may be the illness * of any individual, it is really and essentielly excessive to him who thinks and feels it so. A great source of failure in the treatment of this complaint is the employ ing ridicule and derision, where comfort and relief are ought for. The physician who appears at least to enter into the patient's view of his complaints, who, by ao-!, h , . lerselner, mantras hie canfelerce, and who ha THE NATIONAL REGI3TER. the address to call off the unhappy sufferer's attention to his own feelings, by employments instituted as cura tive means ; who admits the reality of the disease, mid successfully inspires hopes of a cure, will frequently be fortunate enott7h to remove one of the most distres.sing states to which mankind is subject. G. EE TIILLM HOSPITAL. Pt our last we gave an account of the suspension of 11r. Muinro as Physician, and 31r. Haslam as .trathceory of Billiton Hospital. We scarcely know at any event that could give more satisfaction tar those who are attached to tire true interests and glory of this country. Not that such pers ms will triumph in the iMsiortiine of respectable. Gentlemen. They will regret the er ror by which it Isis been occasioned, as they would in every case Where men of Walt station depart from a sense as well as practice of their ditty. But lamenting the fate of the indivi duals, it becomes them also to ha' proud that no false pity, nor any lets ereionthle motive, has e presers ed those Gentlemen from the proper eanseyverrees of their miseoutluct. It there be any truth in the proposition, that punishment is applied for Example's sake in hehaVot the Pe mac, it is doubly cogent anti available here. Not that we would be meant to assert, that dismissal from office is of the nature of a penalty adjudged by low to visit an offence. lint it often carries heavy punishment along with it—loss of name and reputation, mid of character as re• garde the (polities which the tame demanded. Aud it is well that it should be so. This is a mural punishment, prothielog wholesome efforts upon the Community, whatever may become of the sufferer. Anil lie may he reclaimed too; anal then-the work is completed is: all its parts. How it may be in the pre sent case, upon the whole of the restilts, cannot yet lie known But we will ati sw or for one rt•sult. No persons appointed to the situations now vacant will hereafter repeat the errors of former times. Whoever may be chosen, they will enter upon office with their eye. upon their owls footsteps. Pithily opi- Rion, whirls is bre:viral:be whenever it is awakened to aft appre hension of its dirties, will be ever present to admonish when they relax front a right course ; and applaud, up to the highest measure of gratitude, theirsteaily perseverance in that course. A just regard for character, as it CoIIePIUS their interest oat of doors, will aid with its powerfol influence ; and where that tails, If it can now fail, Fn: to will point to EX ANI rt.r., and say —into what path and what end, do you now bend your course t It is thus, that the Governors of the Hospital base, by their late decision, applied strong cheeks upon abuses in parts of its administration. Bat the whole %‘.l-1: is not accomplished. Es cry office and Nen ice in the establishment is of importance. Dirty neglected, or authority abused, even among the meanest of the employed, is tolloweti by terror anti suffering in the un happy patient. A leer:ert ran inflict torture air administer solace. If it be too much to ex; -.et habitual kindness er ordi miry justice in this class of the hospital's servants, so much more vigilance, so much more personal inspection, is demanded front all the ripper departments. Indeed there seems to be a defect in the system of sapreintendoner controul in these establishments, especially of the wide and exteoded scale of Beitilein Hospital. There should be a el.partnient &Idol/gaud nightly domestic super loknilcucce ; the members relieving each other lit w sTcur ifwe may call it so. Bespeak of officers sti perad Jed to the lahours of the Committee, or of Visitors from the Goa ernors. The latter arc to superintend and controul the whole vast machine ; the former to se e• hourly that the internal and minute movements arc correct. The number of those who are appointed i nternally to govern these unhappy maniacs, sir to a d m i n ister to their wa n ts, is WO few in the quantity of indivi duals, and in the quantity of departments. Here lies (Me main error of the administration of this east hospital. Coe beyond necessity supplies the place of personal attendance; anal ntis-rule pervades, the vasole for rood of an ruiegluar su p, r i n t en . donee. 'We really put this so, both tier laying no undue blame upon the general management as it is tries constituted, and of pointing out the true remedy for the general errors of the esta blishment. We do not see any reason to despair of a 'misers:ll reform in the affairs of this ;loot interesting charity. The Gov FltttOßS have shown their propersense of their ditty on this late occasion. By that, they hose rcsived the hope that the Institution will be rescued from the opprobrium and disgrace into which it had justly fallen. PARLIAMENT. meanwhile, will not forget its duty of guardian of the national intercots and hallow's. But for the I..Nni II:V into this case by the licrice of Cost:in:Ns, that scene of wrongs nod rrtelsedness then uninsured a charity, and that Men disgrace to the British name impudently called its pride and beast, and glory, wmild now have remained what it then was. Had this enormity been discovered by foreigners before our own Parlianieut went into empiiry, what might not have resulted to the proud name of Britain' Voitr ht-Net °knee, which hail heretofore raised you above all height iu the moral estimation of tine civilized nations of the world, would has e been deemed a mere out Aide show, fall of h o lloreneoc, ; , 1 1.1 H .:‘, n . WWI and rorruplion within. The good pill did, the beret benefits you conferr:al daily and hourly (.11 s t iffer . tied • ing humanity, would have been turned r into mocc.ery as if a mere and impudent pretence. Anil thus your name, wliit•h has long been the signal and pass. word for dells of benevolence in root p.:toN N 'moss, would have died away among thus pet). ple or, rather won't' have become a word of scorn and contempt to them and the generations which came in succes , iim afire them. This would have been the result ; although iu part on Justly : fitr yon still preserved the broet and will to do gaol, however deceived as to the application of the means you actually and largely provided. Bemire! and nerve be so deceired again ! Re not content with good and kind purposes. Fall not ►hart of the other and better part of your public duty--o see that your hemerotecas is not abused, and turned into a bye ward of re pesos.% among all who hate your real and stnextunided greatness Saturday an inquest was held at the Crab-tree, in Tottenham court-road, ou the body of J. Owen, a Wekla harper, who ex pired in a tit. W. Hawkeritige, a Surgeon. in Percy-street, R ttlibone-plare, &poet!, that he way called to visit the de ceased, whom he found lying on a table in the tap-room ; he was breathing, but died two or three minutes after his entrance. Witness imagines he died from debility, star ation, and disease. A. Hitchen, of Gerard-street, Soho, leather-seller, one of the Overseers, recollects tlr- deceased being is the Workhouse, where he had every attention his situation required; and being something better, he came to the Overseer's-room, and desired to leave the house. Witness, thinking him poorly, desired hint to stay a little longer: he said he found himself a good deal bet ter and o isheillo go (Mt, us he treuld pick up u few shillings by s playing at Niblick-ban: yrs. Witness gave him 3S. and he left the house. He made no complaint of the treatment he received there. Verdict —Died by the visitation of God. 1 Afr w days since av Mr. W. Pickslay, of London, was travel • ' lips between Watts noon.Dearne, and Doncaster, in going !low ; the Isi!I front Mehor, his i.crse 1011, and tic was killed 01/ the :To BUONAPARTE. Sr. firm's t, Mitten Ib.—Since I wrote you last,it has brow very evideut that Boonaparte is far from being content with Iris residence here. Ile was wady offended,a short time back, with some orders given by Sir Cockburn, relative to prohi biting any individual entering Longwood w itliont a 113A'. tro this °erasion he declare:l that he wmild never rereive oily pee sun bringing a pass from the Admiral. a 5 he should immediately consider that person of the saint' kidoey with himself; and added, that the Admiral telling him the sentinels were merely placed out of compliment, to prevent his being teased by im portunate or curious visitors. was only adding irony to insult ; he also expressed, that next .o the British Government ba nishing him to sash a detestabi rock as St. Ilelensi, he conceived their sending him under the direct' sof the Admiral to have been the greatest injury they could have done him. Souse time after his arrival at this Island, and previous to 116 bring finally settled at Longwood, he ascertained that a Chinese was de tained and most unwarraetly considered as a slave, he having by some mean+ been smuggled on shore, and probably handed ov e r to his first muster, fin• some paltry sam of money (and of suck cotelact,it is believed, that many instances could be produced); he tank an opportunity to communicate this to the A dmirul, who immediately ordered an inquiry to lie made into the circumstances of the case ; in consequence of w hick, other discoveCes hovel been made, and several supposed slaves, or persons hitherto considered as such, will be restored to liberty, awl most likely to their native countries.— Ituonaparte enjoys very good health, although the great humidity at the climate, - and the frequent dense fogs, do not permit him to take as much exercise on horseback as he is thesirous of. In this ex ec rabbi. island, he says, there is neither sun nor moon to be seen; and be has given it the n o ne of Isk de iiroul . bird (Fog Island). lie sonretinies rides out its the mornings; on one of these octet sions, in passing a field where some men were ploughing, he alighted, aid took dissection of the plough•handle fur the length of the field ; and ma returning drove the team the same distance, remarking that it was fatiguing employment. Ile reeek the intelligence of Murat's death with *cry considerable fortitude. and appeared only anxious to know whether he had been killed in battle ur Hut ; neither was it possible to discover, from his manlier, whether the information produced any impleasant im pression on his mind. Notwithstandiog the short distance be tween Longwood and James'-town, it was commonly reported at the latter place, that he broke mot into the most violent in. seetiv es on hearing it, and probably such has been the Kremlin forwarded to England. N lien he was informed of the death of Marshal Ney, he observed that he was at Move man ! a very brave man ! Much persons us the Admiral approves of have now liberty to visit at Longwood, by applying to Marshal Bertrand ( who resides at Hint's Gate, album a mile from Longwood) for a pass to :liter the gates.—Marshal Bertrand is much esteemed nv every one, for his great consistency,and the hommraide fine of conduct he has adopted. Napoleon is now on better terms with the Admiral than formerly ; he has discovered that the conduct of the latter hiss been misrepresented." LADY HESTER STANHOPE: A Paris Pater contains the following:—" Lady Hester Stanhope, who belongs to one of the first families in England, merits a glare among the most celebrated and intrepid travel lers of the present age. This Lads, the niece , the friend, and intimate companion of the great •Vitt, was not Less attached to hint by conformity of mind than by the tie of blood. She enjoy, a pension from her country. Pitt, who, as is known, died w Montt fortune, left to his nice's, poor like himself, a few lines, in which lie recut 1111 l ended them to the generosity of the people of Digit-mil. After the death of her uncle, Lady lltN ter formed the project of travelling in the Levant. She first repaired to Malta, and from thence proceeded to Constanti• 'tilde. Wishing afterwards to niake a pilgrimage to Palestine, she sailed fir the Holy Land, but bad the misfortune to be shipwrecked oil the Isle of Rhodes. Cast on a barren rock, she seemed to be destined to perish of hunger; but an English ship whirls appeared on the following day, took her on board and eons ey ed her to Syria. There she travelled in all direc tions, accompanied by Mr. Bruce who has just been tried for the part he took in the escape of I.avnlette. She spent several years wimelering among the ruins of Palmyra and Ilieropolis, and exploring the sallies of Mount Lebanon. Living for whole 'mottle , on lice and welter, and accustomed to the fru gality of Oriental habits, (ruin being tee hie and debilitateii, she became a strong and vigorous Ainazen. According to letters which she addressed to her family in England, else is now at the head of three tribes of Bedouin Arabs, who re card her as a being of a superior order. She has had several chil dren, whom she was fund of, brought to her from Euglatiel anal she declares, that she will never forsake that Lanai of the sun, to breathe the humid and cloudy atmosphere of Great Britain." The States of Guernsey have voted the erection of • superb column, as a tribute of gratitude and remembrance to Sir Doyle, their late Governor. It is not generally known, that the celebrated Tulma, the Kemble of the French Stage, is an Englishman. He attained his 20th year before he left England. Dupont, the dancer, has returned to Pans; having, it is said, realized a property of about 20001. a year. Accounts front Laval, of the 2d instant, state, that the Monks of La Trappe have been joined by an Illus trious personage, in the person of the once notorious Hu ron Geramb, who has most heroically renounced the pomp' and vanities of the world, to embrace the mona'stie life : he is now so pious in his behaviour, that the others take him for a model ! !! Marshal Mortier Duke of Treviso, had a fall from his horse at Paris, which caused great apprehension for his life. Several of Iluonaparte's old friends have recently experienced a like accident. At a dress party some evenings since, a wit, alluding to the fashionable appearance of the Ladies' dresses, re— marked, that good habits seemed to be fulling ofi: A young heir apparent of distinction has, it is reported, recently fallen into the snare set for him by two adepts in the science of deep play, and has been pigcwred to the amount of 50,0001.: hut it is principally standing es a debt of honour, for the payment of which the Noble Father nf tliontat. enough neither to fell his timber, nor join in cutting cir the entail of the family estate. MAY !.!(1. 1%