Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-03-06 00:00:00, page 2

fdraft fr 9 ™ '" '"/' °f "' hvfrtarl fChefe r
field, containing the System if Education, de i
-lered in a jer.es of Letters to his Son.
“ DEAR Boy,
« n^HOUCII I employ so much of my
1 time in writing to you, J cordefs, I have
often my doubts, whether it is to any purpose
I know how unwelcome advice generally is; I
know that these who want it most, like it and fol
low it kail; and [know, too, that the advice of
parents, more particularly, is ascribed to the mo
roseness, the imperioefnefs, or the garrulity of old
age. But then, on the other hand, I flatter my
ftlf, that as your own reason (though too young
91 yet to fugg^ft much to you of itfelf) is howe
ver, strong enough to enable you both to judge of
And receive plain truths: I flatter mylelf, I lay,
that your own reason, young as it is, mull tell you,
that I can have no interest but yours in the advice
I give you; and that, consequently, you will at
least weigh and confider it well: In which case,
fume of it will, I hope, have its etfed. Do not
think that I mean to dictate as a parent; I only
mean to advise as a friend, and an indulgent one
too: And do no't apprehend that I mean to check
your p'eifdrcs; of which, on the contrary, 1 only
desire to be the guide, / net the censor. Let my
experience Supply your 'want of it, and clear your
tay, in the progress of your youth, of thole thorns
and briars which scratched and disfigured me in
the couife of mine. Ido not, therefore, so much
as hint to you, how absolutely dependent you are
upon me; that you neither have nor Can have a
Hulling in the world but from me; and that, as I
have no womanish weakness for your person,
your merit mat and will be the only measure of
hiy kindnels. I fay, Ido not hint these things to
you, because I am convinced that you will act right
upon more noble and generous principles: I mean
for the Eke of doing right, and out of affe&ion
and gratitude to me.
“ I have so often recommended to you attention
and application to whatever you learn y that Ido
not mention them now as duties ; but I point them
out to you as conducive, nay, absolutely necessary
to your pleafnres; for, can there be a greater
p'eafure than to be universally allowed to excel
th/fe of one's own age and manner of life? And,
confeqr.encly, can there be any thing mo r e mor
tifying than to be excelled by them? In this latter
case, your shame and regret must be greater than
1 anybody's, becau'e every body knows the uncom
mon care whit h has been taken of your education,
and the opportunities you have had of knowing
more than others of your age. Ido not confine
the application which I recommend, Angly to the
view and emulation of excelling others (though
that is a very fenfibie pleafare and a very warran
table pride) but I mean hkewife to excel in the
rmug itfelf: for, in my mind, one may as well
1 it know a thing at all, as know it but imperfea
-1,. Toknow a little of any thing, gives neither
^tisfidion nor credit; but often brings difyate
Ur ridicule. Mr. Pope fays very truly,
" A Htt'e knowledge is a dangerous thing;
" Drink deep, or taste not the C^hianftrino."
And what is called a Jmattarin, of every thing,
infallibly constitutes a coxcomb. I have often.,of
late, reflexed what an unhappy man I muftnow
have been, if 1 bad not acquired in my youth force
find and taste of learning. What could I have
done with myfelf, at this age, without them? I
mutt, as mmy ignorant people do, have d.ftroyed
my health and faculties by lotting away the even-'
ings; or by wafting them frivolouily in the tattle
of women's company, must have expofid myfelf
to the ridicule rid contempt of those very women ;
or, lastly, I mqft have panged n>ylelf, as a man
once did, for weariness of putting on and pulling
off his flioes and flockings every day. My books,
and only my books, are new left me, and I daily
find what Cicerofays of learning to be true : Hac
fludia (fays he) adoiefentiam alunt, feneGutem ob
leGant, feenndas res ornant, adverfo/erfugium ac
folium present, de edant donii, impediunt foris,
pernoGant nedfeum,peregrinantur, rufticantur.
" I do not mean, by this, to exclude convetfa
tion out of the pleasures of an advanced age ; on
the contrary, it is a very great and very rarirnal
pleafute, at all ages; but the conv&faticn of the
ignorant is no conversation, and gives even them
no pieafure: they tire of their own sterility, and
have not matter enough to fuinifh them with
words to keep up a conversation.
" Let me, therefore, most earnestly recommend
to vou, to hoard up, while you can,.a great flock
o; knowledge; for though, during the dissipation
of your youth, you may not have bccafion to spend
much of it ; yet, you may depend upon j t , that a
time will come, when you will want it to maintain
you. Public granaries are filled in plentiful years;
not that it is known that the nex, or the second,
or the third year will prove a leaves one ; but be
cause it is known, that, sooner or latter, such a
year will come, in which the grain will be wanted.
“ I will fay no more to you upon this fubjeft;
you have Mr. Harte with you to enforce it, you
have reason to afentio the truth ofit; so that, in
foort, " you have Moses and the Prophets ; if
" you will not believe them, neither will you be
" ficve, though one rose from the dead."
Do not imagine that the knowledge which I so
much recommend to you, is confined to books,
pleating, ufeful, and necessary as that knowledge
is : —but 1 comprehend in it the great knowledge
of the world, dill more necessary than that of
books. In truth, they assist one another recipro
cally ; and no man will have cipher perfectly, who
has net both. The knowledge of the world is
only to be acquired in the world, and not in a
clolet Books alone will never teach it you; but
thev will fugged many things to your observation,
which might otherwise escape you ; and your own
obiervatioos upon mankind, when compared with
those which you will find in books, will help you
to fix the true point.
“ To know mankind well requires full as much
attention and application as to know books, and,
it may be, more fagacj,tyand dilcernment. I am,
it this time, acquainted with many elderly people,
vac have all palled their whole lives in the great
world, but with such laity arid inattention, that
they know no more of it now than they did at fif
teen. Do not flatter ycurfelf, therefore, with
the thoughts that you can acquire this knowledge
in the frivolous chit-chat of idle companies: no,
you muff go much deeper than that. You must
look into people, as well as at them. Mott people
a?e born with all the paffions,to a certain degree;
but almost every man has one prevailing one, to
which the others are fubotdinate. Starch every
one for that ruling paflion: pry into the recesses
of his heart, and observe the different workings
of the fame passion in different people. And when
you have found out the prevailing passion of any
man, remember never to trust him, where that
pafiion is concerned. Work upon him by it, if
you please; but be upon your guard yourfelfagainft
it, whatever profeilions he may make youi
" I would desire yot to read this letter twice
over, but that I much doubt whether you will read
once to the end of it. I will trouble you no longer
now; but we will have more upon this fubjed
hereafter.
Chesterfield."
Bath, Oflbber the ^th, O. S. 1746.
The foU^ing Inflances which Mr. Brydone gives
ureftbe opprefaenef ofthe present Government in
Sicily, laid account for the late Commotions in
Palermo.
TH E difficulties under which the poor Sici
lians labour, from the extreme oppreflion
of their government, obliges them sometimes to
invent branches of commerce, that nature seems
to have denied them, as they are not allowed to
enjoy those she has bestowed.—The sugar-cane
was formerly very much cu'tivated in this island,
but the duties imposed were so enormous, that it
has been almolt totally abandoned.—But their
crops of wheat alone, were they under a free go
vernment, would loon be fufficient to render this
little nation one of the richest and most flourifhing
in the world; for even in the wretched state of
cultivation it is in at prefect, one good crop, I am
told, is fufficient to maintain the island for seven
years.
You will be a good deal Surprized, after this, to
hear that the exportation of this commodity has
been absolutely prohibited for these several years
past; at least to all such as are not able to pay
most exorbitantly for that privilege. The conse
quence is, that corn has become a perfect drug.
The common price of the Lima, which is two
loads, was about thirty-one Killings ; at present
it is reduced to five (hillings and fix-pence, and
there is a probability that it will fall still lower.
Tnis crop, which has been veiy abundant, I am
told, in many places they have hardly been at the
pains to gather in, as tbeie is little probability of
this cruel prohibition being removed. The far
mers are already ruined, and the ruin oftheir matt
ers must inevitably follow. This is the method
the ministry of Naples, or rather that of Spain,
has taken to humble the pride of the Sicilian Ba
rons, whose power they pretend is still very ex
tensive, and their jurifdiaion absolute; most of
them possessing a right of life and death in theirown
domain. However, thereis a probability that they
will loon be obliged to relinquish their privileges.
—The complaint is very universal, and if the mi
nistry persevere in these rigorous measures, there
niuft either be a revolt, or they murt fooo be re
duced to a state of poverty as well as servitude.
_ I believe, indeed, most of them would readily em
brace any plausible fcheme,to Shake offtheir yoke;
as, in general they appear to be people of great
sensibility, with high notions of honour and liberty.
'I alking of the natural riches oftheir island.—
Yes,fay they, if these were displayed, you would
have reason indeed to speak of them. Take a
look of these mountains,—they contain rich veins
of every metal, and many of the Roman mines
still remain;— but to what end should we explore
them ?—lt is net we that should reap the profit.
Nav, a dfccvery of any thing very rich, might
possibly prove the ruin of its poffeifbr —No,—in
our present situation, the hidden reafures of the
island must ever rem on a profound fecret.—JVere
we happy enough to enjoy the bleifings of your con
ftiturion, you might call us rich indeed.—Many
hidden doors of opulence would then be opened,
which now are not even thought of, and we should
soon re-allume our ancient name and consequence ;
but at present we are nothing..
This is the language that some of the firft peo
ple amongii them hold with us. However, thev
still boast that they retain more of the feudal go
vernment than any nation in Europe. The shadow
indeed remains, but the substance is gone long
ago.—lt has long been the object oftbe Bourb^
ministry, to reduce the power of the Barons in
every kingdom. Richlieu began the system in
France, and it has ever since been prosecuted by
his successors ; its influence has now spread over
the whole of their pofLffions in Europe* of
which, as this is the most remote, it has iikewife
been the longest in reaching it.
Roiv in the Press, andfpeediy evil/ be published,
J Comparative View of the fate and
faculties of M A N oxitb those of the ANI
MAL IV O R LD. By John Gre
gory, M. D. F. R. S. Profeffor of Medi
cine in the University of Edinburgh, and firft
Physician to his Majesty in Scotland.
BY a proper attention we can preserve and im
prove the breed of horses, dogs, cattle, and
indeed of all other animals. Yet it is amazing
that this obfeivation was never transferred to the
human species, where it would be equally app'i
caole. It is certain, that not withifanding our
piomifcuous marriages, many families are diftin-•
guilhed by peculiar circumstances in their charac
ter. This family character, like a family face,
will often be loft in one generation and appear
again in the fucceediog. Without doubt, edu
cation, habit, and emulation, may contribute
greatly in many cases to preserve it, but it will
be generally found, that, independent of these,
nature has damped an original impression on cer
tain minds, which education may greatly alter or
efface, but leldom so entirely as to prevent its tra
ces from being seen by^n accurate observer. How
a certain charader or constitution of mind can be
transmitted from a parent to a child, is a question
of more difficulty than importance. It is indeed
equally difficult to account for the external re
semblance of features, or for bodily diseases be
ing transmitted from a parent to' a child. But
we never dream of a difficulty in explaining any
appearance of nature, which is exhibited to us'
every day.—A proper attention to this fubjedt
would enable us to improve not only the consti
tutions but the chara^ers of our posterity. Yet
we every day fee very fenfibie people, who are
anxiously attentive to preserve or improve the
breed of their horses, tainting the blood of their
children, and entailing on them, not only the
most loathsome diseases of the body, but madness,
folly, and the most Unworthy dispositions, and this
too when they cannot plead being stimulated by
necessity, or impelled by paflion.
We shall now proceed to enquire more parti
cularly into the comparative state of mankind and
the inferior animals.
By the most accurate calculation, one half of
mankind die under eight years of age^ As this
mortality is greatest among the most luxurious
part of mankind, and gradually decreases in pro
portion as the diet becomes simpler, the exercise
more frequent, and the general method of living
more hardy, and as it doth not take place among
wild animals, the general foundations of it are
fufficiently pointed out. The extraordinary ha
vock made by diseases among children, is owing
to the unnatural treatment they meet, which is ill
suited to the lingular delicacy of their tender
frames. Their own inflin&s, and the conduct of
nature in rearing other animals, are never attend
ed to, and they are incapable of helping them
selves. When they are farther advanced in life,
the voice of nature becomes too loud to be ftif
led, and then, in spite of the influence of corrupt
ed and adventitious taste, will be obeyed.
Though it is a maxim universally allowed, that
a multitude of inhabitants is the firmeft support
of a state, yet the extraordinary mortality among
children has been little attended to by men of
public Ipirit. It is thought a natural evil, and
therefore is submitted to without examination.
But the importance of the question will juftify a
more particular enquiry, whether the evil will be
really natural and unavoidable.
It is an unpopular attempt to attack prejudices
established by time and habit, and secured by the
corruptions of luxurious life. It is equally un
pleasant to attempt the reformation of abuses,
without the least profped of success. Yet there
is a secret pieafure in pleading the cause of human
ity in helpless innocence.
Many reasons have been aligned, why the state
of infancy is the most sickly ; and why so great a
proportion of the human species is cut off at that
early period. Physicians have insisted largely on
the unavoidable dangers arising from the sudden
and total change of the animal ceconomy of in
fants, that commences immediately upon the birth;
and on the dangers arising from the free admissi
on of the external air to their bodies at that time.
They have expatiated on the high degree of irri
tability of their nervous system, the delicacy of
their whole frame, and the acefcency oftheir food.
A little reflection, however, may shew us, that
this account of the matter, though plausible at
firft view, is not fatis fad ory. This Angle coafi
deration refutes ir, that all these alledged causes
of the Acklinefs of infants are not peculiar to the
human fpeeies, but are found among many other
animals, without being attended widi fucheffe^s ;
that the diseases, most fatal to children, are not
found among the savage part of mankind; and
that they prevail, in exa& proportion to the pro
gress of effeminacy and luxury ; and in proporti
on as people forfake the plain dictated, ofinftind
?md nature, to follow the light of what they are
pleased tocall reason.
Thesis, in truth, a greater luxuriancy of life
and health in infancy, than in any other period
of life. Infants, we acknowledge, are more deli
cately fenfibie to injury, than those advanced in
life ; but, to compensate this, their fibres and
vtffels are more capable of distension, their whole
f, stem is more flexible, their fluids are lets acrid,
and less disposed to putrefeence, they bear ail
evacuations more easily, except that of blood,
aid, which is an important circumstance in their
favour, they never fuffer from the terrors of a
diffracted imagination. Their spirits are lively
and equal; they quickly forget their part fuffer
ings, and never anticipate the future. In con
sequence of these advantages, children recover
from diseases, under such unfavourable symptoms
as are never survived by adults. If they waste
more quickly under Acknefs, their recovery from
it is quick in proportion; and generally more'
compleat than in older people, as diseases seldom
leave those baneful effects on their constitutions,
so frequent in those of adults. In short, a phj
fician ought scarce ever to despair of a child's life,
while it continues to breathe.
Every other animal brings forth its young with
out any assistance; but we judge nature inluffici
ent for that work; and think a midwife understands
it better.—What numbers of infants as well as
of mothers are destroyed by the preposterous ma
nagement of these artists is well known to ail who
have enquired into this matter. The most know
ing and fuccef ful practitioners, if they a^e car
did, will own, that in common and natural cases,
nature is entirely fufficient, and that their buh
11J's is only to aflift her in case of weakness of the
mother, or an unnatural position of th- child.
As soon as an infant comes into the world, our
firft care is to cram it with phytic.—l he r e is a
glarous liquor contained in the bowels of infants
and many other animals when they are born,
which it is necessary to carry off. Ihe medicine
which nature has prepared for this purpose is the
mother's firft milk. This indeed answers the end
very effectually ; but we think some drug foiced
down the child's throat will do it much better.
Ihe composition of this varies according to the
fancy of the good woman who presides at the
birth.—Jt deserves to be remarked, when we are
on this fubje^, that calves, vhich are ?! - •
animals generally taken under our peculiar r d -
in thele circumflances, are treated in the ^wf
manner. They have the fame fort of phytic ad
ministered to them, and often with the fame iuc
cefs ; many of them dying uoderihe operation, or
of its conlequences ; and we have the greatest
reason to think that more of this species of ani
mals die at this periods than ofall the other spe
cies cf animals we fee in these tircumAancts, put
together, our own only excepted.,
Notwithstanding the many moving calls of na
tural inftinC tin the child to fuck the mother's
breast, yet the usual practice has been, ob
stinately to deny that indulgence till the third
day after the birth. By this time the suppressi
on of the natural evacuation of the milk, usu
ally bringing on a fever, the consequence proves
often fatal to the mother, or puts it out of her
powerto suckle her child at that time. The sud
den swelling of she breasts, which commonly hap
pens about the third day, is another bad conse
quence of this delay. When the breasts become
thus suddenly and greatly diftehded, a child is not
only utterly unable to fuck, but, by its cries
and struggling, fatigues and heats both itfelf and
the mother. This is another frequent cause, which
prevents nursing.—We must observe here, to the
honour of the gentlemen who had the care of the
lying-in hospital in London, that they were the firlt
who, in this instance, brought us back to nature and
common sense; and by this means have preferred
the lives of thousands of their fellow-creatures.
They ordered the children to be pu; to the mo
ther's breast as soon as they shewed a desire for
it, which was generally within ten ortwelve hours
after the birth. This rendered the usual dose of
physic unneceffaty, the milk-fever was prevented,
the milk flowed gradually and easily into the breasts
which before were apparently empty, and things
went smoothly on in the natural way. We are
sorry however to oblerve, that this practice is
not likely to become soon general. Physicians do
not concern themselves with fubjeds of this
kind, nor with the regimen of mankind, unless
their advice is particularly afted, These matters
are founded on established customs and prejudices
which it is difficult to conquer, and dangerous to
attack ; nor will it everbe attempted by men who
depend on the favour and caprice of the world for
their subsistence, and who find it their interest
ratherto sooth prejudices than tooppofe them. If
a mother therefore is determined not to nurfeher
own infant, she fliould, for her own fake, suckle
it at least three or four weeks, and then wean it
by degrees from her own breast. In this way the
more immediate danger ariling from repelling the
milk, is prevented.
W hen a mother does not nurse her own infants
she does open violence to nature ; a violence un
known among all the inferior animals, whom
Nature intended to suckle their young; unknown
among the most barbarous nations ; and equally
unknown among the most policed, in the purest
ages of Greece and Kome. The sudden check
given to the great natural evacuation of milk, at
a time when her weakly state renders her unable
to sustain so violent a shock, is often of the worst
consequence to herfelf; and the loss to the child
is much greater than is commonly apprehended.
A woman in this case runs an immediate ri& of
her life by a milk-fever, betides the danger of
swelling and impoftumes of the breast, and such
obftrudioDS in them as often lay the foundation of
a future cancer.—Of 4,400 women in the lying
in Hospital, only four had milk fores, and these
had either no nipples, or former fore breasts.
Some women indeed have it not ip their power
to nurse their children, for want of milk; and
sometimes it is equally improper for the mother
and thechild, on account of some particular disor
der which the mother labours under. But this
is very seldom the case. On the contrary, there'
are many disorders incident to women, of whicli
nursing is the most effedual cure; and delicate
constitutions are generally ftrengtbened by it. In
proof of this, we may observe, that while a mo
ther nurses her child, her complexion becomes
cleater and more blocming, her spirits are more
uniformly chearful, her appetite is better, and
her general habit ofbody fuller and ftrenger. And
it is particularly worthy of observation, that fewer
women die while they are nursing than at any equal
period of their lives, if we accept the time of preg
nancy, during which it is unulual for a woman to
die of any dileafe, unless occasioned by fume vio
lent external injury.
Another great inconveniency attending the neg
led of nursing, is the depriving women of that
interval of respite and ease which Nature intend
ed for them between child-bearings. A woman
who does not nurse, has naturally a child every
year; this quickly exhausts the constitution, and
brings on the infirmities of old age before their
time; and as this negled is most frequent among
women of fafhion, the delicacy of their constitu
tions is particularly unable to sustain such a vio
lence to Nature. A woman who nurses her child,
has an interval of a year and ahalf or two years
betwixt her children, in which the constitution
has time to recover its vigour.
We may reckon, among the disadvantages con
sequent on the neglect of nursing, the mothers be
ing deprived of a very high pieafure, of the most
tender and endearirg kind, which remarkably
strengthens her attachment to the infant. It is
not neceflaiy here to enquire into the cause of this
particular affection which a mother feels for a
cqild she has suckled, superior to that which flic
feels for a child suckled by a stranger: but the
fad itfelf is indisputable.
KINGSTON, (Jamaica) Dec. gr.
On the prorogation of the AAembly, his Excel
lency 3ir Balil Keith, Governor in Chief, &c. of
this island, was pleased to make the following
ipeech, viz,
" Gentlemen of the Council,
" Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen &fthe Afemlly,
"T I HE bills presented to me h.vc received
my assent. As -the advanced iealon of
the ye'ar must make a recess from 1.1&/•