The National Register.
London, England, 1816-02-19 00:00:00

compati-
• of per-

the rich are lessened,
meet are supported
made to change han
diture as is confined
certainly does=
been raised; and
wealthy, thelti
the industrious
In the
in the ._
uries of a Court,
warfare, and the
stability to the Government, wt.- - have no exist-
ence if it did not thus divide the people among them-
selves; and, raising from the many the means of its sup-
port, ann and combine the few to unite in ruling over
them. Absolute power is a phantom of the in
; real power is the union of the Government and its
dependents, who raise from the people the very means which,
distributed among themselves; engender, combine, and
perpetuate their ascendancy. Power therdhre, to be even
despotic, must be divided among numbers against still
greater numbers, from whom the sums which are indivi-
dually raised are too small to excite serious discontent.
There is, however, a limit to this system of taxation; since,
if the influence of the Government be extended among
too great a number, those who remain are not equal to
their support.
We have hitherto considered taxation in the ah 4 t rac t,with-
out regard to the operation of money, 9r circulating me-
dium, in which' taxes are raised and paid, and in which
the wealth and means or the people are estimated. To
understand the complicated system of modern finance,
and the mode in which taxes arc difttributed with respect
to their burthen upon the people, is is necessary to have
some clear ideas upon this subject.
We have already established soll fixed notions and
irrefragahle data concerning the r: wealth of the peo-
ple, and the sources from which it is raised, as well as the
means by which it is distributed. ' Define we can eluci-
date clearly the effect of any particUlar system of taxa-
tien, we must briefly -trace the natiste of the meditifit in
which it is calculated. This will lead•us to a short ac-
count of the effect of money, whirher in paper or in
metal, upon the revenue atilt- Snlte and people ; and we
find, that we must necessarily reserve this for a future
essay. We crave the indulgence of our readers for ano-
ther week; and we trust we shall then he enabled to show
them the baneful influence of all taxation of income. We
cannot explain ourselves Nailer at present : we have al-
ready said, that if a tax on income sive not tt njust, partial,
ruinous, and oppressive, we must fillrt it even in peace;
and we hope to convince them at la—.that the only vim,
safe, and just system of taxation, is the taxation of com-
modities. :n doing this, we nttack no party, we#ratify
'no personal animosity—we perforitynereiy the task we
have undertaken,--s-that of,giving, hitt= of difficulty,

but
research;

proper cy

general r, _
of society sit large. A series of such truths, comprising
the fund .mental principles of medical science, it would he
,highly advantageous to diffuse among the generality of
people; while the practical adaptation of these generd
principles to the particular circumstances of individual
discuses, would be most successfully directed by those
whose peculiar education, and exclusive devotion to the
science as a profession, more immediately qualify thent
thr. the office. Such a general knowledge of medicine, amt
that which I now advocate, would enable him who pos...
sessed it, to discriminate between the ignorant pretender
und the real man of science; would protect him from the
artifices of illiterate and designing empirics, and become
at once a safeguard to his person and his purse.
It is a lamentable fact, that even in the present enlight-
ened state of the public mind, medical empiricism should
stalk abroad with such unblushing front, and that so many
should fall victims to the unprincipled impositions suffered
to pass in this country with impunity. No more certain
chect, could be given to this evil, nor a more ready stop be
put to its extensive prevalence, than by constituting 'the
elementary principles of medical science a part of gene-
ral education, and thus teaching the well-informed youth
to subject the pretension of the empiric to the scrutiny
of rational examination. A generation must pass away,
before the good effects of such a plan could be filly rea-
lised: in the mean time, impressed with a conviction,
that much good might arise front a more general difflision •
of medical opinions, grounded on extensive experience,
and supported by scientific principles. I propose to sub..
mit from time to time for public consideration, through
the medium of this paper, a statement of the prevailing
diseases of the metropolis, accompanied by such observa-
tions as may appear best calculated to lead to the adoption
of these general measures of prevention or removal, whiek
it is in the power of every one to pursue, and thus to con-
tribute, as mach as is in my power, to the diminution of
individual distress, and the promotion of the general veal,
fare. That the task might easily have fallen inieretore
able hands, I will readily allow; but the silence of others,
although better qualified, on so interesting a topic, could
font no justification for withholding my humble endea.
'-vours; whilst, however improper and unsuccessful may
be my attempt, in zeal and good intentions I should rev
luctantly give place to any one.

..... ... . _
sccss which .the wealthy devote to luxury, and tomv, Physiology, Botany, Chemistry, the laws of orgrie
, it' taken from them by tax*tion, is afterwards dis- life, and the reciprocal action of mind and laxly upon each
al among the people by the expenditure of Govern- other, must be familiar to him who would detect the
Wealth thus is made to circulate. The means of latent nature of the numerous diseases afflicting the ha-
lt are lessened, but others e*ployed by the Govern- i man frame, and apply remedies for their removal. So.
are supported and euriched, and property is only extensive a study, and such exclusive attention to one oh-
to change hands. We now speak of such expen- jest, however important, can hardly he supposed compati-
as is confined to domestic employment, and which ble with the ordinary pursuits of the generality of per-
sly does return among the people from whom it has sons, and hence an argument has been adduced agaiast
raised; and if raised wholly or principally from the the utility ut' all popular medical reading. This tap-
Ely, th e luxurious; and the idle istuill expended among ment, however, is more specious than solid, and applies
idustrious and productive patt of the CO-
- ratter-1e ttirgelain - than the principle. A simple but
t hands of the rich, it would be umPlOyed in liiiiiies; important truth, the result of years of laborious research;
hands of Coveroment, it itisatle to supply t4e hot- or the furt...na.:e discovery of some diligent enquirer, :nay
As a Court, the multiplied combinations of systematic
-be c nina•nticated in language easily comprehended hy
re, and the influence which alone gives power and the general reader, and thus become the common property
icy to the Government, which could have no axis:- of society ut large. A series; of such truths, comprising