Star.
London, England, 1808-03-19 00:00:00

MR. BLAIR'S SCHOOL BOOKS.

This dap was published, a New Edition, price ss. bound, with a
full allowance to Schools,

THE CLASS BOOK ; or, 365 Reading Lessons
for Schools, combining information on every subject ; with
elegance of diction ; every lesson teaching some principle of
science or morality, or some important branch of general know.
ledge. The utility of appropriating a Lesson for every day in the
year will be obvious to every experienced Tutor.
By the Rev. DAVID BLAIR, A. M. ecc. &c.
- .....

2. RFADING EXERCISES, for the use of the junior classes,
consisting of amusing and instructive Lessons, in prose and verse ;
printed in a large type, with the words divided at the beginning
of each lAsson, in the manner of Brown's Testament. Price
2s. 6d. bound.

3. The GRAMMAR of PHILOSOPHY, containing the ele-
ments of the various popular branches of Science. To which are
subjoined numerous questions, experiments, and examples ; il-
lustrated by copper-platy s, on the plan of Goldsmith's approved
Grammar of Geography. Price 3s. bound in blue.
4. The FIRST CATECHISM FOR CHILDREN, containing
common things necessary to be known at an early age. By the
Rev. David Blair. Price 9d. with the full allowance in the pur-
chase of quantities.
Printed for RICIIARD PHILLIPS, No. 6, Bridge-street, Black-
friars ; and to be bad wholesale and retail of all Booksellers in
Great Britain and Ireland.

N. B. It is almost superfluous to add, that the above-mentioned
works are the most esteemed and popular that have been offered
to the notice of the Masters and Governesses of Academies for
many years past.

The sale of successive editions as fast as the respective works can
be printed, and the adoption of each of them in the principal
schools throughout the empire, is a satisfactory testimony of their
superior merit and of their claim to universal preference.

This day was published, handsomely printed in two large vols. !to
price four guineas in boards, with 65 plates neatly engraved,
rICHE EDINBURGH MEDICAL, and PHYSICAL DIC-
TIONARY, containing not only an explanation of the terms
of an used in Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Therapeutics,
Surgery, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Materia Medics, Botany, Che-
mistry, Natural History, &c. &c. ai employed in the present im-
proved state of Medical Science ; but also a copious account of
Diseases, and their treatment, agreeably to the doctrines of Cul-
len, Moons, Islurter, Fordyce, Gregory, Denman, Samiders,
Home, and other modern Teachers in Edinburgh and London.—
%) which is added, a copious (Masser! of obsoleteterint
By ROBERT MORRIS, M. D. JAMES KENDRICK,
Surgeon, F. L. S. and others.

"With respect to the Dictionary before us, the relative
qualifications pnd tastes of the Authors seem to have been very
happily applied to the formation of two copious and interesting
volumes of medical science. We would recommend ekes.: voloines
as not only a useful but a necessary appendage to the desk of every
vender of drugs throughout the United Kingdom. We acknow-
ledge, however, that these volumes exhibit many excellent speci-
mens of analytical illustrations ; that they preserve a proper me-
dium between mere nomenclature explanations and ti dious histo-
ries of the different subjects ; that they are perspicuous, co.seise,
scisfactory, and sufficiently copiclos, althous+ copieusness of
terms is one of the most rare qualifications of most modern dic-
tionaries of science. Every article, indeed, besides its derivative
signification, is neatly and accurately drawn up, and severAla:he
pharmaceutical subjects are treated in a manner which proves the
authors to be very well acquainted with some of the more abstruse
chemical pheoomena. The work indeed, as the authors observe,
in their preface, is wholly modern, and divested of the ancient ver-
bide about the tempriaments, which convey no distinct know•
le:lge, it embraces all the late discoveries and moot approved prac-
tise of the ablest physicians of the List 30 or 40 years. fn a word,
this Dictionary, illustrated by nutro cm well executed plates,
must tend to diminish the temeriiy of the pal :,,µznptuous empirie,
by prescntipg him with a gene 41 and luminiTos view of that mul-
tifarioas science wl e the ignorantly dares to profess, while it will
servo as a faithful tablet of memory to every regular practitioner,
whose greatest pleAsure consists in the speedy recovery or allevia-
don of his paticntq. Ile general want of such a comprchenslys
work is a presumptive pout' of its utility."
Anti-Jacobin Review, Oct. 1807.
Printed for Cr Je^k and Joy, Ave-Maria-Lute Loudon i and
2411 and Bradfutt, Edinburgh.

FIFTH REPORT,

OF THE COMMIESIONERS APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE AND

EXAMINE INTO THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.
( Continued from yerterday' r Paper.)
This increase of expence of the office establishment,
between the years 1799 and 1806, is accounted for by
the Inspector General, with whom more especially
resides the controul of this branch of the service, id by
the general extent of the business, which absolutely
required it, and the more detailed mode of transac-
ting it, together with the addition to former duties."
The propriety of the present establishment of the
office can be determined only on a consideration of
the nature and extent of the duty which it has to dis-
charge. But some observations have occurred to us
respecting two or three of the appointments in theoffice,
which may be stated in this place.
Although, in the present division of the duties of
the principals of the Department, we may admit the
expediency of distinct assistance in the office to the
Surgeon General and Inspector General, yet we can-
not approve of their employing those who, receiving
the full pay and allowances of another office, dd not
execute those duties for which that pay and those al-
lowances were given. It might be necessary, per-
haps, as the Surgeon General states, that one acquain-
ted with professional duties should act as his assistant;
but the remuneration should, in our opinion, be in the
character in which he acts, and the assistants ought
not to receive the salaries of two distinct offices for
executing the duties only of one. It is one inconve-
nience of this practice, that, except on an enquiry like
the present, the real expence of an establishment
would not appear ; for the salaries derived from other
offices would not be stated in the account, and the
attention, therefore, of those who had the examina•
Lion of it would not be called to the consideration of
the propriety of such appointments, and to the amount
of the salaries covered by them. This last observa-
tion is more particularly applicable to the case of the
extra assistant to the Surgeon General in the branch
of Stores and Supplies, who, having the rank and pay
of a purveyor, but no office salary, does not even ap-
pear to be a part of the establishment.
The only alteration in this establishment since the
last year, of which we are apprised, is the promotion
of the Assistants to the Surgeon General and Inspec-
tor General to the rank of Inspectors, by which their
medical staff pay is raised from Deputy Inspectors
pay of one pound five shillings per diem totwo pounds,
and the forage allowance from three to four horses.
Their present pay and emoluments, therefore, subject
to the usual deductions, are,

.

As Assistants in the Office, each per annum 1.182 10 01
As Inspectors Do. - 730 0 0
Lodging Money, one Guinea per week - 34 12 0

Making each per annum - - 4.467 2 0
exclusive of their forage allowance. They now, there-
fore, receive a considerably larger remuneration than
the principal officers of the department. We have
enquired into the grounds of this promotion, which
has taken place pending our investigation into the
conduct of the Army Medical Department, and which
is so inconsistent with the opinion we had formed on
the subject. It appears, that on the 22c1 June, 1806,
Mr. Knight proposed this promotion to the Secretary
at War, on the ground that since his own admission
into office, only one promotion in the higher class of
his department had taken place ; and that more es-
pecially in the instance of his assistant, this increased
rank, and consequent authority, were called for, be-
cars, he was frequently employed to officiate for Mr.
Knight on special missions in different parts of the
kingdom. Mr. Knight, who had recommended the
promotion of both, the assistants, having succeeded,
early in the present year, in obtaining this rank for
his assistant, Mr. Keate was induced to send in a recom-
mendation of his assistant also, on the ground of
" the utility that would be derived from his holding
a rank superior to those whom he was to controul, and
because he thought it but justice that his assistant,
who was senior to the Inspector General's Assistant,
should not be surseded."
The weight of thpee observations which we have be-
fore made on the impropriety of remunerating ser-
vices of one kind by the pay and emoluments of a
very different office, is not at all diminished, we
think, by the reasons which are given for recommen-
ding these promotions, and particularly since we find
that the assistants, thus promoted, were the senior
Deputy Inspectors on the list, and therefore have not
derived any adititional authority by their elevation
to be juniors orfhe Inspector's rank.
The situation, too, of the Treasurer or agent, calls
for some particular remarks. On the appointment of
•Mr. Window, the present agent. in 1792, he had two
thousand pounds imprested to him, by the authority
of the Secretary at War, for the general purposes of
his agency, and his salary was one hundred and fifty

.

, 7 .

. .
pounds per annum ; and makes a cohtingent chugs
for stationary and postage, which, on an averagee ofi
three years, appears to be about one hu and
forty pounds pe annum. The whole expence of this
agency, theretore, amounts to six hundred and seventy
pounds per annum.
Prior to 1798, the agent obtained money by giving
abstracts of his expenditure to the War Office, on
which warrants were granted to him for such further
sums as were thought to be necessary. But,from the*.
ginning of 1798, Mr. Window states,that official let.
tars from the Surgeon General and Inspector General
have been addressed to the War Office, requiring
certain sums to be advanced to him. Mr. Reed, the
Secretary of the Army Medical Board, states more
particularly the present practice. From him we
learn, that when the " Agent has nearly expended the
sum imprested to him, he makes a written application
for a further issue, giving an abstract of the payments
he has made, and stating the balance in hand." Those
statements, however, do not distinguish the payments
actually made from those which the agent has autho-
rity to make ; for all are stated as sums paid. The au-
thorities are, the particular requests addressed to the
Secretary at War by the Surgeon General and In-
spector General, which, when sanctioned by the Se-
cretary at War, are returned to the Army Medical
Office, and are then transmitted to the agent ; and
notice is at the same time given to the parties whose
claims have been thus sanctioned, that they may draw
on the agent for their money.
From the circumstance, chiefly, we supposed, of
the parties delaying to call for their money, and from
that of their di awi ig, for the most part, at 30 days
or longer sight, must have arisen the balances
which we find to have existed in the hands of the
Agent. For it appears from the result of his ac-
counts delivered to the Auditors (vide their Report
to the House of Commons, printed in Finance Ac-
counts, March 1807, page 204), that the issues for
the service of each year have not been more than suf-
ficient, ultimately, to discharge the services of that
year. The existence, however, of balances in his
hands was not, it appears, known at the Medical
Board Office, because it was there concluded, that all
the sums which Mr. Window had authority to pay
had been actually paid by him ; and Mr. Window's
statements did not make anydistinction. Indeed, in
two of his requisitions in the year 1804, Mr. Window
states, that the account was overdrawn in one case
one hundred and forty-one pounds, and in another'
two hundred and twenty-eight pounds ; and inti-
mates, that at the periods of application, two thou-
sand pounds usually remained in his hands. The re-
turn to our precept of 19th August 1805, states,
however, that on the Ist of July preceding, the ba.
lance in the hands of the Agent was nine thousand
nine hundred and four pounds ; on the 24th of De-
cember 1806, it was eight thousand four hundred
and thirty-four pounds nineteen shilings, as appears
from a statement sent from the Audit Office ; and,
from the examination we have made of Mr. Win-
dow's books, we find, that although his payments
since June 1801 have not, on an average, much ex.;
ceeded fifty-five thousand pounds per annum, yet the
balance in his hands has seldom been less, and has
often been more, than ten thousand pounds. This
sum much exceeds the amount of the imprest which
was originally granted to him, and which, it is to be
supposed, was intended to be a balance generally in
his hands. If, however, the balance arises in the
way we have supposed, it may not be proper to di-
minish the issues for future service ; but we think
the balance may be rendered available to the public
in another way. The payments are made by the
Treasurer or Agent chiefly on accepted bills : the
account, therefore, although small, might be kept
at the Bank, or even at a private Banker's, who
would consider the deposit as a sufficient remunera-
tion, and require no salary for transacting the busi-
ness • and the bills might be accepted at the office,
on the authority of signed lists of the claims, and be
made payable wherever the account is kept. Were
this mode adopted, the balance in hand, arising, as
appears, from the nature of the business itself,
would form the basis of remuneration, and the salary
and contingencies of the Agent, amounting, as be-
fore stated, to six hundred and seventy pounds per
annum, might be saved to the public. And here it
may be proper to observe, that the Agent is not at
present considered as in any degree responsible for
the payments he makes, it having been determined
by the late Board of Auditors, as appears by Mr.
Charles Moore's evidence, that the account of the
Agent for Army Hospitals is a mere cash account,
to be discharged by the receipts of the parties to whom
money is directed to be paid.
After these remarks on the situation of these parti-
cular Officers of the Establishment, we proceed to
observe, that the Surgeon General's department in
the office is under his own controul, and consists,
exclusively of his Assistant and Extra Assistant, of
three Clerks ; and that the Accountant also occa-
sionally assists in this branch, for the purpose of re-
gulating the accounts of General Hospitals • but the
other general duties of the office are under the super-
intendance of the Secretary, who states, that the
Clerks are continually occupied, and that their at-
tendance is from ten to four o'clock : he informs us
also, that the assistants usually attend from twelve
to four. It is understood, Mr. Reed adds, that the
Heads of the Department are to be at the office every
day, and that a notice, as referring to them, is placed
on the outer door, intimating, that the time of their
attendance is from twelve to three o'clock. The Se-
cretary believes it does not often now happen,that per- I
sons having business with the Chiefs of the Depart-
ment are disappointed from the non-attendance of
these Gentlemen at the Office, althouich he has for-
merly heard repeated complaints on this head. The
Inspector General, too, states, " That he has heard
such complaints have been made ; but as far as re-
spects himself, he is not conscious of their being just."
2. Ifs considering the second Subdivision of the
first Head of our Inquiry, or the Staff and General
Hospital branch of the Establishment, we shall dis-
tinguish that part of it which is on full-pay from
.
that which is on half-pay.
in answer to our Precept requiring an account of
Medical Staff Officers on full-pay, we received a do-
cument under the separate signatures of the three
Principals of the Department ; the Physician Gene-
ral attesting that part of the statement whija relates
to the Physicians ; the Surgeon General that relating
to the Surgbons of the Forces ; and the Inspector
General that to the Inspectors, Purveyors, and Apo-

:

-...1.

pounds per annum, being the same rich his prg
censor had received. He now receives • salary 2.,1
allowances, amounting to five hundred and th 6-7
thecaries. From this Document it appears, that a''
the 24th June 1807, there were on full pay :
s Inspectors of Hospitals, at 40$. per
diem, making for each per annum 4.7110 0 0
Lodging Mossercat cue Guinea per
week, ditto
Forage for 4 hones, estimated at
4.10 each, ditto

54 12 0

160 0 0

944 12 9
8

18 Deputy Inspectors, at $5B. each
per diem - - - C. 456 5 8
Lodging Money, at oue Guinea per
week, ditto - - 54 12 0
poraseAllowanee for 3 horses, ditto 120 0 0

630 17 0
18

7456 lc s

11,354
17 Physicians, at 2os. per diem each L. 365 15 0
Lodging Money, one I:uinea per
week - 54 12 0
Forage Allowance for 3 horses - 120 0 0

539 12 0
17

60 Staff Surgeons, at Vis. per diem C.::.7:i IS o
Lodging Money, 15s. per week sit 0 0
Forge %tuwanoo for it horses - so 0 0

39Y 15 0

9,173 4 0

-23,56 s • 0