Circular Letter

To the WORSHIPFUL CHIEF MAGISTRATE,

The RECORDER, or, SHERIFF, or

The GENTLEMAN holding the OFFICE of TOWN CLERK;

SIR,

THE Subject upon which I take the Liberty to address you, is of a
Nature interesting enough to apologize for the Freedom: Saving the Lives of Men, is its Aim. Many
Lives are lost by the various Accidents to which Men are expofed; they are lost merely from an
Ignorance of the Method of restoring them: Yet the Manner of recovering Perſons from apparent
Death, has for some Years been known, and the Treatment has been diſcloſed; but the Means uſed
have not become so deeply imprinted on the Memory of the Public at large, nor been particularly
enough divulged to that Part of the People who are Witneſſes of the greatest Number of such critical
Situations, to produce the extenſive Benefits that might arise from a general Uſe of those Means.

My Endeavours, for eighteen Years, have tended to ascertain this Practice and Treatment, and to
divulge the Means to be uſed in this Empire; deſcribing them in Terms so plain, as to be in-
telligible to the moſt limited Capacity, and ſhewing them to be eaſy in Application, becauſe entirely
unconnected with medical Knowledge. Thoſe Efforts, although constant, have proved but partially
ſuſeſſul; the Treatment having been chiefly applied, and almost wholly refrained, in Eng-
land, to Cafes of Drowning, on Account of their being more eaſy and oſſentatious. Yet many
other Caſualties, from violent Caufes, have as great a Right to Aſſistance, while the Appearance
of Death from natural Caufes, calls aloud for decisive Aid to ascertain its Degree, and to diſcover
whether the Body be still poſſed of latent Powers, that can be rouſed to a renewal of Life; or ſo
deſtitute of all Senſation, as to be committed to the Grave, without a Risk of Reproach to the Perſons
concerned; that thus, attentively proceeding, with Aid every where provided, it may become eaſy, in
a rational Manner, to remove from apprehenſive Minds, the Dread of being interred before the laſt
Spark of Life be extinguilhed.

What in these Papers is faſd againſt the Direction or Management of Humane Societies by Medical
Perſons, is not meant in any Degree to diſparage the Aid they can give in Recoveries from apparent
Death; their is certainly preferable to all other: but it is limited to Time and Space, for they are ſmall
in Number, compared with thoſe who may every where be ready to aſſift, and are not, at the moment, to
be found for that Aid which ought to be inſtantaneous; it is therefore without injustice aſſerted, that
as they are diſpoſed to exclude the Multitude from operating, and cannot be preſent on all Emergen-
cies, they thereby unjustifiably leſsen the extenſive Benefits of a Practice, originally calculated to be
exerciſed by every Individual, upon certain eaſy Rules, diſeſted of all Knowledge of medical Matters.

Upon various Representations of the extenſive Utility, and the facility of exerciſing this Practice,
published from Time to Time, and an earneſt Exhortation, renewed about four Years ſince, to all
the Counties and Towns of note in theſe Kingdoms, ſome Humane Societies have been inſtituted in
England: They encourage the Exerciſe of the Practice, and offer Rewards for its Application; but fol-
lowing the Plan proposed to them, they name Medical Aſſiſtants for the Operations, and bring in
the common Clasſ of Men for Rewards, only when they diſcover the Objects and call Aſſistance; a
Mode of Proceeding that diverts them from taking any farther concern, as it makes them confider the

Treatment

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Treatment above their Capacity. Other Countries, paying no Regard to such Remonstrances, have unjustifiably left their Communities exposed to the Lots of that Number of valuable Lives, of which the Newspapers so often give us the deplorable Accounts: whence a Charge of Inattention to this Branch of Population, lies undeniably against them.

The original Dutch Society,—all others Abroad,—one at Maidstone, in Kent,—and perhaps two more in England, none being known in Ireland, are composed of Persons not professionally Medical, who, divulging and encouraging the Practice, have laid open the Exercise of it to all Men, without distinction. This, as a most proper Way of proceeding, is an Example the best to follow: a few Members would suffice to form such a Club, as it may be called; and the Direction should, as at first, be in the Hands of Persons whom Self-interest cannot warp, and who, for their Trouble and Expence, look for no other Gratification than the heartfelt Satisfaction of being instrumental in faving a Number of useful Lives.

Until such serious Considerations excite benevolent Men to form Clubs, or small Societies for these Purposes, in their respective Districts, it remains incumbent on me to employ the intermediate Time in Exhortations to all Persons who have a directing Power in their Counties, Cities and Towns, and a Charge in Matters of Police, to afford in local Extensions of the Benefits of this salutary Practice, to make its Means so much known as to produce their ascertain ed Effects, and to guard against Retraint and Monopolies.

If the faving of Lives be considered as much a Duty to Society, as an Act of generous Humanity, the Affistance implored for the Unfortunate, should not be refused; and though granted but in a small Degree, must yet be deemed meritorious when attended with Successes. Thus alone will reprinting, at so considerable an Expence as 4s. the Hundred,* and dispersing in your Parts, the Abridged Instructions here with laid before you, answer a very useful End, were no Reward offered for putting them in Practice; for we must still believe the Feelings of Humanity so much alive in the Breast of Man, as not to allow him to leave his Fellow- creature in Distress, when he knows how to relieve him by immediate and easy Affistance. We have likewise farther to trust, that the more general Application of the Means to the Appearance of natural Death, although little attempted, yet assuredly productive of Successes, will, from Knowledge alone, become a pious Duty in Families, without the View of public Reward. The Expence of this Dissemination, raised by Subseription, borne by some public Fund, or flowing from some bountiful Hand, will prove a very Mite for any District; very small indeed, when compared with what has been requisite for the extensive Ground of the British Empire, over which these Instructions have been spread. The Disclosure of this Subject has, from its Importance, received in all Parts the hearty Applause of well-disposed Minds: may we not thence hope, that the Proposals of its Etablishment and Enlargement will meet with the like Reception in yours; while, without Exaggeration, it can, in full Display, fave annually, in your Country, some hundred Individuals; and that thence animated by the Prospect of Successes, you will generously concur in promoting it, as a Purpose efficiently useful to the Community, and honourable to those who liberally forward and support it.

I remain, with due Regard,

SIR,

Your very obedient humble Servant,

ALEX. JOHNSON, M.D.

* Five hundred Copies at a Time, will serve a common District, and every necessary Republication cost no more than twenty Shillings.

Great Portland Street, London,