flesh, skin, and bones, may be regenerated, but membranes, ligaments, cartilages, glands, blood veffels, and even nerves; and this for the wifest purposes, that every part may be repaired in its own kind, and in fome manner restored by the coagulable lymph, which is poured out, and becomes vascular, and forms organized parts.

By this wife provifion of nature, the many accidents to which 'we are continually expofed, are often more compleatly repaired, than art could be able to accomplish.

In fome animals, we fee this regenerating and living principle, carried ftill to a much greater length, where not only whole limbs, but even the more noble organs are reproduced.

The study of nature is not only engaging and pleasant to a high degree, but it infpires us with such a respect and admiration of the Almighty Being, that it is impoffible either for a Naturalist or an Anatomist to be an Atheist.

They have conftantly before their eyes fo many wonderful living machines, differently wrought, yet fo compleatly fashioned, and all tending to one great point, the preservation of themselves and their fpecies; in which, there are so many orders of veffels, one depending upon another, yet compleat in themselves capable of repairing injuries they may fuftain, and even of restoring loft fubftances ; that men, who daily fee fuch objects, must be convinced,

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vinced, that these admirable fabrics cannot have proceeded from chance, but muft have been the work of an Omnipotent Creator, who has formed them with the moft perfect wisdom, and attention to their feveral interefts and fituations;

"And spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right."
Pope's Effay on Man.

P. S. Mr. Parke, of Liverpool, in a Pamphlet he has lately publifhed, intitled, "an Account of a new Method of treating Diseases of the Joints of the Knee and Elbow," has given us a cafe, which fell under the care of Mr. Wainman, of Skipton in Craven; and, as it is perhaps the fulleft confirmation, that can poffibly happen, of the regeneration, of not only the head of a bone, but of the capfular ligament, and fynovial glands, and even every appendage of a joint, it may, perhaps, be thought to be a proper fupplement to this paper. I fhall therefore give the cafe in Mr. Wainman's own words. He defcribes it, as a violent luxation of the cubitus, occafioned by a fall from a horfe in full fpeed, which forced the os humeri, through the common integuments, a confiderable length into the ground, and the bone was quite denudated." He adds, “There was not a poffibility of reducing it, and I thought it moft eligible to take off the limb,

which the family objected to. I called in Dr. Taylor, who was of my opinion; but it would not be complied with. We then judged it beft to faw off the os humeri, which I did, about an inch above the finus that receives the olecranon. I then placed the arm, in fuch a pofition, as I thought would be moft advantageous, prognofticating, that an anchylofis would enfue, in which I was mistaken; the perfon is now living, and can perform all the motions of the joint, which is as flexible, as if nothing had ever been amiss."

An ESSAY on the DIVERSIONS of HUNTING, SHOOTING, FISHING, &c. confidered as compatible with HUMANITY. Read January 15, 1783.

HILST the general conftitution of fociety

W remains, fuch as that no man, however

obfcure, can be confidered as unconnected with the rest of his species; whilft, in every fituation, our conduct and fentiments, in fome degree, invariably produce an influence on those of others; no inquiry, which refpects the genuine motive of fuch actions, as are frequently committed,

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mitted, whether their object be, the pleasure of the individual, or the benefit of fociety, ought to be regarded as unworthy of serious attention.

The prevailing, though much to be lamented propenfity of individuals, to justify their own failings, by the detection of fimilar weakness, in fuperior characters, renders fuch an investigation the more neceffary; and if, in the profecution thereof, it should appear, that unworthy motives have been erroneously afcribed to fome actions, which may be traced to a different fource; or that, from the peculiar conftitution of human nature, fome weakneffes are infeparable from kindred excellence; such discoveries would prove useful acquifitions to our fund of knowledge; they would tend to rectify the mistaken conceptions of the ignorant, or to improve the difcriminating faculty in thofe, who are most eafily feduced by the influence of example.

In reafoning concerning a fpecies of animals, which we fuppofe, governed by a principle fuperior to that of inftinct, it is defirable to trace a confiftency between fentiments and actions, as on this alone, our claim to virtue and to reason seems founded. On a fuperficial furvey, however, fuch a confiftency appears but ill fupported in the conduct of those, who, whilst they discharge all the moral duties, and in an especial manner, practife the virtues of hofpitality, humanity, and benevolence, are

yet

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yet capable of discovering confiderable pleasure from those amusements, the profeffed object of which is, to deprive of life an innocent animal, unacquainted with those defires which spring from luxury, and asking no more of the bounties of our common Parent, than is neceffary to its own fupport and existence.

To be prompted to fuch actions, not from any neceffity to gratify the wants of nature, but folely from the defire of amusement, appears, at first view, repugnant to every principle of humanity, and feems more characteristic of the ferocity of a favage, than of the clemency of a civilized being. What then fhall we conclude! Are there no characters exempt from inconfiftency? Or is virtue an empty name, without precife meaning? The mind fhrinks with averfion from either conclufion. Let us therefore take a more intimate view of the motives to fuch actions, and, perhaps, they may admit a folution, less repugnant to our feelings.

From the attributes juftly ascribed to the benevolent Author of our existence, we may fafely conclude, that every propenfity, with which the human mind is endowed, is not only neceffary, but even conducive to our happiness, whilft indulged in a proper degree. This is not more true, of the mild and gentle difpofitions, those which seem to be nourished by the "milk of human kindness," than of our more