that the Mischief was occasioned by that Use of Lead. The Legislature of the Massachusetts thereupon pass'd an Act, prohibiting under severe Penalties the Use of such Still-heads and Worms thereafter. Inclos'd I send you a Copy of the Acc', taken from my printed Law-book.

In 1724, being in London, I went to work in the PrintingHouse of Mr. Palmer, Bartholomew Close, as a Compositor. I there found a Practice, I had never seen before, of drying a Case of Types (which are wet in Distribution) by placing it sloping before the Fire. I found this had the additional Advantage, when the Types were not only dry'd but heated, of being comfortable to the Hands working over them in cold weather. I therefore sometimes heated my Case when the Types did not want drying. But an old Workman, observing it, advis'd me not to do so, telling me I might lose the Use of my Hands by it, as two of our Companions had nearly done, one of whom that us'd to earn his Guinea a Week, could not then make more than ten Shillings, and the other, who had the Dangles, but seven and sixpence. This, with a kind of obscure Pain, that I had sometimes felt, as it were in the Bones of my Hand when working over the Types made very hot, induced me to omit the Practice. But talking afterwards with Mr. James, a Letter-founder in the same Close, and asking him if his People, who work'd over the little Furnaces of melted Metal, were not subject to that Disorder; he made light of any danger from the effluvia, but ascribed it to Particles of the Metal swallow'd with their Food by slovenly Workmen, who went to their Meals after handling the Metal, without well washing their Fingers, so that some of the metalline Particles were taken off by their Bread and eaten with it. This appeared to have some Reason in it. But

the Pain I had experienc'd made me still afraid of those Effluvia.

Being in Derbishire at some of the Furnaces for Smelting of Lead Ore, I was told, that the Smoke of those Furnaces was pernicious to the neighbouring Grass and other Vegetables; but I do not recollect to have heard any thing of the Effect of such Vegetables eaten by Animals. It may be well to make the Enquiry.

In America I have often observ'd, that on the Roofs of our shingled Houses, where Moss is apt to grow in northern Exposures, if there be any thing on the Roof painted with white Lead, such as Balusters, or Frames of dormant Windows, &c., there is constantly a Streak on the Shingles from such Paint down to the Eaves, on which no Moss will grow, but the wood remains constantly clean and free from it. We seldom drink Rain Water that falls on our Houses; and if we did, perhaps the small Quantity of Lead, descending from such Paint, might not be sufficient to produce any sensible ill Effect on our Bodies. But I have been told of a Case in Europe, I forgot the Place, where a whole Family was afflicted with what we call the Dry Bellyach, or Colica Pictonum, by drinking RainWater. It was at a Country-Seat, which, being situated too high to have the Advantage of a Well, was supply'd with Water from a Tank, which received the Water from the leaded Roofs. This had been drunk several Years without Mischief; but some young Trees planted near the House growing up above the Roof, and shedding their Leaves upon it, it was suppos'd that an Acid in those Leaves had corroded the Lead they cover'd, and furnish'd the Water of that Year with its baneful Particles and Qualities.

When I was in Paris with Sir John Pringle in 1767, he

visited La Charité, a Hospital particularly famous for the Cure of that Malady, and brought from thence a Pamphlet containing a List of the Names of Persons, specifying their Professions or Trades, who had been cured there. I had the Curiosity to examine that List, and found that all the Patients were of Trades, that, some way or other, use or work in Lead; such as Plumbers, Glaziers, Painters, &c., excepting only two kinds, Stonecutters and Soldiers. These I could not reconcile to my Notion, that Lead was the cause of that Disorder. But on my mentioning this Difficulty to a Physician of that Hospital, he inform'd me that the Stonecutters are continually using melted Lead to fix the Ends of Iron Balustrades in Stone; and that the Soldiers had been employ'd by Painters, as Labourers, in Grinding of Colours.

This, my dear Friend, is all I can at present recollect on the Subject. You will see by it, that the Opinion of this mischievous Effect from Lead is at least above Sixty Years old; and you will observe with Concern how long a useful Truth may be known and exist, before it is generally receiv'd and practis'd

SIR:

The Memoirs you mention would be of little or no Use to your Scheme, as they contain only some Notes of my

1 Mathew Carey had written to Franklin the previous day, August 9, 1786 (A. P. S.), to ask on the behalf of the proprietors of the Columbian Magazine permission to publish an account of Franklin's life with a likeness of him. —ED.

early Life, and finish in 1730. They were written to my Son, and intended only as Information to my Family. I have in hand a full Acct of my Life which I propose to leave behind me; in the meantime I wish nothing of the kind may be publish'd, and shall be much oblig'd to the Proprietors of the Columbian Magazine if they will drop that Intention, for the present. With great Esteem, I am, Sir, your most obed Servant, B. FRANKLIN.

SIR,

1653. TO WILLIAM COCKE1

(L. C.)

Philada, August 12, 1786.

I received yesterday the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 15th of June past. I had never before been acquainted, that the Name of your intended New State had any Relation with my Name, having understood that it was called FrankLand. It is a very great Honour indeed, that its Inhabitants have done me, and I should be happy if it were in my Power to show how sensible I am of it, by something more essential than my Wishes for their Prosperity.

Having resided some Years past in Europe, and being but lately arrived thence, I have not had an Opportunity of being well inform'd of the Points in Dispute between you and the State of North Carolina. I can therefore only say, that I think you are perfectly right in resolving to submit them to the

1 William Cocke was a native of Virginia who served in the Virginian legislature, and later became colonel and brigadier-general of militia in Tennessee. He and William Blount were the first senators from Tennessee (1796). — ED.

2 In A. P. S. The new state separated from North Carolina was afterwards named Tennessee.

ED.

Decision of Congress, and to abide by their Determination.

It is a wise and impartial Tribunal, which can have no sinister Views to warp its Judgment. It is happy for us all, that we have now in our own Country such a Council to apply to, for composing our Differences, without being oblig'd, as formerly, to carry them across the Ocean to be decided, at an immense Expence, by a Council which knew little of our Affairs, would hardly take any Pains to understand them, and which often treated our Applications with Contempt, and rejected them with injurious Language. Let us, therefore, cherish and respect our own Tribunal; for the more generally it is held in high Regard, the more able it will be to answer effectually the Ends of its Institution, the quieting of our contentions, and thereby promoting and securing our common Peace and Happiness.

I do not hear any Talk of an Adjournment of Congress, concerning which you enquire; and I rather think it likely they may continue to sit out their Year, as it is but lately they have been able to make a Quorum for Business, which must therefore probably be in Arrear. If you proceed in your intended Journey, I shall be glad to see you as you pass through Philadelphia. In the mean time I have the Honour to be, very respectfully, Sir, your most obedient Servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

1654. TO JEAN-BAPTISTE LE ROY (L. C.)

DEAR FRIEND,

Philada Aug 15. 1786.

When I was in France, I was press'd by M. Le Noir, and M. Cadet, to give a Description of my Stove for burning