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1753. PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c.

the electors to chufe that prince for emperor, who will be leaft under the guidance of France, and most attached to the intereft of this kingdom; and at the fame time to fortify that majority, fo as to render any forcible oppofition to their choice of the most dangerous confequence to the undertakers.

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I think, Sir, it is unanimoufly agreed not only in this houfe, but by all the princes of Europe who are friends to a balance of power, that in cafe the prefent emperor fhould die before the election of a king of the Romans, the only method for preferving the peace and a balance of power in Europe, would be to chufe his fon the present archduke Jofeph to be emperor, even tho' he fhould be at that rime under C age. This choice, I am fure, it would be the intereft of this nation to recommend and fupport; and I am as fure, that France will leave no stone unturned for the preventing this choice. As I am no way acquainted with the fecrets of the cabinet, I cannot pofitively fay, but I fhrewdly fufpect, that fhe is already taking meafures for this purpofe. Perhaps he has already a prince in her eye, who by her influence, and under her fupport, is to declare himself a candidate for the imperial diadem. This may be the caufe that he is already doling out her fubfidies fo bountifully to the princes of Germany; and we know, that unless the three ecclefiaftical electors be fecure of an immediate and powerful aflistance, they muft either Ay their refpective territories, or vote at the next election according to the orders fent them by the court of Verfailles. When we know this, or at least when we have great reafon to fufpe&t fuch fecret prac tices, would it not be madnefs in us to think of no previous measures for defeating them? The house of Auftria will certainly do all they can; but they are by themfelves

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alone as little able to withstand the influence of France in time of peace, as her power in time of war. We muft give them our affiftanee in time of peace as well as war, if we are refolved to preferve a balance of power in Europe, and confequently our own independency. How are we to do this? Is there any other way than that of perfuading as many of the electoral and other princes of Germany as we can, that it is there intereft as well as ours to continue the imperial diadem in the houfe of Auftria; and to enable fuch of thein as yield to our reafons, to have always fuch a body of regular troops on foot, as joined with the armies of Auftria, may prevent them or any prince in Germany from being forced by their powerful neighbours to act against the true intereft of their country?

In this light, Sir, I confider the treaty and the fubfidy now under confideration, and in this light I must look upon it as a most prudent Dftep, whether we fucceed or not in the defign of getting the archduke Jofeph chofen king of the Romans during the life of his father, the prefent emperor. I fhould be glad that a balance of power could be preferved in Europe without our g intermeddling in the affair, or being at any expence upon that account; but whilft France is at a great expence in time of peace as well as war, for carrying on her ambitious defign of overturning that balance, and rendering herself the fole arbitrefs of all the affairs of Europe, we must be at fome ex· ́ pence in time of peace as well as war, in order to defeat that defign. As her defign is contrary to the real and remote intereft of all the princes of Europe, however much fome of them may be blinded by an imaginary and immediate intereft, fhe muft carry it on with great art, and her expence mutt always vastly exceed any expence we may have occation

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PROCEEDINGS of the POLITICAL CLUB, &c.

to be at; but ftill we must be at some,
otherwife when her defign comes
to be ripe for execution, the may
have fuch a number of the princes
of Europe pre-engaged to affift her,
that it will be impoffible for us and
the few allies we have left, to op- A
pofe, much less to prevent, the exe-
cution, which will certainly be im-
mediately directed either againft the
houfe of Auftria or against this na-
tion; because the deftruction of
either would be an accomplishment
of her defign, as it would then be
impoffible for any potentate of Eu-
rope, or even for any confederacy
that could be formed in Europe, to
withstand the power of France, or
to dare to difobey her orders.

B

Feb.

out of our power to defend ourselves either by fea or land.

For this reafon, Sir, whilft the feveral branches of the house of Bourbon continue to be fo united as they seem to be at present, and whilft the two chief branches of that house are attempting to make fuch incroachments upon us, I think we fhould take care not to be obliged to ftand alone in a war against the united power of that houfe; and this we can only do by preferving the power of the houfe of Auftria, by continuing that houfe in the poffeffion not only of all its prefent dominions, but alfo of the imperial diadem, and by cultivating as much as poffible a cordial union between the head and the feveral members of the Germanick body. This union it has always been the business of France to interrupt: For this purpose she has omitted no art, fhe has fpared no expence; and on this account fhe is now more diligent, and at a greater expence, than the ever was heretofore. Is Dthis therefore a time for us to betake

This, Sir, the houfe of Auftria are fully fenfible of, and therefore, C if we should ever be attacked by France or Spain, or by both at once, we may depend upon it, that at our defire the whole power of that house, and of all the allies that either of, us could engage, would be employed in attackiug France, or the Spanish branches of the houfe of Bourbon fettled in Italy, at land; and whilst this continues to be the cafe, we have no occafion to be afraid of being attacked, not even by all the branches of the house of Bourbon together; for when they are E engaged in a heavy war at land, it will be eafy for us to encounter them all together at fea. But I confefs, I have not fuch an opinion even of our naval ftrength, as to imagine that we fhould be able to carry on with fuccefs a naval war F against the united force of the house of Bourbon, if their force were no And way diverted by a land war. let us confider, Sir, that if they fhould, by any accidental misfortune happening to us, become fuperior to us but for one month or G two at fea, we fhould be undone; because in that time, France would pour in her numerous armies upen us, and by that means put it る

ourfelves to our own bottom, or to grudge the expence of two or three small subsidies, when the fate of Europe, and confequently of this nation, hangs upon the fingle thread of the prefent emperor's life; when it is almoft certain that this fate would be determined against us, if we do not take care to attach to the house of Auftria as many of the princes of the empire, as we can poffibly prevail with to embark in

that caufe?

This is fo evident, Sir, and fo obvious to every gentleman who confiders the prefent circumflances of Europe, that I was furprised to hear the leaft objection made to the treaty or fubfidy now under confideration; and I am perfuaded, that the oppofition arifes from gentlemens not duly attending to the great change that has been occafioned in the fate of affairs in Europe, by the whole Spanish monarchy's

being

1753. Of LIME-WATER's preventing Putrefaction.

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he mixed fome calx ex conchis marinis. But at the fame time he notices, that they do not, like other falts, diffolve in "water. Nam quemadmodum (fays he) diverJa particule falis, quæ ex cineribus conficiantur, pleræque omnes minimo bumore diffolvan tur, aut in aquofam commutantur fubflantiam, Afic ha particulæ falis, ex calce provenientes, contrario in fummo humore obdurantur five rigefcunt, adeo ut eafdem rurfus in aquofum converti bumorem nunquam viderim.

being brought under the dominion of a
branch of the houfe of Bourbon. Whilft
that monarchy was under the dominion
of a branch of the houfe of Auftria, that
houfe was of itself a match for the houfe
of Bourbon; and therefore it was not
neceffary for this nation, or any of the
other powers of Europe, to give themselves
much trouble about the quarrels between
thefe two houfes; but the.Auftrian fcale
is now become fo light, and the other
fo heavy, that other ftates, and in par
ticular this nation, muft upon every oc-
cafion throw themfelves into the former;
and the more of the ftates of Europe
we can get to join with us in doing fo,
the lefs of our own weight will it be B
neceffary for us to throw in; confequent-
ly, this treaty, with the fubfidy attend-
ing it, I must look on as a piece of the
greatest economy, instead of being a piece
of extravagance.

It is a prefent expence

of a few thoufands, which may hereafter fave us the expending of millions; for which reafon I shall moft heartily give it my concurrence.

[This JOURNAL to be continued in our next.]

September the 7th I began the fame experiment on fish, putting into each of the phials a dram weight of a fresh haddock; there being in the one five ounces of thell lime-water, and as much fountain-water in the other. The fountainwater ftunk in two days time; but the lime-water fmelled only of fresh fish, and continued fo to do till January 1752, when it was taken out as fv eet as ever; while that in the common water was putrid enough, as may eafily be imagined.

I mixed one part of filtered ten months Cold herring-brine, which was of a deep reddish brown colour, and very tranfparent, with two parts of lime-water. The mixture became immediately white and turbid, without any obfervable change of fmell. But on adding two parts more of lime-water, it fmelled of the fpirit of fal ammoniac. The mixture and became as clear as water above : precipitated a white mucous fubftance, And the volatile alcali being driven off, it fmelled only of well and recently cured herrings. Old falted beef brine, treated the fame way, gave the very fame pha

The following Experiments lately published at
EDINBURGH in a little Tract, intitled, A
Differtation on Quick-Lime, and Lime-
Water, by CHARLES ALSTON, M. D. D
very much deferve the Attention of the Peo
ple of this Kingdom, and therefore ve
bave given them a place in our Magazine.

IME-WATER, fays this ingenious

Lphyfician, prevents, or long pro

nomena.

And again, in anfwer to another phyfician upon the fame fubject, he fays, Although by renewing the lime-water on it, I believe flesh might be preferved from corruption, I do not know how long; and the fame lime-water I found prevented corruption more than three months; yet it is not to be expected, that it would never become fœtid, But that when the putrefaction began, it became much more offenfive in this than in common. F water," is what I never obferved, but rather the contrary, in every experiment I made; and particularly in the following

tracts the putrefaction of animal fubftances. The 22d January 1752, having in one phial stone lime-water, and in E another fountain-water, I put into each a little bit of fresh beef, and corked them up. I did not draw the corks till the ift of February, when the fountain-water was become very foetid, but the lime-water not in the least tainted. And thus it continued till the 1ft of May, when I took both out. That in the fountainwater was corrupted and abominably fœtid; but the other quite found, and not at all putrid, more than when put into the lime-water. There were adhering to the fides of this lime-water phial, numerous little cryftalline bodies formerly defcribed. Which are very different from what Leeuwenhoek calls a falt, in his Obfervationes de figuris falis, p. 137-143. G Where he gives the figures of fome small particles, of the lime probably, which his glaffes difcovered, both in water wherein he put fome calx lapidea quæ Leodio advebitur; and alfo water with which February, 1753.

one.

April 20, 1752. I poured into one phial a gill of chalk lime-water, and into another as much of an infufion of camomile flowers in water, made as strong as poffible; and put into each a diam weight of fresh falmon. The infufion was very fine and tranfparent, and of the colour of a tinture of aloes. April 24. it was become turbid, fomewhat fatid, and had fome mouldy spots on its furnace. April

I

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MISCHIEFS of GAMING and ROUTS.

Feb.

to be hoped, the company will order them to be made this next feafon.

And as the game laws are now carried fo ftrictly into execution, that thofe whofe eftates are at a distance from London, can never have any fresh game at their table, it would be worth their while to try this experiment; for if it holds, we might then have all forts of game fent freth to London, even from Ireland and the northernmost parts of Scotland. To which we shall add the advantage of our having fresh salmon, fresh trout, &c. at a very moderate price here at London.

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON B MAGAZINE.

April 28, more tubid, ftill foetid, mouldy
fpots gone. May 1, it smelled lefs foetid-
ly, and more of camomile; the smell of
the flowers much leffening, and fometimes
as it were overcoming the fœtor. Af-
ter five or fix weeks, the fcent became
more difagreeable; the infufion precipi-
tated a good deal of flimy stuff, but con- A
tinued turbid. After they had stood ma-
cerating for fixty-eight days, I took both
out. That which was in the infufion,
was of a dark brown colour, very ten-
der and fœtid; neither colour, fmell,
tafte, nor confiftence of falmon remain-
ing Whereas the piece that was in the
lime-water, was quite found, retaining
its proper tafte, fmell, confiftence, and
colour; being ftill reddish, and only a
little blanched, but not in the leaft foetid.
When I had kept both liquors about fix
weeks longer, and the lime-water began
to ftink, I filtered both; and obferved,
that the putrefaction of the infufion was
much more offenfive than that of the
lime-water. And having mixed one part C
of this foetid lime water with two parts
of freth lime-water, obferved alfo, though
the mixture was in a clofe corked phial,
that in a day's time it loft its fœtor, re-
taining only a filly fmell, which fome
compared to that of crabs, others to that
of lobiters. If therefore lime water is

more antifeptic than a strong infufion of
camomile flowers, I leave it to my friend
to judge, whether it makes only "fome
fmall refiftance to putrefaction."

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I never thought the virtues of limewater confifted only in correcting putrefaction ; but I was very glad to find that it had that quality; and confequently was perfectly fafe in fuch cafes, wherein otherwife it might have been E hurtful, and was generally reckoned fo. And it gave me great pleasure to observe, that a fmall quantity of quick-lime could prevent the corruption of a great deal of common water; and confequently be fignally ufeful to mariners in long voyages, by contributing feveral ways to the health of that valuable part of mankind, on which the profperity of the nation not a little depends, and for whofe fake chiefly I have published this paper.

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Befides what the author has obferved, with respect to the preferving of common water on board our fhips, these experiments deferve our attention, particularly at prefent, on two other accounts; for if heurings could be preferved fresh for G five or fix weeks, without altering their delicious taste or high flavour, it would be a great advantage to our herring fishery; and as the neceffary experiments may be made at fo fmall an expence, it is

SIR,

T is to be wished, that we had fome publick paper of entertainment, that, free from politicks and party, might animadvert upon the irregularities, which from time to time are, apt to creep into the manners of a people; I remember the days of good queen Anne, when I was more in the great world than I have been of late: I have heard it obferved then, as well as often fince, that the politeness, which diftinguished that particular era, was in a great measure owing to the genteel raillery, which was conveyed to the town in papers then published weekly under the titles of Tatlers and Spectators; but as there are no checks of that kind now, every perfon, fo difpofed, plays the fool without fear or wit.

Gaming, which at best can produce no good confequences, is of late run into fuch a vice, that the happiness of the married ftate is in a great measure deftroyed by it; the care of the family, and the education of the children while they are young, which is the province of the mother, are in hundreds of inftances intirely given up and facrificed to a game at cards. There is no moderation in the pursuit of this pleafure, or let me call it by its proper name, of this vice. Thofe riotous meetings, nor improperly called routs †, were firft begun by people of quality. It is ftrange, that any thing, that has fuch an affinity to mobbing, fhould take its rife among those, from whom we should expect a better taste. But fee the force of bad example, and how fond people are of imitating their betters in their worft fashions. Thefe routs have been spreading lower and lower, till now they are come fo low as among the bucaneers: People of this de-. nomination have their routs, but with fome improvements; for out of a particular ambition to affront religion and decency,

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1753.

FORMATION of the human FCTUS.

decency, they hold them on the Sabbath day. Perhaps nothing could happen fo effectually to put an end to them among people of quality as this, which looks like a burlefque upon routs; I with it may, but if they continue to fpread among the lower people, they will have several bad effe&s.

I am

an inhabitant of a quarter of the town where this enormity has appeared, and I beg you will give this a place in your Magazine, to try if it may prove a hint to the parties to drop it, in which cafe I fhall drop it alfo ; but if it is continued, I hope you will give me leave to trouble you once more with fome remarks upon a practice, which is fo high an infult upon religion and good manners..

1 am,

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Seven days after the conception, we may with the naked eye discover the firft lineaments of the foetus, but as yet without any form. At the end of these feven days we can perceive only what may be feen in an egg at the end of 24 hours of incubation, a little lump of jelly almoft tranfparent, which has already fome folidity, and in which we may diftinguish the head and the trunk, as it is of an oblong form, and the upper part, which reprefents the trunk, is longer and fmaller than the lower. We likewife fee fome fmall fibres like a bird's tuft, which grow out from the middle of the body of the fœtus, and end at that membrane in which it is inclofed, together with the liquor that furrounds it. These fibres afterwards form the umbilical veffel or navel-ftring.

A fortnight after conception, we begin to diftinguish the head, and to difcover the moft remarkable features of the face: The nofe is as yet but like a little prominent C thread, and perdendicular to that line which indicates the feparation of the lips. We may perceive two little black points in the place of the eyes, and two little holes in that of the ears: The body of the foetus has alfo grown a little bigger, and on the two fides of the upper part of the trunk, and at the bottom of the lower part, we fee little protuberances, which are the first traces of the legs and arms, and the length of the whole body is then about five lines.

D

E

Our author, the learned Buffon, begins with obferving, that no fuch exact history can be given of the formation of the human fetus in the womb, as of the formation of a chick in the egg, becaufe opportunities for obfervation feldom occur, therefore we can know no more of it than what may be gathered from the writings of anatomifts, furgeons, and midwives; from which he tells us, that in three or four days after conception, there appears to be in the matrix or womb an oval bubble, whofe longeft diameter is fix lines † in length, and its fhorteft four. This bubble is formed by a membrane which is extremely fine, and contains a limpid liquor very much refembling the white of an egg. In this liquor there may already be perceived a few fmall fibres united together, which are the first sketches of the fœtus; and npon the furface of this bubble we fee spread, a net of small fibres which covers one half of this bubble from one end of the long axis as far as the middle of G the bubble, that is to fay, as far as the circle fuppofed to be formed by a revolution of the fhort axis. the fift traces of the placenta.

These are

A week afterwards, that is to fay, at the end of three weeks, the body of the foetus has not grown but about a line longer, but the arms and legs, the hands and feet are apparent: The growth of the arms is quicker than that of the legs, and the fingers are feparated before the toes. At the fame time the internal organization of the feetus begins to be fenfible: The bones are represented by little threads as fine as hairs, and the ribs may be distinguished, which are as yet but like threads regularly difpofed upon each fide of the fpine. The arms, the legs, the fingers and toes, are also reprefented by the fame fort of threads.

In a month's time the foetus is above an inch in length: In the fituation which it naturally takes amidst the liquor with which it is furrounded, it is a little bent: The membrane which contains the whole is increased both in bigrefs and thickness: The whole mafs is ftill of an oval figure; and now its longeft diameter is about an inch and a half, and its thorteft about an inch and a quarter. The hu man fhape of the fetus is no longer 12 doubtful

See our Magazine for Last year, p. 458. A line in measure is the 12th part of an insb.

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