ADDITIONS ON THE ABOVE.

THE ingenious writer of this paper does not seem to be acquainted with a late-discovery made in India, by Mr John Williams there, and published in the Asiatic Researches; viz. that the caustic volatile alkali, administrated in small doses, and repeated at fhort intervals, proved effectual in all the cases in which it had been properly administered; even after the symptoms were the most alarming. The following case will serve as an illustration.

"In July 1784, the wife of a servant of mine, was bitten by a cobra de capello on the outside of the little toe of her right foot. In a few minutes she became convulsed; particularly about the jaws and throat, with a continued gnashing of the teeth. She at first complained of a numbnefs extending from the wound upwards; but no ligature was applied to the limb. About sixty drops of the caustic volatile spirit were given to her in water, by forcing open her mouth, which was strongly convulsed; in about seven minutes the dose was repeated, when the convulsion left her; and in three more she became sensible, and spoke to those who attended her. A few drops of the spirit had also been applied to the wound. The snake was killed and brought to me, which proved a cobra de capello."

Mr W, concludes his paper in these words: “I have seen instances of persons bitten by snakes, who have been so long without afsistance, that when they had been brought to me, they have not been able to swallow, from convulsions of the throat and

fauces, which is, I observe, a constant symptom of the bite of the cobra de capello; and indeed I have had many persons brought to me who had been dead sometime; but never knew an instance of the volatile caustic alkali failing in its effect, where the patient

has been able to swallow it."

In the course of this difsertation he takes occasion to observe, that in one case, oil had been swallowed by the patient before his arrival; but that on administering the alkali, the patient vomited up the oil; which he considered as a fortunate, circumstance; as he thinks oil tends to weaken the power of the alkali, which he believes acts entirely as a stimulant. Eau de luce, he says, may be succefsfully employed where the pure alkali cannot be had; but it is lefs efficacious. Fortunately for this country we have no dangers of this kind to guard against.

SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee.

IF you think as well as I do of the following extract of a letter I lately received from a gentleman of eminence in the country, you will not hesitate to give it a place in your useful Miscellany; by doing which I imagine you will oblige many of your readers, and give pleasure to

AN OLD CORRESPONDENT.

HINTS FOR A POLITICAL BIBLE.

I AM duly favoured with yours of the first instant. The plan of the Committee for difseminating useful

political knowledge among our lower clafses of people, is most highly useful, and has my best wishes for its succefs. I like it because it is an institution quite the reverse of the Inquisition; and at least as well calculated for the support of a free government as the Inquisition is of a despotic one.

I wish some of your able pens would write a PoHitical Bible, divided into short chapters, and adapted to our own constitution. It might begin by some preliminary observations on government in general, distinguifhing the circumstances that constitute the efsence of freedom and despotism; then give instructions to kings, princes, ministers, nobility, and gentry; and proceed to judges, and tax gatherers, not forgetting the clergy; and then, descending to the lower classes, a few well stated facts might be thrown in, to persuade them, though the lower, they are not therefore the lefs happy orders of the state. They be gin already round me to feel they are the most useful. When a poor man told a rich one that he was very hungry, the rich man exclaimed, "How happy you are! I have not had the pleasure of being hungry these twenty years." Did they but reflect how invariably our Maker has attached bodily health, and peace of mind, to industrious occupations, they would view us idlers with lefs envy. Then fhow them how our excellent constitution secures to them these happy fruits of their own labour; and that the general protection of good laws, extended to us landed proprietors, extends their means of being employed, that is of being happy. I fhould expect to see the people attached warmly to our constitu VOL. xiv.

G

T

March 13. tion in proportion to their poverty, and not, as is now the case, in proportion to their wealth. For I am convinced the discontent and uneasinefs, which, I am sorry to say, I find pretty prevalent among the 1.wer classes, all proceed rom ignorance, worked upon by misrepresentation.

Our Political Bible, like our Sacred Bible, might consist partly of precepts, and partly of history. A fhort historical account of the progrefs of liberty, and of the successive improvements on our constitution, would have a great effcet. Its present state, I would boldly afsert, to be so near to perfection, that it ought only to be touched in future by the most fkilful hand, and, very gently. A contrast of the condition of the labourer in Spain, Italy, Turkey, and of the tradesman there, might be introduced. At present, the people round me are all getting rich; getting better houses, clothes, and food, by means of rights which they do not know they enjoy. This want of instruction your Commitee is meant to supply. Judge then of the beneficial effects it may produce. I am particularly anxious to see William Playfair's book on the consequences of a parliamentary reform; because that is the most popular, and yet the most dangerous crotchet the people have got in their heads. What they aim at for the boroughs, would only extend drunkenness, idleness, and corruption. Our boroughs would be better if deacons of crafts were chosen for life, like the aldermen in London. The public accounts indeed fhould be very open to inspection, and subject to easy controul. But to return from this digrefsion. As a slight fketch, to

1

convey something like an idea of what I mean, take the following a an example.

SPECIMEN OF THE POLITICAL BIBLE.

Book first, Chapter first.

1. A king not controuled by his nobles and people, is a despot; as witness Morocco.

2. Nobles not controuled by a king and people, are despots; as witness Venice.

3. A people not controuled by nobles and a king, are despots; as witness France.

4. A state in which king, nobles, and people, have each a fhare in the government, is free; as witness Great Britain and Ireland.

5. The different ranks of life, like the different seasons of the year, have each their use. made them both.

God

6. The hottest season is not always the healthiest; no more is the richest man always the happiest.

7. The winter prepares the ground for ploughing in the spring; the spring prepares it for bearing corn in summer; the summer ripens the corn for reaping in autumn.

8. The rich man gives his money to reward the industrious poor man; the poor man gives his industry to minister to the wants of the rich. Could they do without the afsistance of each other? God made them both.

9. Despotic governments are worse for the poor man than for the rich one; as the poor man is sooner ruined than a rich one.

And so on to the end of the chapter.