Hampton Court, &c. where no medical gentlemen refide, upon the treasurer's receiving a letter from two of the principal inhabitants, that the method of treatment laid down by the Society was used for full two hours.

Subfcriptions for carrying on this humane undertaking are received by the following gentlemen: James Horsfall, Efq; treafurer, MiddleTemple; Dr. Cogan, No. 11, Pater-nofter-row; Mr. Hawes, apothecary, No. 221, Strand.

Defcription of a Machine for faving Perfons and Effects from Fire.

TH

HIS machine, in its moft fimple ftate, con fifts of a pole, a rope, and a basket.

The pole is of fir, or a common fcaffold pole, of any convenient length from thirty-fix to forty-fix feet; the diameter at bottom, or greatest end, about five inches; and at the top, or fmalleft end, about three inches. At three feet from the top is a mortice through the pole, and a pulley fixed to it of nearly the fame diameter as the pole in that part.

The rope is about three quarters of an inch diameter, and twice the length of the pole, with a fpring hook at one end, to pass through the ring in the handle of the basket when used; it is put through the mortice over the pulley, and then drawn tight on each fide to near the bottom of the pole, and made faft there till wanted.

The baket fhould be of ftrong wicker-work, three feet and a half long, two feet and a half wide, rounded off at the corners, and four feet deep, rounding every way

at the bottom. To the top of the basket is fixed a strong iron curve or handle, with an eye or ring in the middle; and to one fide of the basket, near the top, is fixed a fmall cord, or guide-rope, of about the length of the pole.

When the pole is raifed, and fet against a houfe over the window from which any perfons are to efcape, the manner of ufing it is fo plain and obvious, that it needs not to be defcribed.

The most convenient diftance from the houfe, for the foot of the pole to ftand, where practicable, is about twelve or fourteen feet.

If two strong iron ftraps, about three feet long, rivetted to a bar crofs, and fpreading about fourteen inches at the foot, were fixed at the bottom of the pole, this would prevent its turning round or flipping on the pavement.

And if a strong iron hoop, or ferule, rivetted (or welded) to a femi-circular piece of iron fpreading about twelve inches, and pointed at the ends, were fixed on at the top of the pole, it would prevent its fliding against the wall.

When these two laft mentioned irons are fixed on, they give the pole all the fleadiness of a ladder.

And because it is not easy, except to perfons who have been used to it, to raife and fet upright a pole of forty feet or more in length, it will be convenient to have two fmall poles, or fpars of about two inches diameter, fixed to the fides of the great pole at about two or three feet above the middle of it, by iron eyes rivetted to two plates, fo as to turn every way; the lower end of thefe fpars to reach within a foot of the bottom of the great pole, and to have ferules and

13

short

fhort Spikes to prevent fliding on the pavement, when ufed occa. fionally to fupport the great pole, like a tripod.

There should be two ftrong afh trundles let through the pole, one at four feet, and one at five feet from, the bottom, to ftand out about eight inches on each fide, and to ferve as handles, or to twift the rope round in lowering a very heavy weight. If a block and pulley were fixed at about the middle of the rope, above the other pulley, and the other part of the rope made to run double, it would diminish any weight in the basket nearly one half, and be very ufeful in drawing any perfon up, to the affiftance of thofe in the chambers, or for removing any effects out of a chamber, which it might be dangerous to attempt by the stairs.

It has been proved by repeated trials, that fuch a pole as we have been speaking of can be raised from the ground, and two or three perfons taken out of the upper windows of an house and fet down fafely in the street, in the space of 35 feconds, or a little more than half a minute.

Sick and infirm perfons, women, children, and many others, who cannot make use of a ladder, may be fafely and eafily brought down from any of the windows of an house on fire by this machine, and by putting a fhort pole through the handles of the basket, may be removed to any distance without being taken out of the basket. The pole must always have the rope ready fixed to it, and may be conveniently laid up upon two or three iron hooks under any fhed or gate. way, and the basket fhould be kept at the watch-houfe. When the pole is laid up, the two fpars fhould al

ways be turned towards the head of it.

The basket should be made of peeled rods, and the pole and spars painted of a light ftone colour, to render it more vifible when used in the night.

Watchmen and others fhould be exercised in the use of it; and it might perhaps be advifeable for parishes to allow five or fix fhillings to the firft pole brought to any fire.

The machine may also be useful to workmen in various branches, who have any thing to do aloft on the outfide of houtes, and will not be more expensive than a common ftandard ladder.

Remarks on Fire-ladders.

Since the above contrivance has been offered to the public, I have obferved that an intended improvement has been made to feveral of the fire-ladders, (which the different parishes in this metropolis are, by act of parliament, obliged to keep) by adding fpars to the ladders as defcribed to the fire-pole ; but through the ignorance or inattention of the people employed to fix them, thefe fpars are of no manner of ufe; on the contrary, they muft rather obftruct those employed in raifing them on any emergency; for fuch ladders as I have feen with thefe additional fpars, have them fixed within a few feet of the top of the ladder, with the ends fo long, as to reach almoft to the foot of it; but to render these ferviceable, they must be fixed about three or four feet only above the middle of the ladder, according to the length of it, with the oppofite ends lying along the fmall part or top of the ladder, in the manner defcribed in the account of the fire-pole; by

WHEREAS great deftruction often happens by fire, for want of a fpeedy fupply of water and engines; and as it has been found that, for the fake of rewards given by act of parliament, a combination has lately been entered into amongst the keepers of parish engines to prevent immediate notice being given to the owners and keepers of private engines, who have horfes and every means of quick conveyance in that dreadful calamity of fire; in confequence of which delay, fires very often arife to a great head: therefore for the preventing of fuch delay in future, the following gentlemen, brewers, viz. Mr. Cox, Baynbrigg-treet, St. Giles's; Meff. Hammond, Gifford, and Co. Cafthe-ftreet, Long Acre; Mr. Mafon, Broad-freet, St. Giles's; and Mr. Hucks, Bloomsbury, do give this

public notice, that they will not permit or fuffer any of their fervants to claim or take any of the rewards given by the faid act for bringing their engines to fires; which they hope will not only be the means of preventing the faid combination in future, but alfo ftir up every perfon to give immediate notice to the gentlemen above-named, on the first breaking out of any fire within a reafonable diftance from their refpective brewhoufes, who will not only order their engines out, with proper affiftance, but alfo fend with them a quantity of water on their drays, in cafks, to work them until a fufficient fupply of it comes into the different plugs belonging to the feveral water companies; which may be a means of preventing that dreadful havock which is often accafioned by the want thereof.

Recipe for an excellent Cofmetic, as

well as Preventative and Remedy
for thofe naufeous and tubborn Dif-
orders, the Scald Head and Itch;
and all other Disorders, both inter-
nal and external, proceeding from
Worms, in Man or Beaft; which
Recipe, accordingly, was fome time
ago found very beneficial in a Mor-
tality among the Calves; by Doctor
Cook of Leigh, in Essex.

Leigh, Effex, Feb. 1, 1775.
Experientia Docet.

per medicine that could cure Sa lucky discovery of a prothe infectious diftemper of horned cattle, would certainly prove of univerfal utility to the public, I here humbly propofe the following prefcription, not indeed on certainty of fuccefs, as having no inftance of

1 4

its

its efficacy as yet, but hereafter to make trial of, as experience teaches knowledge.

The recipe is cheap, and its application eafy. If that theory be true, that fuch infectious difeafes originally proceed from animalcula preying upon the blood and juices, it is highly probable this fafe mineral water, may not only cure the cattle after infection, but if previously applied to, may even prevent the catching the difeafe alfo.

Was it for no more than its many well-known virtues in venereal cafes; in curing fcald heads; opening obstructions; washing ulcers; killing worms; and all other vermin, whether internally or externally fubiting, by drinking it freely in the first cafe, and washing the skin often therewith, in the laft; it is well worth recommending as a general, neat, fafe, cheap, and ealy preparation of fimple mercury; an excellent medicine of many virtues, fit for all ages, climates, and feafons, much to be wished for, and greatly wanted, and is no more at lait than fimple rain-water impregnated with the most minute fmooth particles of pure mercury, or quickfilver; as fafe to use, both internally and externally, as mother's milk, and yet as infipid as water itfelf was before put thereto.

a

Boil two gallons of foft water on one pound of purified quickfilver till half the water is waited, or a leffer or greater quantity at time, and that proportionably, as needed ; after which pour both into a bottle, to be ready for ufe; fhake them well first every time when about to use it; give to either man, or beat, as much and often, as they can well drink, to kill worms in the stomach, inteftines, bowels, and

blood, either by itself, or dashed with milk, or white wine, both for change and ftomach's fake; and for cutaneous feculencies, to wash the skin of both with the fame mercurial decoction, warmed every day, as freely as with plain water, which wipe not off, but let dry in. It was of fervice once in preferving the farmers calves, when there was fome time ago a mortality among them, occafioned (as was difcovered by opening them for examination) from worms found in their bowels; from a recipe of this kind, published by me in the Gentleman's Magazine.

This fimple and fate preparation, makes a very neat cure for the itch, fcab, fcurf, and all other foulness of the fkin, and is likewife a safe, clean, and excellent cofmetic lotion for ladies faces. For fuch ufes make it thus.

Boil two quarts of water on four ounces of quickfilver till half the water is wafted; put both in a bottle for ufe. The fame quickfilver will ferve to boil again the fame way, as often as fresh mercu. rial water is needed.

But not to take my fingle word for it. To be better credited in what I write, I will quote two good authorities therefore, one no lefs than the late excellent philofopher, the honourable Robert Boyle, Efq; from page 392 of his Sceptical Chemift, as it should be fpelt, (and not chymift, as it most commonly is) who, near the end of his treatise, writes thus thereon:

66

Quickfilver itself alfo, though the corpufcles it confifts of be fo very fmall as to get into the pores of that clofeft, and compactest of bodies, gold, is yet (you know) altogether talelefs; and our Hel

mont

mont feveral times tells us, that fair water wherein a little quantity of quickfilver has lain for fome time, tho' it acquire no certain taite, or other fenfible quality from the quickfilver, yet it has a power to dellroy worms in human bodies, which he does much, but not caufelefsly extol. I remember a great lady that had been eminent for beauty in diverfe courts, confeffed to me, that this infipid liquor was of all innocent washes for the face, the best that the ever met with."

Next, Helmont, in Vol. II. of his Ortus Medicinæ, p. 576, writes thus:

"Si nempe argentum vivum maceretur in magna aquæ communis quantitate. Hæc namque, etfi ne minimum quid de argento vivo in fe forbeat, aut ad fui naturam convertere queat: attamen ab argento vivo proprietatem, non item fubftantiam mutuat, ficut pota aqua ejufmodi necet lumbricos univerfos, & afcarides, exiftentes etiam, quo` potus ifte nunquam pervenit: quip pe qui mox totus in lotium rapitur. Fitque aqua ifta contra lumbricos validior, fi femel cum argento vivo bullierit. Sic unica uncia argenti vivi millies poterit menfuram aquæ inficere, attamen permanere in pondere, & proprietate, priftinis, &c."

In English thus: If quick-filver be steeped in a large quantity of common water; for this water, although it doth not fip up any of the quick-filver into itfelf, or is not able to convert it into its own nature, yet it borrows a property, not likewife a fubftance from the quick-filver, fo as that fuch water being drank, doth kill all kinds of worms, and afcarides, alfo thofe which exist where that drink never comes, because it is that which is

foon wholly fnatched into urine. And that water becomes stronger againft worms, if it shall once boil with the quick-filver: fo one fingle ounce of quick-filver fhall be able a thousand times to infect a measure of water, and yet remain in its ancient weight and property.

I quote this paffage only for the fact, and not the theory, which is both fantaftical and falfe; for the wheyish colour the quick-filver communicates to the water, proves the folution of fome of its particles among thofe of the water that is boiled thereon; and it is known to decrease in weight, and waste alfo by many repeated boilings; fo that it is ftrange fo eminent a chemist fhould teach fuch erroneous doctrine, and fubftitute an unintelligible and metaphyfical philofophy, which not only betrays the chemical, but also chimerical enthufiait, as he, his fon, and even Paracelfus, all three certainly were.

Some Account of the Inftitution, and prefent promifing State, &c. of an Undertaking for usefully employing Female Infants, especially thofe of the Poor, in the Blond and Black Silk Lace, and Thread Lace Manufacturies, &c. From Papers, &c. fupplied by the Proprietors.