Copy 1, Volume 1

The works, literary, moral, and medical of Thomas Percival : to which are prefixed memoirs of his life and writings and a selection from his literary correspondence.

  • Thomas Percival
Date:
1807
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works, literary, moral, and medical of Thomas Percival : to which are prefixed memoirs of his life and writings and a selection from his literary correspondence. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    4‘ have paid no attention to inquiries of this nature; and it mud e< afford matter of aftonifhment even to the phyfician and the philo- “ fopher, when he reflects, that the inhabitants of both live in the fame climate, carry on the fame manufactures, and are chiefly tc fupplied with provifions from the fame market. But his furprize <£ will give way to concern and regret, when he obferves the havoc ee produced in every large town, by luxury, irregularity, and in- C( temperance ; the numbers that fall annual victims to contagious “ difternpers, which never ceafe to prevail; and the pernicious in- Ci fluence of confinement, uncleanlinefs, and foul air, on the dimi- “ nution of life.” It is obvious that therefult of thefe and limilar inquiries does not extend to a folution of the great queftion refpeCting the means of increafing or diminiihing national population. NOTE (b.) PAGE lvlii. Extrafi of a Letter from Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. to Dr. Percival, dated London, 1771. tc my return to London, I found your favour of the 16th of ^ ]VIay. I with I could, as you defire, give you a better explanation of the phenomenon in queftion, fince you feem not miite fatisded with your own ; but I think we want more and a greater variety of experiments in different circumftances, to enable us to form a thorough!y-fatisfaCtory hypothefis.—I will endeavour to explain to you what occurred to rne when I firft heard of the faCt.
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