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last centuries,"* by which we are doomed to contemplate, to use the words of Weever, many fair monuments foully defaced," + can be viewed by E. I. C. in the same light as the erasure of these Inscriptions? Can he discover no difference between the destruction which was effected on the one hand, and the work of restoration which has been accomplished on the other? I am aware your Correspon dent asserts that "nothing can be more fallacious than this plea of restoration;" but it is a good plea notwithstanding. It would seem as if E.I.C. considered that "restoration" necessarily implied an addition. This is evidently an error. Who scruples to regard as a restoration the omission of the four introductory lines which are to be found in some copies of the Æneid, commencing "Ille ego," &c.;

or the hemistich "de collo fistula pendet," Æneid, book 3, line 661. These passages (to forbear multiplying examples) which are not to be found in the oldest manuscript extant of Virgil, and which is in the library of the Vatican palace at Rome, being regarded as interpolations, I scarcely need say are omitted in the best editions of that author, and that the editors who have thus purified the text, are generally considered entitled to the characters of "restorers."

It is urged by E.I. C. in support of the preservation of the Inscriptions on the Monument, that they "spoke the language of the times in which they were set up;" but were the times of which they "spoke the language" at all made manifest? On the contrary, did they not imply that they were "set up" at the period when the Monument was erected? and until I brought forward what your correspondent has been pleased to designate as "valuable historical documents," was not such the almost universal opinion? and hence had they not obtained for themselves a false importance ?

As "an historical memorial," they were worse than useless, for they misled while they pretended to inform; and confounded times and circumstances, by giving as the language

* Sepulchral Monuments, vol. I. part i. page 5, folio, 1786.

+ Ancient Funeral Monuments, p. 327, folio, 1631.

[Oct.

and belief of one period what was the language and belief of another. Your correspondent says, in allusion to the historical documents I have brought forward, that I have "added to the value of the Inscriptions, by proving the existence of the feeling which gave rise to them, and at the same showing that they were genuine and au thentic." If this be so, I am glad of it; all the value they are entitled to, I wish them to possess. Presented as they are in the City Records with the dates when they were agreed to specified, I have no objection to claim for them the most attentive examination: but the offspring, as they are, "of false zeal and fanaticism," promoters as they have long been of slander and intolerance, under a shape and in a situation which they ought never to have assumed, I rejoice that I have done my part in the accomplishment of their removal; and I feel perfectly assured, so far from considering that it requires any peculiar

sagacity to justify the act," that the most persevering ingenuity might torture itself in vain to find one single pretext for their continuance, possessed of even common plausibility.

FREDERICK THORNHILL.

AN APPEAL IN FAVOUR OF ANATOMY. By T. E. BAKER, Esq. M.R.C.S. of Alhow, Malwa, in India.

THE rejection of Mr. Warburton's Anatomy Bill in the House of Lords, without a better being proposed, is much to be lamented; and my object in addressing you is to assist in removing some very unfounded and very injurious prejudices against a science, which is most extremely useful in relieving those accidents and diseases to which we are all more or less subject, both in sickness and in health. The more Mr. Warburton's exertions are discussed, and the better they are understood, the greater and speedier will be the advantages which the public will derive; but it is to the middling and lower classes of society, that the subject is most deeply interesting and important. The rich man can always command the services of the most experienced and most able surgeons; this is not the case with the poor man, nor with those who reside in distant towns and villages. They must be attended by surgeons in 1831.]

their immediate neighbourhood, whether they may be learned or unlearned, ignorant or skilful, in their profession.

All men must know that it is utterly impossible for any man to be a good surgeon, unless he is a good anatomist. Without studying anatomy, how can he know the exact situation of the arteries, veins, and nerves; or the connection of the bones, joints, and ligaments? a knowledge which is absolutely necessary to enable him to perform the most common operations. Any person may be sensible of the necessity of anatomy from his own experience. In cutting up or carving a fowl, a hare, or any other animal, all must have observed the difficulty of doing it with ease, till they have had considerable experience. Do they imagine it is less difficult to separate the different parts of the human body; and is it not better that this experience should be gained by practising on the dead, than by mangling and torturing the living? and yet this must be the case, if the people oppose themselves to the study of anatomy.

A very unjust prejudice has been raised against dissection, in consequence of the absurd law, directing that the bodies of all murderers shall be delivered to the surgeons to be dissected. It is utterly impossible to conceive a law more calculated to cause misery to the living, or more injurious to just and good men, with out in any degree injuring the bad. The criminal is dead, and cannot receive any pain or injury from the dissection, and the thought or fear of being dissected has never prevented or deterred a man from committing murder. If Government do not repeal this absurd and injurious law, I call upon all surgeons to refuse to dissect the bodies of murderers. The law may order the dissection, but it depends upon the surgeons, whether the law shall be carried into effect, and if they are wise and humane, they will leave the judges and lawyers to dissect these bodies themselves.

Few people have any dread of being dissected themselves; the chief dread is that the bodies of their relations will be taken from their graves. Mr. Warburton's Bill will remove this dread. He proposes that all who die in gaols, hospitals, and workhouses,

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who have no relations to bury them, shall be given up for the purposes of anatomy; and this will supply a sufficient number of bodies, without ever employing the resurrection men; we shall then hear no more of them, nor any repetition of the dreadful crimes that were committed by Burke and his associates. Nothing can be more fair and just than this proposal, for those who have been supported by the public, owe the public some return, and they will thus benefit the living, and make the only return in their power; nor can it be stated with truth that this is a hardship which peculiarly presses on the poor, for it is well known that under the present system, subjects for dissection are almost exclusively obtained from the lower classes. The funeral service will be performed over the bodies as usual, and this must remove all religious objections, for it can be of no consequence, whether our bodies are destroyed by the worms a few wecks earlier or later.

Some persons think that the proposed plan will injure the moral feel. ings and affections of the people. I do not believe this. The French have not the same objections to anatomy that we have, and yet they are as kind and as affectionate in their families as ourselves. The Irish have not so strong an objection as we have, and yet a more warm-hearted affectionate people do not exist on the face of the earth. In fact, the more I consider the subject, the more I am convinced that every thing is to be said in favour of Mr. Warburton's Bill, and that nothing can justly be said against it.

One cause of the prejudice against anatomy is the mystery we are now obliged to observe in the practice of it; but this cause will be removed by the proposed law. It is the constant practice in India, to examine the bodies of European soldiers and officers who die in the country. I have never known any objection made to this; and one reason may be, that we do not examine or dissect the bodies of murderers in this country. I myself never make any secret or mystery upon these occasions; as that implies we are doing something that is revolting, or improper, or not fit for the public eye. I have examined the bodies of men both in the Kings' and in

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the Honourable Company's European regiments; upon these occasions I have always told the men that any of them who wished it, might be present at the examination. They frequently attended, and appeared to be rather pleased than otherwise, at seeing that not the slightest indelicacy, nor any thing revolting to the feelings, was ever done. It also appeared to increase their confidence in the surgeon, for in the great majority of deaths in India, the cause is apparent; such as abscess in the liver, ulceration and mortification in the intestines, &c.; and the men are perfectly well aware that these diseases are generally beyond the power of medicine to relieve. There is another prejudice against the practice of anatomy and surgery, from many supposing, that it hardens the feelings, and makes men unfit for the common and social duties of life. This prejudice has been still further increased, from a popular belief, that surgeons, in consequence of their profession, are not eligible to sit on juries. This is not the case. Blackstone expressly says, when speaking of surgeons, "Their service is excused, and not excluded, and this exemption is also extended by divers statutes, customs, and charters." The law here is perfectly just and correct; for were surgeons obliged to attend as jurors, their patients, during their absence, might die for want of necessary attendance.

Lord Bacon is acknowledged by all to be one of the wisest and most learned men that our country ever produced, and his judgment and opinions are entitled to some respect and consideration. In his treatise "On the Advancement of Learning,"hesays,

"As for the footsteps of diseases, and their devastations of the inward parts, impostumations, exulcerations, discontinuations, putrefactious, consumptions, contractions, repletions, together with all preternatural substances, as stones, carnosities, excrescences, worms, and the like, they ought to have been observed by multitude of

anatomies, and the contributions of men's several experiences, and carefully set down; both historically, according to the appearances, and artificially, with a reference to the diseases and symptoms which resulted from them, in case where the anatomy is of a defunct patient. Therefore I will not doubt to note as a deficience, that they inquire not the perfect cures of many diseases, or extremities of diseases."

Mr. Averill, an English surgeon,

[Oct.

who resided some time at Paris, in his "Operative Surgery," says,

" In quickness and dexterity of operating, the surgeons of France may rank before us, and their superiority in this respect, as is before stated, must be attributed to the facility with which they procure subjects, and the attention they bestow upon the practice of operating on the dead."

Sir Astley Cooper, in his evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons, expressly declares, that from the great difficulty of procuring subjects for dissection, the young surgeons are not such good anatomists as they were some few years ago.Who will suffer from this? The public. The surgeons will receive the best education they can, but if the people oppose their acquiring a knowledge of anatomy, they must not blame them for their unavoidable ignorance.

Nothing can be more unjust than the present laws affecting surgeons. They are in a great measure debarred from acquiring a correct knowledge of their profession, and at the same time the law will punish them for a want of knowledge, which it has prevented their acquiring. It is impossible to conceive any case of greater injustice than this; yet such is the present state of our law. If a surgeon cannot detect a dislocation, or the exact nature of any other doubtful accident, he is most unjustly condemned for a want of knowledge, and this by the very men who prevent his acquiring it. These facts and circumstances only require to be brought to the notice of the public, to ensure them the attention they deserve.

There can be no doubt, then, but that anatomy is of the greatest use to the living, more particularly to the hard-working and lower orders of society, who are most liable to those accidents, to remedy or relieve which, a practical knowledge is essentially and absolutely required. I shall conclude by warning them not to attend to the interested arguments of those who endeavour to throw a stigma on the study of a science, so requisite to the successful practice of a most useful and honourable profession, and so vitally interesting and important to their own health, welfare, and happi-, SURGICUS.

ness.

Mr. URBAN, Torquay, Sept. 12. IN making a tour, a short time since, in the north of Devon, in search of

1831.]

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Sydenham in the parish of Mary. stow, which house is seated somewhat low by the Riveret side, which place Sir T. Wise beautified with buildings of such height as the very foundation is ready to reele under the burthen." Sydenham now stands as it was erected by Sir T. Wise. It occupies three sides of a quadrangle. Over the entrance door, which is supported by columns, are the arms and quarterings of the Wises in granite.

Dexter supporter, a lion couchant Gules, armed and langued Azure. Sinister, a monkey rampant Sable. Crest, a demi-lion rampant Gules, gutté Argent, holding in his paws a regal sceptre Or.

1. Sable, three chevronels Ermine. 2. Argent, gutté de Sang, three copper cakes Sable. 3. Gules, a cro cross patée Vaire. 4. Sable, on a fess Or, between 3 crosses patée Argent, as many pallets Gules. 5. Argent, 3 hawks Gules, armed and membered Or. 6. Gules, a chevron per fess indented Argent and Azure, between three martlets Argent. 7. Argent, on a bend Gules, three stags courant Or. 8. Sable, a pelican in her piety Or. 9. Argent, three bendlets Gules, within a bordure charged with twelve Bezants. 10. Gules, a fess Argent between three escallop shells Or. 11. Or, on a chevron Gules a crescent of

the First. 12. As the First.

In the hall, which was fitted up in 1656, are a number of curiously shaped shields, - Wise and Viponte; Wise and St. John; Wise and Chichester; Wise and Stafford, &c. In the drawing room, which is hung with tapestry, are the likenesses of Sir Edward Wise, K. B., the Lady Arabella his wife, daughter and coheir of Oliver Lord St. John, son of the Earl of Bolingbroke; also his second wife Radigund, daughter of Eliot of Port Eliot. In the picture gallery are Sir Thomas Wise, K.B.; Thomas Wise, M.P. for the county of Devon, 1640; his wife GENT. MAG. October, 1831.

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the Lady Mary Wise; a Mrs. Wise, with her nine daughters; with many others. The house is three stories high, and the windows of stone. Behind the house is a large garden, laid out in the old style, and in the middle an oval pond surrounded with stone steps. In front is a splendid hanging wood, which runs to the distance of a mile and a half. The first of this family I find on record is William Wise de Greston in 1100, who was father of Serlonius, who was father of Oliver, who was father of Sir John Wise, Knt. who had issue Henry, who had issue Sir Wm. Wise, who held 16 librates of land 40 Henry III. He had issue Serlonius Wise de Thrusselton, which lands he inherited from the Viponts, or de Veteri-ponte. He had issue Oliver and John. The latter inherited divers lands from the Trevages and Sydenhams, and was Sheriff co. Devon, 5th Henry IV. He had issue Thomas, who married the heiress of Brit, who was descended from Alured de Brito, supposed to have proceeded from the British race. She brought with her lands in the parish of Stoke Damarell, since better known by the name of Mount Wise. Thomas Wise had issue John, who married Thomasine, daughter of Sir Baldwin Fulford, Knt. Prince, in his Worthies, thus speaks of this alliance:

"Thomas Wise of Sydenham married Thomasine, daughter of Sir B. Fulford, by whom he had issue a daughter married to Russell, from whom is descended the present most noble Duke of Bedford. This Sir Baldwin prospered very well, for he was a great soldier and a traveller, of so undaunted a resolution, that for the honour and liberty of a Royal lady in a castle besieged by the infidels, he fought a combat with a Saracen, for bulk and bigness an unequal match (as the representation of him cut in the wainscot in Fulford Hall, doth plainly show,) whom yet he vanquished, and rescued the lady. John Wise had issue Oliver, and Thomazine, m. to James Russel, father of John first Earl of Bedford. Oliver Wise married Margery Tremayne, of an ancient Cornish family, by whom he had issue John, who married three times, 1st. Maria, daughter of James Chudlegh de Asserlton, co. Devon, by whom he had issue James and others; 2dly, Dorothy, dau. of Legh of Legh, co. Devon, by whom he had issue; adly, Anna, dau. of Sir Geo. Mathew of Rader in Glamorganshire. James Wise married Alicia, daughter of John Dynham de Wortham, an ancient and baronial family