prove of such a servile imitation of the French official reports, yet I approve still less of the British practice of giving no reports at all, unless in the case of some great battle, or extraordinary military operation. These occur but rarely they are rari nantes in gurgite vasto; and, in general, we are left at the mercy of the most vague and contradictory rumours.— From these alone can we know where our army is, what it is doing, or likely to do; which, among a restless, fretful, discontented nation like ours, gives rise to all kind of evil rumours and gloomy apprehensions.

I have already alluded to the leading particulars which it would be desirable to see included in an official report. Besides these, it is very interesting when any light is thrown on the rationale of military events, or the circumstances which have led to their good or bad success. On these points such publications are usually sparing; nor can they always be blamed, since such a disclosure might be useful to the enemy. Plans of battles are very convenient; indeed the accounts, without them, are rarely intelligible. But this seems to fall rather to the share of the news-writers, who seldom choose to take much trouble on the occasion.

says, that he has seen a charter to it dated in 1417. In the course of time, one of the family acquired by marriage the estate of Forther, in the same county; after which the lands of Pitcairn went off with a younger son, from whom was descended Dr Archibald Pitcairn of Pitcairn, justly famed as a Physician, poet, wit, scholar, and ma. thematician. Of the elder branch Dr David Pitcairn became the representative upon the death of his uncle, the well-known Dr William Pitcairn, who had practised physic for nearly half a century, and had been many years president of the college of Physicians. Dr David Pitcairn was born on the 1st of May, 1749, in the house of his grandfather, the Rev. David Pitcairn, minister of Dysart, in the county of Fife. When about nine or ten years old, he was sent to the high school at Edinburgh, where he remained four years; after which he went to the University of Glasgow, and prosecuted his studies there till he arrived at the age of twenty. At this period of his life he used to spend much of his leisure time with the family of the Rev. James Baillie, minister of Bothwell, in the County of Lanark, and father of the present Dr Mathew Baillie, of London, and of the celebrated dramatic writer, Miss Joanna Baillie. During this intercourse commenced an affectionate intimacy between Dr Pitcairn and Dr Baillie; which afterwards, as the difference of their years became less in proportion to their whole ages, gradually changed into the warmest friendship, that continued ever after. It being now determined that he should be a physician, Le went in 1769 to the university of Edinburgh, and studied medicine there for three years, under the immediate direction of the illustrious Cullen. In 1772 he went to London, and attended the lectures of Dr W. Hunter, and Dr G. Fordyce. About the same time also, that he might attain an English degree in physic, though hẹ

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was then nearly 23 years old, he entered at Ben'et College, Cambridge. In 1780, several years before he received his Doctor's Degree, he was elected physician to St. Bartholomew's Hospital; and about the same time may be placed the commencement of his private medical practice. In 1792, he was chosen physician to Christ's Hospital; and in the following year, his private practice being now considerable, he resigned the office of Physician to St Bartholomew's Hospital. His office at Christ's Hospital demanded but little of his time, and was therefore retained by him several years longer. By the death of Dr Warren, which took place in June 1797, Dr Pitcairn was placed at the head of his profession in London. One or two other physicians possibly derived as much pecuniary emolument from the practice of medicine as himself, but certainly no other was so frequently requested by his brethren to afford his aid in cases of difficulty. But this prosperous state did not endure long. In the autumn of the same year he fell from his horse, and bruised his side. Shortly after, his heart began to beat with violence, and his attention was more particularly directed to this symptom, as it had occurred in one of his brothers, likewise in consequence of a fall, whose heart, after death, was found considerably enlarged. He continued, however, to follow his profession till February in the following year, when he was attacked with an hæmorrhage from his lungs. From this he recovered, after some time, so far as to be enabled to resume the exercise of his profession; but the same disease having recurred in summer, he embarked in September for Lisbon. During a stay of more than 18 months in Portugal, he had no return of the hæmorrhage, in consequence of which he ventured to come back to this country in May 1800. He was still feeble; and his heart was still bearing too forcibly; July 1809.

he for some time, therefore, declined altogether engaging in medical practice. Afterwards, as his health improved, he began to receive patients at his house; then to meet other physicians in consultation at the houses of their patients; and at length, after an interval of several years, to undertake the entire care of sick persons at their own homes; except during four months in the latter part of the year, which he spent almost wholly in the country. In the mean time, however, the palpitation of his heart continued; on which account he, for a long time, lived very abstemiously, drinking only water, and abstaining almost entirely from animal food. But, as the beating did not increase, and no other sign of a diseased heart existed, and as he found a vegetable diet to produce in him much flatulence, about a year or two before his death he began to eat moderately of animal food once a day, and to take sometimes after dinner a single glass of wine diluted with water. Under this change of regimen his appearance altered considerably, and during the last six months of his life, he frequently received the congratulations of his friends on the improvement which his health had undergone. Disregarding the advice given by one of the masters of his art, “si plenior aliquis, et speciosior, et coloratior, factus est, suspecta habere bona sua debet," he seemed to look upon his increased strength as a permanent acquisition, and as chiefly valuable from enabling him to bear an encrease of professional labour. In the course of the month of March, for instance, he rose several times from his bed soon after midnight, and travelled between twenty and thirty miles before morning, to visit a patient. From these exertions, however, he appeared to suffer no immediate injury. But about the beginning of April he found he was heated by his single glass of wine, though diluted largely with water,

and

and therefore discontinued it. On the 13th he felt a soreness in his throat; but he thought so lightly of it, that he continued his professional visits during that and the two following days. In the night of the 15th, his throat became worse, in consequence of which he was copiously bled at his own desire, and had a large blister applied over his throat; but the irritation occasioned by the latter remedy was so distressing to him, that it was removed before its intended effect was fully produced. On the evening of the 16th Dr Baillie called upon him without knowing that he was ill; and having heard the history of his ailment, and an account of the remedies employed, he entirely approved of what had been done. At this time Dr Baillie observed no symptom which indicated danger.

Dr Baillie saw him again between four and five o'clock in the afternoon, and thought his situation much improved; for the pulse was now equal and more firm; and his general appearance indicated less debility and distress. Under this persuasion he left him, having previously agreed to return at 10 in the evening, when he was to meet in consultation Mr Home, and another physician, who had long been intimate with his patient. A little before Dr Baillie had paid the visit just mentioned, a slight drowsiness had come on, and this symptom rather increased after his departure. But nothing more remarkable occurred till near eight o'clock, when the patient's breathing became suddenly more difficult. About 20 minutes after this he died.

On the 25th, his corpse was deposited in a vault in the church of St Bartholomew, near Smithfield, which contained the remains of his father and uncle. Dr D. Pitcairn had five brothers; one of them died young; three others, all of them officers in his Majesty's service, died after they were men; the youngest, a counsellor at

Law, survives him. He had four sisters, all of whom have been married, and are alive. His mother also still lives, and is in her 79th year. In 1781, he married Elizabeth the only daughter of William Almack, Esq. of London, and a niece of his preceptor, Dr Cullen, but had no issue. She likewise survives him. His person was tall and erect, but of late years rather thin; his countenance during youth was a model of manly beauty, and even in advanced life was remarkably handsome. While a boy, he was noted for possessing a grave and manly manner, connected with much sweetmess of disposition. These qualities, added to considerable bodily strength and courage, gave him great influence over his play-fellows. But, though of a studious turn, he did not acquire knowledge at school as quickly as some of his companions. His memory, however, was strong, and his judgment sound; whatever, therefore, he learned was retained, and well assorted; so that in time he excelled most of those who had once been regarded his superiors, His knowledge of history and geography, from the strength of his memory, was particularly accurate. Few persons ever gained, without any direct effort to this end, so extensive an acquaintance with the various orders of society.— His education began at the largest school in Great Britain. He afterwards studied for several years at each of the great universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Cambridge, and attended the principal lectures upon medicine in London. While a young man in London, he lived with his uncle, who had many friends, and frequently entertained them at his house. He resided many years in Lincoln's Inn Fields; and, while there, associated daily with gentlemen of the law. He was early admitted a Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies; and hence knew many learned men in addition to those of his own profession,

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He was fond of country sports, and athletic games, particularly the Scottish one named Golf, which carried him among other sets of men. He had a taste for the Fine Arts; in consequence of which, he became acquainted with many of the professors of them and his employment as a physician in the largest Hospital in the kingdom, and in private, made known to him a very great number of persons of every rank and description in life. From such opportunities, and an original turn for the observation of character, he obtained a most extensive knowledge of human nature, and an infinite fund of stories and anecdotes, which when at ease among his friends, he used to relate in the happiest way.

His manner as a physician, was simple, gentle, and dignified, and always sufficiently chearful to encourage hope, without offending by its incongruity with the scene about him.From his kindness of heart, he was frequently led to give more attention to his patients than could well be demanded from a Physician; and as this evidently sprung from no interested motive, he often acquired considerable influence with those whom he had attended during sickness. No physician, indeed, of his rank in London, perhaps, ever exercised his profession to such a degree gratuitously. His behaviour to other physicians was highly candid and liberal, and he most studiously avoided the slightest appearance of interfering in their professional concerns. Such conduct is no doubt recommended by its ultimate utility; but in him it arose from a native sense of honour, that appeared in every other transaction of his life. As he attended very carefully to the symptoms of diseases, in the order and degree in which they occur in nature, he had, from this source, and the excellence of his memory, acquired great practical knowledge of his profession. He had, in consequence, also made

many original observations upon the history and treatment of diseases.He was, for instance, the first who took notice of the connexion between Rheumatism of the external parts of the body, and a certain affection of the heart, which he hence called rheumatism of that organ. Since it was mentioned by him, numerous examples of it have been seen by others, which puts the justness of the observation beyond doubt; though no trace of it exists in any author prior to Dr Baillie, to whom he had communicated it. He never published any of his observations himself; but several, besides that which has just been spoken of, have been given to the world by others. He never long enjoyed very good health from the time of his commencing to practise physic in London. For, not to repeat what has already been said respecting his disorders, he was, during many years of the first part of his residence here, much subject to violent head-achs. twice laboured under severe agues; and suffered several attacks of inflammatory sore-throat. But none of his ailments made any considerable permanent impression upon his external appearance; for immediately before his death no person would have supposed, from seeing him, that his health had ever been bad, or that he had attained the age of nearly sixty years.

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