With respect to the buildings, the trustees have taken care to have them all erected according to the stipulations in the lease. One instance occurred of an under-lessee building a house without giving (as by the lease he was required to do) notice to the trustees; and he had constructed part of it in an insufficient manner, inconsistently with the regulations expressed in the lease. As soon, however, as the trustees learnt that a building was going on, they caused it to be examined, and they found that it was tiled instead of slated, and that the timber in the roof was of insufficient scantling; and they obliged the lessee to cause the roof to be taken off, and the house to be finished in conformity, in every respect, with the terms of the lease. The trustees occasionally visit the houses, and see that they are kept in a proper state of repair.

According to this statement of mine, (and I am prepared to prove the truth of every part of it,) the conduct of the trustees is not such as it has been represented to be. They have not abused their trust by foolishly or basely letting, for nearly a century, at 1437. what ought to produce 1000l. or 1500l. a year. They have let for ninety-nine years such part only of the land as could be advantageously let on a building lease, and have thereby procured for the charity a present rent beyond what could have been procured by any other means, and, at the same time, a valuable reversion; and all the remainder of the land they have let on usual husbandry leases, to respectable tenants, and at the highest rents that could be obtained.

It is admitted, in the evidence, that the rents of these two charity estates are paid, though the term by which that fact is expressed is a singular one. It is said, "the money is brought forward by Mr. Drummond of Croydon, and brought into the Churchwardens' accounts." The tenants pay their rents at a meeting of the trustees; the senior churchwarden is always apprised by me of the meeting, and he attends to receive the money. The trustees, being the lessors, sign the receipts, and the money is forthwith paid over to the churchwarden. The money never goes into the pockets of the trustees for an instant, nor ever into mine. The term "brought forward by Mr. Drummond," seems therefore not to express very correctly the part I have in the payment of the money, which, in truth, is no more than this-I count the money when it is paid down by the tenants, I prepare the receipts for the trustees to sign, and I see the money immediately handed over to the churchwarden.

I

But it is said that "there are petitions in chancery which stop it, and things are not brought forward as they should be." 'Appendix, p. 36.

The purpose of the present proceedings is to regulate the manner in which these rents shall be administered to the objects of the charity by the parish officers. The duty of the trustees is only to let and manage the estates properly, and to see the rents paid into the parish officers' hands. But, the proceedings being commenced, the counsel for the trustees advised them that, while the question respecting the mode of application of these charity funds was pending, the trustees should not pay over the money to the church-wardens as usual, but should retain it till they can pay it over under the direction and sanction of the court. The trustees therefore at present receive the rents from the tenants, and invest the money immediately after they receive it, in the funds, adding the dividends every half-year to the capital.

Thus I have shewn, I hope, that the accusation against the trustees, as contained in the evidence, is groundless :-but, severe as this accusation is, it falls short of that which is contained in your letter. I should have supposed that the statements in your letter would be the result of the evidence taken before the committee, and would, of course, be supported by that evidence :-but, in the present case, though the evidence (erroneous as it is in other respects) does admit that the seven acres at Streatham are let for 351. a year, and that the twenty-six acres at New-Cross are let for 1437. a year; yet, you have in your letter 3 stated the situation of these two charities thus-" There are two estates belonging to the poor of Croydon, which ought to bring between 1000l. and 1500l. a year, and yet are worth nothing, from being badly let on ninety years leases."

3

I appeal, Sir, to your understanding, and to your sense of justice, whether the representation thus made to the public of the conduct of these trustees is fair and just.

ON THE

CASUAL AND PERIODICAL

INFLUENCE

OF

PARTICULAR STATES OF THE ATMOSPHERE

ON

HUMAN HEALTH AND DISEASES,

PARTICULARLY

INSANITY.

WITH

A TABLE OF REFERENCE TO AUTHORS.

BY THOMAS FORSTER, M. B. F. L. S. Corresp. Memb. Acad. Nat. Sciences at Philadelphia, &c. &c. &c.

SECOND EDITION.

LONDON:

ΤΟ

F. G. SPURZHEIM, M.D.

AUTHOR OF " OBSERVATIONS ON THE DERANGED MANIFESTATION OF THE MIND,"

&c. &c.

I HAVE no fondness for Dedications, as you well know; since I have always been of opinion with yourself, that the seeking for patronage, and the sheltering oneself under the authority either of renowned individuals, or of societies, were things very hurtful to the cause of Science. Nevertheless have I taken this plan in the present work, for the sake of acknowledging my debt to yourself for what I think the most useful part of these observations.

During our walks in the mountainous countries through which we travelled together, we had often opportunity of talking over the subjects of our inquiries. And I was much struck with the curious things you told me about the Periods observed by many diseases of the Brain, as well by those of what is called the automatic Life. I began from this time to remark the Periods of Diseases with new views. I had long noticed the effects of the atmosphere on the body; but I had not till now thought that this influence from without could be periodical. I began also to find other sorts of Periods, besides those which happen once in twenty-eight days, on which you made such curious remarks. I went on with these observations, and made them my chief employment ever since I left you at Capel Cürig, in August, 1815. I have taken various occasions to gather information from persons subject to fits of insanity, and of other periodical nervous complaints, respecting these afore-mentioned periods. And I have strengthened in my own mind, by numberless facts, the justness of your belief respecting the being of some periodical influence from without, on the functions of the Brain and Nerves. In none of the many Madhouses which I have seen, have I found many useful observations already made on the Periods

of the Diseases of the Mind. But these establishments, as you well know, are often so shamefully neglected, that no good systematic plan of observation has as yet been set on foot in them respecting the disease, for the care and cure whereof they were planned. Already are you too well aware of the truth of this remark, having brought into view, by your new Work on Insanity, the sorrowful state of those who are bound in fetters in the cells of these houses. I neglected, however, no opportunity which offered itself, to satisfy myself of the regular operation of this periodical influence, which you have since mentioned in your works, and which I regard as the only useful part of the hasty observations that I have given out here with the view that we may be helped in our investigations by the assistance of others, who may luckily be placed in situations which give them the range of a wider field of inquiry.

Although you have left Great Britain without establishing so fully in the minds of British Anatomists the truth of the doctrines respecting the Organs of the Brain, as the clearness of the proofs seemed to warrant, you have successfully contended against those who have opposed them. Your opponents have shown that their knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology was too inferior to your own, to assist them in the attack, and have resorted to ridicule and other means, which the weak have always had recourse to, in the absence of argument. But though it will be some time before the doctrine of the Organs of the Brain will be fully established among the multitude, yet the valuable observations on Insanity, and its- periodical exacerbations, which you have given the world in your late work, will give rise to a better knowledge and treatment of that disease. Already have I foreseen that your book has called forth inquiry. And different practitioners have taken hints from various parts of that useful volume, and science and medicine will consequently be improved. I have paid particular attention to the Periodicity both of diseases in general, and of Insanity in particular, since some atmospherical phænomena which I have observed during the times of these Periods, made me think that we shall be able, by repeated observations, to unfold the cause of many periodical illnesses, so as to foreknow their coming, and guard against their effects.

Many of these opinions, like those of Dr. Gall and yourself, may be opposed and ridiculed by persons who have not been attentive enough to this part of the subject. But we must call to mind, that all new doctrines have been opposed at first, and Science has ever been slow and wavering in her march. Fair opposition, and real argument, are to be wished for, as they bring out the truth; but the attacks of those who, with the ratiocinatio verbosa, stigmatised