Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/213

 FOTHERGILL. 195 eligible to become corresponding members of the body. Vicq d'Azyr communicated this mark of confidence in a Latin letter. When the House of Commons was informed of the fatality of the gaol distemper, which had ap- peared among the French and Spanish prisoners confined at Winchester, an application was made to him for his opinion, and he recommended Dr. Carmichael Smith as medical superintendent of the prison. A singular success attended the efforts of that accomplished physician, which reflected honour on both parties. Far from confining his investigations to his own profession, or to natural history, his mind em- braced, with great activity, every scheme connected with public improvement. Internal commerce, police, the economy of prisons, all occupied his attention, as the occasions arose for their improve- ment : he directed his thoughts at one time to the estabHshment of public batlis and of public ceme- teries^ the latter of which admit, at this moment, of much improvement, and in their present condition, in London, are equally offensive to the eye, as they are probably injurious to the health, of the inhabi- tants. He was very instrumental in estabhshing an excellent seminary for the children of Quakers not in affluent circumstances, at Ackworth. The disputes between the mother country and the Ame- rican colonies engrossed him very earnestly : he engaged actively in various attempts to promote concord ; and appears to have been employed, to a certain extent, in political negociation. Frank- lin, with whom he treated on this subject, declares, that he doubts whether any man has ever existed o 2