MAGAZINE.

UNIVERSAL

BIOGRAPIHCAL SKETCH OF DR. SIMS.

THE HE Almighty, for wife reafons, hath implanted in the human breast a defire to become acquainted with the history of remarkable characters. The lives of fatefinen and warriors more particularly intereft us, as from them the fates and conditions of millions depend; whereas the placid tenor of the actions of other individuals can excite but a fmall degree of intereft, except to a particular circle, who may have experienced the plea fures of private worth or friendship. There are, however, public foundations which coullitute the peculiar glory of our happy lle; not the inftitution of princes, but the fuggeftions of private individuals, and depending upon perfonal exertions for their origine and maintenance; and when thefe eftablifhments are interwoven in the memoirs of any individual, it is then that fuch hiftory is capable of creating the moft lively intereft. The prefent one of Dr. Sims furnithes a very ftriking exemplification of the above remark.

This gentleman was born in the year 1741, in the county of Down, in the north of Ireland. His father was a diffenting minifter. As with thofe deftined afterwards to fhine in life, many traits of fuperior ability, as is frequently the cafe, were evinced when a boy at fchool. Having made great progress in learning, in 1759 he was fent to Edinburgh, where he diligently studied medicine during four years. He was here remarked as peculiarly affiduous, and, baving fome money left him at his own difpofal, from the death of relations, inftead of graduating at Edinburgh, as he might have done with great honour to himself, he refolv ed, on his own private account, to vifit Leyden, where he took out his degrees, and may be thought to have finished his regular medical education. In 1765 he fettled at Dungannon, in the north of Ireland, near which town his father refided, and began the difplay of that medical knowledge for which he was fo greatly famed, and he foon acquired the whole practice of that part of the country. His father dying, although he was confirmed in the opiVOL. II.

nion of the public, and was in the ac quifition of an income which fix phyficians, upon his departure, were eager afterwards to divide, yet fo great was his thirst for knowledge, that he left Ireland, and came to London purpofely to attend the lectures delivered there; and, fearful left he might have acquired any contracted notions relative to his profeffion, he afterwards vifited Paris, and made the tour of the continent, for the perfect attainment of medical fcience. London is the proper theatre for the difplay of great talents and attainments; but our hero had no acquaintances, or friends, that could ferve him in the metropolis; and although fo highly efteemed in Ireland, he was known only to a few of the faculty here; and whether with a view of giving publicity to bis character, or eager to display his fuperior acquirements upon his arrival in England, and coming to London in 1773, he immedi ately published a book on fevers, which directly eftablished for him an high cha racter as a difcerning and skilful phyfician; and this work had the honour of being afterwards translated into both the French and German languages.

London about this time poffeffed fome meetings of medical men; but thefe were fo ill-planned and conducted, that, from difunion, they fell to pieces.

A moft favourable opportunity now occurred of creating an eftablishment worthy of the feat of empire, and one that thould flourish perpetually. But this task demanded the enterprife of youth with the fedateness and influence of age: and to collect together the difperfed members of the various broken inftitutions of London, and confolidate them into one, and give to this the most wholefome and permanent laws, required the combination of such powers as alone refided in our author. He it was, who in fact, in 1773, from this wreck of medical focieties, created, organized, and established, the Medi cal Society of London, before whom he delivered an oration, which was received with enthusiastic applaufe, and was printed at the earnest request of the members, who quickly amounted to the number of upwards of ninety of D d

the moft diftinguished medical characters. The objects of this fociety are wholly devoted to the participation and diffufion of medical knowledge. It was the firft fociety in London in which honorary premiums were held forth for the beit papers tranfmitted to this fociety, and the communications of its members were to be published from time to time. For the laws and other particulars relative to this fociety, we refer the reader to the preface in the first volume of its memoirs.

It is remarked by Shakespear, "that there is a tide in human affairs."-Difpenfaries owe their origine to the Royal College of Phyficians. "Whereas," fay they," the feveral orders of the College of Phyficians, London, for prefcribing medicines gratis to the poor fick of the cities of London and Westminster, and parts adjacent, as alfo the propofals made by the faid College to the Lord Mayor, Court of Aldermen and Common Council of London, in purfuance thereof, have hitherto been ineffectual, for that no method hath been taken to furnish the poor with medicines for their cure at low and reafonable rates; we, therefore, whofe names arc here under-written, fellows or members of the faid college, being willing effectually to promote fo great a charity, by the counfel and good liking of the prefident and college declared in their comitia, hereby (to wit, each of us feverally and apart, and not the one for the other of us) do oblige ourselves to pay to Dr. Thomas Burwell, fellow and elect of the faid college, the fum of ten pounds a piece of lawful money of England, which money, when received by the faid Dr. Thomas Burwell, is to be by him expended in preparing and delivering medicines to the poor at their intrinfic value, in fuch manner, and at fuch times, and by fuch orders and directions, as by the major part of the fubfcribers hereto fhall in writing be hereafter appointed and directed for that purpose. In witnefs whereof we have hereunto fet our hands and feals this twenty-fecond day of December, 1696."

"Thomas Millington,Præfes-Thomas Burwell, Elect and Cenfor-Samuel Collins, Elect-Edward Browne, Elect Richard Torlefs, Elect and Cenfor-Edward Hulfe, Elect-Thrus. Gill, Cenfor -Wm, Dawes, Cenfor-Jo. Hutton

Robert Brady-Hans Sloane-Richard Morton-John Hawys-Ch. Harel-K Robinfon-John Bateman--Walter Mills-Daniel Coxe-Henry Sampfor

Thomas Gibfon-Charles GoodallEdmund King-Samuel Garth-Barnb. Soame-Denton Nicholas---Jofeph Gaylard-John Woollafton-Stephen Hunt-Oliver Horseman-Rich. Mor ton,

jun.-David Hamilton-Hen. Morelli-Walter Harris-William Briggs -Thos. Colladon-Martin LifterJohn Colbatch-Bernard ConnorW.Cockburn-J. Le Feure-P. Sylveftre-Charles Morton-Walter Charlton-Phineas Fowke-Thomas Alvery Robert Gray-Jobin Wright-James Drake-Samuel Morris-John Woodward Norris George Cole brock-Gideon Harvey.”

"The defign of printing the fubfcri bers names is to fhew that the late undertaking has the fanction of a cullege act; and that it is not a projec carried on by five or fix members, as thofe that oppose it would unjustly infinuate."

Garth wrote a fatyrical poem called the Difpenfary, in order to excite a blush in thofe members of the college who vehemently oppofed this inftitution. "I would not," fays the poet in his preface," have attempted any thing of this kind, unless I had found the animofities among the members of the College of Physicians increafing daily (notwithstanding the frequent exhortations of our worthy prefident to the contrary). I was perfuaded to attempt fomething of this nature, and to endeavour to rally fome of our difaffected members into a feufe of their duty, who have hitherto most obstinately oppofed all manner of union; and have continued fo unrcafonably refractory, that it was thought fit by the college to reinforce the obfervance of the ftatutes by a bond, which fome of them would not comply with, though none of them had refufed the ceremony of the customary oath; like fome that will trust their wives with any body, but their money with none. I was forry to find there could be any constitution that was not to be cured without poifon, and that there thould be a profpect of effecting it by a lefs grateful method than reafon and perfuafion."

"The original of this difference has been of fome ftanding, though it did not break out to fury and excefs til

the time of erecting the Difpenfary, being an apartment in the college fet up for the relief of the fick poor, and managed ever fince with an integrity and diintereft fuitable to fo charitable a defign."

"If any perfon would be more fully informed about the particulars of fo pious a work, I refer him to a treatise fet forth by the authority of the prefifident and cenfors, in the year 97. It is called, 'A fhort Account of the Proceedings of the College of Phyficians, London, in relation to the fick Poor.' The reader may there not only be informed of the rife and progrefs of this fo public an undertaking, but also of the concurrence and encouragement it met with from the majority, as well as the most antient members of the fociety, notwithitanding the vigorous oppofition of a few men, who thought it their intereft to defeat fo laudable a defign."

"The intention of this preface is not to persuade mankind to enter into our quarrels, but to vindicate the author from being cenfured of taking any indecent liberty with a faculty he has the honour to be a member of. If the Satyre may appear directed at any particufar perfon, it is at fuch only as are prefumed to be engaged in difhonourable confederacies for mean and mercenary ends, against the dignity of their own profeffion. But if there be no fuch, then thefe characters are but maginary, and by confequence ought to give no body offence."

"The defcription of the battle is grounded upon a feud that happened in the Difpenfary betwixt a member of the college with his retinue, and fome of the fervants that attended there to difpenfe the medicines; and is fo far real, though the poetical relation be fictitious."

The good people of London, feeling unwilling that the phyficians, befides behowing their time on the fick poor, fhould be themselves at the expence of medicine, founded, at their own coft, fimilar inftitutions to that of the royal college; and the oldest establishment of this nature was, I believe, the General Difpenfary in Alderfgate Strect, fupported by voluntary donations and annual contributions; and, to come back to our author, a phyfician being wanted to this charitable inftitution, in 1774, he was unanimoufly elected, and he had now a wide field open to dif

play his fuperior attainments in the fcience of medicine.

The fame of this inftitution, from the manner in which it was conducted, spread an univerfal defire of seeing other fimilar inftitutions establifhed, where fo much good can be administered at fo little an expence. Some great and generous hearted man had only to propofe, and the extenfion would foon be univerfal. We now, therefore, behold Dr. Sims among the first propofers and founders of the Weftminster General Difpenfary, the Surrey Difpenfary, the Middletex Difpenfary, and the Inoculating Difpenfary, the parents of fo many others which have fince been established.

He was alfo active in forming the Margate Infirmary, and was an early and moft zealous promoter of the Humane Society, established by the philanthropists, Dr. Hawes and Dr. Lettfom.

He at this time projected the grand scheme of forming difpenfaries throughout the whole town, as alfo a central hofpital; and different profef fors were to be established, who might teach all the branches of medical icience; and, perhaps, he caft a longing hope that the wifdom of the legislature would eftablish this into a Medical and Surgical College, and diplomas in phyfic and furgery be thence derived, as London affords the beft opportunities for the acquifition of bodies, and for the investigations of difeafe. Plans were circulated, and fubfcriptions were be ginning to be raifed, when the Doctor was told of the intention of the members of the Medical Society of London to diffolve that inftitution, of which he may be said to have been the father; for, owing to the want of his prefence, difunion had crept in among them, and the meetings were nothing but feuds and altercations; and it was at the hazard of his life that he oppofed himfelf to the vociferations of a refolved party, for the fociety had in the course of thirteen years dwindled to eighteen members, when reason finally prevailed, order was restored, and he was elected their prefident. He had, it may be faid, to regenerate this fociety, and his fuccefs bore proportion to his exertions. Dr. Lettlom, whofe various great and meritorious actions on this and on other occafions a grateful pof terity, devoid of envy, will better efti mate, came in aid to Dr. Sims, and, by

a gift as liberal as it was noble, prefeuted the fociety with a freehold houte in Bolt Court, which he purchafed, and delivered up for their use for ever. From the exertions of thefe true friends of science and humanity there was foon produced a great influx of new members, and the following year the first volume of the London Medical Society was published. In this book Dr. Sims has two mot able papers, the one recommending a new treatment for deatnefs arising from obftruction in the Eustach an tube; the other contains a specific remedy for the cure of scarlet fever, viz. the vitriolic acid, a difeafe that carries off thoufands annually, and has not yet been fuccessfully treated, for want of the confideration of this most important difcovery, and the obftinate prejudices of the faculty in favour of bark and wine in this difcafe. The fecond volume of its memoirs was published in 1789, in which the Doctor has a paper, a tranflation from an old Greek manufcript, on the use of oil internally and externally, applied for the cure of hydrophobia; alfo on the cure of jaundice by a new mode of bathing in the water derived from peat. In the third volume, published in 1799, he has alfo an ingemous paper on a new mode of performing the paracent fis; namely, at the umbilicus. In volume four, publifhed in 1795, he has a very valuable paper on the internal ufe of nitrat of ulver in epilepfics; and in the fifth, a moft ingenious paper on the various kinds of alienations of the mind; fome farther oblervations on fcarlatina; and, laftly, a paper containing feveral phyfical hints and queries.

Every thing feemed now to conspire to render this inflitution truly worthy of our nation; members fufficient, plenty of ufeful communications, a general and prevailing harmony, a prefident admirably formed by nature for this pre-eminent ftation, a moft excellent houle, and a tolerable good library, conlifting moftly of modern books, yet not that collection which contained within tfelf every thing that could be wanted by the medical character; and it was well known that Dr. Sims, by the labour of many years, was poffeffed of above fix thousand volumes on medicine, belides tracts innumerable; and, to ftamp immortality on this moft ufeful fociety, nothing feemed now deficient but fuch a library! Propofals were

accordingly made to Dr. Sims, by Da Lettfom and the leading members of the council, to obtain this invaluable acquifition; and, to the honour of the Doctor, he parted with his library at a rate that never could have half repad the original coft, much less the great labour and judgement employed in collecting it. A catalogue of this library has been printed for the members, and forms a large octavo of itself.

From a regard to fome members of this inftitution, he caused to be painted for himself, and for the public were engraved, the portraits of twenty-two of that body. It were to be withed that many other perfons had likewife ap peared in this group, as felection is a delicate and hazardous taik; but this would have fo enhanced the expence of the plate, as to have defcated the object of the publishers (Mr. Medley, the painter, and Mr. Branwhite, the engraver) being in any degree remunerated for the fame. The title is, The principal Inftitutors of the Bolt-court Medical Society; and juftice would make one afk, whether the persons of Dr. Thornton, who was only a late member, and alfo of Dr. Jenner, ought not, in ftrict propriety, to have given place to older members?-The Ductor loft fome popularity on the present occafion; and we would not prefs too hard where intentions are good; and gladly we obferve, that no public diffatisfaction has been thewn from this cause.

W

In 1788 he was elected to the chair of the Philanthropic Society, being its chief founder, which he refigned afterwards to his Grace the Duke of Leeds, then becoming their firft vice-prefident, The difficulties he had to struggle through in this situation were extremely great, owing to the first treasurer, Mr. Young, purloining from between two and three thoufand pounds, and adding injury upon injury, perfifting to publish in the daily papers and otherwife, the großeft abufe of all its friends, includ ing, in particular, the Doctor. le chofe its prefent lite, and, by unwearied application, procured from the Corpora tion of London a leafe which is ef teemed worth ten thousand pounds, and is indeed invaluable to the charity. There are very few charitable inftitutions in London that do not, I believe, boaft Dr. Sims as the founder or contributor to. Instead of spending the profits of his profeffion in the profufion of an expenfivé table, he is ever seeking out