LIFE OF GARTH. SAMUEL GARTH, the descendant of a good family in Yorkshire, was educated at Peter House, in Cambridge. He was made a doctor of physic, on the 7th of July, 1691; and became a fellow of the College, in London, June 26th, 1693. His practice was soon extensive; and, while Radcliffe had one party for his patients, Garth is said to have been the physician of the other. His first poem was written upon the London Dispensary. Dr. Johnson begins an account of this institution with a just tribute to the medical profession. I believe, (says he,) every man has found in physicians great liberality and dignity of sentiment, very prompt effusion of beneficence, and willingness to exert a lucrative art, where there is no hope of lucre.' He closes the account with observing, that the poor were, for a time, supplied with medicines; for how long a time, I know not. The medicinal charity, like others, began with ardour, but soon remitted, and at last died gradually away. Such are the capricious animadversions of a man, who too often seems to write the last part of a story in order to subvert the first; who, in his penuriousness of praise, will generally give none at all, lest he should part with too much; or takes back what is given, for fear he has bestowed it unworthily. It was in July, 1678, that the College of Physicians published a manifesto, by which all the fellows, candidates, and licentiates, were required to give gratuitous advice to the poor. The circle of those who received medical visits was very suddenly and very greatly enlarged. Hundreds, who might purchase the medicine, but could not pay for the advice,-and who had heretofore been restrained from procuring either, because the one was useless without the other,—now, that the most expensive was afforded gratuitously, were induced to put themselves upon the doctor's list. There was, therefore, a large and sudden increase of the demand for medicine: the price, of course, increased with the demand; and, thus, what the College of Physicians, and Dr. Johnson after them, have attributed to the malignity of the apothecaries, was, in a great measure, at least, the natural and necessary effect of circumstances. To counteract this evil, it was resolved, in August, 1679, to appropriate the college laboratory to the preparation of medicines; and to confide the distribu. tion to those who bore the expense. But any attempt to restrict the natural course of trade is always pernicious, and most generally abortive. The College of Physicians could not regulate the price of medicine by a vote: that the apothecaries should afford their drugs for nothing, because the doctors chose to give their advice gratuitously, was more than these philanthropists could expect. They had themselves been the means of producing this very increase of price, which they were now so solicitous to reduce; and, after each side had made a vain appeal to the public, in favour of their respective claims, the invariable laws of commerce prevailed, and the apothecaries came off victorious. A subscription was now set on foot; and for a time, the poor were supplied with medicines at such prices as the makers chose to fix. But the tendency of all such institutions is, to increase the objects of charity beyond the means of relief. The College of Physicians probably soon discovered, that they could not manufacture medicine enough to supply the numerous applicants; and, though we cannot trace the decline, nor ascertain the final expiration, of this benevolent scheme, it is certain, that it survived but a few years. Never did a man keep open table, without finding more guests than he had places; and, whatever may be the liberality of charitable institutions, there will always be more beggars than alms. In 1697, Garth spoke what is called the Harvien Oration; and he did not omit to lampoon the quacks, whom he suspected to be accessaries to the druggists. Non tamen telis vulnerat ista agyrtarum colluvies, sed theriacâ quadam perniciosâ, non pyro, sed pulvere nescio quo exotico certat, non globulis plumbeis, sed pilulis æque cathalibus interfecit.' The quacks had little to fear from abuse, if it were in no better taste than this.* Our author was a zealous Whig; and belonged * One of our countrymen has thought the passage worth imitation and paraphrase: Come on, begin the grand attack, With aloes, quills, and ipecac. * Cram all the ninny hammers' gullets Pelt the vile foe with weapons missile, Make at 'em now like mad Mendosas, And so on, in the same taste, through a Canto. Modern Philoso pher, Canto IV. |