Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

FROM A LONDON PAPER.

POLITICO-MEDICAL LECTURES!

Among the Medical Lectures announced for the ensuing winter, an opposition wag says, that an able physician has issued a "Prospectus of a course of Lectures on disorders incident to Statesmen."

This Course will be divided into two parts.

I. Of the diseases of Statesmen in Peace.
2. Of the diseases of Statesmen in War.

The former will occupy but a small part of the course, as the disorders incident to peace seem to have disappeared totally from this country, and are, indeed, but little known in any part of Europe ; and if they were to return, they are comparatively mild, and require little aid from medicine.

The second part of the diseases of Statesmen in War, will engage the Lecturer's principal attention, and this part, he observes, branches out into three divisions :

I. The origin, generally very trifling and obscure, indicated by plethora, fullness of chest, with some degree of delirium.--

II. The progress, or crisis, when the fullness and delirium abate, but debility and lowness of spirits take place. III. The termination, or cui bono !--which is indicated by increasing weakness, and hanging of the head.

These three will form the subject of General Lectures, and will again be subdivided into various Specific Lectures. The most considerable, as appears to us, are the following---

The Wickham Message, which made its appearance about three or four years ago. The patient was attacked with giddiness, flights of imagination, and risings about the chest, which, however, proceeded from wind, although the patient always insisted that the swelling was substantial. In a few days this preternatural distention fell with great rapidity, and left the patient in a very weak state.

The Malmesbury Mumps: was a disorder of the same nature, but much more violent, the head being first affected, and the distention already mentioned being much greater, and wholly unaccountable. Dr. Harris, who was called in very frequently, wrote away stoutly for the patient, but to little purpose.

The Loyalty Loan, which appeared soon after, partook of the nature of a very weakening discharge, and reduced some to a very deplorable state.

The Lisbon Asthma; this was a short breathing, which was merely temporary and was alleviated by Dr. Duncan, who at that time practised very successfully among the Dutch.

Consumption of resources is another disorder, included by our Lecturer, and on which he means to bestow particular attention, as there are a majority who deny the very existence of such a case.

Looseness of principles, generally a very hopeless case, as no medicine has yet been discovered sufficiently binding to stop it. It threatens to be epidemic, although certainly neither the middling nor the lower classes are so much subject to it as the upper.

Diseases in the Funds.--These are very irregular, and will require much attention. They have been much exasperated by the use of quack medicines. The patient frequently cannot stand, and is obliged to lie.

Obstruction in the Seat of Discount.-- This subject is fitter for a medical lecture than for a decorous newspaper ; and therefore we shall only copy from the Prospectus, " that it was first occasioned by an illicit connection with an old lady in Threadneedle Street."

Violent Costiveness in Warehouses.- This arose from making too free with all the trade of Europe. The lecturer promises some curious experiments on the newly discovered opening medicines, called Exchequer Bills.

To these may be added, Sulkiness, during which the patient refuses to answer a plain question, or answers it in such a manner as not to be understood. Deafness, amidst the loudest cries--Tampering with the Constitution--which the learned lecturer thinks the cause of all other disorders: and lastly a singular species of Green Sickness, peculiar to Statesmen, accompanied with such a depraved appetite, that the patient will eat nothing but cheese parings and the ends of candles, and these he devours by the thousand.

Such are the outlines of this valuable Course of Lectures, which the author has undertaken with the honest purpose of conveying information to the public on matters in which they are powerfully interested.