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brain of Baron Cuvier with several of the most voluminous brains he could find, and ascertained that its weight was 3 lbs. 131⁄2 oz., while none of the others exceeded 2 lbs. 12 oz.

Although M. Cuvier was in possession of several lucrative appointments, he has left no fortune, save his collections and library, as what he gained by science he restored to science, employing nearly his whole income in the purchase, at any price, of all rarities which could illustrate or be useful in his scientific pursuits. The King has conferred the largest pension at his disposal (6,000 francs) on Madame Cuvier; she is to retain her last husband's apartments in the Jardin des Plantes; and a commission has been appointed to estimate, for the purpose of purchasing, his valuable library and collections of natural history.

[From "The Gentleman's Magazine, Supplement, August, 1832.”]

ABEL REMUSAT.

Died lately, at Paris, M. Abel Remusat, Keeper of the Royal Library, and Chinese Professor.

As a general scholar, M. Remusat occupied a very distinguished place, but was particularly skilled in oriental literature. The Asiatic Society of Paris, of which institution he was long Secretary, and some time President, owes its existence chiefly to his exertions; and at the death, in 1825, of that distinguished orientalist, M. Langlès, he was appointed his successor in the Royal Library, with, subsequently, the title of Chinese Professor, an appointment expressly created in his favor.

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His most elaborate translation was "Lu-kiao-li; ou, les Deux "Cousines." He also published "Mélanges Asiatiques; ou, Re"cueil de Morceaux de Critique et de Memoires relatifs aux Religions, aux Sciences, aux Coutumes, à l'Histoire, et à la Géographie des Nations Orientales;" besides several minor works, and numerous essays and criticisms in the "Journal des Savans." At the period of his decease he had just completed, for the Oriental Translation Fund, lately established in London, a translation from the Chinese of the travels of two Buddhist priests; which will be superintended through the press by his friend, M. Klaproth.

[From "The New Monthly Magazine, No. 142."]

SIR EVERARD HOME.

Sir Everard Home died at his apartments in Chelsea College. He was one of the most eminent medical men of his day. He was of ancient Scottish lineage, and at an early age embraced the pro

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fession of physic, which he practised with the greatest success in the metropolis for more than forty years. The publications of the Baronet were voluminous, and of high repute. Among his valua.ble works were "Lectures on Comparative Anatomy," in which are explained the preparations in the Hunterian Collection, illustrated by 171 engravings; "Hunterian Oration," in honor of Surgery, and in memory of those practitioners by whose labors it has been advanced, delivered in the theatre of the College, February 14, 1814; "Practical Observations on the Treatment of Stricture "in the Urethra and in the Esophagus," 3 vols. 8vo. Besides these, Sir Everard contributed largely to the "Philosophical Transactions," and a variety of ably written articles to the medical periodicals of the day. His late Majesty, when Prince Regent, raised him to the dignity of a baronet, by the title of Sir Everard Home, of Well Manor Farm, in the county of Southampton, and also conferred on him the appointment of Serjeant-surgeon, in which office he was continued by the present King. His successor to this office is Benjamin Collins Brodie, Esq. Sir Everard was also Surgeon to Chelsea Hospital, Honorary Professor of Anatomy and Surgery to the Royal College of Surgeons; for many years he was elected to the Presidentship of the College. Sir Everard was in his 77th year, having been born in 1756. He is succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, James Everard (now Sir James Everard Home), a Commander in the Royal Navy.

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[From "The New Monthly Magazine, No. 142."]

PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD.

She

Died, on the 12th of Sept., in her 82d year, Priscilla Wakefield, author of many justly popular works for children and young persons, as well as one of the earliest promoters, if not the original promoter, of those provident institutions for the laboring classes, now so generally known under the name of Savings Banks. had been for several years almost a helpless and hopeless sufferer from bodily infirmity; yet for a considerable period after she became such, her mental faculties remained unimpaired, her spirits unbroken, and the ardor of her benevolent sympathies unchilled: and although the exercise and influence of these had been gradually overclouded, and of late totally extinguished, so that a great proportion of the present generation was, perhaps, hardly aware of her painfully protracted existence, society is far too much her debtor to allow of her death being recorded in our Obituary, without this brief tribute to her memory, as one of the benefactors of the human race.

She was the eldest daughter of Daniel Bell, late of Stamford-hill,

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and Catherine Barclay, grand-daughter of the celebrated Robert Barclay, who wrote the famous " Apology for the Quakers. She was born on the 31st of January, 1751, in the village of Tottenham, and married Mr. Edward Wakefield, merchant of London, on the 3d of Jan. 1771, by whom she had three children, one daughter and two sons. Among her numerous relatives she had the felicity of ranking Mrs. Fry, to whom she was aunt. She was born a member of the Society of Friends, and remained in it from principle. In her private character, whether as a daughter, mother, or grandmother she was exemplary; in her disposition remarkably calm and cheerful, bearing with great patience an accumulation of extreme bodily suffering: indeed her whole conduct discovered an energy, philosophy, meekness, and resignation rarely to be met with.

[From "The New Monthly Magazine, No. 140."]

MISS ANNA MARIA PORTER.

This accomplished lady and popular novelist died lately at Clifton, after a short illness. She was descended, on the father's side, from an Irish family of great respectability, which acted a conspicuous part in the contest between James the Second and the Prince of Orange. Mr. Porter held a commission in a regiment of dragoons, and, dying at an early age, left his widow with five young children; three sons, one of whom was the present Sir Robert Ker Porter, and two daughters, of whom Anna Maria was the younger, the elder being the highly accomplished Miss Jane Porter. Mrs. Porter, who possessed an excellent understanding, bestowed her utmost care on the education of her daughters, imbuing their minds from infancy with that literary taste, and training them to those habits of studious application, which laid the foundation of their after eminence in that pleasing department of literary composition to which they devoted themselves. Anna Maria evinced an unusual precocity of genius. When not more than thirteen years of age she commenced her career of authorship by the publication of a small work, suitably entitled Artless Tales. Her next work, which appeared after an interval of a few years, was a novel in one volume, entitled Walsh Colville, founded, we believe, on some incidents in real life, in which the fair and youthful author was in some measure personally interested. The favorable reception experienced by these works encouraged her to proceed, and she shortly afterwards published another novel in three volumes, entitled Octavia; which was followed, though we think with the intervention of another smaller work, by The Hungarian Brothers, a novel, in three volumes; and by Don Sebastian, or the House of

Braganza, an historical Romance, in four volumes. These works obtained a very extensive circulation, and placed the author among the favorite standard novel-writers of the time. She now prose

cuted her literary labors with great ardor, and published several other works with increasing reputation. Among her more popular productions may be enumerated, The Recluse of Norway, in four volumes The Village of Mariendorpt, also in four volumes; and The Fast of St. Magdalen, in three volumes. She also published a volume of Ballads and Romances, with other poems.

Miss Porter's continued mental exertions proved too much for her bodily constitution, which was naturally rather delicate. For some years her health had been gradually on the decline, her sight especially being greatly impaired. She had just entered, with her sister, on a plan of relaxation, for the summer months, when she was suddenly cut down while partaking the kind hospitalities of a valued friend at Clifton.

In private life, Miss Porter was distinguished for the purity and elevation of her moral character. Her pleasing manners, the affability of her temper, and her extraordinary powers of conversation, won for her the esteem and affection of a large circle of acquaintance, by whom her departure will long be deeply deplored. With the public she has left a well-earned reputation, which will, we doubt not, transmit her name with honor to a remote futurity.

[From "The New Monthly Magazine, No. 142."]

REV. DR. ADAM CLARKE.

Dr. Clarke was born in the county of Londonderry, Ireland, in the year 1763. He was early distinguished for the seriousness of his disposition. His boyhood was spent in acquiring the rudiments of a classical education, and in attending to the concerns of his father's farm. He was afterwards placed with Mr. Bennett, a large linen-manufacturer; but feeling more inclined to a life of literary pursuits and ministerial labors, he soon left that gentleman. He was introduced by letter to the Rev. John Wesley, and became a student of the school at Kingswood. Here his talents were soon recognised, and Mr. Wesley sent him out as an itinerant preacher at the age of 18. His youthful appearance gave an air of interest to his ministrations, which were attended by great numbers, who flocked to hear "the boy-preacher." We cannot follow him through the long course of his public labors: a few more general particulars may be added. His knowledge of languages (especially the Oriental) was extensive and profound. This is evinced (were other testimony wanting) in his Commentary on the Scriptures,a work, in some respects, surpassing all others of its kind. His library was rich in biblical MSS., exceeding, it is said, in extent and value, those in the Duke of Sussex's collection. The Duke,

we have heard, used frequently to visit Dr. Clarke in a friendly way, and even to take a pipe in his house, a privilege permitted by the Doctor (who was a resolute enemy to the use of tobacco) to no other man. Dr. Clarke was remarkable as a student and a father, for the perfect ease with which he could make a transition from one character to the other. The learned linguist, poring over some ancient scroll, and thence deducing matter for framing theories or confirming arguments, would be found, five minutes after, sporting in the midst of his children, with all the wild exuberance of boyish glee. The great charm, in fact, of his society, was his simplicity and playfulness of disposition, producing in him a character which united two seemingly opposite qualities, that of comprehending the great without neglecting the little. He was made M. A. in 1805, and D. D. in 1806.

INTELLIGENCE.

[We have before us a considerable body of intelligence collected, most of which our limits compel us to omit. In making a selection from it, nothing seems to us more interesting to humanity than the following account of a new invention for alleviating the sufferings of disease. If it be found to answer the end proposed, facilities for its use will undoubtedly be devised. The account is taken from "The Penny Magazine." EDD.]

THE HYDROSTATIC BED FOR INVALIDS.

WE are favored by Dr. Arnott, the author of "The Elements of Physics," with an unpublished extract from the fifth edition of his work, now in the press. The invention here described promises to be such a real blessing to humanity, that we feel great pleasure in assisting to make known an improvement of such importance in the healing art; particularly as its value is not a matter of speculation, and as its benevolent author freely allows its use wherever the wants of his fellow-creatures require its application:

"It was to mitigate all, and entirely to prevent some, of the evils attendant on the necessity of remaining in a reclining posture, that the hydrostatic bed was contrived. It was first used under the following circum

stances.

"A lady after her confinement, which occurred prematurely, and when her child had been for some time dead, passed through a combination and succession of low fever, jaundice, and slight phlegmasia dolens of one leg. In her state of extreme depression of strength and of sensibility, she rested too long in one posture, and the parts of the body on which she had rested all suffered a slough formed on the sacrum, another on the heel; and in the left hip, on which she had lain much, inflammation began, which terminated in abscess. These evils occurred while she was using preparations of bark, and other means, to invigorate the circulation, and while her ease and comfort were watched over by the affectionate assiduity of her mother, with numerous attendants. After the occurrence, she was placed upon the bed contrived for invalids by Mr. Earle, furnished for this case with pillows of down and of air of various sizes, and out of its mattress portions were cut opposite to the sloughing parts; and Mr. Earle himself soon

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