he best motives, but which rogues and impostors never
fail to announce as one of their special recommendations. It is
astonishing to see how these things brighten up at the touch of Mr.
Perkins's poet:

"Ye worthy, honored, philanthropic few,
The muse shall weave her brightest wreaths for you,
Who in Humanity's bland cause unite,
Nor heed the shaft by interest aimed or spite;
Like the great Pattern of Benevolence,
Hygeia's blessings to the poor dispense;
And though opposed by folly's servile brood,
ENJOY THE LUXURY OF DOING GOOD."

Having thus sketched the history of Perkinism in its days of prosperity;
having seen how it sprung into being, and by what means it maintained
its influence, it only remains to tell the brief story of its
discomfiture and final downfall. The vast majority of the sensible part
of the medical profession were contented, so far as we can judge, to
let it die out of itself. It was in vain that the advocates of this
invaluable discovery exclaimed over their perverse and interested
obstinacy,--in vain that they called up the injured ghosts of Harvey,
Galileo, and Copernicus to shame that unbelieving generation; the
Baillies and the Heberdens,--men whose names have come down to us
as synonymous with honor and wisdom,--bore their reproaches in meek
silence, and left them unanswered to their fate. There were some others,
however, who, believing the public to labor under a delusion, thought it
worth while to see whether the charm would be broken by an open trial of
its virtue, as compared with that of some less hallowed formula. It
must be remembered that a peculiar value was attached to the Metallic
Tractors, as made and patented by Mr. Perkins. Dr. Haygarth, of Bath,
performed various experiments upon patients afflicted with different
complaints,--the patients supposing that the real five-guinea Tractors
were employed. Strange to relate, he obtained equally wonderful effects
with Tractors of lead and of wood; with nails, pieces of bone, slate
pencil, and tobacco-pipe. Dr. Alderson employed sham Tractors made of
wood, and produced such effects upon five patients that they returned
solemn thanks in church for their cures. A single specimen of these
cases may stand for all of them. Ann Hill had suffered for some months
from pain in the right arm and shoulder. The Tractors (wooden ones) were
applied, and in the space of five minutes she expressed herself relieved
in the followin