The Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia.
of Philadelphia. Printed by William Bradford, at the corner house of Market and Front Streets." The style of this little work is quaint. In it numerous extracts from medical writings are given, with classic quotations from Greek and Latin authors. The chief argument against inoculation by scrupulous persons, the author tells us, was from conscience, "they deeming it presumption to tempt the Almighty by inflicting
as well as to be a man of wit and general information, but that he had never known a person who had a more distressing impediment in his speech." In 1767 he became Under Secretary to Lord Shelburne, and afterwards, notwithstanding his misfortune in speech, got a seat in the House of Commons. Lord North, after this, conferred upon him the Collectorship of the Port of Philadelphia, when he came out a second time, but returned to England the following year, and got an appointment in India as a sort of confidential agent to Warren Hastings. In 1776 he went to England as agent in London to Mr. Hastings, who placed in his hands his resignation as Governor-General, instructing him that it was not to be handed in unless it was "ascertained that the feeling at the India Board was adverse to the Governor-General." Circumstances afterwards occurred when Macleane thought himself justified in producing the resignation with which he had been intrusted. Mr. Hastings denied that his agent had acted in conformity with his instructions, and what they had been he owned he had forgotten, and had no copy of them, though the fact was attested by several, in whose presence the orders were communicated to Macleane. He perished on his return to India in 1777, the vessel in which he embarked never being heard of after she quitted the Cape of Good Hope.
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