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ile late Alexander Ri seli, M. D. 367
were datly rising into reputation, Dr. Ria mellitudied, embracing every means of qualisyinghimself for the duties of his station.
Severat students at that time, the foremost in application and in knowledge, fired by the ex- ample of their masters, Who had nothing moreat heari than the improVement of those who committed themselves to their tuition, formed a society sor their mutuat instruetion and advance ment in their studies. Every stUdent of a certain standing, who distinguimed himself by his
dilige nce, capacity, and conduci, was initiate linto this litile assembly. Here the opinions of the ancients, of their Contemporaries, nay the doctrines of their masters, Were frequently disicussed ; and two of the members were alwayscharged with the lassi of providing instructionand entertainment for the nexi meeting of the society. Questiolas, no do tibi, were here dis puted and decided, Whicli long experience Would have declined : but it exercised their faculties, gave them both sides of arguments, tau glit themto doubi, and habitualed them to observation. Our colleague Was one of the first members of this association, institu ted in the autumia ofr the
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the year 17 34, together With the eminent Dr. Cum ing of Dorchester, the sagaciotas Cleghorn, lecturer in anatomy at Dublin, With a se in others, Who, though now removed, did hono ur in their stations to this institution, whicli not only sub sitis, but has yearly in creased in vigo ur, and is honoured with the immediate patronage of the Prosessors. In a Thesis, not long since dedicatedio this society by a very ingenious member asWell
Dr. Morgan, of Philadelphia, dedicates his Thesis, publimed when he took his degree in the year I763, ' Societati Medicinae Studiosorum in Academia Edi burgena dudum institutae In which he bestows, among others, the solio ing panegyric: Quippe qui recolam quanto cum judicio, ordineo et decore res vestrae gerantur ; quanta sint in vestris ratiociniis et sententiis, tum libertas et candor, tum etiam nam eripertus resero, aequus et humanus favor, ita ut saluberrimo hoc yestro instituto, quo non nisi utilissimae quaestio- nes discutiuntur, omnia conspirant ad scientiae medicae studium cum fructu et emolumento promovendum, V &c. In Dr. Gariand's Inaugurat Dissertation, ' De Medica-υ mentis adstringentibiis, V published also in i 763, is thesollowing account os it: Nec juvenum coet is qui medicinae ratione excolendae causa, septimo quoque die, inter se in nosocomio regio con- veniunt, ac quorum ego in numero per triennii spatium V fui, decessurus, non mentionem non facere potui.-Celς- berrimis academiae scholis, haec quasi alia syccedit. Is certe locus est, ubi audita a doctoribus, e libris petita, undecunque accepta ad medicinam pertinens disciplina, in medium prolata, ac ultro, citroque in contrarias partes' disputando agitata, altius in omnium animos influit: upi juventutis studia gloria incenduntur, exercitatione acuun- tur, animique ad multiplicis ac spinosae scientiae quaerendar laborem perferendum, propositis ex suorum numero eXem-
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weli as Dorn the testimony of another gentieman, Who had been admitted into it, the singularadvantages that result from this as ciation aredescribed in a manner that delineales the character of the studenis in that university, and doeshonour to the first founders os the institution.
Having fini ed his studies in the universitra though without applying for a degree at that time, he came to this city in the year I73s, and seon aster ment to TU rhy, and setiled about theyear I7 O at Aleppo, in the practice of physic. The Englisti factory at that place, has frequently been constitu ted of men os propertyand extensive knowledge; they were such when Dr. Rushil fixed there, at the UnanimOUS re- quest of the gentiemen of the factory. We have no account of any of his predecesssors being re- markably eminent in the praetice of physic ; totalie care of the factory, seems to have been theextent of their Viems.
Dr. Ruscteli applied himself assiduous y to gain aknowledge of the langu age of the country, and tobecome acquainted With the abies: of the numerous praetitioners in the place, who were employedamong the inhabitanis. He succeeiled in both:
plis pulcherrimis, perpelluntur, postremo, ubi omnes in- ter se mutuae amicitiae firmissimum nectit vinculum. Flo- ruit triginta prope annos his juvenilis circulus, et ut aeter- num floreat precor ly .
Soon after iis first institution, the writer of thia Memorial was likewise a member, and knows Dom experience the benefiis resulting from it.
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he on discovered the incapaci ty of these ; a seWtraditional receipis composed the whole svrniture of most of them ; he sound a feW, howeUer, Ca-pable os information, and assisted them to the ulmost of his poWer. He was soon applied to by the inhabitants of Aleppo, os ali ranks and prosections; Franks,
Greelis, Armenians, Maronites, JeWs, &C. and even by the Thartis thenaseives: in this instancethey sorgoi that he Was an Unbellever, remitte lof their usual contempt for strangers, and not
his opinion. The pascha himself became ac quainted with the merit of our deceased colleague, Consul ted him, called hi in his friend, found hi in hapright, sensibie, and sincere ; as aman, polite Without flattery, decent, but notservile ; as a christian, true to his principies ; dissi interested and generous as a Briton ; and in potiatos si ill as a physician, superior to eVery One. Anaturat, even, COOl and Consistent temper ; a Dee- dona os bellavi our as remo te frona confideiace asconstraint, improved by rea ling and conversation; a minit imbued Witti just revere iace to God, and impressed with a sense of the duty weowe; an underitanding fraught with the principies of the profession to which he had been
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rse Lare Alexander Russeli, M. D. 37 i
The fael ory thought themselves happy in se cha physician, sucti a companion, lach a coUntryman. His close and intimate connection withthe pascha enabled him to render to the fictorythe most ii inportant services; and indeed ali the EUropean nations, trading at that place, were repeatedly obliged to his interposition, on a multitude os occasionS. Seldom would the pascha determine any intricate astair, respecting not only commerce, buteven the interior police of his goVernment, Without first consulting his physici an and his friend;
and as seidona deviated from the opinion he pro- posed: and such was the pascha's respect sor sorare a character, and such his friendiu ip and de termined resolution to do him honour, that he even chose to oblige the peopte in the Doector's presence, and seldom punished any criminal butin the Doctor's absence; that the peopte might Iearn to think it Was owing to the Doctor's in terposition, that ex amples of severi ty were not
th regard to criminals, this bellaviour of the pascha was very remari able and polite ; for, when mitigating circumstances occurred in favour os criminals, to induce thepascha to spare them, he osten disinissed them, inith a cautiouto bellave better in time to come ; for they were se bad, thar hone of their own countrymen durit speah to them ; but thatthey owed their lives to the Englisci Doctor: though he seme- times belare had retired, to mahe way for the necessary seve-B b a rices
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Many princely presents Were the consequence of this esteem: the pascha nid not even forget the Doctor's fallier, to whom, id he, I am obliged for Iour ossit ance. He ordei ed presenis to besent to the Worthy old man: What joy must this excite in an aged parent's heari, to have such authentic proosse of the merit of his son from sodistant a clime, and where the merit must begreat to gain such a testimo ny l-I leave the History of Ales po to spe ali iis author's abili lities. -It has been atre ady translated into otherrities of justice, and lineo nothing of the matter illi thepoor unliappy wretches came to his house, to sing them selves at his stet, and with true gratitude than k him sor their lives: and indeed semetimes the pascha went so far as to teli the criminals, that, in his opinion, they certainly deserved Death, hut that he durst not order it, sor the Englisi Doctor insistedon Mercy. It is rare to find any ruter mal ing so great a sacrifice of his populari ty to a stranger, or in so polite a man-ner to transfer it to any body.-Besides this pascha, whoruled a long time, the others that came aster him had thegreatest confiden ce in the Doctor, and intimacy with him ;particularly one pascha of this place, an old man, vilio hadrulea the empire as grand viaier, and died at Aleppo, intrusted him ruith the whole secrets of his family, and depended on his ad vice. The Doctor's fame inas perhaps more generat over the Turhisti empire, than any physician's is in Europe; wellknown at couri, and in every province, he escaped morethan once the dilagreeable circumstance of Ming sent forto the Grand Seignior in time of the plague. His brother was, in most os the trading toruns in Turhy, found ovi, bybearing the fame name, and of red great civilities; andonce at Constantinople, when a si ight plague happened there, was oppressed inith invitations to visit severat great men,
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the late Alexander Russet M. D. 373
the most important productions in medicine, should ever that fatal scourge, the plague, bo
rat notorie ty: From his thorough knowledge of the pestilence, and the means successi ully made use of toprevent insedhion, in the countries most exposed to this fatal dis ase, he formed a defigia os exciting the greatest commerciat nation in theworid to provide some more effectual means than hitherio it had done, in order to prevem it fromagain be coming the di eadfui theatre os pestilentiat contagion.-With this vlew, in his returnfrom Turky, he visited the most famotis laetaretios, to which he could have accessi, inquiredinto their structure, the govertament they Were under, and took an account of ali the precautions they used sor preservation.
At Naples, Leghorn, and other places, he hadali the opportunities of observation he could wisasor ; and profited by them to such a degree, asto be better acquainted with the conduet of the wis est states, in respect to the means of prevention, than perhaps any other person : indeed, his ac quaintance With this su edt, and his ex-
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perience, induced him to malle himself minexos every thing appertaining to preservation fronsione of the greatest os ali human calamities. And so generalty was his great knowledge of this distemper established, that in the lalter endus phe year 17s7, When our ministry was alarmeduvith the report of iis being brolle out at Limon, and earnestly solicito his to talae every precautionto prevent iis being imported into this hingdom, they thought no person so fit to be consul ted on
colleague. Doctor Rumeli received his ordei sto attend the Privy Councit; he camei and gaVesuch pertinent and satisfactory answers to thequestions proposed, that he was destred to communicate his information, and the method heynoposed to prevent the spre ading of that cala
thregien this nation With that dre adfui scourge, the prosecution 0f the plans then suggested may perhaps greatly contribμ te to avert from us themost terribie of ali diseases. Frona the time he lest England, to his re- turn in February I7ss, we had maintained a regular correspondeiace. I could not forbearmentioning to him repeatedly, hoW acceptablea more accUrate account of Aleppo would beto this nation, and to ali Europe ; that no per
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ile late Alexander Rus esi, M. D. 375
guage, the manners, chistonas, disse ases of the Place, the great credit he had acquired amongitali ranks, by an able, diligent, and disintereste dexertion of his faculties amongst them, his in fluence over the pascha, and the respecto pald him by the Turks thenaseives, would facilitate every en quiry. He viewed the propolat in the fameli glit, collected materi is, made sui table en qui-ries, and has erected a lashing and honou rabie
With no sinati tro ubie he succee led in pro Curing Us the seeds of the true scammon '. Theywere raised by my two botanical friends, the late Peter Collinson, and the indefatigabie James
. The late Consul Sherrard, who resided long at Aleppo,
and was one of the most eminent botantsts of his time, en deavoured long and Duillesely to obtain the seeds of this and me other curious planis. The Arabs, who are the peoplechieny employed in these affairs, not so much through ignorance as knavim ness, will bring every hind of seed but theright, and affert that it is the seed required. Dr. Rusieli aD sured me, that he had near twenty different seeds brought tollim for the seeds of the trile Scani mony, by distere e person seniployed to procure it him, with promises of a suitable re-ward. Amongst these Dund, there were two parceis of seedsalike, whicli corresponding to the generat character, hejudged inere the right; and these he sent over to England . Many planta Nere raised Dom them, and seme are 3 et in the
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To him, lihewise, we are indebled sor a plant, that will herea der be one of the greatest orna ments of OUr gardens ' ; as weli as for many hises ut intimations, both in respe et to his oWn
Prose ion, as to Commerce in generat
He cho se this city for his residen ce at his re- turn to England, and ion had a conliderablestare os employment. A vacancy happening in St. Thomas 's hospital, about the beginning of the year I7S9, he was chosen physician, and Continued in this station to the time of his de ath, an example os diligence and humani ty to the sicli, os great medicat ab ilities as a physician, and as a gentiem an irreproachable. The Royal Society, of Which he Was many years a WOrthymember, the Medicat Society ', lihewise, Whogardens os a seru botan ists in the neighbourhood of London. We have not received an account of their propagation in America ; but is the plant is hept alive in this country, it will probably be sent thither under some person more Ritentive to the public benesit than his predeceshrs. Dr. Rusiali published an exact description of the Scammony, and the method os collecting iis juice, in the first volume of the Medicat Observations. The Andrachne, Marly approaching to the Arbutus, whicli it surpasi es in elegance. An exadi description of this plant inas given in the Transactions, by that great bolanistand excellent painter, the late G. D. Ehret.' Medicat Socie9. About the year i7set, severat physicians in London, chie sy of those called Licentiates, agreedio forni them selves into a society, sor collecting and publi&ing ali such observations and en quiries in medicine, that Remed to deserve the public notice. This society has subsisted ever since, has publimed severat volumes, which have been weli received, and will be followed by others.