s teeth, a dropped wrist, and to the hospital
again or on to the file-cutter's box; and so he goes miserably on and
off, till he drops into a premature grave, with as much lead in his body
as would lap a hundredweight of tea."

THE REMEDIES.

A. What the masters might do.

"1. Provide every forge with two small fires, eighteen inches from the
ground. This would warm the lower limbs of the smiths. At present their
bodies suffer by uneven temperature; they perspire down to the waist,
and then freeze to the toe.

"2. For the wet-grinders they might supply fires in every wheel, abolish
mud floors, and pave with a proper fall and drain.

"To prevent the breaking of heavy grinding-stones, fit them with the
large strong circular steel plate--of which I subjoin a drawing--instead
of with wedges or insufficient plates. They might have an eye to life,
as well as capital, in buying heavy grindstones. I have traced the death
of one grinder to the master's avarice: he went to the quarry and bought
a stone for thirty-five shillings the quarry-master had set aside as
imperfect; its price would have been sixty shillings if it had been fit
to trust a man's life to. This master goes to church twice a Sunday,
and is much respected by his own sort: yet he committed a murder for
twenty-five shillings. Being Hillsborough, let us hope it was a murderer
he murdered.

"For the dry-grinders they might all supply fans and boxes. Some do, and
the good effect is very remarkable. Moreover the present fans and boxes
could be much improved.

"One trade--the steel-fork grinders--is considerably worse than the
rest; and although the fan does much for it, I'm told it must still
remain an unhealthy trade. If so, and Dr. Amboyne is right about Life,
Labor, and Capital, let the masters co-operate with the Legislature, and
extinguish the handicraft.

"For the file-cutters, the masters might--

1st. Try a substitute for lead. It is all very well to say a file must
rest on lead to be cut. Who has ever employed brains on that question?
Who has tried iron, wood, and gutta-percha in layers? Who has ever tried
any thing, least of all the thing called Thought?

"2d. If lead is the only bed--which I doubt, and the lead must be
bare--which I dispute, then the master ought to supply every gang
of file-cutters with hooks--taps, and basins and soap, in some place
adjoining their work-rooms. Lead is a subtle, but not a swift, poison;
and soap and water every