Anatomists and surgeons have frequently incurred the odium of being precipitate in their post mortem examinations. It has been charged upon the illustrious Vessalius, and, in more modern times, on Mons. de Lassone, and others; nay, credulity has gone so far, as to suppose, that subjects have occasionally been kept till wanted; nor is such a notion altogether extravant, when we find an article of this kind offered to Joshua Brookes, the anatomical lecturer, in the following terms:-- "Mr. Brooke, i have taken it into consideration to send this poor man to you, being greatly in distress, hopeing you will find sum employment for him in silling the dead carcases; and if you can find him no employment, the berer of this wishes to sill himself to you, as he is weary of this life. And I remain your humble servant, "JOHN DAVIS." THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES. [Illustration: The First Locomotive.] It is little more than thirty years ago, when, on the river Tyne, a large fleet of peculiarly-formed vessels was to be seen daily employed in the carriage of coals to the ships from the "staiths," which projected into the river from the various colliery tramways. At that period, there was only one very small and ill-constructed steam-packet for the conveyance of passengers between Newcastle and Shields, and against which so much prejudice existed, that the majority of persons preferred the covered wherries, which, for some centuries before, had been in use; yet so slow and uncertain was this means of transit between the two towns, that persons in a hurry often found it advisable to walk the intervening distance, which is about eight miles. [Illustration: The Present Locomotive and Train.]