Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 8, DIA-England

32 DIN
Dinage- concludes with saying that, “ although the whole process
Pore- may have some share in the success, it, in my opinion,
consists chiefly in the method of inoculating with recent
fluid matter, and the management of the patients at the
time of eruption.” This proof of his professional know¬
ledge occasioned his being invited to inoculate the Em¬
press Catherine and her son in 1768, of which he gives
a particular account in his Tracts on Innoculation, 1781.
His reward for this was an appointment of actual coun¬
sellor of state and physician to her imperial majesty, with
an annuity of L.500; the rank of aTaron of the Russian em¬
pire, to be borne by his eldest lawful descendant in succes¬
sion, and a black wing of the Russian eagle in a gold shield
in the middle of his arms, with the customary helmet,
adorned with the baron’s coronet, over the shield: he also
received immediately L.10,000, and L.2000 for travelling
charges, besides miniature pictures of the empress and her
son, and the same title to his son, to whom the grand duke
gave a gold snuff-box, richly set with diamonds. The ba¬
ron inoculated numbers of people at Moscow ; and, resist¬
ing the empress’s invitation to reside as her physician in
Russia, he and his son were admitted to a private audience
of Frederick II. king of Prussia, at Sans Souci, and thence
returned to England. In 1779 he lost his second wife,
who left him seven children. But he afterwards married
Elizabeth, daughter of William Dimsdale of Bishops-Stort-
ford, who survived him. He was elected representative
of the borough of Hertford in 1780; and declined all prac¬
tice, except for the relief of the poor. He went to Rus¬
sia once more in 1781, in order to inoculate the late em¬
peror and his brother Constantine, sons of the grand duke ;
and as he passed through Brussels, the Emperor Joseph
received him in private, and wrote in his presence a letter,
which he was to convey to the Empress of Russia. In
1790, his son, Baron Nathaniel, was elected member for
the borough of Hertford, on his resignation and retirement
to Bath for several winters ; but at last he fixed altogether
at Hertford, and died, at the age of eighty-nine, on the
30th December 1800, after an illness of about three weeks.
About seventeen years before his death he felt the sight
of one eye declining, having before lost that of the other,
but recovered both by the operation of the cataract, by
Wenzel.
DINAGEPORE, a district of Bengal, situated chiefly
between the 25th and 26th degrees of N. lat. On the
north it is bounded by Rungpoor and Purneah; on the
south by Raujeshy; and on the east by Rungpoor, Purneah,
and Rajemal. This district possesses a soil much diversified;
and the face of the country has a waving appearance, be¬
ing divided into small valleys, each about two or three miles
broad. These valleys are watered by small rivers, which
in the rainy season overflow the low lands, and swell into
large lakes fifty or sixty miles in length, which, while the
Ganges is in flood, have no outlet. They are thus not only
prevented from running off, but are so much increased as
to be navigable for vessels of considerable burden. After
the inundation runs off, these low lands are covered with a
luxuriant pasture, on which are fed numerous buffaloes, and
large herds of other cattle, or with rich crops of rice, which
is the great staple of agriculture; besides tobacco, indigo,
and hemp. The land does not answer for wheat or barley.
The soil of the elevated portions of the country is in ge¬
neral a stiff clay, in some places black and porous, in others
stiff and tenacious. Many sorts of fibrous plants for cor¬
dage and sackloth are sown in April, May, and June; se¬
veral sorts of pulse are also sown at the commencement
of the cold season ; and, where the soil is good, the sugar
cane is planted in February and March. The inhabitants
are in general extremely poor, and their farming utensils
are therefore proportionally rude. They are in the pro-
D I N
portion of four Hindus to one Mahommedan. The popu- Dinan
lation, according to the best statistical information that II
could be procured in answer to queries circulated in 1801
by the Marquis Wellesley, then governor-general, amount-
ed to 600,000. The capital, Dinagepore, is situated on an
island formed by the Pernabubah river. It is the residence
of a rajah, and a place of considerable trade. It is 162
miles north-north-east of Moorshedabad. Long. 89. 40. E.
Lat. 25. 37. N.
DINAN, an arrondissement in the department of the
Cote du Nord, in France. It extends over 576 square
miles, is divided into eight cantons and ninety-two com¬
munes, and contains 100,690 inhabitants. The chief place,
a city of the same name, strongly fortified, is situated on
a hill, at the foot of which the river Ranee flows. It is
built in an antiquated style, containing 6820 inhabitants,
who are employed in making linen from the excellent flax
which grows in its vicinity. Long. 2. 8. 25. W. Lat. 48. 27.
16. N.
DIN ANT, a city, the capital of a circle of the same
name, in the province of Namur, in the Netherlands. The
circle is divided into six cantons, and contains 92,756 in¬
habitants. The city is situated on the right bank of the
Maas, enclosed by steep hills. It contains 3631 inhabitants,
who are occupied with coppersmiths’ and ironmongery
wares.
DINAPOOR, a town of Hindustan, in the province of
Bahar, on the southern bank of the Ganges, two miles west
from Patna. Here is a military cantonment belonging to
the British, consisting of two handsome squares, built of
brick, and capable of containing 1200 European soldiers,
and the European officers of the native corps. Long. 85.
3. E. Lat 25. 38. N.
DINAZZANO, a town of Italy, in the province of Reg¬
gio, in the duchy of Modena, situated on the Tessone. It
contains 1800 inhabitants.
DINDIGUL, a district in the south of India, situated
between the 10th and 11th degrees of N. lat. To the north
it has Coimbetoor and Kistnagherry; to the south Tra-
vancore and Madura; on the east the Polygar territory
and Madura; and on the west Travancore, Cochin, and
Malabar. The principal rivers are the Noil and the Am-
ravati; and the chief towns Dindigul, Balny, and Pala-
petty. This district was conquered by the Mysore govern¬
ment in 1757. It was taken possession of by the British
in 1783, and subsequently restored to Tippoo Sultan. In
1792 it was again ceded to the British, and is now includ¬
ed in the collectorship of Madura. The capital is of the
same name ; it is a place of considerable consequence, and
possesses a strong fortress, situated on a rock. Long. 78.
5. E. Lat. 10. 22. N.
DINDING, a small island in the Straits of Malacca, at
the entrance of the river Pera, about twenty miles in cir¬
cumference. Long. 100. 36. E. Lat. 4. 15. N.
DINGWALL, a royal burgh of Scotland, and capital of
the county of Ross. It lies in a low situation at the mouth
of a glen opening into the north side of the Cromarty
Frith, near the western extremity of that estuary. The
town is rather neatly built, and consists of one main street,
from which several smaller ones branch off. The town-
house is a curious old building, and stands in the centre
of the place. The church is a plain edifice, on the north
side of the town, with an obelisk in its neighbourhood,
fifty-seven feet in height, erected to the memory of the
first Earl of Cromarty, who was buried here. This place
possesses a small harbour, near which formerly stood the
mansion of the powerful family of Ross; but of this prince¬
ly structure only a few fragments remain. Dingwall was
created a royal burgh by Alexander H.; and its charter
was renewed by James IV. Its civic governors are a