Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

young, the ignorant, and the thoughtless, conftitute a large part of the bulk of mankind; and this small tract is very properly calculated for their perufal: or, rather, (as they never read,) for the perusal of those who have fome influence over them. The Shrove-tide amufements of our common people are monftrously and bafely cruel; and we have often expreffed our abhorrence of the unmanly, and worse than brutal custom of cock throwing: a custom (by the way) which, we hope, is now declining, in every part of the kingdom.

It is to be wished allo, that our preachers would charitably extend their admonitions to the unfeeling favages of the cock-pit, who delight in stimulating thofe noble yet inoffenfive birds to tear each other in pieces, for the diverfion (or from still worse motives) of idle fellows:-Some of whom, from their education, their rank in life, and their age, ought to be ashamed of the cruelties they wantonly exercife upon more innocent, more useful, and (we will add) more rational creatures than themselves.

"Open :ky mouth for the dumb.”.

NOVEL.

LEMUEL.

Art. 35. A Leon for Lovers: or the Hiftory of Colonel Melville and Lady Charlotte Richley. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6 s. fewed. Noble.

1783.

A very tragical ftory, but not a very interefting one. The Means are not fuch as juitly warrant fo deplorable a catastrophe. If a moral lesson be meant to be inculcated, the Author hath not laid the plan with judgment; nor doth the execution promife any good effect. Innocence is involved in the punishment of the guilty. Indifcretion, or too great a degree of diffidence, is made to undergo the extreme of fuffering without relief. This fometimes happens in real life but the painter of fictitious life should take care how he mixes his fhades, left what was defigned for instruction should only produce melancholy; and defpair of reaching the rewards of virtue should quell all generous exertions, when we fee a trivial and almost necessary deviation from it, involve in it all the confequences of the most aggravated wickedness.

But, abftracted from the moral, the ftory itself is not well told. Its incidents are all of the trite and hackneyed kind; and the obfervations that accompany them are flimzy and fuperficial. The lar guage is not remarkable for force or delicacy; for perfpicuity or elegance: and, on the whole, we pronounce this Lesson to Lovers, to be one of thofe infipid things which, if it hath any merit, is wholly of the negative kind.

POETICA L.

Art. 36. The Beauties of Painting. By Pollingrove Robinson,
A. D. 4to. 2 S. Robinion. Kearsley, &c. 1782.
Mr. Pollingrove Robinson feems better acquainted with the theory
of painting than with the practice of poetry. His blank verfe differs

Some Juftices of the Peace, and Parish Officers, have laudably and fuccessfully exerted themfelves for the fuppreffion of fuch barbarous diverfions; and it is to be hoped that their good example will be generally followed, till this opprobrium of a country, which deems itfelf civilized, fhall be intirely done away.

very little from profe. We cannot fpeak of his poem in the fame terms of rapture, in which he speaks of the thirteen master-pieces in the Farnelian gallery.-What fire! what fury! what impetuous dah! MEDICA L.

Art. 37. A Treatise on the Infantile Remittent Fever. By William Butter, M. D. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and Member of the Medical Society, both of Edinburgh. 8vo. Robfon, &c. 1782.

1 S.

The difeafe which is the fubject of this treatife is what moft authors have denominated the Worm Fever; though feveral others have given it appellations not relating to this fuppofed caufe. Thus it is entitled by Sauvages Hectica Infantilis. Dr. Butter's definition of it is the following: The Infantile Remittant Fever is diftinguished by drowsy exacerbations, wakeful remiffions, pain of head and belly, total lofs of appetite, little thirst, and flimy fools.' He reprefents it as common to all ages, from the birth to puberty; and he arranges the different forms in which it appears, under three heads, viz. the acute, the flow, and the low. Thefe he particularly defcribes; and though the feveral kinds feem to differ much in degree of violence, yet he observes that they all afford a favourable prognoftic.

In the chapter on the caufes, nature, and feat of this fever, the author begins with fome remarks on the peculiarity of the infantile conftitution, which he makes chiefly to confiit in irritability, and pronenefs to indigeftion. From thefe he accounts for all the fymptoms of this difeafe, which he fuppofes to take its rife from crude accumulations in the fir paffages, cauling fpafm in the inteftines, which is communicated to the rest of the body, conftituting the fever. At the clofe of this chapter he warmly oppofes the idea of this diforder being occasioned by worms; and declares his opinion of the entire innocence of the worms generally found in the bodies of children. This opimion, as he acknowledges, has been already maintained by other writers.

In treating on the cure of the Infantile Remittant Fever, he sets out with this polition, that all the difeafes to which the human frame is liable, are founded in irritation,' and that our knowledge of the caufe of this irritation can alone lead us to a rational idea of the nature of a difeafe, and its cure. In the prefent cafe, the irritating caufe is fofficiently obvious, and the indication is proportionally clear: Yet this, he fays, we must be content to fulfil by round-about means, till there is difcovered, what probably exits in nature, a medicine which will, in not many hours, remove the febrile fpafm. The means he at prefent chiefly recommends are, reft and quiet; diluting and nourishing drinks; opening medicines (of which he prefers a folution of Sal Polvchrett): Nitre, when the body is fulliciently open; and Extract of Hemlock, in cafes complicated with loofenefs, and particularly in the flow fpecies of the difeafe. As the ufe of most of thefe remedies feems pretty obvious; and, according to the Doctor's own reprefentation, the difcafe almost always ends favourably, his concluding paragraph will probably appear fomewhat extraordinary. Thus (fays he) have we recommended a variety of helps for taking off febrile irritation, Auch as darkness, coolness, reft, filence, diluents, emollients, and Jaxatives. This practice, however, is merely artificial, and cannot

be

be founded in nature, as it employs too many means for anfwering one intention. Thefe means, while they discover the defect of our art, at the fame time point out the remedy; for they are all, properly confidered, but lame fubftitutes for a fingle medicine, which poffeffes their aggregate power in a much greater degree, fo as to be capable of nipping the difeafe in its very bud, without perhaps occafioning any evacuation except by ftool. Such a medicine is most likely to be found in the vegetable creation.'

Now we imagine that few cafes can be conceived in which the indications are more fimple, and easily effected by medicines already known, than the difeafe under confideration. For, notwithstanding the enumeration of various means which the writer has given us, it is obvious that the whole ftrefs of the cure muft depend on purgatives alone, and that the reft are only the common cautions or auxiliaries, recommended in almost every diforder. That fuch fuggeftions as the above are likely to remove the medical art farther from piricism, we cannot conceive. Whether this paffage, compared with one before quoted, betokens any particular confequences, we leave to time to ascertain.

Art. 38. Farther Remarks on the useless State of the lower Limbs, in confequence of a Curvature of the Spine: being a supplement to a former Treatife on that fubje&t. By Percivall Pott, F. R. S. Sargeon to St. Bartholomew's Hofpital. Svo. 3s. Boards. Johnfon, 1782.

In our Review for October laft we took notice of a publication of cafes by Dr. Jebb, confirming the efficacy of the method of cure propofed by Mr. Pott, in the deplorable difeafe which is the fubject of the piece before us. The public must receive much additional fatisfaction from this fupplemental work of Mr. Pott himself; in which not only the mode of fuccessful practice is established on the firmeft foundation of repeated trials, but new light is thrown upon the nature of the difeafe, and fome mistakes concerning it are candidly correed.

When

Mr. Pott now regards the curvature of the fpine as an effect of a fcrofulous indifpofition fixing ifelf upon the parts compofing the fpine, or its immediate vicinity. The morbid affections thus produced are various, and frequently, as he imagines, pafs unnoticed, or mistaken for other difeafes, for want of fhewing themfelves outwardly. an evident curvature is occafioned, it is by means of an erosion (notenlargement) of one or more of the bodies of the vertebrae, whereby the whole column is, as it were, fapped or undermined, and a curve produced always from within outwards. This curvature is then only a confequence of an original difeafe, and not of itself the caufe either of the other fymptoms, or of the ufelefs ftate of the limbs; for after a cure by means of iffues is obtained, the curvature frequently remains nearly as before. The cure depends on fuch a derivation and discharge of the morbid humours, as removes the caries of the vertebra, and caules the union of the bones with each other by a kind of anchylofis. On this ground the writer propofes it to the consideration of practitioners, whether the iffues might not properly be used by way of preventative, when fymptoms appear which give room to fufpect the form, ation of fuch a difeafe in the fpine, though it is not as y : manifetted by any external change.

It is not neceffary for us to extract more from a work, which ondoubtedly will be in the hands of every practitioner; and which, from the variety of practical matter it contains in a small compass, is scarcely capable of abridgement. Valuable as every attempt is of this most able and judicious writer, towards the improvement of his profeffion, he has perhaps in none more clearly rendered important fervice to mankind; and we may congratulate the public on the too uncommon event, of a fimple, eafy, and efficacious remedy difcovered, for a moft afficting, and generally-deemed incurable disease.

The title-page has omitted to mention, that fome plates (which are uncommonly beautiful) are added for the illuftration of this work. Art. 39. Obfervations on the Prognostic in Acute Difeafes. By Charles Le Roy, M. D. F. R. S. Regias Profeffer of Phyfic in the University of Montpellier, and Member of the Royal Society of Phyficians at Paris. Tranflated from the French. With Notes, 8vo. 5 s. boards. Wilkie, 1782.

There is no part of the medical art which more deferves the study of a young practitioner, with respect to his credit and reputation, than that of marking prognoftics; fince his knowledge or ignorance in this point is rendered manifeft to the bystanders. It may be queftioned, however, whether this fkill can be attained on any other principles, than a thorough knowledge of the nature of diseases, and of the animal œconomy; for, with refpect to the detached and unconnected figns mentioned by Hippocrates and other authors, it is well known how little they are to be relied on when taken fingly. The prefent writer feems aware of this; and has therefore claffed his obfervations fo as to fhew their mutual connexion and dependance, and the inferences to be drawn from them refpecting thofe leading circumftances which conduce to a happy or an unfavourable event. He begins with those figns which indicate the state of the circulating powers: from thence he proceeds to those which point out the found or diseased state of the vifcera. He next treats on the evacuations, depositions, and eruptions, obferved in acute difeafes, and the prognostics to be drawn from them. This chapter is followed by fome anomalous figns, not reducible to the foregoing heads; by prognoftics relative to fome particular diseases; and a digreffion on crifis and critical days. The prognoftics themselves are many of them thofe of Hippocrates; the reft are the author's own, or derived from other authorities. The prognoftics of Hippocrates at length are fubjoined, in Latin, arranged under various heads. The volume is clofed by notes referred to in different parts of the work.

We doubt not that this collection will prove of confiderable utility to those who confult it; yet, after all, a great deal must be left to the fagacity and judgment of the practitioner. Thus, with respect to many of the prognoftic figns, we are told that they are falutary when critical, but otherwife when fymptomatic. But the author beforehand acquaints us, that by the term critical, he always means what contributes to the happy termination of the difeafe; and by that of symptematic, what has no fuch effect. When thefe, then, are applied to characterize any appearance, it is faying no more, than that it is a favourable one, if the event fhews it to be fuch; but not otherwife. It is obvious that the phyfician muft depend entirely upon his own judg

ment

ment to form any conclufion in these cafes. Several useful practical obfervations are contained in the writer's notes; which fhew a liberal fpirit, and an acquaintance with phyfic in its moft improved state.

The translator feems in general to have faithfully rendered the meaning of his author; yet he is not free from inaccuracies. In particular, we remark in p. 28 and 29, the word palpitation used for palpation or bandling. But this may be a typographical error.

RELIGIOUS.

Art. 40. The Glory of the Heavenly City, and Blessedness of departed Spirits, graciously manifefted, in a Vifion; to a young Lady of Bristol, on the 10th of October, 1781. Written by herfelf. 8vo. 6 d. Hazard, Bath. Robinfon, London, 1782.

The effect of a fever: and neither new nor uncommon, especially to minds tinctured with enthusiasm.-This young lady feems to have more piety than understanding; and we wonder not at her mistaking the reveries of a delirious imagination, for the extraordinary manifellations of the Spirit of God.

SERMONS.

1. National Reformation the way to prevent National Ruin: confidered at a Monthly Exercise, on account of the prefent State of Public affairs, at Dr. Gibbons's Meeting houfe in Haberdasher's Hall, February 20th, 1782. By Samuel Morton Savage, D. D. 8vo, 6d. Buckland.

A plain, serious, fenfible difcourfe, from Jeremiah xviii. 7 and 8. The fubject of it is expressed above. There is no doubt that the present state of our country particularly, calls us to attend to the good advice given us in this and other difcourfes of a fimilar kind. II. Piety; or, the Happy Mean between Profaneness and Superftition. By the late Rev. Mr. Mole of Hackney. 8vo. 1s. Dilly. 1782. It is a difficult thing to characterize fermons that have nothing remarkable in them. The greatest part of those which are published may be referred to one general clafs. But we are tired of faying the fame thing over and over again. Our invention, however, will not always fupply us with new words to express old and familiar ideas: and therefore, if a fermon be not very bad or very good; if it doth not contain fome original nonfenfe, or some excellent reafoning; if it proceeds in that middle path which hath been trod by thousands, without fnatching a grace to be admired on the one hand, or running into fome abfurdity to be ridiculed on the other, we thall in all probability be reduced to the neceffity of repeating what we have fo often faid, what we muit at prefent fay, and what our hard lot will, we fear, oblige us to fay, a thousand times more-plain and practical, and fo forth- ―ut fupra!

CORRESPONDENCE.

Itt It is with pleasure we comply with the wishes of Mr Jeffe in the Publication of the following letter:

To the AUTHORS of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

I HOPE you will do me the juftice, in your next Review, to inform

the author of an address † to the Prefident of the Proteftant Affocia

↑ See Review for December last, p. 477. tion,

« VorigeDoorgaan »