Art. 29. Verfes to the Memory of Colonel Ackland. With fome Letters to a oble Lord. Particulary one on the Advantages arif

*

ing from the Newfoundland Fishery, to Great Britain and Ireland. 410. 1 s. 6d. Brown.

A trange jumble of wretched verfe, and illiterate profe. What had the accident by which Col. Ackland unfortunately loft his life, to do with the advantages of the Newfoundland fishery? Why did the author not add a differtation upon Dumplins?

Art. 30. Effays Moral and Literary. By the Rev. Mr. Knox, Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, and Mafter of Tunbridge School. The fecond Edition corrected and enlarged. 12mo. 45. Dilly. 1778.

Having already expreffed our fentiments on the merits of this publication, we again introduce it to the attention of our Readers, only to make them acquainted with the name of the Author, and to inform them that they will meet with several additional effays, equally ingenious and elegant with thofe which appeared in the first edition. The fubjects of thefe are-the art of Phyfic:-the means of vindicating old Age from Contempt :- Ridicule as a teft of Truth in commen life:the old English Poets.

Art. 31. The prefent State of the Weft-Indies: Containing an

accurate Defcription of what Parts are pofleffed by the feveral Powers in Europe.-The Materials collected on the Spot [here are many Spots!] during the laft War, by fome of the Officers of his Majefty's Forces, and diligently compared with all authentic narrators. Illuftrated with a complete Map of the West Indies, done from the latest Obfervations. 4to. 3s. Baldwin. 1778.

6

As the Weft-Indies are at all times, but in these times, efpecially, a great object of commercial attention in this country, the prefent compilement will probably afford much fatisfaction to thofe Readers who need the information of books on the fubject. What the Compiler obferves in his preface, is certainly juft, the laft peace,' fays he, has made fuch various changes in the whole face of affairs in this part of the world, that all former accounts of it are become almost ufelefs, and contradictory to the prefent ftate, with regard to trade, government, and proprietors: a new defcription and hiftory of the Weft Indies, and adjacent countries, was therefore highly neceffary.' What new changes the next peace may make, time will reveal, to those who live to fee it.

Art. 32. A Voyage to California to obferve the Tranfit of Venus,

with an Hiftorical Defcription of the Author's Route through Mexico; by M. Chappe d'Auteroche. Also a Voyage to Newfoundland and Sallee, &c. By M. de Caffini. 12mo. 4s. Bound. Dilly. 1778. An account of the first part of this performance, the whole of which is tranflated from the French, was given in the Appendix to our xlviii. volume, page 560. The other part contains the relation of a voyage to Newfoundland and Sallee, made by M. Caffini, by order of the King of France, principally with a view of making trial of M. le Roy's Time-keepers. The Author's first obfervations on fhore, were made at the island of St. Pierre; of which, and of the

Vid. Rev. Feb. 1778, p. 135.
F 4

ifle

ifle of Miquelon (both lately taken by us from the French) he gives a defcription, and of the method of preparing and drying the cod-fifh caught there. This is followed by an account of the Town of Sallee, in the King of Morocco's dominions; where a fecond course of obfervations was made. On his arrival at Cadiz, the Author was eager to examine the refults of his various operations: from which he draws the following conclufions.

That a fhip which had been at fea near four months, in the dif ferent climates through which he paffed in the voyage, would have been misled by one of the watches under his care, only 56 minutes of a degree; which makes an error only of about 14 leagues in longitude. By the other watch, which had been opened at the island of St. Pierre, this error would have amounted to 1 degree and 45 minutes, that is, about 27 leagues.

Art. 33. An Appeal to the Public on the right of ufing Oil-Cement, or Compofition for Stucco, &c.-Containing Provifos in Letters Patent granted for Inventions; and the Provifos in the Act of Parliament for extending the Term of the Patent granted to John Liardet; with Specifications to Patents granted before that of Liardet, for Oily Compofition or Cement, and thofe of Liardet; feveral Extracts from various Authors, fome of which were produced in Court at a late Trial; alfo the Evidence given of the Public Use of Oil Compofition, in different Parts of the Kingdom, before the Date of Liardet's Patent. To which are added Remarks, &c. on Liardet's Patent and Specifications, &c. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Bew,

In the reigns of Queen Elizabeth, and of James I. monopolies of various kinds were become fo great a public grievance, that they re. quired a public remedy; and this grievance was at length in fome measure removed by the ftatute of 21 Jac. 1. which declares monopolies to be contrary to law, and void; but an exception was made in favour of patents not exceeding the grant of fourteen years for New Inventions, upon certain conditions, in order to encourage the progrefs of commerce and the arts; and which if granted with proper caution might be a great public benefit; though this power like that of granting monopolies, it is obvious, must be very liable to abuse, and in danger of becoming a public injury.

The intention of this pamphlet is to prove that this power has been abused in a recent cafe; which has already occafioned two tedious and expenfive trials at law; and the Author has recited prior patents, and receipts, long published, in various Authors, to fhew that Liardet's or what is now called Adams's OIL CEMENT, is not a new invention; and in our opinion it plainly appears from his compilation and obfervations, that this famous cement fo nearly resembles many compofitions known long before the date of Liardet's patent, that were they to be used now thofe who ufed them would risk danger of being profecuted by the Patentee, as imitators of his new invention; confequently, that the patent inftead of promoting the public good, or bringing any new matter to light, has a tendency to prevent the public from making use of those lights which they had before, and which have been published for ages. In this, as in many other cafes, we may complain of the Ancients for having ftolen our thoughts, and fay with a gentleman well read in the hiftory of philofophy, and

the

nor

"

the arts, that we fufpect neither Mr. L-, nor Mr.-AMr. J, were the inventors of the Oil Cement, but rather " one Mr. Vitruvius."

Art. 34. Obfervations on two Trials at Law, refpecting Meffrs. Adams's new invented Patent Stucco. 8vo. 6d. Fielding and

Walker.

We learn from the preface that these obfervations are extracted from one of the periodical pamphlets for September laft; being taken from the Review of a Pamphlet lately published, entitled, an Appeal to the Public on the right of using Oil Cement, or Compofition for Stucco, &c.

Art. 35. A Reply to Obfervations on two Trials at Law, respecting. Mers. Adam's New-invented Stucco, containing Mr. Wallace's Reply to Mr. Dunning, with the Summary of the Evidence and Charge to the fury, as taken down in Court. 8vo. 6d. Bew.

If we have here a true copy of the Council's reply to Mr. Dunning, we do not wonder that the learned judge was fatigued, and the jury. confounded; but the following fummary has much more perfpicuity, and brings confiderable light out of that chaos in which the court feems to have been involved :—we cannot however subscribe even to this great authority, when he reprefents the merit of the invention as of little confequence; because it is obvious that patents for ineffectual or imperfect discoveries, are the means of preventing better things from taking place under the character of inventions.

We think the ingenious proprietors of the patent for Oil Cement have very confiderable merit in prevailing upon gentlemen to make ufe of a better plaiftering than ufual; and that in their hands it will contribute greatly to the beauty of our public buildings: but it does not feem to us to have fuch evident characters of a new invention as to entitle the discoverers to an exclusive right to the ule of what we apprehend has long lain in a great measure dormant, not fo much through ignorance of fuch compofitions, as on account of the great expence attending the ufe of them and which expence will fill greatly limit their application and utility.

We apprehend it is yet as great a defideratum as ever to find out a cheap and durable covering for the walls of houfes; and we hope fuch a discovery would not be deemed as an imitation of one much less valuable, because of lefs univerfal application.

AFFAIRS OF THE EAST-INDIA COMPANY.

Art. 36. Every Merchant not his own Ship-Builder. Addressed to the Proprietors of India Stock. 8vo. is. 6d.

Murray.

1778.

On the fide of the fhips hufbands; but the Author's pert farcastic manner of treating his antagonist, the writer of Confiderations on the Important Benefits to be derived from the Eaft-India Company's building and navigating their own Ships", is disgustful enough to destroy the effect of any thing he may fay to the purpofe; and to excite a fufpicion that the force of argument is on the oppofite fide of the question.

*See Review, August 1778.

MEDICAL.

MEDICA Ľ.

Art. 37. Hiftorical and practical Enquiries on the Section of the Symphyfis of the Pubes, as a fubititute for the Cæfarian Operation, performed at Paris by M. Sigault, October 2, 1777. By M. Alphonfe Le Roy, Doctor Regent of the Faculty of Phyfic in Paris, and Profeffor of Midwifery. Tranflated from the French by Lewis Poignand, of the Corporation of Surgeons, London, and Surgeon to the Weftminster Lying in-Hofpital. 8vo. 1 s.-6 d. Baldwin. 1778.

Whatever may be the fate of this attempt to introduce à new operation into the practice of furgery, the fact of its having been fuccessfully performed is certainly an important one in the annals of medicine, and well worthy the attention of every one interested in the improvement of the healing art. Without troubling our Readers with any extracts from the introductory part of this pamphlet, we fhall lay before them the fubftance of the narrative relating this extraordinary cafe.

Mrs. Souchot, a very fmall and deformed woman, had four times been delivered of children which could not be brought into the world without the ufe of the crotchet. In her fifth pregnancy, a design was formed to put in practice upon her the operation of cutting the fymphyfis of the pubes, in order to allow the feparation of thofe bones, fo as to give room for the extraction of a living child. In justice to the gentlemen concerned, Meffrs. Signault and Le Roy, it must be observed, that they had previously, by experiments on other animals, and on dead bodies, affured themselves, as much as poffible, of the probable fuccefs of the operation. The patient confenting, it was performed in the following manner. An incifion was made with a biflory through the integuments (which were drawn downwards), from a little above the pubes to the middle of the fymphyfis, immediately after which, the upper part of the cartilage was divided; the lower part of the integuments, and of the cartilage, was then cut through in the fame manner. The purpofe of this double incifion feems to have been, to allow of the divifion of the upper edge of the cartilage, where it is connected with the bladder, before any hæmorrhage fhould come on, fufficient to obftruct this nicelt part of the operation. As foon as the cartilage was completely divided, the pubes parted with a degree of violence, which the writer judiciously propofes to prevent in fature, by not raifing and pening the thighs till the fection is finished. The space between the feparated bones was two inches and an half, admitting the writer's four knuckles. He immediately proceeded to extract the child; which, prefenting by the feet, was brought in that direction, and was born alive. Very little blood was loft in the operation, and it was neither very painful nor tedious. On lowering the thighs, the feparation of the pubes was reduced to right lines. A particular journal is given of the progrefs of the cure, and method of treating the wound, concerning which we fhall only obferve, that it does not give a very favourable idea of French furgery. The event, however, was, that the bones perfectly reunited, the patient recovered her ftrength, was able to walk up and down ftairs, and appeared with her child at the end of 60 days before the College of

Phyficians,

Phyficians, with no other complaint than an involuntary discharge of urine, which appeared to be getting better. Since the publication of this cafe, the operation has been performed with fuccefs by Mr. Defpres of St. Paul de Leon in Britany, and Mr. Cambon in Mons.

For feveral objections made to this operation, and the answers given to them, we must refer to the pamphlet, without attempting to anticipate any further reflections which may fuggeft themfelves to the minds of our Readers on this curious and interefting fubject. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 38. The Conquest of Canaan: in which, the natural and moral State of its Inhabitants, the Character of their Conquerors, with the Manner and Design of their Conqueft, are confidered: In a Series of Letters from a Father to his Son. Intended for the Amufement and Inftruction of Youth. By John Martin. 12mo. 3 s. Boards. Buckland. 1777.

Calculated to convey, both to youth and to other perfons, inftruction and affistance as to this part of the Old Teftament History, and alfo to improve their minds, and promote their virtue and piety. Such ends the Author propofed by this publication, and fuch ends it is fitted to answer. Some objections to this part of Sacred Hiftory are briefly confidered, and feveral ufeful obfervations are made.

Art. 39. A Memoir of fome principal Circumftances in the Life and Death of the reverend and learned Auguftus Montagu Toplady, B. A. late Vicar of Broad Hembury, Devon. To which is added, written by himself, the Dying Believer's Addrefs to his Soul; and his laft Will and Teftament. 8vo. 6d. Mathews. 1778.

The followers and admirers of Mr. Toplady will read this account with great edification, as it appears to have been drawn by an intimate friend of the deceased.

Art. 40. Remarks on the Prophetic part of the Revelation of St. John: especially the three laft Trumpets. By Thomas Reader. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Buckland. 1778.

The general fcheme of this Author's work is as follows: the feven feals include a fpace of time from A. D. 96 to 395; the feven trumpets from A. D. 395 to 3,125, i. e. to the end of the world and last judgment, in which is included the feven vials extending from A. D. 1936 to 1942. He acknowledges his obligations for much knowledge of this book to Mr. Fleming, Mr. Mede, Mr. Lowman, Bishop Newton, and others; and where, fays he, I have left my guides, I have submitted my reasons for it to the understanding and candor of every reader, who muft judge of them as he can? He appears to be a man of piety, and discovers a degree of knowledge and learning fuitable to this kind of enquiries. He is poffibly too much biaffed by an attachment to fyftem. It should be confidered that human systems whether Arminian, Calvinistic, or otherwife, are not abfolutely Scripture-truth. We agree with him in fuppofing that papal and other establishments have debased Chriftianity; and is there not allo reafon