In the following paffage an arrow is aided by a dart:? Let us not aid the arrow of a galling need With the keen dart of difappointed love. The expreffion a galling need is also inelegant and improper, a need ill expreffes penury or want, and the epithet galling belongs not fo much to the need as to the arrow. Love is made to court one héro with ripe rofes, and another is faid to drag a chain of being, a lady is compaffed round with furrounding virgins, men are fuppofed to feel flavery most severely when the chains have crushed them into duft; from which it appears that flaves have either the ftrange property of living when they are crushed into duft, or the ftranger, of feeling after they are dead. The Author alfo ufes kindlefs for unkind, and timeless for untimely, and carries the repetition of a word in the the fame fentence, which fometimes has a good effect, to a difgufting excefs. We have-look, O! look; fay, O! fay ; I wish, I wifh; judge, O! judge; revoke, revoke; long, long; 'tis hard, 'tis hard; if this, if this; thus, thus; and many others, recurring almost in every fpeech. Upon the whole, this per formance is in fome refpects an embrio, and in fome a monfter: it has fome deformities that arife from the imperfect, and fome from the preternatural formation of its parts. Our quotations are from a copy corrected by the Author. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For MARCH, 1771. MEDICA L. Art. 14. An Effay on the Cure of Ulcerated Legs, without Reft, exemplified by a variety of Cafes, in which laborious Exercife was ufed during the Cures. By William Rowley, Surgeon. 8vo. Is. 6d. Newberry. 1770. Method of curing ulcerated legs without reft, and even during A laborious exercife, is, on many accounts, a defideratum of very great confequence in the art of furgery. Should Mr. Rowley's practice prove as fuccefsful in other hands as in his own, the public will certainly be much indebted to him for this effay. The medicine, fays Mr. Rowley, which I moft depend on in the cure is nitre which I commonly order in large dofes, and in a diffolved ftate, joined with the fpt. fal. ammoniac. or camphor, which will prevent its having thofe ill effects on the ftomach, most frequently complained of. I most commonly begin with one fcruple, and according to the conflitution of the patient, and circumftances of the cafe, increase the dofe to one dram, or one dram and half, which I order to be taken three or four times in the day, diffolved in any convenient liquid, with the addition of twenty or thirty drops of fpt. of fal. ammoniac, or with fome of the julepium e camphora; which laft I prefer to the volatile fpirit, in cafes which are violently inflamma torys tory, tho' I believe their effects are nearly the fame in correcting the nitre, and rendering it lefs liable to disturb the conftitution; for am very fenfible, that nitre given in the large doses which I have mentioned, would produce very alarming effects in a number of patients, unless given in the manner which I have recommended. The laxative which I order for the irregular patients, is compofed of about one-fourth of pulv. jalap, to three-fourths of powdered nitre, of which may be given from one fcruple to half a dram, and at the fame time the nitrous draught must not be omitted. These remedies moft commonly occafion very great pain all round the ulcers, when they are first taken, but the pain gradually decreases as the ulcers advance in their cure; and they promote, in general, a moft copious urinary difcharge. What great affiftance this discharge of urine, or by what means nitre given in this manner produces fuch good effects, I fhall not take upon myfelf to determine, but leave it to be accounted for by the theorists. What I have attended to are facts, and it is a matter of no very great confequence with me, as the patients are cured, whether my method agrees with the common received opinions or not; as I am confcious, that I have discharged my duty in making my obfervations public, in a practice which for fome years, in repeated inftances, has proved fuccefsful.' The ulcers, continues our Author, which I propofe curing by nitre are the phagædenic, all old callous ulcers, and every ulcer attended with inflammation. In fome old ulcers, which are commonly callous both at their bottom, and for a confiderable space round their edges, I have obferved, that the first fign of amendment is the callofity all round foftening, next the callofity at the bottom of the ulcer appears rather loofe, as though Nature feemed pushing off this obstruction to the cure, with a generation of new flesh underneath; and I have greatly affifted the feparation, by paring it with a knife, which never occafions any pain, as thefe callofities in general when loofened, are most commonly infenfible.' For the cafes and obfervations, which are related in proof of the utility of this method, we must refer our readers to Mr. Rowley's effay. Art. 15. Elements of Agriculture and Vegetation. By George Fordyce, M. D. of the Royal College of Phyficians; Phyfician to St. Thomas's Hofpital; and Reader on the Practice of Phyfic, in London. 8vo. 2s. 6d. 1771. Johnfon. Thefe elements are very concife, very fyftematic, and very unintelligible to any but expert chemifts. 1 he first part contains, the elements of chemistry, necessary to be understood for the explanation of the principles of agriculture; the fecond, treats of the properties of bodies neceffary to be known in this fcience; the third, of the ftructure and economy of vegetables; the fourth, of the nourishment of plants; and the laft, of the fubitances neceffary for the examination and analyfis of foils. Much has been faid, and various have been the conjectures, concerning the specific matter which conftitutes the nourishment of plants. Dr. Fordyce determines it, to be chiefly a gelatinous mucilage.-As what is advanced on this fubject, will be more generally understood than than the other parts of this work, we fhall tranfcribe what our inge nious Author fays Of the Nourishment of Plants. • A plant will grow in fand alone, moistened with pure distilled water, and in the pureft air, but not fo luxuriantly as in a rich foil. A plant will alfo grow better in a mixture of fand and clay, where the tenacity is adapted to the pushing power of its root than in fand alone; and will alfo grow better if a proper quantity of water be ap plied, according to the difpofition of its roots to refift putrefaction, but with both these advantages, it will not flourish fo well as in a rich foil. If, in a proper mixture of fand and clay, a plant is properly fupplied with water, it will grow better than in the fame mixture exposed to the weather, and the chances of being too moift or too dry; but it will grow ftill better in a rich foil. There is therefore in a rich foil fomething independant of texture, or the retention of water, which contributes to the flourishing of plants. A rich foil contains fubftances infoluble in water; or substances foluble in water. The fubftances infoluble in water cannot enter the vessels of the roots of plants, and therefore can only contribute either to the texture, or the production of fubftances foluble in water. The fubftances infoluble in water may neceffarily only be fand or clay; those at any time found are, Sand;-Clay ;-Afbeftes Tale; &c.-Calcareous earth;-Magnefia;-Earth of allum ;-Calces of metals; particularly iron and copper; and-The fibres of vegetables. Thole foluble in water that are found in all rich foils, are Muci. lage;-Nitrous ammoniac ;-Nitrous felenites ;-Common ammoniac ;-Fixt ammoniac ; These fubftances all get into the plant along with the water; and the falts are found in the juices of the plant, unchanged. A mucilage is alfo found, but very different from that contained in foils. • Therefore a plant may be nourished by pure water and air alone; but it will be more luxuriant, if it alfo abforbs, and digefts, a quantity of gelatinous mucilage. Richnefs of the foil depends on First, A proper degree of tenacity, which is procured by (a) A mixture of clay with fand, or any other earth, fo that it fhall contain between one fourth of clay, and three fourths. (b) Mucilage, which gives friability to the clay, and tenacity to fand. (c) The quality of the clay, the more diffufible it is in water, it gives the better texture to the foil. Secondly, The quantity of mucilage, the more there is in a foil, the better. One grain in a thoufand will be of advantage, as it will give a fenfible tenacity to a fufficient quantity of water, to moisten the foil thoroughly. Thirdly, The quantity of fubflances capable of being converted into mucilage. 7 • Vide (Vide mucilage, page 42.) Fourthly, The matters in the foil difpofing thefe to be converted into mucilage. Thefe are, Calcareous earth ;-Earthy falts. If a foil be rich, a fmall proportion of an alkali, neutral falt, cauftic calcareous earth or earthy falt (except the falts of allum) will improve it, but thefe fubftances, unless they be putrefcents, hurt plants growing in a poor foil. Thefe fubftances may be faid to be forcers, in as much as they not only tend immediately to produce a larger crop, but deftroy the mucilage. They may act by destroying the weak fibres of the roots, and occafioning them to push out more numerous and ftronger ones. They may prevent the evaporation of the water. They may destroy infects. Poffibly, they may affift the digeftion of the plant. A very small proportion of them, produces an effect. In manuring poor foils, we are therefore to render them of a proper texture, by adding clay or fand, where it can be done fufficiently cheap, taking care that they be free from pyrites, and it is to be obferved, that lefs clay will be useful in fandy foils, than fand in clay foils. FROST by the expanfive power of the cryftallization of the water, breaks down the maffes, which form in ftiff foils. We are to apply gelatinous mucilage, or fubftances from whence it may be formed, or fubftances forwarding the formation of it. (Vide mucilage, page 42.) These are enriching manures. And in rich foils, we may venture to apply the forcing manures, as otherwife we fhould not have the whole effects of the mucilage. • Any defect of texture may be made up by mucilage, and the alteration clay undergoes on culture, but the defect of mucilage cannot be made up by texture. A foil, if it have all the properties of a rich one, may have thefe counteracted by its containing poisonous fubftances, which are, First, Metallic falts, or pyrites. Secondly, Salts containing earth of allum (or pyrites.) Thirdly, Acids uncombined. Fourthly, Any other falt in too large a proportion. The firft, fecond, and third, may be destroyed by quick lime; the fourth is got the better of by time, and the wathing the foil with water, by the rains, unless there be a fresh fupply from fprings. The advantages of draining a foil, are the preventing the water from-Rotting the feeds;- Rotting the roots, especially at the time of flowering;-Taking off the effects of the mucilage, by too great dilution. The advantages of FALLOWING are, The converfion of the vegetable fibres into mucilage, by de ftroying their life, and expofing them to the air. The deftroying weeds, by giving their feeds an opportunity of growing, killing them, and converting them into mucilage. The decompofing pyrites, and metallic and alluminous falts. Rev. Mar. 1771. S A A very poor foil will be but little benefited by fallowing, in as much as there is nothing contained in it capable of being converted into mucilage, except the rain water, it is better to employ an enriching crop. Fallowing for feveral years would destroy a foil, as it would convert the whole putrefcent fubftances into mucilage, and that mucilage into falts, and thefe would be decompofed. • The advantages of DRILLING are, The giving an opportunity to deftroy the weeds, cut the fibres. of the roots fo as to make them branch out again, and loosen the earth about the roots, and throwing the earth on the stems, so as to make fresh roots break out. The faving fuperfluous feed and fowing the ground more equally. It is not yet determined how far the rows fhould be from one another, nor how thick the plants fhould be fown; it will require that they should be fown thinner to produce a great crop of feeds, or roots, than great quantity of herbs. Quere, Is there any difference in the direction of the rows? Enriching crops are fuch as fupply the foil with matters capable of being converted into mucilage, they do this Firft, By exfudation from the roots. Secondly, By leaving the roots which will putrify. Thirdly, If ploughed in, the whole plant will putrify; and it is to be obferved in this cafe, that the plants fhould always be cut down when in full vigour, and while the exfudation is still taking place ftrongly. If the juices exfuded are very aftringent, they counteract the good effects of this method of culture by preventing the putrefaction "A lift of MANURES. First, Those furnishing mucilage or fubftances convertable into it. As, Glue;-Skins ;-Hair ;-Horns ;-Bones ;-Rags, &c. &c. Dung of animals ;-Infects. Vegetable putrified fubitances; thefe go through the facharine, vinous, and acetous fermentations firft; fo that a dunghill is not fufficiently putrified, until the heat is over; but it is better to putrify too little, than too much, as in the first case, the putrefaction may be continued in the foil; in the fecond, the mucilage is converted into falts, and cannot be restored. Putrefcible vegetable fubftances: it is to be observed that vegetable fubftances that are of too folid a texture, as wood, putrify with great difficulty into a mucilage, and alfo thofe that have aftringent juices, and fuch as have lain in the earth a confiderable time, ⚫ and fugar. Enriching crops. Secondly, Manures converting putrefcible fubftances into mu cilage. Calcareous earth, as Marle ;-Chalk ;-Effete lime: Earthy falts, in the dung of fowls, rabbits, &c.-Too putrid dunghills;-Sea water in small quantity. • Thirdly, |