lic, and before they had themselves tried its effects or seen it tried by others. He points out, and happily combats, the hypothetical objections employed by Dr. Moseley and his coadjutors, derived from what they call the bestial origin of the disease; and he counteracts, with equal effect, the unfavorable reports that have been so industriously circulated, respecting the complaints said to be left in the system after vaccine inoculation. Mr. M.'s remarks on medical evidence in general are highly ju dicious, and cannot be too forcibly impressed on the mind: The evidence that is requisite to prove or disprove any proposi tion in the science of medicine, is of a peculiar kind. It differs entirely from that species of proof which satishes a Court of Law. Both direct and circumstantial evidence, which would leave no doubt in the breasts of judges and juries, have often not the slightest tendency to render a medieal fact even probable. The declarations, and even the oaths of the most conscientious, disinterested, and able men are all insufficient. 'The reason of this is, that few men, even those of considerable capacity, distinguish accurately between opinion and fact. When a man asserts he has beeu cured of a particular disease by a certain drug, he is apt to think he is declaring a fact, which he knows to be true; whereas this assertion includes two opinions, in both of which he may be completely mistaken. The first is an opinion of his having had the disease specified; the second, that the medicine employed removed the disease.' These observations apply to the case in question in a very particular manner; since it appears, by the confession of Dr. Rowley himself, that this great champion of anti-vaccination was, in all instances of apparent failure, satisfied with the mere assertion of the party concerned; and, without any farther investigation, immediately set down such occurrences in his list of unfavorable cases.-We shall not extend our remarks on this pamphlet, but earnestly recommend it not only to every medical man, but to every person who feels interested in the welfare of his fellow creatures. Bos. Art. 18. The Evidence at large, as laid before the Committee of the House of Commons, respecting Dr. Jenner's Discovery of Vaccine Inoculation; together with the Debate which followed; and some Observations on the contravening Evidence, &c. By the Rev. G. C. Jenner. 8vo. pp. 240. 6s. Boards. Murray. Although the principal contents of this volume have already been made known to the world in different ways, we are glad to see them collected and published under their present form. The evidence delivered to parliament on the subject of the cow-pox is so clear and decisive, and embraces a question of so much moment, that it can. not be too widely circulated, nor too frequently impressed on the minds of the inhabitants of these kingdoms. This is rendered still more necessary in consequence of the objections that have lately been started against vaccination; objections which, however futile, have not failed to make an unfavourable impression, and appear to have had the effect of impeding the progress of this most valuable discoREV. FEB. 1807. P very. very. The Committee of the House of Commons manifested their wisdom, not less than their candor, in bringing forwards all the evidence that was to be obtained against the claims of the petitioner ; and the imperfect and confused statements, which were delivered by the opposers of vaccination, afford one of the most powerful proofs of the strength of the cause. Perhaps on no subject, either scientific or medical, was so large a weight of authority ever adduced, and se little thrown into the opposite scale. Art. 19. A Dissertation on Ischias; or the Disease of the Hip joint, commonly called a Hip Case; and on the Use of the Bath Wa ters as a Remedy in this Complaint. By William Falconer, M.D. FR.S. &c. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. This treatise is a re-publication of Dr Falconer's paper inserted in the 6th volume of the Memoirs of the Medical Society; and we have therefore only to refer to p. 145. of this Number of the M. R. for an account of its merits. EDUCATION. Art. 20. Dr. Render begins his preface by remarking: It will not, perhaps, be thought too harsh, if I assert, that the greater part of German grammars hitherto published have been the offspring of necessity; à circumstance which, while it accounts for their defects, certainly offers no extenuation for them; nor can the warmest philanthropy even wish that mankind should be misled, merely to give subsistence to the propagator of error.' Without inquiring into the justice of this observation, we feel ourselves obliged to add the present Analysis to the number of those children of necessity, or to assign its existence to an equally unkind mother of literary productions; since it is merely a hasty and inaccurate compilation, without philosophical arrangement or new remarks, too minute for the first beginner, and too trifling and unsatisfactory for the more advanced student. Dr. R. has also been guilty of the grossest plagiarism, without mention ing the source from which he has drawn his best materials. Almost whole pages have been copied, some word for word, others in a mutilated state. from Noehden's grammar; and on several occasions the reader is misled by rules being given as general which ought to be only partially applied. The work is swelled by several extracts from Schiller and other German authors, to which a free translation is subjoined. Bos. Do Sch. Art. 21. An Epitome of Scripture History: chiefly abstracted from Dr. Watts's short View, &c. 18mo. PP. 323. 4s. Boards. Darton and Harvey. The juvenile reader is here furnished with an account of the principal events recorded in the Old and New Testament, judiciously abridged, and forming a good compendium of sacred history. The style is perspicuous and attractive, and likely to fix in the memories of juvenile readers the events which it is the design of the work to record. A number of plates are introduced. Art. 22. A Visit to London, containing a description of the Prin cipal Curiosities in the British Metropolis By S.W. author of a Visit to a Farm House, and the Puzzle for a Curious Girl. 18mo. pp. 192. 2s. Tabart and Co. It is the object of this tract to give a familiar description of London, and to introduce occasionally such moral reflections as presented themselves out of the circumstances of the narrative. To those young persons, therefore, who may wish to have a concise account of the Metropolis, written in easy language, and which blends enter. tainment with moral instruction, this little volume will be an accept. able present. Art. 23 The Book of Trades, or, Library of useful Arts. 3 Vols. 9s. Half Bound. Tabart and Co. 18mo. This work contains a brief report of most of the arts and trades, which conduce to the supply of the necessities and conveniencies of life, adapted to the use of young persons; and as well on account of its imparting to them useful knowlege, as from its furnishing those who are to subsist by their industry with hints for fixing on the employments most congenial to their taste, we think that it is a commendable addition to the juvenile library. The subjects, which are illustrated by, characteristic Plates, are sixty in number: and though, since they are so numerous, complete information cannot be expected, sufficient is given to awaken the curiosity of young minds and to induce them to make farther inquiries respecting the objects in which they may be most interested. Art. 24. Elements of useful Knowlege, in Geography, History, and other Sciences: drawn up for the use of Children in questions and answers. By J. Allbut, Master of Bromsgrove Lickey School. 12mo. 10 Numbers, price 4d. each. Button and Co. Geography, Astronomy, Natural Philosophy, History, Chronology, Grammar, and Arithmetic, are the topics here treated. The compilement is intended as an introductory book for children, and, being written in a catechetical form, it may help to fix in their memories the first rudiments of science. W.Re-s. Do Do Do 18mo. Didier and Tebbett. Mr Blanchard here supplies lessons for teaching young persons to conduct themselves through life. The subject is divided into three parts, on the duties of Morality, Virtue, and Civility: those of the first, according to the author, include the duties only which justice requires; those of the second, all benevolent and disinterested actions; and those of the third comprehend the proper manner in which the several duties are to be performed. The work consists of dialogues between a father and his son and daughter and considerable pains are taken, by placing the subjects in various lights, to bring them to the comprehension of juvenile understandings. To those young persone persons who wish to exercise themselves in reading French, the pe rusal of these little volumes will be particularly useful, as not only enabling them to improve themselves in the language, but also giving them valuable rules concerning propriety of conduct. They are neatly printed, and ornamented with copper-plate engravings. Art. 26. An Essay on the Elements, Accents, and Prosody of the English Language; intended to have been printed as an Introduction to Mr. Boucher's Supplement of Johnson's Dictionary. By Jonathan Odell, M.A. 12mo. pp. 205. 4s. 6d. Boards, Lackington and Co. 1805. In this Essay, Mr. Odell professes to correct the mistakes into which Sheridan, Walker, and others have fallen respecting the subjects mentioned in the title. To have just notions of these matters is of considerable importance, and the public is indebted to the uthor for the pains which he has taken respecting them. In the number and distribution of the letters on articulate sounds, he differs from former writers; our letters, according to him, ought to represent the several sounds expressed in the language, and should be twenty. nine; of these, seven are vowels, twenty-one are consonants, and the aspirate; to these he adds the lengthened sounds of six vowels, but proposes that they should be represented by a mark over the short vowels. Our diphthongs, he asserts, are sixteen in number, and the triphthongs three. As the just representation of sounds by letters is a considerable means of attaining a correct pronunciation of the language, these are particulars worthy of attention. In the portion of the work allotted to the Accents, the author de. precates the common use of that word, in lieu of which he proposei the syllabic emphasis The accents, he contends, signify the varia tions with which all syllables are pronounced, and are as commonly used, and as necessary in the proper pronunciation of the English, as they were in that of the Greek and Latin. In this opinion, he follows Mr. Steele, who proved the fact by imitating on a violoncello the tones of our common speech, and ascertained their perfect agreement with the Greek definitions and descriptions of the tones or accents used in uttering that language. Respecting Prosody, Mr. Odell asserts, contrary to the opinion of antient and modern grammarians, that the essence of verse, or the governing principle of rhythm, is not to be found in the length of syllables, but only in their emphases; and he maintains his assertion by shewing that short vowels in the Greek and Latin languages, when before two consonants, or as it is called in position, although accordingly accounted long, were in reality still pronounced short. In the scanning of verse, he therefore contends for the using of ca dences instead of feet, making the emphatic syllable the first in every 'cadence. Our Iambic verse, he says, is of various dimensions, from two to six cadences; in which not only bibrachs, but spondees, dactyls, and double pyrrhics also are equalized with the leading Iambic feet, and sometimes a syllable is made to fill a whole cadence. Hence in our common heroic measure we have three different metres, in lines consisting of three, four, or five cadences, exclusive of the occasional Alexandrine, which may consist of four, five, or six. Το WR To shew that the antient mode of versification is not impracticable in the English language, the author, in the translation of a Sapphic ode, has given a specimen of the Sapphic verse; also imitations of the versification of two odes of Horace, and specimens of the Homeric rhythmus, which was thought to be inexpressible in English, in the translation of the first 53 verses of Homer's Iliad. In the prosecution of this work, Mr. Odell has evinced considerable learning and talents: but he professes it to be only an essay, and wishes that some other person better qualified would undertake the subject. It is certainly both curious and important, and it would give us great satisfaction to see it thoroughly investigated. Mr. Odell has meritoriously commenced the discussion, and we should recom. mend it to him to pursue it. POETRY. W.Re-s. Art. 27. The Age of Frivolity. A Poem, addressed to the No, Timothy indeed you will not Touch'em; unless it be to tickle them with laughter at your ineffectual attempts to be cuttingly satirical. The toll-keepers will not receive a penny less, nor will the Sunday Ordinary lose a single visitor, by your representation of the Cockney's mode of spending the Sabbath: Forth from their haunts, array'd in Sunday-dress, As little will Fashionable Invalids be benefited by Mr. Touch'em's languid and sickly satire: Sweet summer smiles, and on its balmy wings Delightful health and rich abundance brings; Save Pleasure's train-and they, poor things! are ill. P 3 They |