834 Review of New Publications. furface, produced matter (ui generis as ufual, but was not abforbed, and therefore did not produce the difeafe. If this was really the cafe, it confirms an idea, fuggefted by fome modern anatomifts, that an inflamed furface is a bad abforbing surface." Mr. D. obferves of this general inoculation, that the ftrong and athletic had most fever, and, confequently, a greater number of puftules than the weakly or delicate, who had very little fever, and few fmall-pox; that perfons of all ages, from four weeks to fixty years, were inoculated; and fome wo men, who were as far advanced as the fixth month of their pregnancy. Several women also, be adds, were inoculated, who had children at the breaft; and it was remarked that these children had more pufiules than their mothers. ART. III. An Account of the good Effects of Mercury in Two Cafes of impeded Deglutition, to which is addet, an Inftance of the Relief obtained, from the fame Remedy, in a spafmodic Affection of ibe Neck of the Bladder. Bv Mr. Samuel Patten, Surgeon in London. Communicated in a Letter to J. H. Sequiera, M.D. Phyhcian in London, and by him to Dr. Simmons. The obfervations contained in this paper tend to confirm the good effects of a mode of treatment recommended by the late Dr. Munckley, in the Medical Tranfaéiions, vol. 1 ; and by Dr. Sequera, in the Medical Obfervations and Inquiries vol. VI. ART. IV. Obfervations on Pemphigus. Communicated, in a Letter to Dr. Simmons, by Mr. Thomas Chriftie, Member of the Medical and Antiquarian Societies of Edinburgh. Thefe very judicious obfervations on difeafe that appears to be of rare occurrence are introduced by the following letter: "To Dr. SIMMONS. "Dear Sir, "The following effay was originally defigned to be published as a thefis; but a variety of circumftances having combined to disappoint my wishes in profecuting medical indies, I believe I should not have thought of printing it at all, if the partiality of your friendship had not pizdged me to the publick, by announcing it in Toe London Medical Fournal (vol. IX. p. 310). I muft, therefore, request that you will accept of it, and give it a place in that ufeful publication, as a fmall teftimony of my esteem for, an! gratitude to, the Editor. The external events of life it is often out of our power to regulate or controul; but, whatever changes may take [Sept. place in my future condition, I fhall always retain a partial attachment to medical science, and a fincere refpect for its worthy profeffors. I am, &c. THOMAS CHRISTIE. September 1, 1789." "There are fome difeafes," Mr. C. ob ferves, "to which it is difficult to affign a name, either because they are in an incomplete and unformed ftate, or because they are fo complicated with other maladies, that we may fay, with more propriety, that the patient labours under a number of morbid fymptoms, than that he is affected with any particular difeafe. A with to fatisfy the cu riofity of a patient or his friends, and fone other reafons, fuch as an immoderate attachment to nofology, a want of fagacity, and a difting thing fpirit, have indeed rendered phyficians very fond of beftowing names on difeafes, and of comprehending the complaints of their patients under one particular term. Yet it may be made a question, which I shall leave to older practitioners to decide, whether, amongst the complaints that occur in real life, there are not as great a number of this irregular and unfixed kind as of thofe to which one can, with strict propriety, apply the name which diftinguishes any regular and fixed difeafe? Some practitioners, indeed, fave themfelves from all difficulty, by defcribing difeafes in fuch a loose and inaccurate manner, and affigning to them fuch numerous and various fymptoms, that their terms become quite vague and transferable; fo that one fet of fymptoms, according to their way of going to work, may either denote the first species of one difease, the last of another, or the middle fpecies of a third. But this is multiplying words without meaning, and loading the memory without informing the judgement. "The importance of the diagnostic is, that it influences the practical part of physick; for when the phyfician has decided on the difeafe, he has recourfe to his accustomed mode of cure. It is evident, therefore, that he cannot be too cautious in pronouncing on the first, because the nature of things doth not accommodate itself to our judgements about them; nor can we avoid committing grievous errors, if we take up words instead of facts, and imagine ourfelves extremely wife, when in reality we are very ignorant." "Notwithstanding it is thus difficult to decide on difeafes, and to apply, with propriety, a particular term to a clafs of fymptoms, yet it must be admitted that it is often poffible; and, wherever it is fo, nothing can be more defireable. "If the obscurity that attends inward difeafes, and the fimilarity which fubfifts between fome of their fymptoms, should render it more difficult and precarious to decide on them, one would, however, imagine, that with respect to external complaints, which offer vifible appearances to the eye, it would not be difficult to determine the difeafe, and refer refer it to the clafs to which it belongs. This is not, however, the cafe. Cutaneous difcafes, though accompanied with eruptions, are as little understood among phyficians as any class whatever. This may be, in part, owing to their variety and minuteness; but it is probably more owing to the want of attentive and accurate obfervation, and to the confounding various and different things under one name. ceffary appendix even to the beft verbal defcription of them. "It is for this reason that I have judged it proper to accompany the few observations I intend to make on a cutaneous disease, known by the name of pemphigus, with a plate, copied from nature; in order, if poffible, to fix the idea of a diforder hitherto little understood, and to enable future obfervers to collect facts relative to it by promulgating an univerfal knowledge of what is to be defcribed." A remarkable inftance of this we have in the word fearoy, which, instead of being confined to one diftemper, is, in the common language of mankind, and even in that of many practitioners of phyfick, applied to denote almost the whole variety of diforders which affect the fkin; for what eruption may not be fatisfactorily accounted for by faying that it proceeds from a ferbuticing at the Weftininfter General Difpenfary: bumour ? "To put an end to this confufion and uncertainty, it is neceffary that physicians fhould study the natural hiftory of diseases with the fame care that botanists study that of plants, or zoologifts that of animals. In cutaneous diseases plates ought to be given; for in fuch cafes the most accurate defcription falls far short of a good drawing. "Of the great work of Linnæus fome one has obferved, with a kind of enthufiafm, figuris non egebat "it needed no plates;" which may be admitted, if meant only as a poetical way of defcribing its extreme accuracy; but cannot be allowed, if intended to convey a fober, philofophical truth. The addition of plates would much aflit the juft nefs, and still more the quickness, of the reader's comprehenfion of the objects defcribed and accordingly Linnæus himself, in other parts of his works, and all his fuccelfors, have employed themselves in giving views, from Nature, of new plants, as a ne "The term fcurvy," fays the judicious Macbride, "is often indifcriminately applied, even by medical people, to almost all the different kinds of cutaneous foulness; and this vague way of fpeaking is owing to fome writers of the last century, who comprehended fuch a variety of symptoms under this denomination, that there are few chronic difeafes but may, according to this fcheme, be called a feurvy.” Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Phyfick, 4to. p. 615.-"In the fame loofe manner, remarks M. Sauvages, the antients applied the term phibaimia to inflammatory complaints of the eyes, from whatever caufe they originated, or whatever part of that organ they affected. Hence they recommended an hundred different remedies, of the most various and oppofte kinds, for the cure of one difeafe: and their advices are of no use to us, becaufe we cannot tell in what fpecies of the difeafe the medicine would be of any fervice. Vide Nofol. Method, tom. I. p. 86." After giving a very copious hiftorical account of pemphigus from different writers, Mr. C. proceeds to deferbe the following iaftance of it, which he himself had an opportunity of obferv At "The patient, Hannah Scott, aged thirty years, and fervant to Mr. David Jones, of Little Vine-street, Piccadilly, was admitted, under the care of Dr. Simmons, on the 17th of May, 1788. She hal, for three months, been occafionally fubject to ficknets at the ftomach and head-ach, attended with a fenfe of weakness and latitude. About a fortnight before the was admitted at the Difpenfury, the fickness had increafed, the had become feverish, and fume paltules had begun to appear on the fore-part of her left arm. firit they had very nearly the appearance of the small-pox. By degrees they became larger, and were filled with a watery yellowith liquid. 1 he exertions fhe was obliged to make at her work ufed to burst them; but after discharging their contents, they very often filled again, in the course of a night; and this procefs was repeated feveral times. New ones alfo appeared; and on the day we first faw her at the Difpenfary she had one veficle, as large as a nut, on her right fhoulder, one at the pit of the ftomach, one pear the point of the little finger, and about twelve on the arm: they were very fore, and the skin around them was a good deal inflamed. She thought her complaints a little relieved fince the eruption: however, the was ftill weak and feverish, her tongue was whitih, and her pulfe 120. Dr. Simmons, who pointed out the deafe to me as a clear and ftriking inftance of pemphigus, prescribed three grains of calomel to be taken at night, and an ounce of Glauber's falt in the morning. "May 22. Her occupations in the family had prevented her from calling at the Dif penfary; there was, as yet, no alteration in her complaint; and as the menfes (which had returned pretty regularly during the whole of her illness) began this day, the was unwilling to take any more medicines during their continuance. "May 24. We faw her again, but no change worth noticing had taken place. The menfes ftill continued. "May 836 Review of New Publications. May 26. Fresh puftules were to be seen in different parts, especially on the leg. Some of the former ones, when they broke, had difcharged a yellowish fluid, tinged with blood: As the complained of fickness and head-ach, and her pulfe was still at 120, fhe was directed to take two table-fpoonfuls of a mixture compofed of two grains of emetic tartar and an ounce of Glauber's falt diffolved in eight ounces of water, and to repeat this dofe, at proper intervals, till it fhould operate by ftool. May 28. Several tools had been procured by the medicine laft prefcribed. The fickness and head-ach had fubfided; but the pulfe was ftill at 110. She was directed to repeat the antimonial purgative on the 29th. 64 June 2. The puftules on the arm, after breaking, had moftly healed up, after being covered with a cruft or scale. The new cutis appeared darkly reddish and glistening. Two new puftules appeared on the ancle. She was ordered to repeat the calomel and Glauber's falt. "June 6. A puftule appeared on the lip; but, after the ftricteft inquiry, I could not find fhe had had any on the tongue, infide of the mouth, or any internal part. "June 9. She was evidently a good deal better. The pulfe was now reduced to 100, and the veficles were going off. She was directed to repeat the calomel and Glauber's falt. "June rr. She continued better. The medicines were repeated. "June 27. Nothing particular had occurred till this day, when he had an eruption of fmall pimples, which might perhaps be confidered as a proof of her being cured, as they thewed that the fpecific a&ion of the veilels of the skin was changed. Her pulle was now reduced to 88, and the was free from combut the calomel and Glauber's falt plaint; were, at her own request, again repeated. [Sept. After this, fhe took no more medicine; and on the 4th of Auguft, when she came to the Difpenfary to return thanks, she was in perfect health." Many interefting remarks are added, relative to the treatment of the disease; for which we must refer our readers to the work itself. ART. V. A critical and anatomical Examination of the Parts immediately interefled in the Operation for a CataraЯ; with an Attempt to render the Operation itself, whether by Depreffon or ExtraeBy tion, more certain and fuccessful. Silvefter O'Halloran, Eq. M. R. I. A. Honorary Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and Surgeon to the County of Limerick Hofpital. In this paper, which is extracted from the Tranfactions of the Royal Irife Academy, the chirurgical reader will meet with a great deal of valuable information. ART. VI. An Account of a Monfier of the Human Species; in Two Letters; one from Baron Reichel to Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart, and the other from Mr. James Anderfon to Baron Reichel. We have already had occafion to notice this account in our review of the volume of Philofopbical Transactions from which it is extracted. To this extraordinary fact the learned editor of the Journal has added accounts of the frater pectori fratris adnatus," defcribed and delineated by Bartholin * and of another monfter of the fame kind, of which a defcription †, accompanied alfo with a figure, is given in the works of Ambrofe Paré. 132. Wal "Lazarum Colloredo Genuenfem Hafniæ primum vidi, deinde Bafileæ, 28 annos natum, fed utrobique cum ftupore. Fraterculus huic Lazaro in pectore erat adnatus, fi rectè conjeci, offe xyphoide utriufque cohærente. Pes finifter folus ill dependebat, duo brachia, tres in manibus fingulis tantum digiti. Veftigia pudendarum partium comparebant. Manus, aures, labia movebat, in thorace pulfus. Excrementa nulia minor frater excernit nifi per os, nares, et aures, nutriturque eo quod major affumit. Unde partes animales et vitales diftinctas habebit, quum et dormiat, fudet, moveatur, quando major vel vigilet, vel quiefcat, vel ficcus eft. Uterque etiam fuo nomine ad baptifmatis fontem infignitus fuit, major Lazari, minor Joannis Baptifta. Naturalia vero vifcera ut hepar, lien, &c. utrique communia erant. Oculi claufi fere Joanni Baptiste, refpiratio minor, admota enim plumâ parum movebatur, admotâ verò manu exilem halitum calentem deprehendimus. Patulum fere illi et hians os, dentibus prominulis, faliva perpetuò ferè madens. Caput videbatur folum omne alimentum in fui augmentum abfumere. Frægrande enim et majus quam Lazaro, fed deforme, capillis fupino fitu dependentibus. Barba utrique crevit, fed Baptifta neglecta, Laza: o compta. Erat autem Lazarus juftæ ftaturæ, corpore decenti, moribus humanis, et ad aule morem onatus. Inducto pallio fratris tegebat corpus fovebatque, nec, monftrum intus condi primo alloquia diceres. Animo ubique præfenti videbatur, nifi quod de fato fubinde follicitus, mortem fatris timebat, quod fe fatore et putredine exftinguendum quoque præfagiret, hinc magis in curando fratre quam fe laborabat." Vide Thoma Baitholini Hift. Anatom. rarior. Cent. 1. Hift. 66. "In the year 1530 there was a man to be seen at Paris, out of whofe belly another, perfect in all his members, except head, hanged forth as if he had been grafted there. The man lowing manner: 132. Walker's Critical and Pronouncing D.Fionary. 410. THOUGH few tubjects have, of late years, more employed the pens of every clafs of writers than the improvement of the English language, the inquiry by no means feems to be exhaufted; indeed it is by a variety of criticks, and in different periods of time, that all languages reach their refinement, ferts leading him to analogy, another to orthography, and another to pronunciation. He, therefore, that unites these refearches with care and judgement, performs an effential fervice to the language of his country, -one writer's Mr. W. appears to have effected this with an affiduity, a precifion, and a founded knowledge of his fubject, which do him great credit. He has gleaned from most of the philologifts who have preceded him; and where he has differed from them, he has thewn his reafons with judgement and refpe&t. He has likewife given a fketch of the defign of his predeceffors, fhewing the ufe of their inquiries, and the advantages he has derived from their merits and defects. Beginning with Dr. Johnfon, he fays, "Johnfon, whofe large mind and juft tafte made him capable of enriching and adorning the language with original compofition, has condefcended to the drudgery of ditentangling, of explaining, and arranging it; and left a lafting monument of his ability, labour, and patience: and Dr. Lowth, the politeft fcholar of his age, has veiled his fuperiority in his Short Introduction to Engli Grammar, "Whilft Johnfon and Lowth have been infenfibly operating on the orthography and conftruction of our language, its pronunciation has not been neglected. Mr. Elphinstone, who is entitled to the first praife on this fubject, has, in his Principles of the English Language, reduced the chaos to a fyftem; but this gentleman, by treating his fubject with an affected obfcurity, and by abfurdly endeavouring to alter the whole orthography of the language, has unfortunately lost his credit with the publick for that part of his Jabours which entitles him to the higheft applaufe." Mr. W. then treats of the feveral merits and defects of Dr. Kenrick, Mr. Sheridan, and Mr. Nares; and concludes upon his own labours in the fol "The work I have to offer on the subject has, I hope, added fomething to the public flock. It not only exhibits the principles of pronunciation, as others have done; divides the words into fyllables, and marks the founds of the vowels, like Dr. Kenrick; fpells the words as they are pronounced, like Mr. Sheridan; and directs the infpector to the rule by the word, like Mr. Nares; pronunciations, it fhews the reafon, from but where words are fubject to different analogy, for each; produces authorities for one fide and the other; and points out the pronunciation which is preferable. In short, I have endeavoured to unite the fcience of Mr. Elphinstone, the method of Mr. Nares, and the general utility of Mr. Sheridan; and, to add to thefe advantages, have given critical obfervations on fuch words as are fubject to a diverfity of pronunciation." Befides this, Mr. W. has enriched his Dictionary with "Rules to be ob"ferved by the Natives of Ireland and "Scotland, as well as Foreigners." In fhort, his book, on the whole, fhews fuch an extentive knowledge of the confiruction and pronunciation of our language as induces us to wish thera every degree of fuccefs which a work of fuch labour, judgement, and accurate refearch, joined to a life of well-known integrity, are fo very justly entitled to. man was forty years old; and he carried the other, implanted or growing out of him, in his arms, with fuch admiration to the beholders, that many ran very eaineftly to fee him," Englifh Translation of Pare's Works, by Tho. Johnfon, folio, London, 1678, p. 587. See alfo, for another defcription of the fame monfter, Licctus de Monftris, ex recenfione Blafii, 4to. Amftel. 1665, p. 83. Her ·838 Review of New Publications. Her noble heart, born for the throne, We have fome doubts whether the printer fhould not have fet the two laft lines thus: "With many ftars, the mirrors of her graces, She rais'd the brightnefs of the Ascot Races.” "O let the hand of Clotho stay Her barb'rous function till the ripeft age Bring forth fair England's fatal day: Of Libitina then to blunt the rage, On a bright pyramid of fame Eternity fhall write thy name. While hoary Time, to warn all future kings, Shall stamp thy glorious image on his wings. WALCOT, the Ravaillac of Virtue, crown'd, Sharpens a lyre like frantic Margaret's knife, Thy gracious Majesty to wound." Mr. B. will be much obliged to his Majefty for reading his compliments; and we hope he will not forget his poor poet if he have not already called forth his ftrains of gratitude. 135. Britain's Happiness, and its full Poffeffion of Civil and Religious Liberty briefly stated and proved. By the late Rev. Dr. R. Price. With an Introduction by the Editor. THAT men of reflection and deep thought have, in all ages of the world, changed their opinions on theoretical fubjects, or that men, in different ages, have departed from, or improved on, or fubverted the opinions of those who went before them, nobody, at all acquainted with the hiftory of mankind, can doubt or deny. It was referved for our modern philofophers to be at variance with themselves. Dr. Price is completely convicted of this felf-contradiction, and contradiction to estab lifhed facts, in the courfe of near forty years, having, in a fermon preached at Newington-green in 1759, afferted, not only that Great Britain enjoyed plenty and opulence, but LIBERTY to an extent and perfection beyond every other country. "Liberty and Independancy; rights and properties in general fe"cured beyond the poffibility of viola "tion. Religious liberty, the crown of "all our national advantages. There 66 are other nations who enjoy civil li "berty as well as we, though perhaps "not to completely. But, with refpect to religious liberty, we are almoft fingular and unparalleled. All SECTS "Enjoy the benefits of toleration, and may worfbip God in whatever way they 66 [Sept. " think most acceptable to him; and no"thing expofes any perfon to civil penal"ties or cenfures but overt as inconfif "ent with the peace and fecurity of fo "ciety. In this ifland Peace and Li"berty have fixed their abode: a land "where Peace, Plenty, Knowledge, "and Liberty, abound and flourish: a "land which has the best Conftitution of "Government, the best Laws, the best "King, and the best Religion, in the "world. What hame ought to con"found that man who, in fuch a coun try, could entertain one factious "thought, or difcover the leaft reluct"ance in contributing his part towards "its fupport! How do I wish that I "had a voice which could reach and penetrate the hearts of all my coun trymen, that I might make them "more deeply fenfible of their unspeak"able happiness, and convince them "eternally that there never was a peo"ple who had fo much reafon to thew "themselves valiant !" Heul quantum mutatus ab illo Hectore. This Dr. P. forgot, wilfully and knowingly forgot, abjured, renounced his country, this happy country,-preached a fermon, 1789, to put the love of our country out of countenance and out of fashion, and to fubftitute to it the love of a French mob; to make us in love (to quote the words of the animated introduction to this little pamphlet with a government of focieties and "clubs, like thofe at Paris, the fubver"hon of all regal authority, the anni"hilation of the nobility, the conver◄ f fion of the House of Commons into a "National Affembly, the levelling of "all ranks, the invasion both of public "and private property, the change of "our bullion into paper-money, and "the entire ruin of our credit, our "trade, our manufactures, and our commerce, by the banishment of all those noble and wealthy families who "now find employment for the poor, "both in town and country." 136. Defence of the Rights of Man: being a Difcuffion of the Conclufions drawn from iboja Rights by Mr. Paine. "A Demonftration can derive no "merit from the name of him who de monftrates, and is of equal force, "whether the author were a boy at "fchool or Sir Itaac Newton. The "moft effential parts of this pamphlet "are of the nature of a mathematical demonftration. Whatever can be de“'monftrated |