Obfervations on the Typhus, or Low Contagious Fever. By D. Campbell, M. D. 8vo. 25. Johnson.

OUR

UR author very clearly and accurately describes a variety of the Typhus, which is frequently called the nervous fever, and perhaps deferves this title better than that which he has affigned to it. It is diftinguished from the other varieties, they are fcarcely fpecies, by a confiderable affection of the nervous system, by a caufe operating unfeen, and producing an irritation, or the effects which frequently follow from a flight but conftant ftimulus. In this ftate Dr. Campbell recommends opium in confiderable dofes: he recommends it, however, in a rational manner; and we are perfuaded, from what we have ourselves feen, that it may be rendered useful. He refers to the practice at Edinburgh, not the wild vifionary fcheme of Brown and his young adherents, but one we fuppofe of the late amiable and benevolent Dr. Gregory. We shall mention the foundation of this plan, for the information of our author, who feems to have received no very fatisfactory account of it. In the decline of the nervous fever, the fymptoms of irritation of courfe increafed; and, though opiates were occafionally employed during the progress of the disease, yet their full force were referved for this period. When the more violent delirium had fubfided, and the fubfultus tendinum had grown into pretty general convulfions, laudanum was frequently employed both by Dr. Gregory and Dr. Cullen. It was precifely directed, as Dr. Campbell defigns, to produce a fedative effect, or rather, to avoid infignificant cavils, leffen irritation and its confequences. In this way, we are well informed that many desperate cafes have been relieved; but those who are converfant with fevers and their periods, will learn to diftruft the effects of any medicine used about the crifis, when the power of the remedy cannot be easily feparated from the efforts of nature. It muft, at the fame time, be allowed, that the remedy was well directed, and promised to be useful.

The appearances, which indicate the ufe of opium, are feen in the following short and faithful account of our attentive author:

After the fymptoms of the first attack, fuch as laffitude, fhivering, pains in the back, limbs and head, the patient takes to his bed; his nights are paffed without fleep; or if he falls into a fhort flumber, he awakes difturbed by fome unpleasant dream; he starts up, and wants to get out of bed; he is continually turning and changing his pofture; complains much of pain, or confufion in his head; of noife in his ears, and thirft. His tongue is either dry and hard, or covered with a thick, difagreeable brown fur. His eyes begin to grow muddỳ, and

7

affume

affume a dull look. The pulfe is about 120 ftrokes in a minate, and fmall. The fkin dry, or bedewed with partial fweats, which produce no alleviation of the complaints. Thefe fymptoms continue, and grow more alarming; uneafy days fucceed to restless nights; the patient is exhaufted by pains, and by watching; the inclination and ability to take nourishment diminishes; the delirium, which for a while only took place upon coming out of his flumbers, is now more conftant; and if fome means cannot be found to interrupt the progrefs of the disease, flight convulfions, total refufal of food, and infenfibility, are certain to enfue; which, with cold extremities and involuntary evacuations, clofe the fcene."

We shall next felect the mode of employing the remedy.

• With thefe confiderations, in my mind, I began to exhibit this medicine. As it is when joined to camphor fo efficacious in producing a determination to the fkin, and as this last medicine has been looked upon as an useful one in these fevers, I first gave it in the following formula:

K. Opii pur. gr. i. ad gr. if.

Camphor. gr. x. ad gr. xv. f. bol. hora decubitus fumendus.

In this dofe, when the fymptoms were mild, or in the early stages of the diforder, it was attended with all the expected good effects; but when the difeafe had been fome time formed, and the symptoms more violent, it was not adequate to the purpofe: I then augmented the quantity, and the formula which I now generally ufe is as follows:

m.

R. Tin&t. Thebaic. gr. lx. Julep e camphora unc. is. and fometimes with the addition of thirty or forty drops of antimonial wine when the tongue is particularly dry and hard, or the thirst confiderable.

Of this the patient took two thirds in the evening, and the remainder at the end of two hours, if fleep, or at leaft reft, did not enfue. There was in the acme of the diforder generally a neceffity for the whole quantity, but feldom any occafion for more. I have, however, in fome, though few inftances, found it neceffary to give twenty or thirty drops more of tinctura thebaica, at the end of other two hours, For it must be observed, that unless the fedative effects of the opium be produced, that I never faw any good effects from this medicine. By this I mean that it should be given in a quantity fufficient to induce fleep, or at least reft, eafe, and quietnefs, in oppofition to reftleffnefs and watchfuinefs: and until the patient ceases to be fenfible of the head-ach, and pains in the limbs or other parts of the body; which is generally effected by the above dose. With refpect to any farther quantity, it must be left to the difcretion of the practitioner, and refult from the neceffity of the cafe. From the return of head-ach and tendency to delirium, I have sometimes been obliged to repeat the

dofes

döfes in the morning: but in general the truce obtained by the opiate given in the evening made the fucceeding day pafs on tolerably eafily; and the patient took the cordial mixture and food better; which laft I always found to be a favourable fymptom, as much as a total averfion to aliment was a bad

one.

We have attended to this part of Dr. Campbell's work, because it seems chiefly to deferve attention. The practice and the regulations are generally judicious; but (we mean it not as a cenfure) feldom new. We should be inclined to difpute the contagious nature of the difeafe; for we have feen more than one epidemic of this kind, fupposed to be contagious, which was really not so. It is very difficult to separate the effects of a generally prevailing caufe from con-tagion. We will beg leave to add one precaution to those which have been fo very properly employed, in order to preferve the healths of the manufacturers, viz. frequent, fhowers of water through the room, or probably of lime water. Thefe may be effectually procured, without danger from damp, by very convenient machine, a chamber-bath.

that

Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica. No. XX. 4to. 55.

THE

Nichols.

HIS publication contains an account of the Literary Society which met at Spalding, in Lincolnshire, in 1710, and was eftablished on rules, in 1712, by a number of gentlemen, who, in the true style of monaftic antiquity, affumed to themselves the denomination of a Cell to the Society of Antiquaries in London*; at once expreffing their modefty, and their connection with that refpectable body, of which most of them were also members, and with which they kept up an uninterrupted correfpondence for upwards of forty years.

This fociety took its rife from a few gentlemen of the town, who met at a coffee-house, to pafs away an hour in literary converfation, and reading fome new publications. The founder was Maurice Johnfon, efq. a native of Spalding, of the Inner Temple, London. He was only occafionally their prefident: but was their fecretary thirty-five years; during which time he filled four large folio volumes with their acts and obfervations. A fifth volume was continued to the end of the year 1753. These volumes contain a fund of discoveries, foreign and domeftic, in antiquities, hiftory, and natural philofo

The first meetings of the Society of Antiquaries were in 1707. The members made a regular election of officers in 1717-18; and were incorporated in 1751.

VOL. LX. Sept. 1785.

sophy,

fophy, interfperfed with manufcripts of deeds at length, anec dotes, poems, &c. adorned with drawings by Mr. Johnson, and his daughter, Anne Alethea, and others. Members on their admiffion prefented fome valuable book to the Society, and paid twelve shillings a year, befides a fhilling at each meeting. By thefe means they had formed a valuable library. In 1743, the theological part was given to the church, and placed in cafes in the veftry, where it ftill remains; and the grammatical part to the school, where it ftill is; but both are referved for the Society's ufe, till diffolved; and then these and all in the meeting-room, to be appropriated to public ufe.

Mr. Johnson's communications to the Society of Antiquaries in London were frequent and numerous. Transcripts of the Minutes of the Spalding Society were regularly fent up and read to them; and if they do not appear fairly entered in the register of the latter, it must be owing to the negligence of the fecretaries. Mr. Johnfon, the founder, died in February 1755

In this publication we have a complete lift of the members. of this Society, from its firft inftitution, to the year 1753. In which lift we have the names of fir Ifaac Newton, fir Hans Sloane, fir Jofeph Ayloffe, bishops Pearce, Pococke, Lyttelton, Drs. Jurin, Taylor, Bentley, Knight, Stukeley, Birch, Mr. Pope, Mr. Gay, Mr. Gale, and a multitude of other eminent men, accompanied with many curious biographical anecdotes.

Befides this lift, the prefent Number contains the Introduction to the Minute Books of the Spalding Society; an Account of a Seal of Amethyft; of a MS. of St. Paul's Epiftles; of Murrhine Veffels; of Franchises, and Counties Palatine; of the Affize of Bread; of the Mint at Lincoln; and other pieces by Mr. Johnfon. Some Account of St. Ambrofe; an Oration on the Art of Engraving; a Differtation on the Celts; a Vindication of a Pafiage in Virgil, Georg. iv. 511; an Account of feveral Antiquities in different Parts of the Kingdom, by Samuel Gale, &c.

The moft entertaining part of this publication is the Biogra phical Account of the Spalding Society.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

POLITICA L.

An Explanation of the Propofal for the Liquidation of the National Debt. 8vo. 15. Law.

IN

'N the pamphlet, of which this is an explanation, the author propofed a general impoft on all the property in Great Britain, in the room of the taxes at prefent exifting; and he now

en

endeavours to convince the public that, in confequence of the propofed fubftitution, a great annual faving would be made by every proprietor in the kingdom. Could there exist any shadow of probability that the author's plan ever will be adopted, it would merit more minute confideration; but, notwithstanding the pains he has taken to explain and enforce it, we apprehend that his demonftration, whether imaginary or not, will prove entirely ineffectual:

The Crifis of the Colonics confidered; with fome Obfervations on the Neceffity of properly connecting their Commercial Intereft with Great Britain and America. Addressed to the Duke of Richmond: with a Letter to Lord Penrhyn, late Chairman of the Committee of Planters and Weft India Merchants. Evo.

Bew.

15. 6d.

This author argues for the utility of a free port in the Weft India iflands; and the place he propofes is a fine bay in Grenada, where he thinks there ought alfo to be a royal dock, for the ufe of the English fhips of wa: employed in the protection of thofe colonies. The old Leeward iflands, he obferves, require affiftance, to afford which, he points out a mode that would not injure the public revenue. According to his statement, the four and a half per cent. now paid and levied in each ifland, after the deductions, before the fugar, for the payment of it is exported, and before the fales are completed on its arrival in England, leave not in the public coffers one half of what is paid by the planters. He therefore propofes that this tax fhould ceafe to be paid in the Weft Indies, and that one' half of what he terms the prefent ideal tax be paid on the ar rival of the fugar, together with the prefent English duties. To give general relief to the planters and fugar-merchants, he' alfo recommends to have fugar bonded, in the fame manner as tobacco, in public ware-houfes; or if the merchant, on enter ing the fugar when it arrives, would allow a douceur, instead of giving his bond for future payments, fuch an alternative would often be productive of cafe; and, from the opulent merchant, immediate payment of the duties would give life and efficiency to the revenue.

Among the proposals recommended by this author, is that of a free trade between the British Weft India islands and Ame rica. As arguments in favour of this meafure, he mentions the former habits of commerce between those islands and the continent, and likewife the reciprocal friendship which would refult from a revival of fuch intercourfe. These are doubtlefs confiderations which ought to be allowed their due weight; but they would have merited greater regard, had the author previously removed the ftrong objections, offered by lord Sheffield, and other writers, againft this much agitated propofal.