cury he gives a concife defcription of the most common preparations of the difpenfaries, as well as of our moft famous empirical noftrums: In part III. the author enters upon an enquiry into the animal œconomy in general, and an investigation of the causes of the difeafes. There he divides into external and internal; fubdividing them again into a few claffes and treating of each practically as well as theoretically. From this last part we shall cite the exordium, as a fpecimen of his theory. "Ever fince medicine became a regular study, the distinction of difeafes has claimed the greatest attention. This confideration, it must be owned, is highly requifite, to form a rational method of cure: but unfortunately, the foundation of thofe distinctions, has been, and through prejudice too much remains yet, very erroneous to the injury of rational indication. No medicine has proved the juftnefs of this affertion so much, as the ufes of mercury, in common practice. "That difeafes differ, is obvious to the meanest capacity; but to indicate the method of cure according to their caufes, muft, on the leaft reflection, appear repugnant to reafon and common sense; and yet incompatible with common understanding, as fuch a distinction of difeafes is, do we not fee that the generality of practitioners are prejudiced by this erroneous method of judging? "There is fomething in the very found of mercury that brings to mind the venereal difeafe, like as the bark carries with it, the recollection of fevers: because they feem to be the ftipulated medicines for thofe peculiar diforders: but the queftion why they are fo, I apprehend would puzzle a man more than he is well aware of; efpecially if plain understanding might be admitted into the debate. If we confider on what principles the mechanifm and motion of the animal automaton acts, we shall clearly find; first, that its movement depends on the irritability of the nervous fyftem, which spreads itfelf with innumerable branches and ramifications into the whole animal fabric; whereby all the parts are excited to their peculiar functions, contributing their respective shares to the welfare and prefervation of the animal economy. Secondly, that this irritability is acted upon by the fanguineous mafs; which is fent forth by the fyftolic contraction of the heart, through the numberlefs arterial canals in the minutest parts, as a fuccour, fupport, and reparation of every part, that conftitutes the whole machine. Thirdly, that the fabric muft have a perpetual supply, in order to give force, and to replenish the various fubftances, that the wear and tear of a continually moving machine is fubject to. And fourthly, that the ftructure of the various parts, must be preserved in their natural formation. "This leads us to diftinguish diseases accordingly. In the first place, the nervous irritability may be acted upon, too much or too little; the circulating humours, may either contain too much, or too little ftimulus. The food from which the mafs of blood is generated may produce many obnoxious fluids; and lastly, the formation of the structure itself is fubject to natural decay, and liable to external or internal injuries. Kk 4 Secondly, "Secondly, the folids and fluids have fo ftrict a dependance on each other, that health and disease is infeparable from either. And, as life or animation is the refult of animal mechanifm, infomuch, that every individual part contributes its fhare, it follows as a natural confequence, that the mental, and mechanical operations, are in the ftricteft union with each other; and, that pain and pleasure muft confequently be reciprocal. "Now from the delicate structure of the human mechanism, we are fubject to many evils proceeding from all thefe primitive causes. before-mentioned, But, whilst the ftamina of the folids in respect of their action depend upon their proportional irritability, and the mafs of blood upon its proportioned alkalefcency to act upon this irritability, we may clearly fee that the diftinctions of diseases depend principally on the parts that are affected, and on the redundancy or deficiency of the ftimulus, which acts on the nervous irritability. "As to the various caufes commonly affigned, though they are innumerable, they are only to be confidered as the first difturbers of the animal economy; but whilft one caufe may produce many various difeafes in different fubjects, or under different circumstances, and a variety of caufes, may in various fubje&s terminate in one evil, it muft at once be obvious, that they can, or ought to claim the least confideraton in a curative indication. "Mercury has been the esteemed univerfal antivenereal medicine; but if we examine into the caufe, why it has been esteemed so, we fhall find, that this notion had no other origin, but, because it was first administered in the lues venerea; and indeed with good and bad fuccefs, according to its proper and improper application. "If we, however, examine a little into the venereal difeafe, we fhall find it first kindled by an infectious animal acrimony, fowed in the animal fyftem; and that the progrefs of the lues venerea has as many evil effects, as almost all the rest of difeafes produced from a variety of caufes: but, on the other hand again, do we not find in general practice, that evils are produced by a variety of other causes, that act in every refpect like thofe produced by venereal infection? And if we let reafon prevail, will not the fame method of cure proye equally beneficial? For my own part, ever fince I have been at liberty to think and to act for myself in phyfical matters, I have not only been fortunate enough to experience this truth, but have often with furprize wondered, that these facts, so obvious to reafon, fhould remain fo long buried in obfcurity; or in other words, that men, in that sphere of life, fhould not fee this truth, in the fame point of view. 1 "Solids and fluids act alternately upon each other; and their combination is fo intimately blended as fcarce to be feparable in a phyfical fenfe. When the irritability of the nervous fabric, which partakts of the whole fyftem in its moft diminutive particles, is acted upon, the irritability of courfe must be excited to produce a preternatural action in the various parts that are mo.e immediately concerned. If this preternatural action be general, affecting the whole fyftem, a fever is produced; if particular, an inflammation; or indeed both fever and inflammation, as being nearly fynonimous, με Νον Now this may be caufed either from an acrimonious blood, from a fudden emotion of mind, or from other external or internal injuries. But be however the cause what it will, the effect still may happen to be the fame. Again, if the nervous fyftem, either univerfally or partially be excited to a preternatural motion, it must confequently accelerate the motion of the circulating fluids; and by this generate acrimony, and a redundancy of alkalefcency; which from the commotion it occafions in the various fecreting organs, may either conftrict the fecreting tubuli, or excite them in their fecretion, and thus occafion a number of different maladies that probably have but one caufe for their firft foundation. The occurrences in life are both various and numerous; and the various changes in the animal economy differ accordingly, and may lead to more effects than man can with all his finite wildom conceive. "The formation of the animal ftructure is wonderful in all its parts; and fince life, animation, mental operation, or that which is the fame thing, the animal foul, is infufed throughout the whole; it thence follows, that each individual part becomes endued with a fpirit of felf-preservation, and thereby contributes to the good of the whole fyftem. But left I fhould infenfibly be led from the conciseness I intended in this prefatory differtation, I will haften to a conclufion. "Whatever be the cause of a difeafe, the effect may happen to be the fame. The firft onfet is a preternatural action in the nervous fyftem; which acting on the fluids, contaminates them, and creates acrimony. Difeafes, therefore, vary only according to the parts that are affected, and according to their manner of operation in the animal œconomy. "A malignant fever, a dyfentery, convulfions, palfies, and many other internal difeafes, may either have an infection, venereal and endemic, or an error in life, as cold, drunkenness, luxury, &c. or even an external accident, as a wound, bruife, burning, &c. for its caufe; and yet the direful effects may be the fame, confequently require one method of cure, according to the action of the disease present. Cutaneous or glandular diforders, ulcerations, tumours, and other external diseases, &c. &c. are often found the very fame, tho' their causes are materially different; yet the cure, if fuccessful, must be attempted the fame way. "All the aid which nature requires from art, when her facred ways are diflurbed, is, in one word, to deftroy the preternatural acrimony in the animal fyftem. And our fuccefs will depend upon, our acting upon it, wherever it lies moft open to our attack. This is the greatest art we are capable of; and if we are fuccessful enough to perform this, then nature, ALL KIND NATURE, will perform the reft." To nature, therefore, as his goddess, notwithstanding the ardency of his affection for mercury, doth Dr. Falck ultimately pay his devotions. The cautions to young practitioners, with which he concludes his tract are particularly fenfible and just; efpecially refpecting chronic diftempers. The fe, fays he, "Though "Though flow in their progrefs, are most apt to ingraft themfelves into the ftamina of the parts that compofe the fyftem. The longer the patient has laboured under them, the deeper muft the dif eafe have penetrated; and the deeper the malady, the longer time it most certainly will take to eradicate the evil. This fact should at all times prevent rash attempts at speedy cures in long and obftinate cafes. Nature, indeed, may fometimes perform wonders, and happily make an univerfal revolution in every part at once; affift the aiding hand of the physician, and crown his endeavours with speedier fuccefs than what he could poffibly hope for from his moft penetrating judgment. But let fuch fuccefs not make him vain-glorious, and prefume to force nature into the fame compliance to his will, which the, of her own accord, pleafed to grant. The more powerful our remedies, the more fkill is requifite in the application. It is not the medicine, but it is the judgment, the penetrating eye of the medical pilot, that must conduct the patient into the happy harbour of health." ART. VII. The Comic Romance of Monfieur Scarron, tranflated by Oliver Goldsmith. 2 vol. 12mo. 6s. Griffin. In an address to the public, prefixed to this translation, we are told that, it was executed, a few sheets excepted, by the late Dr. Goldsmith. "It is, therefore, unneceffary, fays the addreffer, to dwell upon the merit of a work which has the stamp of his name to give it currency. It was an undertaking for which, the natural ease, and delicacy of his ftile, united to his exquifite tafte for humour, peculiarly adapted him. He has preferved the genuine fpirit of Scarron unimpaired, and taught him to relate his pleafantry with grace, in good English. Mr. Savage and fome others gave a tranflation of the fame author fome years ago, but whether owing to want of attention, or from adhering too implicitly to the French idiom, it is but a meagre subfitute for the original." With all the deference due to an anonymous addreffer, how, ever, we think it quite necessary to have a better recommendation than the mere ftamp of the name of a deceased writer; who most probably, instead of tranflating all but a few sheets, tran flated none but a few sheets, if indeed, as we much doubt, he tranflated any. We admit the nominal translator's abilities for the task, but deny that the version before us, bears any marks of them. Be who will the doer of it, it is almost as badly done, and as meagre a fubftitute for the original as can be that of Savage, or any one elfe. It is, in troth, (as poor Goldsmith used to say) a pity that the reputation of an author muft, dead or alive, be preffed into the fervice of the bookfellers: who, if a writer acquire but a little popularity by any means, imagine him qualified to undertake, or at leaft, will engage him in the mot moft arduous enterprizes. The prefent fcheme of making the doctor write after he is dead, ferves but to remind us of a fimilar contrivance of the ingenious attorney in the Twin-Rivals, who to frame the nuncupatory will of a party deceased, propofed writing the items on flips of paper, and then drawing them fucceffively between the teeth of the departed: in which cafe this confcientious practitioner might fafely fwear they were the last words that came out of his mouth, ART. VIII. The Royal Standard English Dictionary: in which the Words are not only rationally divided into Syllables, accurately accented, their Part of Speech properly diftinguished, and their various Significations arranged in one Line; but likewise by a Key to this Work, comprising the various Sounds of the Vowels and Confonants, denoted by typographical Characters, and illuf trated by Examples which render it intelligible to the weakest Capacity, it exhibits their true Pronunciation, according to the prefent Practice of Men of Letters, eminent Orators, and polite Speakers in London; upon a Plan perfectly Plain, and entirely New. To which is prefixed, A comprehenfive Grammar of the English Language. By W. Perry, Author of the Man of Bufincfs, and Gentleman's Affiftant. 3s. bound. Willison, EdinburghWilkie, London. This work, which is printed in the form of Entick's Dictionary, on which it seems intended as an improvement, has more merit in its defign than its execution. We recollect, indeed, to have formerly paid this author a compliment, for his directions to write and speak English; but this was on the fuppofition of his being a North-Briton, and his having furmounted the prejudices and overcome the habits of his fellow countrymen. Having been fince informed that London claims the honour of his birth, we think him the lefs entitled, on this account, to encomium. On the other hand, inftead of wondering how a North-Briton should pronounce English fo well, we fhould be apt to wonder how a man of letters, educated in the metropolis, fhould fpeak it fo ill, if we were not well apprised how the ear is affected by habitual attention to provincial pronunciation. To give only one inftance of Mr. Perry's forgetfulness of enunciation, practifed by "Men of Letters, eminent Orators, and polite Speakers in London," he fays, in reprehending Mr. Sheridan, that a is fometimes pronounced like i, as in cribbage, &c. Our rhetorical grammarian is certainly wrong here. Good fpeakers do not, In our account of an useful fchool-book of his, entitled " The Man of Business and Gentleman's Affiftant." See London Review for March lait. indeed, |