human conduct. praife:

The following paffage deferves peculiar

"When we are employed in searching out our vices, there are fome of fuch a nature that we cannot be deceived in them, if they really do belong to us; fuch as grofs impiety, injustice, murder, theft and the like; but there are others, concerning which men are more apt to impofe upon themselves; such are infincerity, uncharitableness, unkindness, want of candour, and others of a fimilar nature. Both kinds, however, require to be strictly inveftigated in order to be understood fully; every method, therefore, that can affift us in this important enquiry, ought to be employed.

66

Among thefe, one useful method of guarding against the influence of felf-deceit in communing with our own heart, is, to confider what are the parts of our character which we wish to conceal from all the world. By this practice we shall be enabled to discover our real faults. Our actions are fubjected to the judgment of our fellow creatures, in the world around us; and we are frequently much more defirous to fecure their regard and favourable opinion of us, than to lay a just foundation for self-esteem. When, therefore, any of our actions are fuch as we are anxious to hide from their observation, we have then reason to think all fuch actions vicious or improper, and fhould examine them with the utmost accuracy, that we may be convinced of the neceffity of correcting them, if discovered to be of that nature. Perhaps, upon examination, they may be found not to be morally wrong; but merely contrary to prevailing manners, and in themfelves of an indifferent nature. At any rate, anxious care to hide them from the world, is a strong prefumption of their unworthiness, and affords fufficient reafon for examining them with the utmost attention. Every action, then, of such a suspicious nature, every action which we are afraid to let the world know, ought to undergo the most accurate review." P. 37.

The 11th fermon is on Pfalm cxix. 71. This is really touched with a masterly hand; and, being on a fubject which comes home, in a greater or lefs degree, to every one's bofom, the animation of the preacher has been peculiarly excited, his fenfibilities exercifed, and his fkill demonftrated. He begins by obferving, that the moral government of God has been traduced for the very thing which thould demand our admiration— that misfortune is the parent of virtue, as it tends to make the mind fedate, firm, and conftant; and, laftly, as it foftens the heart to fympathy and kind affections. We cannot deny ourfelves the pleasure of introducing this extract:

"It is remarkable, with refpect to all temptations which endanger our virtue, that the mere knowledge of their nature is more than half way to victory over them. For the way they get the better of us is by impofture and falfe pretenfions; and to difcover and lay open the impofture, which reflection alone can do, is well nigh rob

bing them of all their force. But perfons of a flight, thoughtless, or trifling turn of mind, too commonly foftered by profperity, are caught with first appearances; and being ill fitted to strip temptations of their difguife, they give full fwing to paffion. Reafons,-grave remonftrances, are too dull and flow to touch men of this difpofition, and are almost always fuppreffed by the more fprightly motions of inclination and appetite. When fuch men run into any vicious excess, which they can hardly avoid, the very best excuse they have to offer is, that they acted rafhly and without thought." But how fhameful is it for a reafonable creature made for thinking, to say, in vindi-cation of his folly, that he did not think in time to prevent it. The confiderate man, on the contrary, is accustomed to previous reflection, and thus faves himself from fhame and condemnation. When paffion begins to stir in his heart, he immediately takes the alarm, and checks its firft emotions. The following ideas are conftantly impreffed upon his mind :-" It is poffible I may meet with unjust, "ungrateful, felfith, or contentious men, who may provoke my re"fentment and indignation. Objects may occur tending to excite "ambition or avarice in my foul, or to foothe me with falfe and "flattering pleasure. Confcious of my fituation I will confiantly keep a guard upon my heart, that none of these things may feduce << me.' 29 By this provident and attentive difpofition, he takes effectual care that temptations fhall not carry him off his poife, or thwart his purpose of always acting virtuously P. 291.

The concluding part is alfo excellent:

"Laftly: Afflictions tend to foften our hearts into tender fympathy and kind affection towards our fellow-creatures.

"The prefent comfort and happiness of men depend much on the exercise of mutual kindnefs. We are not made for folitary enjoyment, nor are we in any fenfe fufficient for ourfelves. In order to obtain the objects of our defires we need the affittance of others; and for compleat enjoyment we need their participation. For this end, the Almighty has endued us with principles of good will and fympathy towards each other. By thefe principles we enter into the feelings of others, become interested in their welfare, share in their joys and forrows, and are prompted to promote the one and to relieve the other. What circumftances, then, are moft favourable to these good principles? The generous but calm principle of love to mankind, together with reafon its friend and ally, is not a match for those paffions that are connected with a regard to our own intereft. The motions of the last are violent and headlong, too often break out into action, and produce their effect, before reafon and benevolence can exert their influence. For an affiftant to thefe, our Maker formed the heart of man to pity, and fympathy with the pains and diftreffes of our fellow-creatures, exciting us to ufe immediate endeavours for their relief. By hearkening to the voice of pity within us, we accuftom ourselves to do good, and to improve and ftrengthen the general principle of good will to men. In what circumftances, then, are men beft difposed to hearken to this voice? Is it during a course

of

of profperity and fuccefs? Is it when poffeffed of abundance for gratifying every defire? Is it when ftrangers to want, to pain and forrow, that men attend to, and feel for, the wants and fufferings of their fellow-creatures ?—Or is not the very reverse of this the case? Is it not when we ourselves know what it is to fuffer, when we have had perfonal experience of pain and forrow, that we learn to give a compaffionate attention to the forrows of other men? He who has himself tafted of the bitter cup of affliction is moft affuredly the best difpofed to feel for a brother involved in like distress; and the man whofe heart thus owns the influence of fympathy and kind affection, -he it is who haftens to the relief of the afflicted, and adminifters confolation to their forrowful hearts." P. 303.

The fermon on the immortality of the foul is, perhaps, more remarkable for the agreeable style in which this important fubject is difcuffed, than for either the novelty, the felicity, or ftrength of the argument. The account, however, which we have given of the whole work, and the extracts which we have here introduced, cannot fail of convincing our readers that these fermons merit confiderable praise. If we were called upon to ftate fuch objections as we may entertain, and fuch defects as we may have difcovered, they would certainly be neither ferious nor important. Perhaps it might be faid, that the style is rather pleafing than nervous; that the fubjects felected for difcuffion are trite; that there is little novelty in the manner of treating them; and that the fentences are fometimes expanded to an inconvenient length. But it becomes us to add, that they are full of found, pious, and falutary inftruction; that they can never be perufed without benefit and pleafure; and that they form a valuable addition to the collection of domestic sermons.

ART. IV. Tranfactions of a Society for the Improvement of Medical and Chirurgical Knowledge. Illuftrated with CopperPlates. 8vo. 340 pp. 7s. 6d. Johnson.

WITHOUT any further information than that a fociety ex

ifts, as above defcribed, without a word of preface, or account of the fociety, or its inftitution, we are introduced to the most interesting volume that has, for a confiderable time, appeared. So unneceffary is effort, or puffing, to real merit, and fo happy are they who have it, to fhow their utter difdain of fuch bafe methods. Where the names of Fordyce, Hunter, Baillie, &c. &c. are produced, a fociety "ubi, ubi eft, celari "diu non poteft," and the medical world is not now to learn, that thefe gentlemen have for fome time affociated themselves

for

for the most important profeffional purpofes; of which union this volume is, better than an early, a mature fruit. *

Learned focieties are, frequently, too inattentive to the matter they felect for publication, or rather, perhaps, in many inftances, there is no felection. The defire of producing a large volume prevails over the laudable pride of forming a good one; and, with undifcriminating appetite, all kinds of matter are admitted. In the production now before us no fymptoms of this propenfity occur; the fociety has examined as well as collected, and has offered nothing crude or trivial.

Under thefe circumstances our readers will not be furprised, if we give them rather an analysis of each of the papers, than a criticism on them; and, in fo doing, instead of attempting to display a misplaced acuteness, we think we shall afford them more fatisfaction.

I. Obfervations on the Small-Pox, and the Caufes of Fever. By George Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S. Senior Phyfician to St. Thomas's Hofpital, and Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians in London. Read December 5, 1783.

This paper tends to establish many important points, both in regard to the mode of inoculation, and the nature of infectious fevers in general.

We think the deductions to be drawn from Dr. F's observations and arguments are as follow:

1. That the feverity of the fmall-pox is cæteris paribus in an inverse ratio, to the quantity of variolous matter introduced by inoculation; a fact, which, as far as our own obfervation goes, feems to hold good without exception, and which, we are happy to obferve, now regulates the practice of many inoculators.

2dly, That the natural infection is generally latent in the body fourteen days; while the artificial exhibits itself in eight. 3dly, That the utility of all preparation is at all times doubtful, if not unneceffary.

4thly, That of the children who have died of inoculated fmall-pox in London, two-thirds have been under the age of nine months.

5thly, That the infectious matter, arifing from the disease itfelf in the individual, has no effect in augmenting the fever. 6thly, That the continuation of any putrid fever is independent of the remote causes.

* It will be feen by the titles, that the earliest paper bears the date of 1783; others of 1784, 1787, &c.

II. Obfervations on the Inflammation of the internal Coats of Veins. By John Hunter, Efq. F. R. S. Surgeon Extraordinary to his Majefty, and Surgeon-general to the Army. Read Feb. 6, 1784.

As far as our reading, and knowledge of the history of surgery goes, the diftinguithed author of the prefent effay appears to be the first who afcertained and clearly defcribed the disease in question.

Like many other discoveries, it was at first both doubted and denied; but as its reality could be proved by the evidence of the fenfes, and as opportunities of demonftrating it frequently occurred, it became lefs a matter of uncertainty; and we believe, that not only its exiftence, but the merit of the discovery, is at prefent generally acknowledged.

After obferving, that this disease may arife either from the communication of inflammation from the neighbouring cellular membrane, or from an injury done to the vein itself, Mr. H. proceeds to defcribe it under its feveral appearances of adhefive, fuppurative, and ulcerative inflammations; all of which he confirms by relations of cafes and diffections:

all

"I have feen from a wound in the foot the vena faphæna inflamed up the leg and thigh nearly as high as the groin; and I have been obliged to open a ftring of abfceffes almoft through its whole course.

"In cafes where I have had opportunities of infpecting veins after death, in which the inflammation had been violent, upon examining the vein at fome distance from this violence, 1 found the inflammation in the adhesive ftate: in fome places the fides of the vein were adhering, and in others the inner furface of the veins was furred over with coagulable lymph. Where different abfceffes had formed, I have always found that the spaces of the vein between them had united by the adhesive inflammation, and it is this union which circumscribes the abfceffes." P. 23.

An inflammation of this kind frequently happens after bloodletting; and in fuch cases is afcribed by thofe who do not understand its real nature, to the puncture of a tendon or nerve, or to a bad conftitution. As this is a matter which greatly interefts both the character of the furgeon, and the life of the patient, Mr. H. is particular in enjoining the accurate clofing of the wound, as the fureft way of avoiding it.

In cafe the inflammation fhould extend along the vein, he recommends compreffing it at the point nearest the heart, to obtain an adhefion.