of receiving entertainment from a defcription of Naval Society and Manners. But we have been grievously difappointed, for a more ftupid or nonfenfical farrago was hardly ever put together. MEDICINE. ART. 17. The Medical Works of the late Dr. William Turnbull, Vol. I. containing a popular Treatife on Health, and the Means of preferving it. Edited by his Son, William Turnbull, A. M. Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London: to which is added, the Life of the Author. Izmo. 200 PP. Murray and Highley. 1835, Price 5$. The little volume before us is a part only of an intended publication of the works of the late Dr. Turnbull. To how many volumes,the works will extend, we are not informed; we only learn, that certain letters published by the author, in the Lady's Magazine, on the difeafes of women and children, will form a part of the next volume. The editor claims for his father the merit of having been the firft perfon who noticed and defcribed the croup; his effay on which difeafe, first published in the year 1756, in the Scot's Magazine, will be alfo inferted in the next volume of the works. In the prefent are contained, rules for the preservation of health, under the ufual heads of air, exercise, diet, and the paffions of the mind. Though thefe fubjects have been frequently treated on, and therefore nothing new can be expected, yet as they are here handled with propriety and judgment, we may fafely recommend this volume to fuch perfons as are not already in poffeffion of fimilar treatifes. The following is given as a fpecimen of the manner in which the work is executed. "To the prefervation of health, the golden mean equally applies, as to other important purfuits in life; for an attention to health may be carried fo far, as to degenerate into weakness. Thuis however proper the fyftem of the noble Venetian, Cornaro, might be in his particular cafe, and an infirm and worn out conftitution which gave rife to his precepts, it is by no means a plan to be generally adopted. The human frame, we know from daily obfervation, is adapted for great variety, and can endure equally the fcorching heats of the torrid zone, and the freezing colds of the polar circles. Man is more injured by himself than by any external agent, or circumftance of fituation in which he is placed; and the principal thing required is, to guard him against the evils which attack equally the energies of his mind and body, from the refinements of modern life. Thefe are the fnares he is to be aware of, the fyrens whofe poifon faps the foundation of his frame; and avoiding thefe, by temperance, moderation, and exercife, he may reafonably hope to be able to enjoy, in the language of the poet, The feaft of reafon, and the flow of foul." ART. ART. 18. The Vaccine Conte; or, Mild Humanity, Reafon, Religion and Truth, against fierce unfeeling Ferocity, overbearing Infolence, mortified Pride, falfe Faith, and Defperation; being an exact Outline of the Arguments, and interesting Facts, adduced by the principal Combatants on both Sides, refpecting Cow-pox Inoculation, including a late Official Report on this Subject, by the Medical Council of the Royal Jennerian Society, chiefly defigned for the Use of Clergymen, and Heads of Families. By William Blair, M.A. Surgeon to the Lock Hofpital, &c. Svo. 96 pp. Price 2s. 6d. Murray. 1806. From the preface to this little volume we learn, that the author had inoculated, with the matter of the cow-pox, upwards of 600 paupers, who applied to him at the Bloomsbury Difpenfary, to which he is furgeon, in the courfe of the years 1802, 3, and 4; but that in the last year, in confequence of the malicious mifreprefentations that had been induftrioufly circulated among the poor, very few, and after the 12th of November laft, not one perfon had applied there to be inoculated. So ftrong a proof. of the revolution that had been effected in the opinions of the people on the fubject, induced him to read Dr. Rowley's publieation, "The Cow-pox no Security againft the Small-pox,", which had been puffed and thruft into all parts of the town, but particularly among the poor, who were moft likely to be duped by the extravagant and bold affertions it contained. As this feemed to be the fource from whence the opponents to the practice of vaccination have drawn their principal objections, Mr. Blair has attempted, and we think fuccefsfully, in this publication, to show the falfe reafoning on which the objections are founded. For this purpofe, he fuppofes a converfation to have paffed on the fubject, between the author, whom he calls Dr. Bragwell, a clergyman, and himself. The arguments used by the doctor are taken from his own pamphlet, the folly and the falfehood of them are abundantly proved by the clergyman and the furgeon; but the doctor, though filenced, is not converted. We cannot fay we are fanguine in our expectations of advantage to. the caufe, from this project of Mr. Blair, as the perfons who could be poifoned by Dr. Rowley's affertions, are not very likely to be reafoned out of their prejudices. While this pam phlet was printing, Dr. Rowley died, but as his book had been circulated with uncommon diligence, Mr. B. thought that this, which is intended as its corrector, ought not to be withheld. ART. 19. Reply to Dr. James Carmichael Smyth, containing Remarks on his Letter to Mr. Wilberforce, and a farther Ac count of the Discovery of the Power of Mineral Acids, in a State of Gas, to destroy Contagion. By John Johnstone, M. D. Fellows Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians. 8vo. 275 PP. Price 55. Mawman. 1805. Dr. Smyth's letter, to which this is an anfwer, was noticed in the 25th vol. p. 562, of the British Critic. It was admitted by Dr. Smyth, that Dr. Johnftone, the father, had mentioned among other methods of purifying the air, burning brimstone in the apartments of the fick, or raifing the marine acid in the form of vapour or gas, and that his method for obtaining this vapour was published as early as the year 1758. But from the manner in which it is mentioned, Dr. J. did not feem to prefer it, for the purpose, to the vapour produced from myrrh, benzoin, camphor, vinegar, &c. The fubject was again mentioned by Dr. J. Johnstone, brother to the prefent writer, in his inaugural thefis, printed in 1773, and again, more strongly, in a tranfla tion of the thefis, publifhed in 1779. It had alfo been infifted on by another brother of the author's, in a letter to Dr. Prickley, written in May 1775, intitled, "Remarks upon the Medical Virtues of different Kinds of Air.” The letter was fent 10 Dr. Priestley, by the father, with a view to its being publifhed in the Philofophical Transactions. "Another grand reftorative of vitiated air," the writer fays, "is acid air, procured from fea falt. This is capable of a very important medical application. The ufe I mean, is that of correcting the air of jails, hofpitals, &c. and medicating the air within the chambers of perfons labouring under any putrid difeafe, or fuch as are troubled with wounds, or ulcers, tending to putrefcency. This ufe of acid air," he adds, "" was recommended by my father, Dr. Johnstone, of Kidderminster, in his Differtation on the Malignant Epidemical Fever of 1756." This letter was not pubihed, the Society confidering the communication as more proper for a medical body than for them. We have here, however, fufficient evidence that the vapour of the mineral acid was used by the Johnstones for the purpofe of destroying the infectious matter of fever, many years before Dr. C. Smyth used the vapour of the nitric acid for the fame purpofe. Pursuing the fubject, this author attempts to fhow, that the vapour of the marine acid is equally efficacious in correcting vitiated air, and may be ufed with as little inconvenience to the fick, as the vapour of the nitric acid. The refult of fuch comparative trials as he Has been able to make, feem to prove, that when equally diInted, they are equally harmlefs. We hope fuch trials will be continued, and multiplied; the public may thence in the end learn, whether the vapour of the nitric, or the marine acid, do either of them poffefs the power attributed to them, of destroying contagious miafmata, which does not feem as yet to have been with fufficient clearness afcertained. Акт ART. 20. Obfervations on the Ufe and Abufe of Mercury, and on the Precautions neceffary in its Employment. By A. Philips Wiljon, M. D. Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians, and of the Royal Society, Edinburgh. 8vo. 20 pp. Cadell and Davies, 1806. Thefe few pages are published, the author fays, with the view of preventing the indifcriminate ufe of mercury, in the practice of medicine, which, he thinks, has a tendency to bring that valuable drug into disrepute. The cautions which he gives principally regard the care neceffary to be taken by perfons under a courfe of mercury, to guard against cold; fuch precautions are certainly neceffary, but fo obvious, that few perfons, we believe, offend in that way. The author feems to have great apprehen fions of the mischievous effects of calomel, and other mercurial preparations given internally. "They weaken," he fays, p. 17. the ftomach and inteftines, whence arife various dyspeptic complaints, flatulence, acidity, diarrhoea, dyfentery," fo that he has almoft totally abandoned that mode of adminiftering the drug; and in all cafes, where it is to act as an alterant, he prefers introducing it into the habit through the fkin, that is, we prefume, combined with lard. We can, however, affure the author, that calomel purges, adminiftered with caution, are as innocent as they are efficacious; and that calomel, and the other chymical preparations of mercury, given in fmall dofes, prove powerful alterants, and are certainly preferable to the ointment, except in cafes of the lues venerea, in which it is necessary to administer a larger quantity of the mineral than could be given in any other form than the ointment. DIVINITY. ART. 21. A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Exeter, at the primary ter, 1804 and 1805. 4to. 25 pp. 1s. 6d. Vifitation of John, Lord Bishop of Exe Tofay that we are pleafed with this Charge would be ridiculous. We are often pleafed with trifles, with a fonnet, with a ballad, or ari epigram; but, to a discourse filled with the most apoftolical fentiments, and couched in the moft dignified and appropriate expreffions, it would be a profanation to apply the fame form of words. We are ftruck by it, we are impreffed, we are fatis. fied: as equal to the character of the writer, as equal to the fanguine expectations of the Church; from him whom his Sovereign in particular delighted to honour. Of what is perfonal to himself, the Bishop fpeaks with modesty and propriety; in a way calculated to do juftice to his own feelings, and to conciliate the regard and affection of his hearers. But But when he comes to the great points, which at this day moft. nearly affect the vital interefts of religion, the attempts of diffentients (of whatever denomination) to be armed with power against the church, and the machinations and progrefs of fanaticifm, we can only regret that it is impoffible for us to copy every word which he delivered. On the former fubjects let us give a small specimen, conjuring our readers to refer to the book for the context. "I am fure your good fenfe will anticipate me in thinking that toleration is one thing, civil power, reward, and privilege another. When toleration is granted, that is granted, to which all peaceable and confcientious Diffenters 'have a claim. But when men afk to be armed with extenfive and formidable powers, it is very natural, it is strictly justifiable, it is highly prudential to ask, how power has been ufed by this fect IN TIME PAST. If doctrines fanctioned by the highest authority in the church of Rome, have never, by the fame authority, been repealed or dif avowed, it cannot reafonably be expected, that their practices, (if the means of exertion were allowed) would be materially different. It is a well known truth, that FROM NO ONE FRINCIPLE WHICH THE CHURCH OF ROME HAS EVER AUTHORITATIVELY MADE, IT HAS EVER AUTHORITATIVELY CEDED!" P. 14. On the other fubject a few words alfo. RE "I confefs I never could be induced to think that the doctrines peculiar to Calvin, (for of fuch only I fpeak) are analogous to thefe ideas which all religion, natural as well as revealed, fuggefts to us, concerning the perfections of a God. It was wifely obferved, by an ancient philofopher, that peculiar care was to be taken in obtaining found and right fentiments, concerning the Deity and his attributes. Whatever perverfity of opinion enters into mens' creed on this head, muft in a great measure tincture their whole conduct; and I think it can fcarcely be denied, that the con ceptions of thofe who are biaffed towards Calvinifm, feemed peculiarly calculated to inflame and keep alive a fpirit of fanaticifm, not altogether reconcileable with true charity and humility. Those who can work themselves up to a perfuafion that, from all eternity they have been the defignated veffels of the Divine Favour, without any reference to their virtue, their moral conduct, or even their faith, will naturally be elated with a frantic prefumption, little calculated to render them moral in their dealings, mild in their deportment, or fubmiffive to thofe whom it has pleafed Providence to place over them." P. 21. Is this the beft pallage of this part? Reader, look and ex amine for thy felf. ART. 22. A Sermon preached in St. Mary's Church, in Truro, at the Primary Vifitation of the Right Reverend the Bishop of Exeter, |