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this work, we shall mention the names of Dr. Fordyce, Dr. Hunter, Dr. Baillie, and Everard Home, Efq.

The fecond volume of the Medical and Phyfical Journal, conducted by Doctors BRADLEY and WILLICH, has just been completed, and the work proceeds in monthly numbers, fupported by an extent of correfpondence and patronage, that has not been before equalled in this country.

Knowledge and learning, as well as agriculture and commerce, are rapidly ad vancing on the other fide of the Atlantic. The very refpectable American Philofophical Society, held at Philadelphia, for promoting ufeful Knowledge, we find, have published the fourth volume of their Tranf actions, in quarto, the fame fize with those already published. It is juft imported into this country, and contains a great number of valuable papers on philofophical fubjects, mathematics, mechanics, natural history, antiquities, topography, trade, &c. &c.

Mr. WILL and Dr. WILLICH announce a monthly German Museum, on a very promifing and interefting plan; and, as is ufual, the new year gives birth to a variety of projects of monthly publications, which, it is more than probable, will not exift till its close.

Mr. SALZMANN, mafter of an academy in Germany, and author of a popular work for children, entitled, Elements of Morality, thinking that fufficient attention has not been given to exercise the body in education, has drawn up a courfe of plays or games for that purpose, under the title of Gymnafticks for Youth, a tranflation of which will appear early in this month, illuftrated with plates, in one octavo volume. The enormous price of paper and rags, occafioned in great part by an unprincipled monopoly of one or two wholesale ftationers in London, has compelled the principal London publishers to refolve not to print any new work of confequence till paper can be procured at a fair and moderate price. It is to be lamented in this inftance, as in feveral recent cafes of monopoly, that the difcounting accommodation of the Bank of England, instead of ferving trade, is thus vilely abused, and converted into a means of injuring and oppreffing the ftaple manufactures of this country.

A work, entitled the Parent's Aftant, was publified a few years ago by Mifs EDGEWORTH, author of a great part of Pradical Education, and was received as might be expected from a work which ranks in the first clafs of books, for the amusement and inftruction of children, having gone through feveral editions. She

MONTHLY MAG, NO. LIII.

has added a number of entertaining stories, and we understand that her book feller intends to publish a little volume on the first day of every month, to commence on the first of January, that children may look forward to their ftory-book, as well as ladies and gentlemen their magazine or review. This work may make eight or ten volumes at is. 6d. each.

Early Lefons for Children by Mifs EDGEWORTH, are in the prefs: they are intended, as Mrs. Barbauld's and Mrs. Trimmer's were, for children beginning to read.

Mr. EDGEWORTH's Primer, containing a new and expeditious method of teaching children to read, is in the prefs.

A Tranflation of the Medical Inftitutions of Burfenus, by W. C. BROWNE, is fo far advanced, that the firft volume will be published in the courfe of January.

Dr. DUNCAN's Annals of Medicine for 1799, will appear in few days.

Caftle Rackrent, an Hibernian Tale, taken from facts, and from the manners of the Irish Squires before the year 1782, is ready for publication. This little work will throw great light upon the manners and character of the Irish; and few, we believe, will be found to furnish more amusement. A gloffary is prefixed; but, unlike most other gloffaries, it abounds with entertainment as well as information.

In the courfe of the next month will be published, the fifth edition of the Account of the Shrewsbury Houfe of Industry, by J. WOOD. To this edition will be prefixed a copious introduction, containing extracts from the writings of Bacon,' Locke, Child, Cary, Fielding, Townsend, Eden, Ruggles, Good, Saunders, &c. &c. on the parochial fyftem; deductions from their combined fentiments; obfervons on the wages of the poor; on the very different fituations of the town poor from that of the country or cottage paupers; a circumstance not adverted to, though cer tainly requiring very ferious confideration, in order to the establishment of any well digested plan for ameliorating their condi tion, A review of the objections that have been advanced against poor-houses, and houfes of induftry. A ftatement of facts, tending to prove, that it is not neceffary to provide upon fo large a fcale as has been propofed, for the general employment of all the parochial poor.

Remarks upon

the abfurdity both of indifcriminate allowances, and indifcriminate confinement to a poor-houfe; and the importance of difcrimination, as the grand hinge upon which every plan of parochial reform ought to 6 L

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turn. Confiderations on the comparative utility of houfes of industry in towns, and in country parishes; on the law of settle-, ments, removals, and paffes; on friendly, focieties, and on the utility of a national board for attending to the concerns of the parochial poor. The account of the Shrewsbury houfe will be confiderably enlarged; and an appendix added, containing a detail of feveral recent regulations, for the purpose of effectually providing for ceconomy, and guarding againft wafte, peculation, and fraud, in the management of its internal concerns.

The eighth volume of Medical Tracts and Obfervations by Dr. Simmons is in the prefs, and will be published in a few

weeks..

Dr. GEORGE PEARSON (lecturer on medicine and chemistry) has ready for pub. lication, a new edition, very much improved, of his New Chemical Nomenclature, with all the tables that are neceffary for a student; and fuch alterations and additions as are requifite to fhew the ftate of chemical fcience to the prefent time. Duplicates of the tables are fold with the work, to those who wish to hang them up in the ftudy or laboratory.

Mr. BIDLAKE has a poem in the prefs, to be published by subscription, entitled the Summer's Eve.

Early in this month will be published, An Enquiry into the Elementary Principles of Beauty in the Works of Nature and Art; to which will be prefixed an Introductory Difcourfe on Tafte, by W. THOMSON, il luftrated with thirteen Plates; in quarto. In this work Mr. THOMSON has controverted fome of the opinions of Mr. BURKE, and others, and given proofs that he poffeffed a confiderable fhare of tafte and learing. Some memoirs of him will be prefixed. He was one of the few learned painters this country had to boast of, and, we believe, was the oldest portrait painter in London. He died at an advanced age, foon after this work was finished from the prefs.

Mr. W. PETHER of Hereford, has invented fome effential improvements in the conftruction of fhips, and other marine veffels. His various models have for their object to prevent fhips from being fo liable to upfet, from pitching and rolling, from mifling ftays in tacking, and from running on a lee-fhore.

Mr. JOHN PEARSON, furgeon of the Lock-Hofpital, and Afylum, and of the Public Difpenfary, will commence his Spring courfe of lectures on the principles and practice of furgery, on Monday, Ja.

nuary the 20th, at feven o'clock in the evening.

The following is the procefs for making the best ink, as communicated by an eminent manufacturer of this useful article. In fix quarts (beer measure) of clean water, either foft or hard, boil, for about an hour, four ounces of the belt Campeachy logwood, chipped very thin across the grain, adding from time to time, boiling water to fupply in part the lofs by evaporation; ftrain the liquor while bot, and fuffer it to cool: if the liquor is then short of five quarts, make it equal to this quantity by the further addition of cold water; one pound of bruifed blue galls, or twenty ounces of the best common galls, are then to be added; a pafte prepared by triturating four ounces of fulphat of iron (green vitriol) calcined to whiteness, half an ounce of acetite of copper (verdegris) with the above decoction is then to be well incorporated with the mass, together with three ounces of coarfe brown sugar, and fix ounces of gum Senegal or Arabic. AH the materials are to be put into a stone bottle of fuch a fize as to half fill it, the mouth is to be left open, and the bottle to be well fhaken twice or thrice a day. In about a fortnight it may be filtered, and kept in well stopped bottles for use. The only caution requifite is to protect it from the froft, by which it would be confiderably injured.

A late experiment of Mr. MUSHET'S throws confiderable doubt on the supposed converfion of iron into steel by means of the diamond. Mr. Mufhet had for fome time been induced to fuppofe, that at very high temperatures crucibles and fimilar veffels are penetrable by the carbonaceous part of common fuel, rendered volatile by an intense heat; in confequence of which he enclofed fome iron fhavings in closed double crucibles without a diamond, and found that after they had been exposed in this fituation for about an hour in a good furnace, they were converted into a button of fteel, apparently of the fame kind as that obtained in the experiment of the French chemifts, and which they attributed to the combination of the diamond with the iron.

The laft volume of the Philofophical Tranfa&tions contains an important paper of Mr. BIGGIN's relative to the quantity of gallic acid and tanning principle found in the bark of various trees. Thefe two fubftances were confounded under the general name of aftringent principle, till the admirable experiments of M. Seguin, who fir fhewed the difference between the gallic.

acid, the bafis of ink and black dyes, and tannin, or the tanning principle which, when united with fkin, converts it into leather; the gallic acid by corrugating the fkin is of differvice in the procefs of tanning. From Mr. BIGGIN'S paper it appears that the Huntingdon or Leicefter willow contains a greater quantity both of gallic acid and tannin than even the oak; and that the proportion of gallic acid in the wood of the common willow is to that contained in oak bark as nine to ten; that therefore the Huntingdon willow may be fubftituted with advantage in all cafes inftead oak bark; and that as a dye the common willow is very little inferior to the oak; and the afh is quite equal to it. Our historical readers will be pleased to learn. that the Lectures on Ecclefiaftical History of the late Dr. CAMPBELL, principal of Marifchal College, Aberdeen, are fo far advanced at the prefs that they may be expected by the middle of the month. These were always confidered by his ftudents as the most valuable part of his courfe of lectures. A life of the author, drawn up by the Rev. George Skene Keith, of KeithHall, Aberdeenshire, with his portrait, engraved by Mifs Watfon, will be prefixed to this publication, which will form

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two volumes in octavo.

The Philofophical Magazine, published by Profeffor FICHTE and NIEDHAMMER, at Jena, has been prohibited at the univertities of Leipzig and Wittenberg, by a mandate of the Elector of Saxony.The following proclamation, relative to the fame fubject, has been published at Göttingen:

"George III. by the Grace of God, &c. &c. Whereas the Philofophical Journal, publifhed at Jena by Profeffor FICHTE and NIEDHAMMER, contains highly fcandalous and generally dangerous principles, We are urged by our paternal care, for the welfare of our fubjects, to prohibit the circulation of faid Journal in our German dominions. We therefore prohibit all booksellers, printers, &c. &c. to fell, keep, or order the faid Jour 'nal from their correfpondents, on pain of confifcation, and the payment of a fine of 50 dollars, ad pios ufus. The fame prohibition applies to our inland and foreign poft-offices, reading-focieties, &c. &c."

Befides the Philofophical Journal, the Regency of Hanover alfo has prohibited lately the following books: 1. Veneftes graues Ungebeuer. 2. Des Politecfbe Thierkreifs. 3. Das 4. Obfervante Almanach; and 5.

Cam lern.

Satyrijcher Almanach.

The rage for German literature is not confined to England alone, it being equally, if not more prevalent, in France, where

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the tranflations of WIELAND'S, KOTZEBUE'S, LAFONTAINE's, and SCHILLER'S works are read with uncommon avidity. Even the works of the abftrufe Profeffor KANT, have found a tranflator, and are more generally ftudied than in our country. The Dutch poffefs an excellent metric tranflation of the celebrated Meffiah of KLOPSTOCK, the German Milton, and a Latin and Dutch verfion of KANT'S Metaphyfical Works, but seem to be averse to the naturalizing of the productions of the comic and dramatic mufe of the Germans. Even Spain, which till of late beheld the progress of fcience in England, France, and Germany, with apathy, has within these two years paft given a favourable reception to the productions of the German mufe. WIELAND's Don Silvio de Rofalva, SCHILLER'S Don Carlos, and GROSSE's Genius, which in this country is known by the name of The Horrid Mysteries, having been translated of late into the Spanish language. In Ruffia all German Claffics, Reviews, and Magazines, are read in the original, and to be met with in the libraries of almost all opulent literary gentlemen. At court no other language is spoken than German and English.

Air-balloons. TETU BRISSY, the fame who last year in France afcended into the air with his horfe, is now trying experi ments on the direction of balloons, the refults of which promise happier effects than the trials hitherto made. This invention is rendered the more difficult, because it is neceffary to find a power which may be opposed to the action of the wind. This power being found, it will be easy to alter its direction, and to combine it in a number of ways with motion of the balloon. BLANCHARD endeavoured to direct aeroftatic machines, by means of wings; but without the defired effect, as the expence of the power is immenfe. The eafieft means to attain fuch a power is the rifing and falling of the balloon, which is effected by throwing out fome of the ballaft, or by opening the vent to let out the hydrogen gas. But it is apparent, on the Lighteft confideration, how limited thefe means are, as after a few trials the whole ftore of ballaft and provisions will be exhaufted. TETU BRISSY regulates this afcending and defcending, by throwing out a weight faftened to a rope, and hauling it up. During the time in which the weight is falling, the balloon rifes, and finks while he is pulling it up. The descent of the weight is retarded by means of a parachute, for the purpofe of effecting a

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greater

greater rifing of the balloon with the fame expence of ballaft. Experiments on this fubject are now making with a very large balloon at Bellevue; but the inventor has rot yet published any of the refults.

From W. H. MULLER'S Tables on the Population, &c. of the Pruffian dominions, it appears that in the Electorate of Brandenburg, from the year 1718 to 1727 inclufive, the number of births exceeded the number of deaths 45,173; and in the years 1778 to 1798 inclufive, 96,431. The number of deaths in thefe ten years amounted to 206,213: the mean proportion for fingle years being 20,621. Eighteen perfons died at the age of 100 years, feven at 101, three at 102, and fifteen at the age of 103 years. There died of the fmall1-pox 19,238, the medium number for fingle years, being 1,924; of the mealles 9,473, mean number 947; of confump tions 25,017, mean number 2,501; Suicides 354, mean proportion for fingle years, 26 of the male, and 9 of the female fex.-In the Neumark in the years 1789 to 1798 inclufive, the births exceed the deaths by 30,099. The number of deaths amounted in thefe years to 71,879; mean proportion for fingle years 7188. Of the perfons who died, 16 attained the age of 100 years, two of 101, one of 102, and 9 of 103 years. Of the fmall-pox there died 7,021, mean number 702; of the meafles 3130, mean number 337; Suicides 97, of which the mean proportion for each year is 6 of the male, and 4 of the female fex.

The King of Sardinia poffeffed a very valuable manufcript, confifting of ten folio volumes, which he esteemed fo much, as not to fuffer it to be taken out of his clodet. His favourites only were permitted to examine it in his prefence. This manufcript was the fruit of the labours of PIRRO LAGOLIO, a very great architect, who died in the year 1780. Having obtained a large fortune by inheritance, and being a paffionate lover of his art, he had no defire to gain any pecuniary advantage by his literary occupations, and fpent all his time in ftudying the monumenis of antiquity. Rome containing a greater variety of valuable ruins of ancient fplendour, than any other city on the globe, he ftudied these fplendid wrecks of art with more zeal and affiduity, than perhaps ever an architect did before him. He traced on all the feven hills, the veftiges of the freets and public places of ancient Rome, of temples, theatres, aqueducts, baths, and palaces; made ufe of every in telligence which he could find in books; measured every thing with great exactness,

and thus fucceeded in reprefenting Rome, as nearly as poffible, as it had existed at the times of the Cæfars. The unfortunate King of Sardinia was obliged to leave this treafure, as well as everything valu able, behind him, and the manuscript now is in the poffeffion of the French.

Citizen LAMARCK, Member of the Na tional Inftitute, has juft published at Paris, a work on Meteorology, in which he attempts to folve the queftion fo frequently difcuffed, "Whether the moon has any specific influence on our atmosphere?” After a long courfe of observations, LaMARCK is of opinion, that the principal caufe of the changes in the atmosphere, is to be found in the afcenfion and declination of the moon above and below the equator. "It is well known," he obferves," that every time the moon traverses the equator, the remains for the fpace of fourteen days in a northern or fouthern hemisphere. In this manner every lunar month produces a revolution of the moon in the zodiac, which revolution may be divided into two diftinct periods, and occafions two peculiar atmospherical constitutions, a northern and a fouthern. The winds which prevail during the firft of thefe constitutions, are fouth-fouth-west, or wefterly winds, as the moon at that time afcending towards the north, diflodges a portion of atmofpheric air, and gives a direction from the fouth towards the north, and thus occafi ons foutherly winds, which local circumftances generally direct towards the weft. It is in this conftitution that tempefts prevail. During a fouthern constitution, the prevailing winds are generally north, or north-west, and frequently, especially in fummer,north-eaft and easterly. In proportion as the moon declines below the equa, tor, in her approach to the fouth-pole, the carries with her a quantity of atmospheric air in the direction of her declination from north to fouth. During this conftitution, the weather is generally calm." MARCK admits that concurrent circumftances may increase or diminish the moon's influence in different declinations, such as the apogees and perigees of that planet, her oppofition to and conjunction with the fun, the folftices, and above all the folar equinoxes. From a proper observation of the combination of these circumstances, he concludes that a probable expectation may be formed of the nature of the weather, which will prevail in any of the twentyfour atmospherical conftitutions into which the year is divided.

LA

Botany. PAUL KITAIBEL, an eminent chemist and botanist, and adjunct pro

feffor

feffor of thefe fciences, in the univerfity of Pelt, is now publishing in conjunction with, and under the patronage of, a Bohemian nobleman, Count WALDSTEIN, two excellent works, which will greatly add to our knowledge of Hungary in general, and in particular be highly interesting to the botanist. In the botanical work, at

least 200-300 new fpecies of plants will appear, and not a few entirely new genera. Profeffor KITAIBEL is for fome years, during feveral months, annually to make, at the expence of the Hungarian government, a phyfico botanical tour through Hun

gary,

THE NEW PATENTS LATELY ENROLLED.

MR. WILKINS FOR A GUM.

MR.

R. STEPHEN WILKINS, merchant, of Worcester, for a gum to be used in calico-printing, dated November 24.

His description of the invention is as follows:

To half a ton weight of fcraps of pelts, or fkins, or pieces of rabbit fkins, or fheeps trotters, add three hundred and fifty gallons of water, and boil them together for feven or eight hours, or until it becomes a ftrong fize. Then draw it off, and, when cold, weigh it. Warm it again, and to every hundred weight, add four gallons of the ftrongest sweet wort that can be made from malt, or twenty pounds weight of fugar, and when incorporated, take it off and put it into a cafk for ufe.

This fubftitute for gum may be used by calico printers in mixing up nearly all kinds of colours. By using a fixth part only of gum with it, it will improve the gum, and be a faving of 200 per cent; but without guin, of 400 per cent. It will alfo improve and preferve the paste so much used by printers.

MESS. WILLIAMS'S FOR ROOK-BINDING.

JOHN and JOSEPH WILLIAMS, ftationers in Holywell-treet, for a newly invented and improved method of book-binding which produces freedom in the opening. Dated November 4.

This invention confifts of the application of a back of a femicircular, femioval, or any other curved form, turned a little at the edges, made of iron, fteel, copper, brafs, tin, or any other metal, ivory, bone, wood, vellum, paper, leather, or any other material, capable of retaining a firm fituation. This stiff back being put on the book before bound, in fuch manner as juft to cover, but not to prefs, the edges of the paper, will, when the book is opened, prevent it from spreading on either fide, and caufe it to rife in any part which is opened to a trait and level furface.

The method adopted by Meffrs. Williams in binding these books, is to forward

the paper in the ufual manner, cut, clothed, and boarded (or half boarded) and the firm back to be faftened at the fides, through holes, by vellum, or fecured by enclofing it in vellum, or forrel pafted down, or drawn through the boards."

Thefe improved account books are fold at common prices.

MR. BELL'S FOR A POCKET FASTENING.

JAMES BELL of Chancery-lane, taylor, for a pocket-fastening to prevent the lofs of property. Dated November 4, 1799..

This invention confifts in the application of a light and delicate feel frame and fpring to the opening of the pocket. The frame opens and clofes by means of hinges, and is faftened, when shut, by means of a fpring and screw.

MR. MURDOCK'S FOR STEAM ENGINES.

Mr. WILLIAM MURDOCK, engineer, of Redruth, Cornwall, for a method of conftructing steam engines, Dated Auguft 29, 1799.

Mr. MURDOCK's first improvement is to bore the metallic cylinders and pumps of steam engines by means of an endless krew worked in a tooth wheel. This, he conceives, produces a more equable and steady motion than any of the methods now in ufe.

Secondly, he fimplifies the conftruction of the team veffel and fteam cafe in engines conftructed on Mr. Watt's principle, by cafting the fteam cafe of one entire cylinder, to which the cover and bottom of the working cylinder are attached. Within this is placed the working cylinder, or fteam veffel, which is fitted tight at both ends: or, he cafts the cylinder and fteam cafe in one piece, of a fuitable thicknefs, and bores a cylindric interftice between the team-cafe and fteam-veffel, leaying the two cylinders attached at one end, and he clofes the other by a ring of metal.

Thirdly, He fimplifies the conftruction of the team-valves, or regulators and working gear in Mr. Watt's double

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