be refpectively regulated by thefe extreme limits; which will reduce the fittest marriageable age of women to eighteen, and of men to thirty-feven, a little more or lefs; for the propriety of practical matters confifts not in an indivifible point. In confequence of this regulation, the contracting parties, in that which forms one main object of their union, will enjoy the happieft correspondence, their powers will fimultaneously flourish, and fimultaneoufly decay. Premature conjunctions produce imperfect offspring, females rather than males, and those feeble in make, and short in stature. That this happens in the human race as well as in other animals, is vifible in the puný inhabitants of countries where early marriages. prevail. But to the female fex premature wedlock is peculiarly dangerous, fince in confequence of anticipating the commands of nature, many of them fuffer greatly in childbirth, and many of them die. The evil reaches the mind itfelf, for early habitudes make the most indelible impreffions; and the germ of voluptuoufnefs too speedily expanded, will penetrate the whole frame, and for ever vitiate the character.' Vol. ii. P. 244. 6 Royalty is not eafily demolished by external violence; and this form of government often lafts long, fince honours are naturally durable in proportion as they are moderate. Royalty perishes, however, through the internal difcord of men in office, and through the prepofterous ambition of kings to make themfelves abfolute. At préfent, states are seldom erected into royalties; for amidft the great equality of mankind, few are, thought worthy of unrivalled pre-eminence, or deemed capable of fuftaining with dignity a lawful and voluntary fceptre; and a king, whofe authority must be fupported by force or by fraud, immediately degenerates into a tyrant. To the caufes, therefore, already mentioned of the deftruction of monarchy, we must add one peculiar to hereditary monarchy; the contemptible characters of youths born in the purple, and their proneness to offenfive infolence. The authority of fuch youths cannot be voluntarily endured; and thus, the government, if a royalty, is effectually deftroyed, and a tyranny, probably of fhort duration, fubftituted in its ftead. Thefe, and other fuch caufes, produce revolutions in monarchies. The means of their prefervation, it is plain, muft in general be directly contrary to the caufes of their deftruction. As to limited monarchy, or royalty, the more it is limited, the longer it is likely to laft. Moderation, therefore, is the great prefervative of this form of government. Princes, the farther they recede from defpotifm, and the nearer they approximate to equality of right with their fubjects, are the less exposed to hatred, envy, and all that train, or all thofe complications of paffions, which fo often prove ruinous to their power. Moderation long upheld the monarchy of the Moloflians. The royalty of Lacedæmon, which has proved fo permanent, was, from the beginning, moderated by divifion be tween two kings; and farther attempered, under Theopompus, by a due mixture of popular and democratic powers. When that wife prince inftituted the office of the Ephori, he abridged the power of royalty, but increafed its ftability. The fhort-fighted pride of his queen afked him, whether he was not afhamed to tranfmit to his pofterity a fceptre lefs fplendid than that which he had received from his ancestors? "No, furely," he replied; "I fhall tranfinit to them a throne more stedfast and more durable." Vol. ii. P. 372. We cannot difmifs thefe volumes without obferving, that the public are highly indebted to Dr. Gillies for the work which he has offered to their patronage-a work that abounds with the most folid maxims, and inculcates with peculiar force the most important duties of focial life-that is admirably calculated to unite practice with knowledge, and to form the enlightened ftatesman, while it encourages the patient student in the purfuit of polite literature. In the life of Ariftotle, Dr. Gillies has been anxious to difcredit the few anecdotes that may be thought to dishonour the venerable fubject of his memoirs. The ftories of Diogenes Laërtius, Elian, and others, are rejected: and the whole is a pleafing biographical sketch. With regard to the tranflation*, we have occafionally compared it with the original, and find it fufficiently faithful, though neceffarily circuitous, and fometimes paraphrastical : but we think, that the doctor might, in various parts, have polished the ftyle to a higher degree of elegance; and there are a few paffages, on the import of which we may be permitted to differ in opinion from him. Where fo much, however, has been done, and well done, it is invidious and ungrateful to complain. Defcription and Treatment of Cutaneous Difeafes. Order I. Papulous Eruptions on the Skin. By Robert Willan, M.D. F. A. S. 4to. 155. fewed. Johnton. 1798. CUTANEOUS difeafes in general have perplexed the younger practitioners, and the more uncommon ones have difconcerted the fagacity of phyficians otherwife experienced. Language, alone, was unable to fpeak with fufficient precifion; and even the forcible characteristic terms of Linnæus left fomething in doubt-left ideas not fufficiently vivid to af * Dr. Gillies thinks that the Ethics were never tranflated into any modern language: but the Catalogue of the Bibliotheca Pinelliana would have pointed out an Italian tranflation by Segui, published in the year 1550; and he might have found that a French tranflation of the fame work by Orefme was printed at Paris in 1484. certain the object when feen. The tubera monftrofa diffor mia,' and fimilar defcriptions by Sauvages, were ftill lefs pointed; and modern authors, fenfible of this difficulty, have left the fubject, with few exceptions, to be investigated by each practitioner for his own ufe. His experience, for the fame reason, muft die with him. The prefent attempt must therefore be received, not merely with refpect, but with avidity. The application of the modern improvements of coloured plates, will take away much of the doubt which has hitherto followed even the best defcriptions; and, if the ingenuity of the artift fhould not be able to exprefs every form of cutaneous eruption, it will be at least of fervice to fix fome points to which the reft may be referred, In the nofology of Linnæus, for inftance, if the terms tubercle, puftule, &c. were well afcertained, the other parts of the definition would be fufficiently clear, It is not fufficient, however, to speak more plainly to the mind through the medium of fight. Language must come in aid: peculiar diftinctions, and accurate difcriminations, muft give clearness and confiftency to a fubject hitherto little understood. Dr. Wilian has fhown, that the more ancient authors, from their confufion and inconfiftency, fail of giving that information which we might otherwife expect to receive from their remarks; and those who have occafionally confulted the moderns, have more frequently experienced ad'ditional difficulties, than a relief from those which they at first felt. The defiderata, with regard to cutaneous difeafes, are faid to be 6 I. To fix the fenfe of the terms employed, by proper definitions. 6 2. To conftitute general divifions or orders of the diseases, from leading and peculiar circumftances in their appearance: to arrange them into diftinct genera: and to defcribe at large their fpecific forms, or varieties. 3. To claffify and give names to fuch as have not been hitherto fufficiently diftinguifhed. 4. To fpecify the mode of treatment for each disease.' P. ix. In order to convey diftin&t ideas on the fubject, I shall elucidate every genus by coloured engravings representing fome of it's moft ftriking varieties. This method is new, and will be attended with many advantages; though at the fame time fubject to a variety of imperfections. Such reprefentations cannot fufficiently exprefs the various degrees of opacity and clearness in puftules; nor the quantity or quality of the matter discharged from fuperficial ul cerations: neither can they extend to every minute circumstance in the course of a disease, being neceffarily taken at fome fixed period of it. I would therefore with the drawings to be confidered only as auxiliaries to the verbal description: as such, they will be more efpecially ufeful in fhewing the number, form, fize and colour of the papulæ, puftules, tubercles, fpots, &c. conftituting the disease, which appearances cannot always be clearly communicated in words.' P. X. Dr. Willan begins with definitions; and these are illuftrated by figures, which clearly convey the author's ideas. The moft inexperienced practitioner, comparing the figure with the defcription, will recognife the difeafe in the human body. The appearances defined are thofe of fcurf, scale, fcab, ftigma (a diftinct red fpot not elevated), papula (a small pointed elevation with an inflamed bafe), rath, macula (discolouration), tubercle, vehicle, and puftule. Cutaneous difeafes are divided by our author into papula, fcales, rashes, veficles, puftules, tubercles, and fpots. The prefent number contains only the firft order; and this is divided into three genera, namely, ftrophulus, infantine eruptions; lichen, fpring eruption, scorbutic pimples, &c.; and prurigo, univerfal itching. Strophulus is diftributed into five fpecies, viz. f. intertinctus, the diftinct red gum; f. albidus, the white gum; f. confertus, the tooth-rafh; f. volaticus, a tooth eruption, tranfitory, fucceffive, confined in circles; f. candidus. Our phyfician compares the defcriptions of different authors, and points out their inconfiftencies with accuracy. As the genus and fubordinate fpecies are now diftinguifhed with great propriety, there can be no doubt of a standard, to which future descriptions will be referred. The treatment is the ufual one of the infantine ftate; and, therefore, he does not enlarge upon it. He fhows the connection of thefe different eruptions with the state of the ftomach and bowels, and recommends proper precautions in thefe refpects. The genus lichen confifts of five fpecies; 1. fimplex, 1. agrius, . pilaris, 1. lividus, 1. tropicus. The first fort is attended with a little fever and irritation of the fyftem; the eruption fucceeds, and its duration is various. It is a difeafe of little confequence; but it is likely to be confounded with purpura and miliaria. The former is, however, a rafk, and the latter a vehicle. The eruption in question, indeed, fometimes affumes a veficular appearance; but the error will do no injury. The treatment of the mild miliaria is not different from that of the fimple lichen. The 1. agrius is a more violent difeafe, attended with fever, verging to the typhus: the papula are connected by a diffufed rednefs, and occafionally become puftular. Sometimes it ter minates in a chronic puftular disease. In one case, here defcribed, it feemed to be an effort of nature to throw off fomething morbid, as it left weakness, indigeftion, &c. We have frequently obferved this fpecies of the difeafe; and it is generally confounded by attendants, and fometimes even by practitioners, with eryfipelas. The lichen agrius often requires a more active mode of practice. It is useful to give at intervals two or three moderate dofes of calomel as a purgative; and, afterwards, for fome weeks, the vitriolic acid, three times a day, in the infusion of roles, or with a decoction of Peruvian bark. Any fharp, or ftimulating application made to the kin, when rough, inflamed, and chappy, very much aggravates the complaint, and produces an intolerable fmarting. A mill, cooling unguent will, however, contribute to allay the trouble fome heat, and itching: and for this purpose I have found nothing more advantageous than the unguentum rofatum (Ph. Lond. Vet.) or the rofe pomatum fold by perfumers.' P. 54 The lichen pilaris refembles the 1. fimplex, differing only as it affects the bulbous roots of the hair. The 1. lividus confifts of pimples of a darker huc, often intermixed with petechiæ, from poverty of living, &c. It fometimes occurs as a fecondary fymptom of fyphilis, and is then more generally diffused, with the puftules flatter, running into ulcerations." But this fymptom rarely occurs alone, though we have fometimes found it unaccompanied by others. Some practitioners have been mifled by it. The 1. tropicus is the prickly heat of warm climates, de-` fcribed by various authors who have written on tropical difeafes, from whom Dr. Willan has tranfcribed too copiously, A good account of it is here given from Mr. Winterbotham, who obferved it at Sierra Leone. The prickly heat is not properly a difeafe; it is rather an effort of nature to throw off the accumulated impurities which the heat occafions, or is perhaps a local affection of the skin rendered irritable by the heat and perfpiration. The laft genus is prurigo, which the author has not properly defined. We may term it an itching of the fkin, with small papulæ, feldom difcoloured, conftant, increafed by heat, without fever or contagion. The fpecies are diftinguished by the epithets mitis, formicans, and fenilis. The firft fpecies generally arifes from want of cleanliness, and is eafily removed. The fecond is troublefome and obsti nate. Where the papulæ are of the larger fize above mentioned, |