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P. 243. D. The following Trochaics of Anaxandrides have been converted by Grotius, not without confiderable omiffions and alterations, into what that eminent man poffibly conceived to be Iambics. Profeffor S. has faithfully retained the arrangement of his predeceffor. We give them entire, because the Venetian manufcript exhibits them with fome various readings of confequence. We do not pretend to understand all the local wit which is contained in them:

ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἀλλήλους ἀεὶ χλευάζετ', οιδ' ἀκριβῶς· ὴν μὲν γὰρ ᾖ τις εὐπρεπης, ἱερὸν γάμον καλεῖτε· ἐὰν δὲ μικρὸν παντελῶς ἀνθρώπιον, σταλαγμόν λαμπρός τις ἐξελήλυθεν; ὀλολυγμὸς οὗτος ἐστι· λιπαρὸς περιπατεῖ Δημοκλῆς; ζωμὸς κατωνόμασται· χαίρει τις αὐχμῶν ἢ ῥυπῶν; κονιορτὸς ἀνεπέφηνεν 分 ὄπισθεν ἀκολουθεῖ κόλαξ τῳ; λέμβος ἐπικέκληται· τὰ πόλλ ̓ ἀδειπνος περιπατεῖ; κεστρινός ἐστι νῆστις· εἰς τοὺς καλοὺς δ ̓ ἣν τις βλέπῃ, καινὸς θεατροποιός· ὑφείλετ ̓ ἄρνα ποιμένος παίζων; ̓Ατρεὺς ἐκλήθη ἐὰν δὲ κριὸν Φρίξος· ἐὰν δὲ κῳδάριον, Ἰάσαν. P. 247. C. Diphilus :

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Εὐριπίδης γυναῖκα σώσει. οὐχ ορᾷς, &c.

In the common editions, are being written without the apoftrophus, is mistaken by Profeffor S. for the future. He reads are, without informing us in what manner the verfe is to be divided into feet. P. 258. C. Alexis :

ἴσως τριάκοντ ̓ ἀφ' ἑνὸς ἐργαστηρίου.

Profeffor S., who does not fufpect that the fecond fyllable of τριακοντα is long, propofes the introduâtion of γε after ἴσως.

P. 269. F. Metagenes :

ὁ μὲν ποταμὸς ὁ Κράθις ἡμῖν καταφέρει

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μάζας μεγίστας αὐτομάτας μεμαγμένας·

ὁ δ ̓ ἕτερός γε, ὁ Σύβαρις γαλούμενος

ποταμὸς, ὠθεῖ κῦμα ναστῶν καὶ κρεῶν, &c.

The Profeffor obferves that the two latter verfes of this ps are corrupted, but he does not attempt to emend them. Probably several of the words are a glofs, and the whole is to be read in one verse :

ὁ δ ̓ ἕτερος ὠθεῖ κῦμα ναστῶν καὶ κρεῶν.

In the fame fragment we obferve pie at the end of a verse, and rution επταῖς at the beginning of the next. Corret ῥεῖ τευθίσιν ὀπταῖς in one

line.

to us.

In the curfory furvey which we have taken of Profeffor Schweighaufer's emendations, we have seldom endeavoured to refute them, except when a preferable reading fuggefted itself We have obferved, with a confiderable degree of furprife, a very large number of paffages, which had been restored by the fagacity of different critics, but which, in this edition, remain in the fame ftate in which they were left by Cafaubon. VOL. III. NO. 5.

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We have to lament that Profeffor Schweighæufer has not devoted a larger thare of his attention to that kind of criticism, from which alone a correct edition of Athenæus can be expected. Unquestionably the prefent publication is valuable in fome refpects: the epitome of the two first books, in particular, will be found confiderably more entire than in the former editions. The collation of the Venetian manufcript has difappointed us. We expected that the editor would have derived much more advantage from it than he appears to have done. Much depends on the fidelity of the collation, of which it is impoffible for us to judge. We hope that a future editor will not confider the further infpection of it as unneceffary.

On Profeffor Schweighæufer's commentary, we have little to remark. By far the larger portion of it confifts of extracts from Cafaubon, whofe animadverfions, as we have before obferved, ought to have been republifhed entire. Profeffor Schweighæufer has made no inconfiderable addition to the mafs of information. The leaft commendable part of the work is the critical obfervations. The Profeffor's ignorance of metre continually expofes him to mistakes of the most ridiculous kind. We recollect, in one place, a differtation on the quantity of the latter fyllable of the particle aux. The Profeffor, after mature deliberation, determines it to be long, but is half inclined to believe that the Attic poets occafionally tranfgrefs the rule, and make it fhort!

The Profeffor promises very copious and correct indexes. In that refpect, at leaft, we hope that he will affume, as he may very easily, a decided fuperiority over the preceding editors.

ART. XV. An Account of the late Improvements in Galvanifm, with a Series of Curious and Interefting Experiments, performed before the Commiffioners of the French National Inflitute, and repeated lately in the Anatomical Theatres of London. By John Aldini, Profeffor of Experimental Philofophy in the University of Bologna, &c. &c. 4to. pp. 222. London. Cuthell & Martin. 1803.

IN

N general, every new light thrown upon natural knowledge, at first dazzles and confuses: the understanding slowly becomes accustomed to its brightnefs; and it is only by degrees that the juft appearances of the objects of difcovery are perceived, and their true relations afcertained. The researches lately made in Galvanic electricity, have afforded to the fcientific world many brilliant and interefting refults; but the truths that have yet been

difcovered

difcovered by means of them, are few, and, for the most part, infulated. We have already witneffed feveral attempts to account for the phænomena, and to extend their theoretical applications to phyfiology and chemistry; but they have appeared to us, for the most part, founded on unfatisfactory fuppofitions: And the pages we are now examining, afford many new proofs of the vanity of fyftematizing upon an imperfect feries of experiments.

The account of the late improvements in Galvanism, ' is divided into three parts. The first part is entitled, ' On the Nature and general Properties of Galvanifm: the fecond relates to the influence of Galvanifm on the vital powers: and the third to its medical application. No portion of the work is devoted to historical details concerning the origin and progrefs of the fcience; and little notice is taken of the most important difcoveries that have been made by means of the electrical pile. M. Aldini, indeed, treats chiefly of his own experiments and opinions.

The celebrated Galvani, who is the author's uncle, in establithing his important difcovery, had obferved, that mufcular contractions were produced, in certain cafes, in the limbs of frogs that had been apparently deprived of life, without the aid of metals, merely by bringing certain parts of the animal in contact. His proceffes were repeated, under new circumftances, by Volta and by Humboldt: And one of the moit fimple methods of exhibiting the fact, was found to be the application of the fciatic nerve to the mufcles of the leg. M. Aldini has filled the first part of his work with the defcription of different conditions of this experiment. He has increafed the effect, by connecting the nerve and muscle with the parts of warm-blooded animals; and by moistening them with faline folutions. And he infers from the phænomenon, that a peculiar ethereal fluid is continually generated in the animal economy; that it is connected with the functions of life; and that, as there is a metallic pile, compofed of metals and fluids, fo there is likewife an animal pile, confifting of living animal fubitances.

Whit we admit, that the production of mufcular contractions, by the combinations of animal organs, to all appearance dead, is a very curious circumftance, we cannot allow that it affords any proof of the prefence of a peculiar electricity in living bodies, or that it tends, in the flightelt degree, to explain the fenfations and contractions in the animal machine.' It appears capable of being referred to the general law of the production of electricity, by the agency of conducting bodies on each other; and it may be explained, either by the ingenious hypothefis of Volta concerning electro-motion,

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* Sec Humboldt fur le Galvanife, p1g. 3^•

electro-motion, or by the theory of the dependence of Galvanic electricity on chemical changes.

M. Aldini, however, is fo perfectly fatisfied as to the exiftence of the ethereal animal fluid, that he employs feveral propofitions in attempting to demonftrate its relations to common electricity, and the electricity produced by metals. His reafonings on this fubject appear to us to be very inconclufive indeed; and we are afraid that he has been mistaken in the refults of fome of his experiments: As, for inftance, when he fays, page 21, that an electrified Leyden phial, introduced under a jar filled with. common air in a pneumatic apparatus, occafions a diminution of the elaftic fluid; and when he aflerts, page 41, that opium, cinchona, and other ftimulants of a fimilar kind, which exercise a powerful action on the animal machine, contribute alfo to excite the action of the pile."

M. Aldini begins the fecond part of his work in the following

manner:

To conduct an energetic fluid to the general feat of all impreffions; to diftribute its influence to the different parts of the nervous and mufcular fyftems; to continue, revive, and, if 1 may be allowed the expreffion, to command the vital powers; fuch are the objects of my refearches, and fuch the advantages which I purpofe to derive from the action of Galvanism.

The difcovery of the Galvanic pile by the celebrated Volta, has ferved as a guide to enable me to obtain the most interesting results; and to these I have been conducted by numerous researches and a long feries of experiments. I have examined the whole range of nature; and the grand family of animals has afforded me the means of making obfervations, highly interefting to phyfiology, on the whole economy of vital powers. My experiments on this fubject I fhall divide into two fections. p. 53.

We have looked in vain through the two fections for the important difcoveries which the author promifes. The experiments detailed in them relate wholly to the contractions produced in the mufcles of dead warm-blooded animals, by the application of the electricity of the pile; and the method of operating is the common one, i. e. by making the communication between the nervous and mufcular fyftems. M. Aldini has often performed his proceffes on the dead human fubject; but the accounts that he gives of his refults, are rather difgufting than inftructive. He entertains great hopes that Galvanifm may be usefully applied in cafes of apparent death from fuffocation. This part of the fubject is really worthy of the attention of enlightened phyfiologists; and, as yet, no well-conducted trials have been made in relation to it.

In confidering the general medical applications of accumulated Galvanic electricity, M. Aldini difplays much more modefty and judgement than in the other parts of his work. He obferves

I am fully convinced that much still remains to be done, in order to difcover the beft methods of employing this new agent; and that the facts refpecting it, though numerous, have not been reduced to principles fufficiently certain and fatisfactory. There are, nevertheless, fome refults and obfervations exceedingly curious, which, if confirmed by new experiments and researches, may enable us to obtain convincing proofs of its utility. New facts, however furprifing, are not to be defpifed merely on account of their being different from any before obferved. p. 97. 98.

The author remarks, that the pile of Volta has great advantages over the common electrical machine, as to the permanency and uniformity of its action; and he acquaints us, that a very ingenious apparatus, for the application of Galvanifm, has been invented by Mr Cuthbertson.

M. Aldini has made fome experiments on the adminiftration of Galvanism to the eyes of perfons affected with blindness, but without much fuccefs. He afferts, that he has employed it with advantage in fome cafes of melancholy madnefs; and he quotes the experiments of the German profeffors, which are faid to have produced extraordinary effects in reftoring the fenfe of hearing.

We are afraid that many of the ftatements of cures are premature, and that the refults require confirmation. It has been proved, we think, by various experiments, and particularly thofe of Dr Woolafton and Van Marum, that the electricity of the pile differs from the electricity of the electrical machine, chiefly in being of a lower degree of intenfity; hence it paffes with lefs facility through imperfect conductors, fuch as the animal organs; and, confequently, it is difficult to imagine that it can be poffeffed of greater powers in modifying the vital functions. We refrain, however, from deciding on this point; and we wish that new trials may be made. For the establishment of the efficacy of a new medical agent, an immenfe accumulation of evidence is required; and accounts of experiments made by enlightened practitioners, would, in fome meafure, tend to prevent inexperienced perfons from employing it as an inftrument of quackery.

The anonymous editor of M. Aldini's work has added to it a tranflation of two Latin differtations on Galvanifm, publifhed by the author at Bologna, one in 1793 and the other in 1794, and an appendix, containing an account of fome experiments made by M. Aldini on a malefactor executed at Newgate; a detail of experiments of a fimilar kind made at Bologna; and fome obfervations, which thow that Galvanic electricity is capable of paf

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