their innate talent for catching shades, relations, and the secret connections of thoughts, give them the advantage over us? We rule only by force, they govern by the effect of their art and their perseverance. We observe them without ceasing, and still do not know them while they know us, without seeming to regard us. Perhaps this difference is to be traced to the relation of master and slave. Rarely does he who holds the chain know the captive while the latter constantly studies his guardian, and comprehends him. Thus we find the women discovering our interior at first sight, and hence arises their credit in particular, and their influence in general.'

We might produce many other passages, which shew the author's acute discernment, his sound judgment, and his intimate acquaintance with the state of society in France at a later period: but we have to apologize to our readers for having already exceeded our limits. We regret that they will not permit us to accompany him through the survey which he takes of the present state, character, and distinctive qualities of women in the several countries of modern Europe. He is an ardent admirer of the ladies of unfortunate Poland; and we suspect that he must have spent his best days in the society of the Polish belles: who, we are told, chaunt with delightful voices the stanzas of Tasso, and recite the verses of Delille e; who have impressed in their recollections the enchanting scenery of Italy, and the terrific views of Swisserland; and who, seated in bowers designed by themselves, and surrounded by a thousand displays of art, discourse with rapture on the charms of nature. We cannot proceed even with any of the parts of this enchanting picture, but must refer our readers to the volume. itself. It occurs in an admirable letter, stated to have been written by a very intelligent traveller, and whom we suspect to be no other than M. SEGUR. It has this conclusion, which it were unpardonable in us to pass over: I believe, if it were permitted me to chuse, I should take an Englishwoman for my wife, a Frenchwoman for my friend, and a Polonese for my mistress.'

Near the termination of the work, we are presented with a most interesting tale, founded on the loves of Elerz and Zunilda, and the adventures of Florvel; the object of which is to expose the folly and misery of libertinism, by contrasting it with virtuous love. A young Parisian supports the part of the libertine; and a pair in Dalecarlia, in the north of Sweden, display the charms, the pure enjoyments, and the unbroken felicity, which, in sequestered scenes, ever attend on love, innocence, and competence. The address which is discovered in this little production, the delicate touches which occur in it, its structure, and its moral, prove the powers of the author to be of the first rate.

An

An English translation of this performance has lately appeared. We have not yet seen it, but shall speak of it here

after.

A&T. VII. Histoire Medicale de l'Armée de l'Orient, &c.; i.e. The Medical History of the [French] Army of the East. By R. DESGENETTES, Chief Physician. 8vo. PP. 400. Paris. 18oz. Imported by De Boffe. Price 7s. sewed.

TH

HIS work is divided into two parts: the first of which contains the Reports addressed, from time to time, to the Council of Health for the Armies, by Dr. DESGENETTES ; and the second consists of Papers drawn up by different medical men employed in Egypt, while the French held that country, and directed to the author of the work. The first part consists chiefly of common (though very judicious) precautionary orders; many of which indicate that a want of harmony is to be found in bodies of medical men, abroad as well as at home. One of the most important rules was that of burning the clothes of soldiers who died of the plague; and it was also, as may well be imagined, very difficult to carry it into effect.

Contrary to the reports which were circulated while the French army was in Egypt, we find that the plague was introduced into the military hospitals; that many of the medical officers were shut up in rigorous quarantine with their patients; and that they frequently fell victims to the disease. Dr. DESGENETTES acknowleges that there could be no doubt of the existence of contagion in these cases; though some medical sceptics among ourselves have lately called it in question; and accordingly the patients seized with plague were separated, as soon as it was possible, from the rest of the sick.

During the encampment before Jaffa, however, though pestilential fevers were extremely prevalent, Dr. D. observes that he abstained from pronouncing the word plague; and those who have heard of the sudden deaths imputed, on good grounds, to the Commander in Chief, will consider him as still more cautious on that subject:—at least, in this volume.

In the course of this correspondence, we learn that, during a total want of Cantharides for the purpose of blistering, Dr. D. substituted with utility the practice of dropping boiling water on the skin.

The author remarked that several of his patients had the plague twice; which is an important fact at this time of unreasonable scepticism. He inoculated himself in two places, from the pus of a pestilential bubo; in order, as he says, to

raise the spirits of the army; and the only sensible effect, which he felt from this daring experiment, was from the inflammation of each puncture. He escaped the influence of contagion entirely, though his visits to the infected were frequent and protracted. He mentions, also, that a countryoperator, who was in much request among the soldiers, was accustomed, after having opened bubos, or cut carbuncles, to place his bistouries, slightly wiped, between his turban and his forehead, without injury.

On the return of the French army through the desart, they met with leeches in some brackish waters, which fixed themselves to the palate or fauces, and occasioned hæmorrhages. They were sometimes detached by gargling with vinegar; but occasionally it was necessary to remove them with the forceps. The total loss of the French army, up to the end of 1800, is thus stated:

Killed in battle

3614

Dead of their wounds

854

Accidentally killed

290

Died of common diseases

2468

Died of the plague

In the interval between the assassination of General Kleber and the landing of our troops, we meet with many excellent regulations drawn up by Dr. DESGENETTES, for improving the salubrity of Alexandria.-He also describes the symptoms of an ephemeral fever at Cairo, which begins with a cessation of moisture on the skin; and we are told that the usual salutation of the country, instead of being "How do you do?" is, "How do you sweat ?": so necessary to health is the discharge by the skin.

The author continued at Cairo, during our invasion of Egypt, in order to superintend the hospitals while the ravages of the plague continued; and it appears that 2937 of the inhabitants were carried off by that disease in the month of Germinal, 1801.-On the whole, however, Dr. D. observes that the French army was more healthy in Egypt, than any of their other armies were in Europe. Respecting the plague, he says that they wanted medicines for the purpose of observations; and nothing satisfactory was established concerning the efficacy of frictions with oil.-The south winds, and warm moist air, favour the production of the plague: northerly winds, and the extremes of heat and cold, suppress it. The plague, he observes, is undoubtedly contagious: but the peculiar circum

stances

stances under which contagion is propagated are not exactly known. Dead bodies do not communicate it; and it has been stopped by the intervention of the Nile; or even by a fosse, dug before a camp. All these facts certainly shew that the disease is propagated by individual contagion. The Doctor also observes that the plague varies greatly in intensity, and that spontaneous cures sometimes take place in the most advanced stages. In 1801, when there were sometimes 700 patients ill with the plague in the castle of Cairo, upwards of a third and sometimes nearly half of them were cured. The young negroes and the Syrians, who had enlisted, suffered most.

The official Reports in Part II. have principally appeared in the Memoirs concerning Egypt, and have already been mentioned in our xxxviiith Vol. N. S. pp. 524-532.

A very clear account of the Ophthalmia is given by Dr. Bruant who attributes its origin to the great heat and brightness of the atmosphere, and to the small sand perpetually floating in the air. Frequent washing of the eyes with cold water is said to be one of the best means of prevention, and of cure in the incipient state of the disease. We observe nothing particular in the method of cure, excepting that topical bleeding was little practised.

A particular detail of the friction with oil, in cases of plague, is related by Dr. DESGENETTES: but we have already mentioned his opinion of this practice.

An entertaining paper occurs on the Manners of the Egyptians, by Dr. CARESOLE: but we observe nothing new and important in it.

The volume is concluded by several topographical sketches of different towns, the results of which nearly correspond with each other. They prove that many of the diseases in Egypt, especially those of children, are owing to filth, and improper modes of living.-A set of meteorological tables, relating to Cairo, is added to these dissertations.

This collection will afford much matter for reflection to the medical reader, though it contains few striking facts. benefits of a fine climate are denied in a great measure to the unfortunate Egyptians, by their own ignorance and the brutal disposition of their masters. How hard that the jealous policy of European states should condemn such a country to perpe rual oppression and misery!

ART.

ART. VIII. Considérations Medicales, &c. i. e. Medical Consider. ations on the Advantages of Wetnursing, for the greater number of the Infants of large Towns. Presented to and defended at the School of Medicine of Paris in the Month of Germinal of the 11th Year of the French Republic. By G. A. CHEVALIERDEMOLLE, M.D. 8vo. pp. 46. Paris. 1803. De Boffe, London; 2s.

TH HERE seems to be little occasion, in the present day, for the employment of many arguments against the general exercise of one of the most natural and important duties of a mother, that of suckling her own child; since it unfortunately happens that the modern manners of society, particularly of its more elevated ranks, are very unfavorable to the domestic offices of the parent; and that too many mothers feel a ready and acceptable excuse for the neglect of their duty to their offspring, in the plea of delicacy or ill health. Cases without doubt sometimes occur, in which it would be improper for a child to be suckled by its mother: but such instances are very rare, and by no means appear to us to justify the extent to which the present author goes in his conclusions on this subject.

He is of opinion that, from the dissipation and irregularity which so much prevail in large towns, and into which females are of course misled, that they have too great a feebleness of constitution to be able to secrete milk of a sufficiently nutritive and healthy kind, for the support of the infant; and that, on this account, it is much better for the parent at once to renounce all ideas of suckling, than to endanger the health of the child by undertaking this duty, which she is imperfectly qualified to perform. To this mode he thinks there can be no reasonable objection, either on account of the parent or the infant; since the former can readily procure the assistance of an adult to relieve her from the accumulation of milk, which might create some inconveniences, while the latter might as effectually have the meconium carried off by a mild laxative, as by the purgative influence of the first secretion from the breast. He lays little stress on the attachment which is reciprocally formed between the parent and child by suckling; and he is even of opinion that, where this takes place to any considerable degree, it produces, by giving rise to excessive indulgence, disadvantage rather than benefit. It appears to this writer, that the tie thus created is in general only a transitory one, that it is purely physical, and that it can therefore have no influence on the moral affections. He also considers the attachment of parents to their offspring as having its origin in both from the

same