the relations between bodies which incline them to unite, either by their mutual attraction, or by the interpofition of fome third body; chymistry, which teaches us to know these affinities, must be absolutely neceffary to the conducting them with skill and propriety. It may be remarked with justice, that as whim concerning the virtues of particular vegetables, and false reasoning on diseases, introduced among the Galenifts the most complicated, inconfiftent, and abfurd mixtures, fo whim and ignorance in chymiftry have given birth to combinations in the chymical pharmacy of equal abfurdity. To remedy this, and to furnish as much chymiftry as may be requifite to the proper direction of the conduct of pharmacy, feems to be one of the principal intentions of this book. By the title of Pharmacopoeia Medici, we understand that it is the author's purpose to recommend this study of pharmaceutical chymiftry to the phyficians; and it seems to us, that he has done fo with great propriety. For as the general education of apothecaries does not tend to qualify them as chymifts, and as they always expect the direction of the physician in this matter, it becomes therefore his duty to be well inftructed in chymistry, as far at leaft as it relates to pharmacy, fince his ignorance in it must be always difgraceful to himself, and frequently injurious to his patient. It may be faid, indeed, that the apothecaries have the Pharmacopoeia of the London college to direct them; and it is true they have; but it must remembered also that phyficians in prescribing do very generally direct combinations of their own; that the Pharmacopoeia is, in general, a lift only of what they should have ready in their fhops; and we fhall take the liberty of pointing out fome places in which this guide is itself defective in chymistry. In this too we have in view to il luftrate the application and utility of the principles laid down in the work we are now reviewing.

The Pharmacopoeia, then, for the preparation of the tartarum vitriolatum *, directs thus, Vitriolo in aqua bulliente foluto injice falem tartari, vel alium alkalinum fixum, &c. Now there is but one more fixt alkali; the foffile which in compofition gives a neutral called fal catharticus Glauberi, or fal mirabile, differing from the vitriolated tartar in its properties both in medicine and arts. It is therefore certainly an error in chymiftry to direct the foffile alkali for preparing the tartarum vitriolatum; and it appears to be mechanical, that is, without knowing the principles, that in the fecond procefs

Vide Pharm. Lond. p. 48.
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from

from the above, the fal catharticus Glauberi is directed to be obtained from the refiduum, after the diftillation of the marine acid,, which refiduum contains the very fubftances directed for the compofition of the tartarum vitriolatum, that is, the vitriolic acid combined with a foffile alkali, feparated from its union: with the marine acid by the stronger attraction of the former. We have next to object to the two titles of cinnabaris factitia and cinnabaris antimonii of the Pharmacopoeia, because, upon a chymical examination, they appear to be the fame fubftance: for the first is the union of fulphur with mercury, and the latter is the fame, being the refiduum from the combination of antimony and corrofive fublimate. To prove this we must obferve, that antimony is compofed of a metalline part called, whimfically, its regulus, and of fulphur; while the corrofive fublimate confifts of marine acid and mercury, and that the marine acid hath a stronger attraction to regulus of antimony than to mercury; therefore it quits the latter, and unites with the former, leaving the fulphur and mercury to join together, and form cinnabar. If the framers of these formulas were acquainted with this, it was tautological: to give the refult of them different names;. and we cannot acquit them of unacquaintance with chymistry, without leaving upon them the just charge of fupererogation. We have the fame objection of chymical inaccuracy in the procefs for preparing the fpiritus falis marini coagulatus (a moft amazingly abfurd title) that we have explained above concerning the tartarum vitriolatum. That the Pharmacopoeia should contain the title of fat vitriolt, with a direction for preparing it, when the very fame fubftance is enumerated in the catalogue of fimples, under the name of vitriolum album, could only have arisen from a whimfical refinement, or from defect in chymical knowledge. Many more mistakes, of a fimilar nature, might be produced from this Pharmacopoeia, which directs the apothecary always, and ge nerally the physician. But our time will not permit us to dwell longer upon this matter, than will juft illuftrate the fubject of the treatise before us. To the review of this we fhall therefore now-proceed.

In the first place the Doctor difpofes all bodies under fix claffes, namely, falina, inflammabilia, metallica, terrea, aquofa, aerea; quarum quinque priores, fays he, materiæ medicæ aliquid fuppeditant. Thefe five claffes he therefore proceeds to define, and to enumerate the fubftances that belong to them in the manner following:

INFLAM

We have next a table of the acids, alkalies, and neutral falts which they produce; after which each individual acid, alkali, and neutral, is treated of in fuch a manner as to give its synonimes, the bodies in which it is to be found, its chymical properties, or relations to other bodies; and with regard to the neutrals, the various fubftances from which they may be formed by fimple or double elective attraction. The following may ferve as an example of the manner in which the rest are executed.

SAL AMMONIACUS VEGETABILIŞ

Subfequent to this is a very useful table, exhibiting a synoptical view of the order of attraction fubfifting between the principal fubftances employed in pharmacy; from which order of attraction the various phænomena and changes arising from their combinations, are to be known and explained. We regard this table as the foundation of chymical knowledge relat

ing to pharmacy, and therefore as of the highest utility. This finishes what may be properly termed the chymical part of the book, and introduces that of pharmacy. The first in the pharmaceutical part is a lift of the medicamenta fimplicia, quæ vel feorfim, vel in præfcriptionibus extemporaniis exhibeantur. To each article in the lift is annexed its dose, as follows:

Aloe focotorina

dof. min. med. extr. -gr. v. 3j. zj.

The medicamenta præparata of the difpenfatories, but skilfully felected, are enumerated in a fimilar manner. The articles of each lift furnish titles, under which the forms of prefcribing them, in the moft fimple and elegant manner, are laid down. These formulas are arranged under the following claffes, adftringentia, antacida, anthelmintica, antiphlogistica, antefeptica, attenuantia, cardiaca, carminativa, cathartica, demulcentia, deobftruentia, detergentia, diaphoretica, difcutientia, diuretica, emetica, expectorantia, menagoga, fedativa, stimulantia, ftomachica, tonica.

The fame fyftematic order and perfpicuity is obferved in thefe claffes, which are all fubdivided into fimplicia and præparata; the articles alphabetically arranged; and the claffes themfelves fubdivided, where their length rendered fubdivifions neceffary to their more eafy comprehenfion. The following example will fuffice to fhew the manner in which it is executed.

SEDATIV A.

ANTISPASMODICA.

Simplicia.

Afa fœtida.

R. Afæ fœtid. zjv.

R.

Aq. font. fbj. dof. cochl. j.

Præparata.
Æther.

Æther. cochl. min. ex aqua cyath. fumend.

Having thus given a general account of this work, with quotations to illustrate it more particularly, we have furnished our readers with the means of forming fome judgment of its merit. The plan is new and fyftematical; the execution accurate, elaborate, and judicious. The arrangement of formulas under claffes, framed from the effects of medicines on the body, or its contents, is inftructive and useful. The author appears to be not only well acquainted with pharmacy and practice, but inftructed in the modern improvements in chymiftry, and particularly in that fyftematic manner which owes its origin to a very justly celebrated profeffor of chymistry, in whose school

our

our author profeffes to have been educated. Simplicity and elegance, than which nothing is more defirable in prescriptions, are remarkable in all the formulas; and we may juftly recommend the book as being mole parvus, fed gravis materie, nec fine labore paratus*.

V. A Difquifition on Medicines that diffolve the Stone, in which Dr. Chittick's Secret is confidered and discovered. By Alexander Blackrie. 12mo. Price 2s. 6d. Wilfon.

I

T has long been a defideratum in medicine, and the endeavour of many able practitioners, to find out fome fubftance which might fafely and effectually diffolve the human calculus. The dreadful malady which it caufes, would make the discovery of such a substance in the higheft degree beneficial. Though this very desirable purpose be not yet perfectly obtained, yet it has been confiderably promoted by the labours of feveral learned and ingenious men, as Dr. Hales, in his Accurate Analyfis of the Human Calculus; Dr. Alfton and Dr. Whytt, in their Effays on the diffolving Power of Quick-lime; Dr. d'Haen, on the Virtues of the Uva Urfi; and Dr. Juria, in his Discovery of the Ufe of Soap-lees, which being in reality a fixt alkali, rendered cauftic by an admixture of quick-lime, is exactly similar to the medicine which is recommended in the Difquifition before us.

The author endeavours, in the first place, to convince the public that the quack medicine now exhibited by one Dr. Chittick, is a folution of alkaline fixt falt joined with quicklime, and therefore, in reality, no other than foap-lye. He has told us the method in which he proceeded to discover this fubftance, disguised as it is, exhibited by the poffeffor of it. He has also informed us of the manner in which this Dr. Chittick exhibits this medicine, with the regimen he directs during its ufe. After having thus laid open this noftrum, and the manner of its exhibition, he proceeds to inquire how far the internal use of such like falts and fubftances may be relied on as diffolvents of the gravel and stone, in the human kidneys and bladder; in what period of the distemper, circumstances of the patients, and quantities they may be properly and fafely administered for thefe purposes. In profecuting this purpose, he confiders Mrs. Stephens's medicine, giving, from the Gentleman's

See Boerhaave's preface to his Aphorifins.

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