likewife employs a fpeculum. In this manner, he lately depreffed a cataract in a boy only feven years old, who was fuppofed to have been born blind. It excited a good deal of curiofity to hear his first observations on the vifible world and it was expected that he fhould form the fame falfe judgments which were made by Chefeldon's patient in fimilar circumitances. But, on the contrary, this boy knew at once, colours, forms, and diftances; a certain proof that he had not been always totally blind.

Extracting a cataract is so delicate an operation, and its fuccefs depends upon attending to fo many minute particulars, that Mr. Ware, notwithstanding his experience, has written down for his own ufe, four and twenty memoranda, which he always reads on the morning of an operation. Thefe are intended. to bring to his recollection the examination of the inftruments, instructions to the affiftant, the placing the patient properly, and all the various incidents that may occur during the operation or after it, together with the remedy for each. A moft laudable inftance of profeflional care and circumfpection. The merit of having noticed that cataracts fometimes admit of a fpontaneous cure, is due to Mr. Ware. He has feen three inftances in which the cataract difappeared in confequence of accidental inflammation. This natural cure he has attempted alfo to imitate; and the remedy he employs is æther. He fays,

"I have had occafion to attend a confiderable number of cafes, in which an opacity in the chryftalline humour was produced by violence done to the eye; and in most of thefe the opacity was diffipated, and the fight reftored, during the external application of the æther."

The manner of using this remedy is afterwards particularized.

"Sometimes I have diluted the æther with a third or fourth part of a weak folution of Hydrargyrus Muriatus; but in general I have ufed the æther alone, which has been applied, by means of a camel's hair pencil, to the eye itfelf. The application of this remedy occafions a very pungent pain in the eye, with confiderable redness in the tunica conjunctiva; but thefe go off in a few minutes, and leave the eye as eafy, and the conjunctiva as pale, as they were before the æther was used." P. 403.

On gutta ferena he makes many excellent remarks. A few cafes are given in which electricity fucceeded, and others in which vifion was reflored by a powerful errhine. The dofe he recommends is,

"One grain of the Turbith mineral mixed with twenty grains of powder of liquorice, of fnuff, or fugar; and one fourth part of this

powder

powder to be fnuffed up the nofe once or twice in the courfe of the day; and in thofe cafes where the nofe has been particularly dry, I have rendered the powder more effectual, by directing the patient to inhale the fteam of warm water through the nofe previous to the ufe of the fnuff."

Neither thefe, nor any other remedies, can be fuccefsful in all cases of gutta ferena; as diffection has shown, that tumours, cyfts, carious bones, and other organic affections, are fometimes the cause.

There is one caufe, however, of a lefs untractable nature, which Mr. Ware conjectures fometimes occafions this disease; namely,

"A dilation of the anterior portion of the circulus arteriofus, which I think highly probable has been the caufe of the gutta ferena in not a few of the inftances of which no particular account has been given; and especially in those cafes where the blindness has been accompanied with an inability of moving the upper eye lid.”

In confirmation of this opinion, he found, that by local bleedings and general evacuations, he was able to cure fome young plethoric patients afflicted with gutta ferena.

This work, in our opinion, contains much ufeful information for furgeons, and fhould be confidered as the manual of oculifts.

ART. XIII. A complete Analysis of the German Language: or a philological and grammatical View of its Construction, Analogies, and various Properties. By Dr. Render. 352 PP. 12s. Symonds. 1804.

THE

8vo.

HE ftudy of the German language has of late become much more general and extenfive, its merits have been more minutely investigated, and its value more fully afcertained. The ftudent has, however, long felt the want of an able guide to direct his course, and affift him in the attainment of his wifhes; not but many German grammars have already been offered to the public; but the greater part hitherto publifhed have either been too concife or too widely diffufe for the object which they have undertaken. A general analyfis of the language was ftill wanting; and to Dr. Render the

We reviewed Dr. Render's German Grammar, in our fifteenth volume, p. 332.

praise

praise is at least due, of having more liberally contributed to the advancement of German literature than any that have profeffed the fame object, or trod the fame path before him.

66 on

The prefent work is divided into two diftin&t Parts; the firft, containing three Sections, treats very copioufly etymology; of words, as parts of fpeech, and their flections; and of the syntax": the fecond confifts folely of German orthography and profody.

Dr. R. after many fenfible remarks on the originality and peculiar force of the German idiom, expreffes himself very ftrongly on the want of accuracy of the nominal tranflators from the German; and gives feveral extracts from the moft admired authors, where the original meaning has not only been generally misunderstood, but completely perverted.

66

We infert with pleafure the following judicious obfervations on the neceffary interrogatories, Who was the first promoter of the High German language, and who brought it to its prefent purity? Secondly, Where is the beft German fpoken?

"The first man who introduced and brought to perfection the German language was the illuftrious author of the Reformation, Martin Luther, to whom German literature is indebted for its polish. His translation of the Bible is indeed a masterpiece. It was he too who adopted the true idiom of that language. This great and learned man eradicated all former prevailing bad cuftoms, and corrected alfo the reigning harth and bad dialect, which, although not fupported by the authority of antecedent writers, was free from many disadvantages under which his predeceffors evidently laboured. It was a man of his fpirit and genius who alone was calculated to attempt fuch a revolution; and the fituation in which he ftood rendered the fuccefs complete. The tranfition from the one to the other cuftom was not abrupt and fudden. The ancient dialect remained the basis, and the changes introduced by him were regular and progreffive. In his publications prior to the Bible (which was his laft work) the deviations from the former bad idioms and cuftoms were few; they increased, however, in proportion as he feems to have been more convinced of the juftice of that measure, and as the public became more reconciled to the innovation. The authority and example of Luther were foon followed by his friends and adherents; and his language was received by all thofe who embraced his doctrines. The Proteftant preachers came from Wittenberg (the place where Luther was Profeffor) to all parts of the German empire, and delivered their tenets in the dialect of their master. Thus it was introduced into all corners of Germany to which the Reformation has penetrated. It even ferved as a mark of diftinction between the reformed and papifts: the latter perfevered in the old style, and abhorred the new one, as an abominable invention of herefy: but it was the more cherished by their opponents; and, in procefs of time, not only the difcourfes from the pul

pit, but the inftitutions of youth, were carried on in the fame language, till at laft it gained fuch afcendancy, that, fuperfeding all the provincial dialects, it was alone regarded as the proper language both for devotion and inftruction.

"It was the Reformation that had been the fruit of progreffive civilization and improvement in the German language: it was that too which not only enlightened mankind, but promoted the advancement of knowledge and learning. It was as a guiding ftar to all who were inimical to fuperftition, and favourable to truth; it gave to the human mind a more extenfive scope, by counteracting ignorance and delufion. The provinces, in which the Reformation was first received, by this advantage foon became pre-eminent to the popish countries in Germany. They became the fource of refinement and the feat of arts, and ferved as an example for imitation to their neighbours. The language in the Proteftant countries in Germany is allowed to be more pure and elegant, more correct and harmonious, than other idioms in the Roman Catholic provinces; for it rofe in the former to that fuperiority in which we behold it at this moment, and is rapidly advancing to the zenith of its glory. This is the language which, in contradiction to the other idioms, is termed Hochdeutfch, i. e. High German. As it has ceased to be a provincial dialect, and is become the general language of the country, it may juftly be called the German by way of pre-eminence, for it has been cultivated in all quarters. In its prefent ftate it can no longer be called the language of the electorate of Saxony, fpoken by the inhabitants at large; but there, as elsewhere, it is confined to the higher orders. It is poffeffed of a fuperior degree of correctness, having been weeded of all local and provincial peculiarities." P. xxix.

The author thence proceeds to ftate, with much accuracy, the found and pronunciation of each diftinét letter. As general rules, these are no doubt highly ingenious and commendable; but to exprefs the precife pronunciation of any word in one language, by a certain number of letters in another, if not altogether impracticable, is always extremely difficult. A great deal must ever remain to be acquired by that peculiar accent and emphafis, without which no word can be pronounced with abfolute correctnefs and propriety.

We now arrive at what we have ever reckoned the most important, if not the most difficult, part of the German language; namely, rules for the correct difcrimination of the genders. Dr. Render, however, treats this fubject with fo much clearness and precision, that we cannot refrain from inferting the whole of his judicious obfervations.

"It is an unfortunate circumftance that this part of grammar, which is of the highest importance, should have been hitherto fo indifferently treated by former authors, many of whom, instead of rendering it clear and fimple to the ftudent, have perplexed it more, and led him into a labyrinth of numerous irregularities and difficulties, from which

I hope to explicate him, by a plain and eafy progreffion. The German fubftantives are divided into two principal genders, viz. the PERSONAL and NEUTER. The firft is likewife MASCULINE OF FEMI

NINE.

"General Remarks.

"MASCULINE are thofe which exprefs STRENGTH, VIGOUR,

ENERGY, or ACTIVITY.

"FEMININE are those which exprefs what is so FT, AGREEABLE,

PLEASANT, or AFFECTIONATE.

NEUTER are fuch as cannot exprefs any of the above OBJECTS. "Although this comprehends, in an exifting manner, all the genders of nouns, I fhall, notwithstanding, exhibit each clafs individually, and at the fame time point out the three genders of the German language feparately, together with the fmall number of exceptions, which each of them poffefs, at the conclufion I fhall add fome peculiarities, under the title of "General Obfervations on the Genders".

"The MASCULINE genders are: 1ft, all proper names of male perfons, gods, angels, and demons, as well as all names expreffing an office, dignity, quality, ftation, or inftrument, peculiar to the male. Except, diminutives which are neuter; and a few compound words, in which the laft component is of a different gender, as DIE MANNSPERSON, and DAS MANNSBILD, both denoting a male; die person, the perfon, being a feminine; das bild, the figure, neuter.

"zd. The names of ftones, winds, birds, fishes, trees, seasons, months, days, and the elementary productions*.

3d. All derivatives ending in er, expreffing a ftation, and those denoting an inftrument peculiar to the male. Except das Meffer, the knife; das Ruder, the oar; die Klammer, a cramp-iron; die Halfter, a halter; die Leiter, a ladder; die Leyer, a hurdy-gurdy.

4th. Moft derivatives ending in en.

EXCEPT the infinitives and fome other fingle nouns, which are neuter; as das Almofen, alms; das Becken, the bafin; das Küssen, the cushion; das Leben, the life; das the coat of arms; das Zeichen, the fign; das Eifen, the iron. 5th. All derivatives ending in ing, and ling. EXCEPT das Ming, brafs.

Wapen,

FEMININE are,

ft. All the names of female perfons, expreffing the dignities, relations, qualities, functions, and inttruments, peculiar to the female fex; and confequently all derivatives ending in inn. Except das Weib, the wife, or woman; das Menfch, a low woman; das Weibfbild, a female; das Frauenzimmer, a lady; das Weibftück, a contemptible expreffion for a woman.

"2d. All derivatives ending in ey, or heit, keit, fchaft, and ung. EXCEPT der Brey, pap; das Ey, an egg; das Gefchrey, clamour; der Schaft, the stock of a gun; der Sprung, the leap; der Hornung, February.

This rule contains, comparatively fpeaking, very few exceptions, the principal of which are, das Jahr, the year, which is neuter; and die Mittwoche, Wednesday, feminine; and a few others.

"3d. All