its commencement, with bleeding, and purging, and on its remitting in its violence, they had recourfe to wine and cordials, only one in twenty, or about a feventh part of the nnmber died; but when, having acquired a true knowledge of the nature of the disease, the antiphlogistic plan was perfifted in until the difcafe was completely fubdued, not more than one in twenty died.

The author feems to have been led into this improved mode of treating the difeafe, from obferving, on opening the bodies of thofe who had died, that the thoracic vifcera were univerfally, and the abdominal frequently highly inflamed.

As the officers who were attached to the regiments that fuffered most from the fever, were rarely affected, while thofe who attended on the fick, feldom entirely efcaped, although ventilation, and fumigation, were much attended to, and the disease did not extend to any great diftance from the hospital; "thefe circum. ftances," the author fays, p. 6, "prove that the caufe of the disease acts in a very confined sphere, and totally exclude the idea, that it is produced wholly by the qualities of the air, by the feafon, or any common furrounding fource of unhealthinefs; but the inductive proofs feem ftrongly," he fays, "to imply that its exciting caufe is contagion," On the whole, this feems to be a ufeful performance, and may be advantageoufly confulted by gentlemen having the care of jails, hofpitals, or workhouses, where fuch fevers are likely to occur,

ART. 21. The Domestic Guide, in cafes of Infanity, pointing out the Caufes, Means of preventing, and proper Treatment of that Diforder, recommended to Private Families, and the Notice of the

Clergy. 12mo. 116 pp. 23, W, Button, London,

1805.

In a fhort but fenfible preface, the author informs us that the rules here laid down for the treatment of perfons, afflicted with infanity, are the refult of forty years practice. He feems to think the difeafe, is moft frequently occafioned by fome affection of the body, or fome of its organs, particularly the brain, and that it is generally curable. Infanity is often, he fays, a long time, perhaps many years, forming in the conftitution, and making its appearance immediately after fome violent perturbation of the mind, or a fit of intoxication, thofe have been confidered as the caufes of the derangement, when in fact, they only put the real caufe, which had long existed in the conftitution into action. "That the indulgence of irregular paffions," he fays, p. 14, "has often been attended with dreadful confequences, and not the leaft, the lofs of reafon, there can be no doubt; yet I am well con, vinced that many of the inconfiftencies, eccentricities, and, per. haps, even what are deemed the vices of mankind, may be owing to the influence of this diforder. The question why do not all

think alike upon the fame fubject? may be fhortly anfwered, by faying, that it is either from the influence of previous opinions, or from the difference of constitution. I would only contend, that the latter is more frequently the cafe than we are aware of." The feeds of infanity beeing fo widely diffused, and existing often where they are not fufpected, it behoves us all, he fays to avoid the exciting causes. If there is any fpecific against the first approaches of this diforder," he adds, p. 22, "it confifts in temperance, in its most comprehenfive fenfe, temperance in eating, and drinking, in bodily exertion, and in the indulgence of the passions. It were well," he adds, "if the dread of infanity could caution people against the indulgence of violent paffions of the mind. Let the proud man reflect, the extreme indulgence of his arrogant no. tions may bring him to be humbled in the duft, by wearing the chains of the maniac," &c.

The motives to temperance, according to this author, are very ftrong, as he seems to think there are few human beings who have not the feeds of infanity in their conftitutions. If this, however, were the cafe, few of the perfons who live in a conftant round of debauchery, would efcape, but this is far from being the fact, fo that the feeds of infanity, or in other words, a difpofition to the difeafe, is not fo common as he fuppofes.

The symptoms of infanity, which occupy the next chapter, are taken principally from Mr. Haflam's Treatife on the fubject, Some more minute marks are added by the author, by which he thinks the disease may be difcovered, before it has fo manifefted itfelf, as not to be mistaken by any one; but they are fuch, as, if they were acted on, might lead to ftrange and even mischievous mistakes, and had therefore better perhaps have been omitted, as perfons of lefs fagacity than the author, might fo mifapply them, as to excite the difeafe, where it was not before exifting. The intention of the author, we have no doubt, was good; as he even thinks perfons who have been put upon their guard, have fo managed themselves, as to prevent the difcafe from manifefting itself, through their whole lives, though he had no doubt, it was exifting in their conftitutions, fe p. 37. We rather think, the author had, in thofe cafes, been deceived.

In the fubfequent chapters, which treat of the management, and cure of infane perfons, the author has fully compenfated for any wrong notions he may have advanced on the caufe of the disease. It is the only book on the fubject, that we know, that might be read, with advantage, by private perfons who have any of their relatives affected with the complaint; fuch perfons, and clergymen, to whom the book is particularly addreffed, might get from it important information. The whole method of treat ment, appears to us to be extremely rational, and is delineated in fo clear, and confpicuous a manner, that any perfon, of good fenfe, might foon make himself fo much mafter of it, as to be able to manage any infane perfons, who are not outrageous, or difpofed

to

to do themselves, or others mifchief; and this appears to have been the benevolent intention of the author, in the publication. Why he conceals his name, is not eafy to guefs, or why he should fay, that the medicines, he recommends, are only a part of what he is in the habit of ufing, as he does not pretend that those he conceals have any specific power over the disease, or that they are more efficacious than thofe he recommends, though he does fay, pref. p. 1o," he is under ftrong family obligations, not to reveal them." Neither do we understand what he says in the laft page, "I expect a very little advantage from what I have writ ten, except a trifle of self fatisfaction, yet it is not many years fince a more fortunate perfon, than myself, refused a thousand guineas, for the difclofure of what these pages contain." We wish he had omitted this, as it gives an air of mystery, and of quackery to the book, though as he conceals his name, it could anfwer no purpose to him; and in fact, the method, and medicines he has recommended appear to be fo judicious, and proper, that nothing, as it feems to us, could have been advantageously added.

ART. 22.

Outlines of the Origin, and Progrefs of Galvanism, with its Application to Medicine, in a Letter to a Friend. By William Meade, M. D. 8vo, 74 PP. 29. Archer, Dub lin.

1805.

It is well known that the property exifting in many bodies, called Galvanism, took its name from Profeffor Galvani, who first discovered it while making fome experiments with an electrical apparatus. Of the Galvanic fluid we only know, that it has properties very fimilar to the electric, but it has others, fuf ficiently different, to induce a doubt whether they are identically the fame. The affinity it has to electricity, probably led to the idea, that it might be applied in the cure of fome painful, and not very tractable difeafes. The prefent author thinks it may be.ufed with great profpect of fuccefs, in chronic rheumatifm, in paralytic affections, in amenorhea, in leucophlegmafia, and fome other complaints, for which electricity was for a long time celebrated. That the writers on the medicinal powers of electricity, fuffered themfelves to be deceived, by their partiality for the procefs, by which it is elicited and applied, there can be no doubt, fince of the long catalogue of difeafes, in which it was thought to be eminently ferviceable, there are few now for which it is reforted to; and none we believe, for which the experienced phyfician, or furgeon, would venture to recommend it, as likely to be in any material degree beneficial. Electricity gave way, or was driven away by the Perkinian tractors; which operated, if they had any effect, other than on the imagination, which they feemed powerfully to influence, fomewhat in the manner of Galvanifm. The

tractors

tractors are giving way to the Galvanic belts, of which Dr. Meade feems to think, at the leaft, more favourably than of the fractors.

"Nearly on the fame principle," he fays, p. 54, "another remedy called the Galvanic belt has been recommended, and for which, no doubt, the proprietor will obtain a patent. Of this, however, I will not fpeak fo harshly, as of the tractors, but certainly, neither its conftruction, or mode of application, is in any degree reconcileable to the known laws of Galvanifm. Let us therefore at prefent, be fatisfied with its medical effects, as connected with the pile of Volta. It may not, nor can any remedy, always fucceed, but thus much we know, that its principles are unerring, and that its effects are always obvious, fuch as a conftant and powerful excitement of the nervous influence, and a local, or general ftimulus to the fyftem." The author has defcribed, in a neat, and correct manner, the ufual proceffes by which Galvanism is made to manifeft itfelf; the pile contrived by Volta, to accumulate the fluid, with the method of making fundry amufing experiments; and has given, in an abridgment, the principal part of the information on the fubject, which is at present attainable. Thofe perfons therefore, who are difpofed to make further trials, cannot do better than to furnish themselves with this little manual, There are two engraved plates, representing the inftruments ufed in eliciting and collecting the Galvanic fluid,

POLITICS.

ART. 23. Thoughts on Public Trufts, 8vo. 303 PP. 2s. 6d. Longman and Co. London; Conftable and Co. Edinburgh. 1805.

The author of this work may, for any thing we know, be a man of good intentions, but he entertains moft extraordinary, and to us abfurd, fentiments on the fubject of government. His opinion is, that, as government is a public truft, all legiflators, as well as executive officers, are to be confidered as mere agents or fterwards; that they are bound to obey every inftruction of their conftituents, and ought to be removable at their will and plea.. fure! This is exactly the old and exploded Jacobinical doctrine. If we understand him rightly, he would wholly difcard reprefentation, and, confining the duties of fenates and councils to the ordinary concerns of the ftate, give the fole right of enacting laws to the people at large, as was the Roman conftitution at one period of the history of that people, namely, while the votes were taken by tribes, not by centuries. That conftitution is indeed the only one that has the approbation of this author: for he highly cenfures thofe of the American States, and alfo the Royal Democracy (as it was called) which was projected by the first revolu

tionists

tionists of France. We agree with him in condemning the wretched fabrication of the French reformers; but for different reafons from thofe which feem to weigh with him for (ftrange to tell!) his objection to that conftitution is, that it gave to the king too much power and influence!!!-In one very material fact he is misinformed. The king (if our recollection does not greatly deceive us) had little power or influence over the army. His patronage extended, we believe, no further than to the appoint ment of fubaltern officers. All the higher commiffions were filled by fucceffion according to feniority. In almoft every other refpect the authority of the king was a mere fhadow; of which we need no better proof than it was not able to refift the very first affault of his republican adverfaries. The writer is fcarcely lefs mistaken in his fuppofition that the American legiflators pay no regard to the fentiments of their conftituents. They are, we believe, too much inclined to court the lower orders of the people, and to veer with every gale of popular opinion.

On the author's predilection for the conftitution of Rome, we will only remark, that, whenever the Roman people were not engaged in foreign hoftilities (and indeed often when they were) they were agitated by factions, and difturbed by perpetual tumults and feditions. It is fome merit in an author of this ftamp, that he does not directly attack the conftitution of Britain; though his arguments, if juft, undoubtedly apply to it. Having cenfured almost every form of government that has come under his review, the author next propofes a plan of his own; which appears to us fo vifionary and wholly impracticable, that we are not forry our limits do not permit us to detail it. He does not indeed feem to expect it fhould be adopted by any country, or even read. We therefore recommend his fending it to that great conftitution-monger, the Abbé Sieyes, to be lodged, till wanted, in one of the pigeon-boles of his celebrated repofitory.

ART. 24. Supplement to the Anfwer to the Inquiry into the State of the Nation. 8vo. 62 pp. 1806.

To the merit of this anonymous, and we believe unknown, writer we have already borne full teftimony, in noticing his anfwer to the Inquiry; nor does this Supplement fall fhort of the principal work. In the qualities of energy and perfpicuity, candour and impartiality, we indeed think the Supplement rather to be preferred. It contains a more particular examination of that part of the Inquiry which so strongly urges a speedy pacification with France. The arguments in favour of fuch a measure are canvaffed with ability, and not without fuccefs. After fhowing the greater part of his adverfary's reafoning on that fubject to be illufory, and pointing out the incalculable advantages of a peace to France, the author gives a fummary of thofe which we may promife to

ourfelves