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phlogisticated regimen had no avail: warm and cold applications were equally infignificant; aftringents, ftimulants, and opiates, were all fruitless: fo that the military furgeons had the mortification to fee that this dreadful disease frustrated all their efforts. At length a method of controuling, and, in moft cafes, of fubduing this distemper, was happily difcovered; and Dr. Vetch gives the fole merit of the plan to Mr. Knight, Infpector-general of Military Hofpitals. It confifts chiefly in immoderate bleedings. From thirty to fixty ounces of blood is drawn off at once, and this is repeated frequently. We confefs our astonishment that any human being fhould fupport the lofs of fuch large quantities of blood, which, it is afferted, was followed with no lafting mifchief to the conftitution, but with the most striking benefit to the distemper. The antiphlogistic regimen, in its ftricteft fenfe, is naturally enjoined at the fame time. And Dr. Vetch declares, that by this bold treatment the ophthalmia is overcome with more certainty than any other inflammatory disease.

Little dependance appears to be placed on the local treatment. In the first stage, linen compreffes dipped in fome cooling lotion, as the fappharine water, or the faturnine folution, are constantly applied and the eyes are to be frequently cleanfed by injecting tepid water with a fyringe.

When the difeafe has fomething fubfided, other aftringents. have been found beneficial; fuch as Bates's camphorated eyewater, folutions of alum, &c. and Dr. Vetch, with the doubts natural to the candid, feems to be at a lofs which to prefer.

Mr. Ware's treatment differs in feveral effential points from that recommended by Dr. Vetch. Without cenfuring the profufe bleedings, he fays, he has rarely carried the plan of depletion to the fame extent. But he expreffes himfelf too vaguely to comprehend precifely to what extent he thinks it ought to be carried. He trufts more, as all oculifts do, to the local treat. ment. He recommends ftrongly fcarifying the lower eye-lid: whereas Dr. Vetch afferts, in pofitive terms, that all fcarifica. tions were found injurious; and he adds, that the furgeons who witneffed the difeafe in Egypt entertained the fame opinion.

We confefs ourselves inclined to give full credit to Dr. Vetch; who appears to be a moft intelligent obferver, and who has had much greater experience in this malady. Indeed, to make even the flightest wound in a part fo exquifitely irritable, does not appear to us a probable means of leffening inflammation. The caufe of the difcafe being a morbid poifon, likewife militates against this practice. That poifon is, however, certainly not fyphilitic, or the fcarifications would have produced chancres.

Mr. Ware is precife in his recommendation of an eye-water. He confiders Bates's camphorated water as pre-eminently ufeful; and usually employs it diluted with three parts of common water.

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He advises the eye to be fyringed with this lotion once, or, in bad cafes, twice every hour. When the inflammation is very furious, he puts only four or five grains of the vitriolated copper into eight ounces of water. There is fomething, however, contradictory in the inftructions given afterwards; for, though the first directions are evidently to employ the injection most frequently in the bad cafes, he gives this caution: "And if the pain of the eye, and the tumefaction of the conjunctive, be confiderable, it may be advisable not only to make the lotion of the weakest ftandard that I have mentioned, but to leave longer intervals between the times of employing it; and occafionally to interpofe the injection of merely tepid water in the manner recommended by Dr. Vetch." P. 39.

Thus Mr. Ware appears to have obferved, that the frequent ufe of fo irritating a lotion had done harm in this intense dis temper, and therefore propofes longer intervals: this inclines us to believe, that the omiffion of it altogether would still be preferable.

When the inflammation continues to augment, in fpite of the remedies, Mr. Ware advifes puncturing the cornea, to discharge the aqueous humour. This operation was first recommended by the ingenious James Wardrop, of Edinburgh. There has been hitherto too little experience of it to form a fure judgment of its utility but it feems to us not improbable, that by leffening the diftention from the plenitude of the globe, an eye may fometimes be faved, which otherwife would be loft.

It may be inferred from what has been written, that we prefer Dr. Vetch's publication to Mr. Ware's. The fuperior experience of the military furgeon in this disease has contributed to give him this advantage.

ART. 23. Cautions and Reflections on Canine Madness; with the Method of preventing the Hydrophobia in Persons who have been bitten. By George Lipscomb, Surgeon. 8vo. pp. 21. Is. 6d. Budd. 1807..

The fubject of Hydrophobia is fo interefting in its nature, and important in its confequences to the community, that we were furprised to find that any writer who deemed his reflections worthy of public notice, could communicate fo little information as the treatife before us contains. The author informs us, that "the speci fic nature of the morbid influence which produces Hydrophobia, is but little understood;" and that "the original fource of this contagion is in the atmosphere," "In proof that this difeafes like all other epidemics, is generated by a peculiar state of the atmosphere, it may be remarked, that whenever it arifes, the number of dogs feized naturally, that is, without having had any intercourfe with other dogs, always bears a great pro

portion

portion to the number among which the difeafe is diffeminated by biting."

In the treatment, nothing occurs but what is univerfally known to practitioners; and moft of the practical and interefting remarks in this pamphlet are derived from Dr. Mofely; who, in return, receives much commendation from the author. That Mr. Lipfcomb, is not, however, entirely devoid of originality, appears from the following extract, which is a fair fpecimen of his ftyle and opinions; and if any of our readers, convinced by these forcible arguments, fhould deftroy their faithful canine friends; we fhall doubtless afford the author much gratification." Dogs may minister to the luxury, or rather to the folly or caprice of individuais, but inftead of contributing to the fecurity of perfons or property, they are productive of much disturbance and inconvenience to both. Paffengers in the ftreets are perpetually fuffering annoyance, and the goods of tradefmen, and various articles of commerce, are frequently injured by them: vegetables and other articles of food rendered filthy and abominable.

"There is reafon to believe that many fine horfes are ftolen annually for the purpose of deftruction, and the fupply of dogsmeat and the facility of thus difpofing of their carcafes, becomes a double incitement to the horse-ftealer, because it be. comes a fecurity from detection as well as a pecuniary advantage."

ART. 24. Practical Obfervations on the Radix Rhatanie, or, Rhatany Root, a Production of Peru: containing an Account of its fenfible Qualities-Its Powers as a tonic or ftomachic Medicine -The various Forms in which it may be employed, and the most refpectable Teftimony in its Favor, as fuperior to the Peruvian Bark in all Cafes that require the Ufe of a ftrengthening Medi cine. To which are added, Directions for the Ufe of the Phaf phate and Oxyphofphate of Iron in Cancer, &c. By Richard Reece, M. D. &c. 8vo. 55. pp. 25. Longman. 1808.

The difcoveries in the Materia Medica of late years have tended more to revive old remedies than to introduce new ones. This has been particularly inftanced in the Digitalis or Foxglove, which is found to have been a remedy with which the earliest writers were as well acquainted as the prefent; fo that the pens of Forfter, Beddoes, and Ferriar have only been retailing old obfervations dreft in the fashion of the day. The author of the prefent effay claims higher merit. He prefents us with an account of a remedy, before his time entirely unknown in this country, poffeffing very active virtues, and excelling the moft boated qualities of the Peruvian bark; more grateful to the pa late, and lefs liable in its primary action to derange the ftomach and bowels. This medicine is the Rhatany Root, chiefly known before as a colouring material for red wine, which came by

chance

chance into the hands of the author, and which he fubjected to an accurate inveftigation both fcientific and practical. His eflay is divided, first, into an account of the remedy in its appearance and fenfible qualities, from which he forms fome important deductions. He then adduces a variety of refpectable and conclufive medical teftimonies in its favour; and, laftly, he enumerates the forms in which it may be prefcribed, and accommodated to various views of practice. We give him much credit for this laft part in which writers on new articles of the Materia Medica generally fail. Dr. Reece has very properly furnished the profeffion with fuch a variety of forms in which this apparently valuable medicine may be employed, that practitioners must be tempted to give it a fair trial, which we have no doubt will confirm the obfervations of the ingenious author, and render the root an article of great importance; as it appears to be well worthy of a place in the Pharmacopeia.

The following are the modes in which the root has been employed by Dr. Reece:

"The Rhatany Root may be administered,

"ift. In Substance.-Viz. Fine powder in this ftate it has anfwered beft in Intermittents and Epilepfy, in dofes," from ten to thirty grains, every two, three, or four hours, in a little mint water, or formed into an electuary, as recommended by Mr. Hill and Mr. Caton, in the 2d fection: fifteen grains of the powder are a proportion equivalent to twenty-five of the Peruvian Bark.

"ed. In Infufion. By macerating the bruifed root in water fix hours, the whole of its medicinal virtues is extracted. This infufion is as potent as the decoction, and poffeffes more of the aroma. Six drachms of the root are fufficient to faturate fixteen Ounces of water.

"3d. In decoction. Which is made by boiling fix drachms of the bruised root in twenty ounces of water, in a covered veffel for ten minutes, and ftraining the liquor while hot.

“4th. In Tin&ure. Of which three kinds are kept-viz. the fimple, the compound, and the aromatic." P. 42.

Exact formulæ are then given for making the compound tinctures; and afterwards other forms of prescriptions into which the root is admitted, in its different forms.

DIVINITY.

DIVINITY.

ART. 25. A Sermon, preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Londen, on Thursday, June 5, 1806. Being the Time of the yearly Meeting of the Children educated in the Charity Schools in and about the Cities of London and Westminster. By the Right Rev. John, Lord Bishop of Exeter. Published at the Request of the Society for promoting Chriftian Knowledge, &c. 4to. 11 pp. Rivingtons. 1806.

Nothing more curiously marks the filent lapfe of time, than the facility with which an event occuring annually is fuffered to pafs by, without a recollection that its period has returned. An inftance of it occurs in the prefent difcourfe, which certainly we did not intend to overlook; and which yet bears in its front a date which conveys a tacit reproach.

We did not immediately perceive what could be the reference of the text, prefixed to this difcourfe, to the occafion of it. The words are in Mark i. 3. "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths ftraight." The choice is fully juftified by the opening of the difcourfe, which commences with an animated comparison of the Christian world to a wildernefs, befet with dangers, through which, by diffeminating Chriftian knowledge, we enable the pilgrim to walk in the paths of the Lord. How dangerous a wilderness it is to the children of the poor, particularly in the metropolis, is admirably expreffed in this paffage.

"Innocence fcarcely bloffoms before it is blighted. The very firft avenues of fenfe are to them fo many fources of con tagion and corruption. The moral air they breathe is as peftilential as the natural, to which they are condemned. Blafphemy and profanenefs are the firft founds which meet their ears. Licen tioufnefs and debauchery, in their moft depraved and ugly fhapes, are the first scenes which their eyes witnefs. Their parents (dreadful as the confideration is) are, in many inftances, their earlieft preceptors in ruin and guilt. If they fhould be of an oppofite character, and inclined to piety and foberness, they ftill have neither time nor leisure to watch their inexperienced steps: nor do they poffefs means, in any degree competent, to provide even the first elements of Christian knowledge and inftruction."

P. 3:

The remainder of the difcourfe is founded on thefe confiderations, and the conclufion particularly applies them to the prefent times. During our delay, the merits of the learned and Right Rev. preacher have been rewarded with an advancement to the diocele of Salisbury.

ART.