COLONIES.

Art. 26. Letters to the Miniftry, from Governor Bernard, General Gage, and Commodore Hood. Alfo, Memorials to the Lords of the Treasury, from the Commiffioners of the Customs. With fundry Letters and Papers annexed to the jaid Memorials. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Boston: New-England, printed by Edes and Gill, and reprinted for Wilkie in London. 1769.

In our last, p. 320, we mentioned a collection of letters from Governor Bernard, &c. to Lord Hillsborough, relating to the Difputes between the governor and the council of the province, concerning the providing quarters for the king's troops, arrived for the purpose of awing the town, &c. Thofe letters bore date from Nov. 1768, to July, inclufive, 1769.-The prefent feries is antecedent to that recorded in the last month's Review. It begins with Gov. B.'s letter to Lord Shelburne, dated Jan. 21, 1768, and ends (where the former feries began) in October, the fame year: fo that the two collections, taken together, contain a complete view of this famous ministerial correfpondence, and of the political contefts and diffentions in the colony of Maffachufett's-Bay during the aforefaid period.

Ás to the merits of this controverfy between Gov. B. on the part of the crown, and the council, &c. on the part of the people, we fufficiently intimated our opinion, in fpeaking of the collection republifhed here, in the last month. We have no doubt but that there were faults on both fides. The zeal of the champions for each party may, in fome refpects, have carried them too far; but, on the whole, when we reflect on the frequent appearances of an arbitrary fpirit in the governor, (perhaps too much countenanced by perfons in office on this fide the water) we cannot but recollect a striking paffage, at the conclufion of a memorial from the council of the province of Maffachufett's-Bay, addreffed to Lord Hillsborough, April 15, 1769, viz. It is plain, my lord, that the people of this province, of all ranks, orders, and conditions, have loft all confidence in Gov. Bernard, and he in them: wherefore, from the highest fenfe of duty to his Majesty (whofe honour and intereft is very near our hearts) and from a just regard to this province, and to all the colonies and provinces on this continent, we most humbly fabmit to your Lordship, whether his Majesty's fervice can be carried on with advantage, during his administration.'-What weight this obfervation hath had at home, it is needless to remark: perhaps, indeed, it would, in the prefent fituation of our American affairs, have been justly deemed ill policy in any miniftry, to difcountenance fo active and zealous a fervant of the crown, as Sir Francis Bernard.

MEDICAL,

Art. 27. The Medical Mifcellany: or, a Collection of Cafes, Tracts, and Commentaries; exhibiting a View of the prefent State of Medical and Chirurgical Practice and Literature in England. by T. Tomlinfon. 8vo. 4s. 6d. fewed. Printed for the author, and fold by Nicoll. 1769.

Crude theories, facts already known, and obfervations already made, fill up much too large a proportion of the work before us; while the real addition to the public fund of knowledge is very inconfiderable. And would Mr. Tomlinfon, whofe skill and ability in his

profesion

profeffion we by no means call in queftion, make the future numbers of his mifcellany an ufeful repofitory, he muft guard against thefe faults.

The whole materials of this volume are fupplied by Mr. Tomlinfon himself, except two fhort articles, one of which we shall give our Readers, as it contains a brief and pertinent hiftory, and much fitter for a collection of this kind than far the greater number of the other articles.

Cafe of an uncommon Tumour.

• A Lady about thirty years of age, who, from her infancy, had been often fubject to inflammatory complaints, had, about five years ago, a fevere rheumatic fever which continued two or three months. After her recovery the grew very fat, but remained at times frequently indifpofed with lofs of appetite, dejection of fpirits, and an inability to bear much exercife.-Upon her return from a journey in Auguft 1767, fhe complained of a pungent pain below the fhoulder-blade whenever the lay in bed.-Upon examination a tumour about fix inches long and three inches broad of the fize and fhape of half a melon was very evident on the left fide between the fcapula and the vertebræ, extending itself below the fcapula. A fluctuation of some fluid was very perceivable, though the integuments were not thin, but the tumour felt remarkably cold, like a bladder of cold water.

In hopes that this tumour might be of fervice to her complaints in general, various methods were made ufe of to bring it to a state of maturation.-Penetrating hiniments and warm irritating plaisters were applied but to very little purpofe: the liniments would not lie on the part but run off in a curdled form, and plaisters, though of ever so adhesive a quality when applied to other parts of her, would not however stick upon this tumour. Finding it in vain to expect much from applications, it was determined that they should be left off, and the tumour rubbed twice a-day with a flesh-brush, the use of which was likewife difcontinued after a time as it produced no alteration. In the February following, fhe was feized with a fevere troublefome cough attended with a pain of the fide, and between the fhoulders.-The ufual methods relieved the cough, but upon examining the part where the tumour was fituated, no remains of it could be found, nor was there any pain upon preffure.

She went into the country, but found her appetite for food grew daily worse, particularly after exercife. She had tranfient pains all over her, which after three months fixed in her feet, and became fo very excruciating as to be relieved only by opiates. Her ftomach and breathing were often affected, and were eafed only by the use of philon. lend.-in this manner fhe continued for the space of between two and three months when being worn out with pain and lofs of ftrength the died in August 1768.

As the tumour on the back had vanished fo long before her death, there was no permiflion given to make an incifion into the part to examine whether there was any cyft or other appearance to determine the nature of it.'

When it was discovered that a further maturation could not be pro

* Communicated by an eminent furgeon.

moted,

moted, would it not have been better to have made a proper opening for the enclosed fluid, than to expofe the patient to the fatal metaltafis that enfued?

By a note,' fays Mr. Tomlinfon, from a gentleman whofe intelligence cannot be difputed, I am informed that the practice of placing a fractured limb in a flexed pofition was begun by Mr. Girle of St. Thomas's hofpital, twenty years ago."

The following is the note referred to, and which at our Author's request we make public:

The cuftom of bending the knee and laying the patient inclining to the fide of the fractured limb, was begun more than twenty years fince in St. Thomas's hofpital, by that excellent practical furgeon the late Mr. Girle, upon the following occafion. He had a patient under his care with a compound fractured thigh, who fell into a delirium a few hours after the limb was laid extended in the ufual manner with the knee ftraight. Mr. Girle finding in the morning that the patient had in his delirium thrown himself on the fide of the fractured thigh and with the knee bent, (notwithstanding all the care to keep the limb extended,) he ordered that it should remain in that flexed pofition during the cure.

It was obferved in this patient that when the cure was compleated, the fractured thigh was as long as the other: he therefore directed that not only fractures of the thigh fhould be laid in this pofture, but also thofe of the leg; and many furgeons, both in town and country, have followed this method. But much merit is due to Mr. Pott for establishing the practice and making it public.'

SERMONS.

D.

I. The Character of Jesus Christ, confidered as a public Speaker-at Bridport, in Dorfetthire, Aug. 17, 1769, at the Ordination of the Rev. Mr. George Waters, and the Rev. Mr. William Youat. By Andrew Kippis, D. D. To which is added, a Charge delivered on the fame Occafion by Philip Furneaux, D. D. I S. Buckland, &c.

II. The Spiritual Fisherman; or Character, Complaint, Duty, and Refolution of an evangelical Minifter, attempted to be reprefented and improved;-at the annual meeting of Minifters, in Broadftreet, Reading, Berks. Aug. 29, 1769. By Samuel Stevens. Dilly.

Ill. In Lambeth Chapel, at the Confecration of the Hon. and Rev. Father in God, Shute Barrington, L L. D. Lord Bishop of Landaff, O&. 1, 1769. By George Stinton, D. D. Chancellor of Lincoln, and Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Rivington, &c.

IV. On Chriftian Fruitfulness: being a Charity-fermon, July 30, 1769, for the public infirmary at Liverpool. By John Brekell. Buckland, &c.

: V. At the Confecration of Clare-hall Chapel, July 5, 1769. By Peter Stephen Goddard, D. D. Mafter of the College and Prebendary of Peterborough. To which is added, the Form of Confecration used by the Lord Bishop of London. 4to. 1 s. Cambridge printed, and fold by Beecroft, &c. in London.

The Form of Confecration here used, is taken from one recommended by the onvocation, 1742 with the addition of tavo prayers from that jed by Bijhep Patrick, at the confecration of Catherine-Hall Chapel, 1704.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For DECEMBER, 1769.

Obfervations on the Duties and Offices of a Physician; and on the Method of profecuting Enquiries in Philofophy. 8vo. 3s. fewed. Strahan, and Cadell. The author Dr Gregory.

THE

HERE is fearce any thing that affords a clearer proof of an enlarged and liberal turn of mind, than a man's rifing fuperior to the narrow prejudices and contracted notions of his own profeffion. The foldier, the lawyer, the phyfician, &c. has, each, not only a certain peculiarity of air and manner, but a certain fet of notions that diftinguishes him, and often expofes him to ridicule. This has been remarkably the cafe with phyficians. Hence we find that, in every age, much wit and raillery has been pointed against them; to fuch a degree, indeed, that, as our Author obferves, we never meet with a phyfician in a dramatic representation, but he is treated as a fol.mn coxcomb and a fool.

Many phyficians, however, have been as eminent for their candid and generous way of thinking, and their contempt of the low, paltry arts of their profeffion, as for their fuperior knowledge. Such characters are highly refpectable, and fuch appears to be the character of the Author of the Obfervations now before us. We have read them with pleafure more than once, and can fay, with great truth, that we know not which to admire moft, the enlarged and comprehenfive views of the philofopher, or the ingenuous and liberal fentiments of the gentleman, the friend to virtue, religion, and humanity.

Every reader, who has the least tincture of philofophy, will receive both inftruction and entertainment from our Author's Obfervations; ftudents of medicine, in particular, will derive great advantage from an attentive perufal of them. They will' conceive an early contempt of that little, illiberal fpirit, or, to ufe our Author's words, that corporation fpirit, which difgraces a certain clafs of phyficians, and which is animadverted upon Voi. XLI.

D d

by

by our Author with a dignity and generofity of cenfure, which, how difagreeable foever it may be to thofe who are the objects of it, muft neceffarily be applauded by every liberal-minded reader. They will fee that it is below the dignity of a physician of real merit, to refufe to confult with another, because he had not his degree at this or that univerfity; that a stateliness and folemnity of air and manner, and the niceft and moft exact attention to every external formality, are no marks of fuperior merit, and are fo far from fupporting the dignity of the profeffion, that they often expofe it to ridicule and contempt. They will clearly perceive that a creeping fervility of manners, and an abject flattery of people of rank and fortune, is a difgrace to men of learning and ingenuity-that infidelity is no proof of a fuperior understanding;-that a man may be truly polite, without being impious;—and that a diffoluteness of principle is equally dangerous to fociety, and to their own intereft and honour. In a word, he will learn to diftinguish between the duties of a liberal profeffion, and the private police of a corporation; and will fee, that the system of conduct in a phyfician, which tends most to the advancement of his art, is fuch as will moft effectually maintain the true dignity and honour of the profeffion, and even promote the private intereft of such of its members as are men of real capacity and merit.

From the advertisement prefixed to this work, we learn, that

The following theets contain two preliminary lectures, read not long ago, in one of the univerfities of a neighbouring kingdom, by a medical profeffor ;-that many copies, from the general fatisfaction they afforded his audience, were taken down in fhort-hand; and that of thefe, the reader is here prefented with the most correct. The Editor flatters himself, that from the free and liberal spirit of enquiry which animates the whole of them, they will prove a most acceptable prefent to the public; and, of course, do no difcredit to the ingenious Author.'

The first lecture contains obfervations on the duties and office of a phyfician; a fubject of great importance, and of a very delicate nature for a phyfician to treat of with openness and freedom. In the profecution of this fubject, our Author confiders, in the first place, what kind of genius, understanding and temper naturally fit a man for being a phyfician;-in the fecond, what are the moral qualities to be expected from him in the exercife of his profeffion, viz. the obligations of humanity, patience, attention, difcretion, fecrecy, and honour, which he lies under to his patients.-In the third place, he takes notice of the decorums and attentions peculiarly incumbent on him as a physician, and which tend molt effectually to fupport the dignity of the profeffion; as likewife the general propriety of his anners, his behaviour to his patients, to his brethren, to furgeons and apothecaries.-In the fourth, he particularly de

fcribes