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THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For DECEMBER, 1759.

An Introduction to Phyfiology, being a Courfe of Lectures upon the most important Parts of the Animal Oeconomy: In which the Nature and Seat of many Difeafes is [are] pointed out, and explained; their curative Indications fettled; and the neceffary Connection between regular Practice, and a Knowlege of the Structure and Ufe of the Parts is evinced and illufirated. By Malcolm Flemyng, M. D. 8vo. 6s. Nourse,

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AVING thoroughly read a few of the twenty-eight Lectures which compofe this volume, and dipped into more of them, we think we may, with juftice to our Readers, let part of Dr. Flemyng's Preface give the fubfequent account of the purpose and limitation of this well-intended, ufeful, and laborious work, which he modeftly apologizes for at the fame time.

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Although many excellent Treatifes on the Animal Oeconomy have been publifhed of late years, yet a compendious body thereof, comprized in one volume, of a moderate fize and price, but withal fo comprehenfive as to ferve, in a competent meafure, for a foundation, in its kind, of a rational and regular practice, to Readers previously inftructed in Anatomy, feemed to be ftill wanting in our language; efpecially for the ufe of beginners; and above all, for thofe whofe lot it may be to practife the Healing Art at home or abroad, by fea or by land, without having had the benefit · Vol. XXI,

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of an univerfity education, and with but a fcanty ftock of • erudition. For fuch chiefly the following volume is calculated. But it hath been endeavoured alfo, to render it not altogether ufclcts to the more learned and knowing. To them it may fupply the place of a Remembrancer, or recapitulation of what they have been taught before, in a fuller and more diffused manner. Its groundwork was a courfe of private Lectures I read in London in 1751, which, fince my removal into the country, I have corrected, and very • much enlarged.

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In the anatomical part I have followed thofe Writers of the first rank, who began to flourish in this prefent century, and Winflow chiefly; by whofe clear, juft, and accurate defcriptions, true Anatomy hath been fo much improved. Amongst the more ancient, Vefalius, Euftachius, Ruysch, and a few more, have not been neglected. With respect to the ufes of the parts, I have had all along in my eye Boerhaave's Phyfiology, with the corrections and improvements of Haller. Nor have I omitted to confult numberlefs other treatifes, of the best note, on their respective fubjects.'.

When he has rendered this due acknowlegement to such 、reputable fources of his work, as must give it more value and authority with its general Readers, he proceeds thus, with a regard to more particular ones.

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In a work of this kind, which from its nature is compilation, difcoveries will not be required by the equitable Reader, but it is hoped that fome things, both new and ufeful, will be found amidft the heap of what others have taught before. At least I can with great truth declare, that in this volume I have ftarted hints, which to myself appear fo, without being beholden for them, either to books, converfation, or correfpondence.'

This declaration may incline even fuch as are well versed in Phyfiology and Pathology, to give Dr. Flemyng at least a curfory perufal; whence, we apprehend, they will obferve fome paflages they may approve, and others on which they may hefitate. To give an inftance or two of each. When our Author recommends, from his own reflection, besides nutritive clyfters, a femicupium of warm milk or broth, in a Quincy where deglutition is totally obftructed, (and where bronchotomy has been performed, to prevent immediate fuffocation) as an auxiliary towards nutrition, he appears to be practically rational: and where he fuppofes the blood vomit

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ted by women, whofe Menfes are obftructed, to proceed from a dilatation of the arterial Tubuli in the ftomach, which ufually discharge only a lymph, or fome colourless fluid, he seems anatomically right.

On the other hand, when our Author, inclinable to fubfcribe to the famous Dr. Liberkhun's opinion, "That a very fmall twig of an artery is not only beftowed on each lacteal "veffel [which might be neceffary for the nutrition of its "fine coats] but that fuch a twig, conveying fomething "much finer than red blood, alfo opens into the cavity of "each Lacteal," may not fome of our Author's Readers doubt, both of fuch a communication as he admits, and of the purpose which he affigns for it? viz. The folicitude of Nature in further diluting, and rendering lefs ftrange to the blood, the new-made Chyle, which is to be mixed with it by and by.' Now, with regard to the communication itfelf, may not a good Anatomift candidly fuppofe the probability of an injections forcing, through very tender membranes, a paffage which did not exist in the vital state? Then how very frange can we fuppofe the new-made Chyle to be to the blood, after it has been blended with the humours of the ftomach, the Bile and pancreatic juice; after it has been fubjected to the action of the different bowels, and partakes of their natural heat? a defect of which heat, indeed, might conftitute a very important diffimilarity between the Chyle and the venous blood, into which it is fo gradually instilled, by the admirable mechanifm of the body.

By starting thefe difficulties, however, which we have not -trained to devife, we do not mean abfolutely to deny this internal communication of the lymphatic artery with the contents of the lacteal veffel, which the indefatigable Liberkhun may, perhaps, have difcovered; nor the end which Dr. Flemyng ingenioufly fuppofes fuch a communication may anfwer: but we only propofe, by the way, to take fuch a liberty with him on this phyfiological point, as we with pleafure allow him, and approve in him, on many others. Perfons unqualified for a fair diflent, or rational difceptation, are generally incapable of conferring that juft, the only, approbation, which the judicious can relish.

Not chufing to felect any other citation from this profeffedly compiled fyftem, which employs four hundred pages honeftly printed, we fhall remark, with regard to the Compiler's ftyle, for which he apologizes, that it is very generally clear, and properly adapted to a didactic performance. A more laboured elegance of it might have rendered it more abftrufe to

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the bulk of his Hearers or Readers. The few local phrafes that occur, are always intelligible: but there is one particularity we shall venture to recommend to the learned Author's further confideration. This is the frequent ufe of the Subftantive without prefixing the prepofitive Particle a, where, we apprehend, the English idiom requires it. The omiffion occurs much oftener before the word Fever than any other. Thus we read, page 109, fo that Fever is in reality-the vital principle raifes Fever. Pape 110, Fever therefore is in its nature good-the bad confequences of Fever-defirable in Fever. Page 111, gets the better of Feverthe caufe that brought on Fever,' &c. Now whatever may be grammatically or logically urged in fupport of using this word indefinitely, as a general term, including many species, no particular one of which is meant here; it appears fufficient to anfwer, that it is contrary to conftant ufage, which Horace jufly terms the Arbiter of Language. Were it used poetically as a perfonage, perhaps it might be allowed: but even here Dr. Garth, who understood English elegantly well, chofe to introduce it by the Latin word Febris, as he did Hydrops, and other difeafes. Cancer and Scirrus, indeed, being Latin, might feem more exempt from the law of our idiom; but then they are neither of them fo comprehenfive a Genus as that of Fever; befides, that Cancer, mentioned indefinitely would rather give us an idea of the Sign in the Zodiac than of the difeafe. Probably Dr. Flemyng's intimate acquaintance with the Latin, in which he formerly published an elegant poem, intitled Neuropathia, has made him attempt to introduce their manner of ufing common Subftantives abfolutely, without a prepofitive Particle. But further reflection muft convince him, that our idiom, in this point, more resembles that of the Greeks, who pretty generally prefix the Particle *: and it is certain, that great authority and perfection in a language are neceflary to cancel what immemorial ufage feems to have eftablished as effential to it.

In fact, they often repeat it, fo as to make it feem redundant: the repetition not feldom occupying the place of a fubfequent Relalative Τα θες το εγείρανος αυτόν. Col: θρησκευασι την θέαν τηνδε Ρομzio. Herod. τοισιν αλγήμασι τοισι περί τον Πλευμένα. Hippoc.

A Collection of State Papers relating to Affairs in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, from the Year 1571 to 1596. Transcribed from original Papers and other authentic Memorials never before published, left by William Cecil Lord Burleigh, and repofited in the Library at Hatfield Houfe. By William Murdin, B. D.

Rector

Rector of Merrow and Vicar of Shalford in Surry. Folio 11. 16s.

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Bowyer.

O those who read more for information than entertainment, collections of this kind, if the materials are methodically arranged, generally afford more juft lights, and give more real fatisfaction, than the moft voluminous Hiftories.

The generality of Hiftorians are frequently unprovided with fuch authentic documents to afflift them in their compilation; and they who are happily fupplied with them, are often induced to colour or mifreprefent them, from principles of national or party prejudice: they take fo much of the contents as favours their own partial conclufions, and fupprefs whatever oppofes or contradicts their own hafty prepoffeffions.

Thus the intelligent Reader is difgufted, and the fuperficial one mifled. There are few Hiftories which are at the fame time useful and entertaining. Hiftorians are generally ambitious to draw the Reader's attention to themfelves, and for this purpose rather study to fay what is ftriking, than what. is juft.

To this felf-fondnefs, we owe the many digreffions which are made for the fake of introducing fome fingular reflections, or laboured antithefes, which impofe upon the inconfiderate; who are generally captivated by contrarieties; at the fame time that they unfeafonably withdraw the attention of the judicious, from the more interefting circumstances of the narrative.

Nevertheless, where observations are pertinent, and grounded on true premifes, they not only ferve to relieve the Reader, but fometimes open a new field for fpeculation; and by fuch means render the ftudy of Hiftory more profitable and agreeable.

But as Writers of fuch ingenuity and integrity are, perhaps, rarely to be found, hiftorical knowlege is to be more effectually acquired by a careful perufal of authentic documents. In them, facts appear in their native drefs; we become acquainted with the temper, manners, genius, and language of the times we read of; and are at liberty, without danger of prepoffeffion, to purfue our own comment on the several tranfactions of antiquity.

With regard to the Collection before us, it contains many curious, and feveral original papers; but as they relate to a part of Hiftory which has been very much beaten, they may

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