cations of cure, and the forms of the medicines. In others, he omits many of thefe.-The following is the whole text for the • Pleuritis, and Paraphrenitis. The cure of the pleuritis and paraphrenitis, or inflammation of the pleura and diaphragm, may be readily understood from what has been obferved concerning inflammation in general, as no feparate or particular treatment will be required. Evacuations of blood and by ftool, the antimonial powder, the faline draught, with nitre, and, when the pulfe is lowered, the falt of hartfhorn in full dofes, with blifters and fomentations to, or as near as poffible to the affected parts, will answer every intention of cure.' The following is alío the whole text for the mend. • Vel R Vitrioli cærulei gr. ij. Aq. fontan. 3 ij. B. M. ft. pulv. emetic. Syr. fimp. 5. M. ft. hauft. emetic. mane fu Applicetur epifpaftic. fpinæ dorfi. No. 55. R Sem. finap. trit. Rad. raphan. ruft. contuf. ãã 3 B. Aceti. q. f. ut ft. cataplafm. plant. ped. applicand. No. 56. & Gum. aflafoetid. j. folv. in quaque hora.' Aq. cinnam. ten. 3 vij. add. Tinct. valer. vol. 3j. M. capiat coch. ij. tertia When our Author however adds the fymptoms and characters of diseases to the text, it is not always done with that accuracy and precision, which might be expected from one who is to inftruct others.-He thus characterifes Convulfions and Spafms. An involuntary or morbid contraction of any muscle, or mufcular part, is called a convulfion.'-This is a very inadequate definition; is applicable to the fliff-neck or contracted joint; but by no means comprehends the varieties of the fpafmodic or convulfive affections. We fhall add, as a fufficient specimen of this work, what the Author fays In every fever, the pulfe becomes quicker than natural, and the functions of the body more or lefs impaired or vitiated. '. The The caufes of Fevers then will be fuch as, by their irritation, can quicken the circulation, and excite fpafmodic contractions in the feveral parts of the body. And, Thefe we may diftinguifh in a twofold manner; into general, and particular. The general or epidemic caufes of fevers are fuch as may affect a whole city, country, or family; and, for the most part, depend upon fome putrefcent or infectious particles lodged in the air, or upon its manifest qualities; fuch as its heat or coldnefs, its moisture or drynefs, and the like. The particular caufes of fevers, or fuch as will affect individuals only, we may refer to three claffes. As, 1. To a purulent fomes within the body, from confined matter, the confequence of fuppurations. 2. To a putrefcent, acrimonious state of the juices, from a putrid fomes of any kind. And, 3. To obftructed perfpiration. From the firft clafs, fevers of the hectical, and colliquative kinds, will derive their origin; from the fecond, fevers of the putrid or malignant kind; and from the third clafs, or obftructed perfpiration, according to the habit of body and conftitution of the patient, either the acute inflammatory, the low nervous, the rheumatic, or the intermittent fever. The curative indications, in fevers in general, may be reduced to three. • The first, to correct and expel the cause, which, by its irritation, had given rife to the fever. The fecond will depend upon a proper management and regulation of the powers of nature; that the febrile impetus Thould not prevail beyond due bounds, or too much flag, for the proper coction of the febrile matter. The third will confift in providing for the relief and mitigation of the most urgent symptoms. It has been a long received maxim in phyfic, that if the caufe is removed the effects will ceafe. Our first attempts then, in fevers, fhou'd be directed to correct or expel the caule of the difcafe.. Hence, if a purulent or putrefcent fomes, in the habit, fhould have given rife to the fymptoms, they are to be femoved or corrected by their particular antidotes: but, as the caufe, by far the most frequent, depends upon obftructed perfpiration, it becomes a matter of moment, in the cure of fevers, to reftore the excretion, and expel the retained acrimonious humours, which had occafioned the difeafe. • For this purpose, especially in the beginning of a febrile complaint, the preparations of antimony exceed any remedy we are as yet acquainted with; and often tend to the fpeedy removal of the difeafe. • The fecond indication, viz. that of regulating properly the febrile impetus, will become a matter of moment in the cure of fevers; as the disease itself, rightly moderated, and restrained within proper bounds and limitations, is the beft remedy for the coction and expulfion of the morbific caufe; for art can only avail in regulating properly the powers of life and the circulation, that the febrile impetus may not fo much prevail, as, by the encreased circulation, to prove fatal to the body; or, on the contrary, that the powers of nature may not fo much languish and flag, that there fhould be wanting the neceffary degree of fever, for the proper coction and expulfion of the irritating fomes. To lower the impetus of a fever, evacuations, and the remedies, recommended pag. 5, 6, 7. will be advifcable. To promote and encreafe it, the warm, cordial, ftimulating, and heating medicines; the aromatics of different kinds; faffron, caftor, camphor, wine, and the like. 6 The fymptoms the most frequent and troublesome in fevers are as follow: In the beginning, a fenfe of coldness and fhivering fucceeded by heat; a naufea and vomiting; thirft; anxiety; a diarrhea; petechiae; profufe fweatings; watchings; delirium; comatofe affections; and convulfions. Thefe, as being the effects of the fever, as that is abated, will frequently ceafe; but if they should require any particular cure, are to be attempted, by removing and weakening the caufe which had produced them. The fymptoms in fevers will depend either upon an inflammatory or a fpafmodic affection of the feveral organs; a quickened circulation; or too denfe and vifcid a state of the fluids.' Dr. Smith, after this general account, proceeds to the expla nation of the particular fymptoms, and gives the forms of the medicines which are indicated for their relief. On the whole, there are three things which ftrike us with respect to this compendium. 1. That it has been the labour of eleven years. 2. That applications have been made for it from almost every quarter of the kingdom. And 3. That 159 duodecima pages (for fuch is the fize of this mighty volume) fhould be advertifed at the moderate price of five fillings. D. Poems upon various Subjects, Latin and English. By the late Ifaac Hawkins Browne, Efq; Published by his Son. 8vo. 4s, few'd. Nourfe. 1768. TH HE Author of the Latin poem on the immortality of the foul acquired a reputation by it, equal at least to its merit. Whatever force his arguments might have, they had hardly any thing of novelty; and in elegance, harmony and fancy, he was far exceeded by Polignac.. Yet there is a clearness of design, and a perfpicuity through the whole, with which philofophical difquifitions are not always attended. This rendered it popular; so that in the year 1754, no fewer than three English Translations of it appeared. All these had lefs merit than the original, and were neglected. In the year 1761, Mr. Soame Jennings published another tranflation of it, together with the reft of his works, which translation is here re-published, and makes a great part of this volume. There are few readers unacquainted with Mr. Jennings's poetry, which makes fo confiderable a figure in Dodfley's mifcellany, but there may be many to whom this tranflation must be new, and to whom, therefore, a fhort fpecimen will not be unacceptable. The Poet, founding his argument in favour of the immortality of the foul, on the univerfal paffion for future exiftence, and every poffible mode of preservation after death, thus proceeds: Quid memorem fluctu quos divite Nilus inundans Afpice quas Ganges interluit Indicus oras: A a 4 Fraude Fraude Sacerdotum fint hæc confiéta; Quid ad rem? Why should I mention thofe, whofe ouzy foil And that our nobler part furvives the body's fate. In climes where Boreas breathes eternal cold, Nor fire, nor fword, nor inftant death they fhun: melodious |