fully done into English," would not have been in the leaft unapplicable; and, doubtlefs, they would have had a place in the titlepage. From this general opinion, however, we muft except the preface, which we have already ftyled a piece of elegant Latin;' and from the beginning of which [together with the tranflation] we fhall transcribe a paffage, in order to juftify our remark.

From this fpecimen, our Readers will form their own opinion of the merit of Dr. Healde's tranflation of this part of the work. The elegant original demanded an elegant tranflation: the paffage here tranfcribed is not only inelegant, but erroneous-efpecially where we have printed it in Italics.

The notes, which are not numerous, are chiefly explanatory; and many of them are extracted from Lewis's Hiftory of the Materia Medica, or from his Difpenfatory. These are figned L. Some, which are marked P. are probably taken from Pemberton's tranflation of the laft Pharmacopoeia; others are figned A. R. Those which have no fignature, are, we fuppofe, Dr. Healde'

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own; and though they contain much ufeful information for the operator, and good rules for preferving medicines, yet much might, in our opinion, be added, concerning matters which relate both to the phyfician and the apothecary: fuch as, rules for determining whether the fimples be good, and the compounds genuine or properly made,-for detecting fophiftications, and difcovering the fubftances with which valuable and efficacious medicines may be adulterated. Much, we are aware, may be faid against this opinion; for, teaching the method of difcovering the fophiftication, is publishing to the world even the method of fophiftication itself; by which means many may become acquainted with knowlege that tends to the hurt, rather than to the benefit, of mankind. Rules for the detection of fraud may be unneceffary, if apothecaries would univerfally prepare their own medicines.

·

After this general idea of Dr. Healde's notes, we fhall proceed to particulars. Vin. antimonii is ordered to be made with powdered glafs of antimony. The Doctor's note on this preparation fays, The filtration through paper muft here be attended to, left fome finer parts of the glafs fhould remain suspended in the wine, the virulence of which remains unaltered.' We approve the caution of the annotator. If the glafs had been ordered not to be powdered, but only broke into small pieces, and well washed before its infufion, the caution had been unneceffary and the wine would be as ftrongly impregnated as in the cafe of ufing the powder. In the old-fashioned way of using cups made of glafs of antimony there was no need of filtrating the wine.

The Sulphur precipitatum is thus ordered: R Kali fulphurati p. 3vi. Aq. diftillat. p. b ifs. Acid. Vitriol. dilut. q. s. Coque Kali Sulphuratum in Aq. diftillata donec folvatur. Liquorem per chartam cola, cui adde Acid. Vitriolic. Pulverem præcipitatum lava affufa fæpius aqua donec infipidus fiat.

Dr. Healde's note: This preparation is not fo white as that of the laft difpenfatory, which was made with quicklime; but it is more purgative.' This is undoubtedly true; but a chemift would have gone farther; he would have faid that the whitenefs, of the old precipitate was owing to a gypfeous precipitation formed by the union of the vitriolic acid with the lime: this gyps (vulgo, plaifter of Paris) cannot be washed off by the water from the fulphur: but in the prefent cafe, the vitriolated tartar, formed by the union of the acid with the alkali, is wholly foluble, and may therefore be entirely washed off: confequently the new fulphur præcipitatum is pure, and unmixed with gyps; and, on that account, though not fo white, it is a better medicine.

In the note to the prefcription for making Sal Martis, Dr. Healde fays, If any cupreous particles are mixed with the filings,

it may be known by dropping a little Aq. Ammoniæ pure into fome of the folution, which will change it to a fapphirine colour.' This is a juft remark; but ought not directions to have been given either for purifying the iron filings from copper, or for taking the diffolved copper out of the folution? The first of these operations may be performed by the magnet, provided that the iron and copper are not melted together; the fecond, by precipitating the copper out of the folution by means of pure iron or fteel. It is better, however, to make the Sal Martis from the pureft iron.

A note is fubjoined to the general directions for making fyrups of acid fruits, as lemons, mulberries, &c. wifely cautioning the operator against the ufe of leaden or glazed veffels; glafs, or china, or Mr. Wedgewood's veffels, are certainly the only ones. to be employed in making these preparations.

Several other notes might be produced, in which Dr. Healde fhews himself in the different capacities of a phyfician and a pharmaceutical chemift; fometimes difplaying his abilities, and fometimes betraying his deficiency, in the knowlege of the modern improvements in chemistry. On the whole, however, his tranflation of the College Pharmacopoeia may be confidered as a ufeful book to thofe operative chemifts, who are unable to read the original. Concifenefs feems to have been his peculiar defign, and a defire of benefiting the Public, rather than of fhewing his own abilities as a tranflator and annotator, appears to have been the principal motive of his having undertaken the tafk. His immediate connection with the College would neceffarily prevent him from pointing out any deficiencies or errors which may be found in the Pharmacopoeia; and the discharge of the duties of his profeffion might be pleaded in excufe for his not having more minutely defcribed the pharmaceutical operations.

ART. V. Obfervations on the Principles of the Old Syftem of Phyfic, exhibiting a Compend of the new Doctrine. The whole containing a new Account of the State of Medicine from the prefent Times, backward, to the Reftoration of the Grecian Learning in the Western Parts of Europe. By a Gentleman converfant in the Subject. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Edinburgh, printed; and fold by Murray, in London. 1787.

TH

THE Brunonian fyftem of phyfic is here defended, by difcharging a blunderbufs, loaded with abuse of every other fyftematical writer. We have, on former occafions, given our opinion on this new doctrine, and we congratulate ourselves that the present publication ftrongly confirms the fentiments we formerly entertained, both of the doctrine and of its author.

This

This gentleman, who fays he is converfant in the fubject (fee Title), is alfo poffeffed of nearly the fame acrimonious fpirit, that was fo apparent in a former defender of Dr. Brown's opinions. After condemning feveral medical theories, our author, in his introduction, thus attacks Dr. Cullen :

The doctrine of fpafm, started by an original very worthy of it, the fanatic and vifionary Van Helmont, and heavily wrought up into a confufed and perplexed fyftem by the painful and verbofe labours of the truly Germannic Hoffman, after having been, by the fuperior name and authority of Dr. Boerhaave, fuppreffed, and banified from the country which gave it birth, found at laft, amidst a new perfecution raised against it by the pupils of Boerhaave (then in poffeffion of the medical chairs at Edinburgh), a friend and protector in Dr. Cullen, who had lately become one of the number of thofe profeffors.

This brat, the feeble, half-vital, femiproduction of phrenzy, the ftarvling of ftrained fyftematic dulnefs, the forlorn outcaft of the foftering care to which it owed its infect vitality'--and fo on for more lines than we chufe to tranfcribe.

Can any fincere enquirer into truth be fatisfied with arguments like these? Will an illiberal abuse of the theory demonftrate its falfehood? Will the inquifitive reader b convinced, or can he receive information, by the painful and verboje harangues of this Brunonian champion?

He then proceeds to reprobate the noted or rather notorious doctrine of the antiphlogistic plan of cure. All practitioners, without exception, from Hippocrates to thofe of the prefent time, fmart ander the lafh of this angry writer; and yet not a fingle argument is brought to fhew the impropriety of their practice, or to evince the truth of the contrary mode of cure. This chapter, which is replete with the moft illiberal reflections, thus concludes:

As every country, in proportion as it is diftinguished by riches and openness of manners, for that very reason, becomes the emporium, the fcene of action, for highwaymen, footpads, pickpockets, fwindlers, fharpers, gipfies, regular practitioners in law, regular practitioners in phyfic, quacks in both thefe profeffions; fo England has long held, and ftill holds, the preeminence over all her neighbour countries, in being, for the reafon affigned, the place of common refort, in which a comfortable fubfiftence is afforded to all thofe different denominations of purfe-takers +

polis?

Dr. Jones. See Review, vol. Ixvii. p. 170.

Hath not Dr. Brown lately made his appearance in the metro

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The

The Author then gives the outlines of the new doctrine, which are merely an explanation of Johannis Brunonis Elementa, excepting the interfperfion of abuse on feveral great medical characters. We are now arrived at the beginning of this work, after travelling through ccxliii pages of introductory matter.

The first chapter is entitled, Obfervations on the prefent, fyftem of fpafm, as taught in the Univerfity of Edinburgh;' and the first paragraph is fo very curious, that we cannot let it pafs unnoticed:

The most difficult and irkfome tafk, in which the reafoning faculty can be engaged, is the attempt to refute a doctrine completely falfe and abfurd.'

We would not offend our Readers by ferioufly infifting on what is felf-evident, that the more falfe and abfurd any doctrine is, fo much easier is the tafk of refuting it!

With his ufual virulence, this Author falls upon Dr. Cullen's «. Firft Lines of the Practice of Phyfic," especially that part of the work which treats of the proximate caufe of fever. His chief view is to fhew the fallacy of Dr. Cullen's fpafmodic theory, and to perfuade the reader, that debility is the only true caufe of all fever.

The Vis medicatrix natura is next ridiculed; Stahlianism is refuted; and the fubject of Spafm is refumed. Would the Author diveft himfelf of abufe, would he refute by folid argumentation the fpafmodic doctrine, and calmly convince his reader of the truth of his affertions by demonftrative evidence, his work would then deferve a better criticifm: at prefent what this namelefs gentleman fays of Dr. Cullen may be fitly applied to his own work:

• Conclufions at variance with their premifes; propofitions in perpetual repugnance with each other; affertions fupported only by the affertor's folitary teftimony; conjecture affumed for certainty; prefumption for proof; ftrained inference for evidence; emphafis for energy, &c. &c.'

ART. VI. Strictures on Female Education; chiefly as it relates to the Culture of the Heart. In four fays. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. Small 8vo. 3s. Boards. Cadell.

THE

HESE Arictures, we find, are to be confidered merely as a fpecimen introductory to a larger work on the fubject, in Letters to a young Lady: whether the letters will ever fee the light, depends on the encouragement given to these preparatory fketches. In the mean time the Author fays, he cautiously conceals a name, which might only raife a prejudice against his bold undertaking, and hides himself behind the fhade of fecrecy, until

criticism