two cafes out of the three on the fourth day from its first exhibition; and 4thly, That conclufions drawn from fo few as three trials only, and under the exceptionable circumstances above mentioned, can have very little weight. It is worthy of notice, that the patient who took the infufion for the greatest length of time and who seems to have been by far the fitteft fubject for the experiment, 66 was cured by one dofe of Dover's powder," given the night after the infufion was laid afide. It is fomewhat extraordinary that a cafe of chronic rheumatifm, of more than four months ftanding, fhould thus fuddenly give way to a fingle dofe of this powder! Is it to be inferred that the rhododendron infufion, which the patient had been taking for ten days before, and which had produced plentiful perfpiration, had no fhare in this falutary change, because it did not happen till the day after the infufion was difcontinued? But fuppofing the rhododendron to be unequal to the cure of chronic rheumatifm, by itfelf; yet if, after ten days ufe, it can render the disease removeable by a fingle dofe of an opiate powder, it furely cannot be regarded as a trifling or inefficacious medicine. The fenfible effects of the rhododendron infufion in Dr. Home's patients were head-ach, giddinefs, drowfinefs, naufea, and fometimes purging. In one inftance it increafed the quantity of urine and brought out copious fweats. Befides the cafes above mentioned, two hi ftories of arthritic patients are related by Zahn, in which, after other remedies had been tried in vain, the rhododendron given in decoction effected a cure. On the whole, therefore, the evidence of thofe practitioners who have given this plant a fair trial is fufficiently favourable to induce phyficians to have recourfe to it in such obstinate rheumatic and arthritic affections as refift the guaiacum and other fudorifics. It would be no difficult matter to get a fupply of it through Ruffia and Germany; and for medical purposes the leaves and twigs are as good, when dried, as they are in the recent ftate. The decoction is prepared and used in the following manner. Put from two drachms to half an ounce of the twigs and leaves into a pot, add to them about ten ounces of water, cover the pot over with a clofe lid, and keep the whole in a state of gentle ebullition for twenty-four hours. Of the strained liquor give an ounce or more, once or twice a day. It is advifeable to begin with a weak decoction at firft, and gradually to increase the strength and quantity of the medicine, and frequency of repetition, according to its effects. Kölpin's Practical Obfervations on the Ufe of the Rhododendron (in the German tongue) 1779. Home's Clinical Experiments (fecond edition) 1782. Zahn de Rhododendro, 1783. Murray's Apparat. Med. Vol. VI. 1792. Woodville's Med. Bo tany, 1792, Vol. III. p. 404, where it is erroneously remarked, that this plant is not to be found in Murray's Apparatus Med. N. B. It was natural to fuppofe that other fpecies of the genus rhododendron might poffefs properties fimilar, and perhaps not in ferior to thofe of the rhododendron chryfanthum. Accordingly ! trials have been made with the rhododendron ferrugineum, a native of the Swifs and Italian Alps, and confequently more easily procured than the Siberian plant. It appears, however, that the European falls far fhort of the Afiatic fpecies, in medical efficacy; fo 'that the one cannot properly be fubftituted for the cther.' P. 257. Having confidered the medicinal part of this work, we will now fpeak of the materia alimentaria. The order is that of the natural hiftorian; and of courfe the fubject is too much broken. The lift of alimentary fubftances, however, is large; and the characters of the different foods are correct. Much is confeffedly taken from Plenck's Bromatologia. In the intoduction, the writer cenfures Dr. Cullen for fuppofing the nutritive parts of vegetables to be acid, fugar, and oil. He refolves them into mucilage, oil, and gluten. Late difcoveries feem to confirm the profeffor's doctrine; and our author apparently differs from him in affuming the mucilage, &c. as the ultimate principles rather than the form in which the nutritious particles are applied. Falfe Shame: a Comedy, in Four Acts, Tranflated from the German of Kotzebue. 8vo. 25. Vernor and Hood. 1799. WE are here prefented with another comedy from the inexhauftible genius of Kotzebue. The ftory is interefting. Captain Erlach vifits his old friend Flaxland: he finds him married. "Erlach. Thou haft ventured upon a fecond marriage, as I underftand. • Flax. An excellent woman! • Erlach. May be ;-yet this style of living-thou knowest me— it is not after my way. * Flax. Doft think it is agreeable to me? Erlach. Why doft thou fuffer what thou could'st prevent? • Flax. I am twenty years older than my wife-should I check her accustomed youthful amufements? tion. Erlach. Thou should't have taken that fooner into confidera Flax. I lov'd! • Erlach. If thou preachest of love, I have done. Flax. Has Erlach never acknowledged a mistress? Erlach. Friend, it is with love, as with the small pox-who efcapes it in youth, is feldom or ever infected. Flax. (fmiling) But when caught, it is the more dangerous ;tho' to be ferious--in thy prefent fituation, what could'st thou do more fentible than to marry? • Erlach. What? why fhoot myself-that were more rational! Flax. What, ever the inveterate woman-hater? Erlach. If the woman is worthlefs, it is bad-and if good, it is ftill worse. • Flax. Thou art in jest? Erlach. Not in the leaft-I fhould love an amiable woman, • Erlach. So much the worse :—a man who loves his wife, becomes the flave of his own heart-her defires, which he may not be able to gratify, torment him more than her. Flax. An amiable woman cherishes no fuch defires. 'Erlach. But defires are like duft, that infinuates itself thro' bolts and locks. Flax. And by the breath of love is blown away. Erlach. Item-who takes unto himfelf a wife, muft wean himfelf from an hundred little habits; which, fince ten years, have become a fecond nature, and to which mankind generally adhere more obftinately, than either to their virtues or vices :-every one has his favourite difh-the chair he prefers fitting upon-his place at table, and fo forth :-fuddenly, appears a female, as the household legiflatrix, and every thing must be moulded into another fhapethe man wishes to dine on roast beef-but to please Madam, it inuft be fricaffeed-the carriage is ordered, when he would rather be on horfeback-and he abftains from tobacco, because the dislikes the fmell. Flax. (fmiling) Trifles! Erlach. Saplings have their roots-which on all fides expand themselves in the foil-and at my years, a man diflikes tearing up a flower, and even were it a weed. Flax. At thy years! why man-thou ftandeft as yet with at least one foot in thy youthful luftre. Erlach. But let us finally bring the dear creature to her fick bed-she has head-aches, I tremble-no appetite, nor I neither→ a fever, I am befide myfelf-and at length, a lying-in---I am expiring thro' anxiety. No brother, this is not my calling. Flax. But haft thou no conception of wedded bliss? Erlach. O! yes :-thou lookeft the picture of connubial blifs !—and doft thou not include yonder tumultuous revelry in thy catalogue of wedded joys? • Flax. (with a figh) That might be otherwife, and peradven ture may be otherwife! • Erlach. Prithee fay, where does the shoe pinch thee? • Flax. Ah! dear Erlach, more than one worm is gnawing at my heart. Erlach. Speak the truth,-this manner of life :-thou lovefl quiet-thou would'st rather retire to thy farm? Flax. Thro' love to my wife, I would roam from one carneval to the other; but the expence is too great- my purse cannot Hold it out. Erlach. Why doft thou not tell her fo? Flax. I cannot under her parental roof, he was accustomed to this life; when a bride, she enquired, with the most endearing confidence, the extent of my income;-I will most chearfully accommodate myfelf-anfwer me fincerely. Erlach. And did'st thou not do it? • Flax. I!—excufe me, my friend-I was afhamed!-live as heretofore, I replied, the means fhall never fail you. Erlach. And so it rested? 'Flax. She defired to know the conduct she should adopt? whether retirement was my object?-I fhall conform entirely to your withes, faid the. Erlach. But thou? Flax. I could not bring myself to be, as it were, a kind of dictator, to constrain her: I ftudied to make her avoid recollecting, that she married a man turned of forty. Erlach. That implies-thou waft afhamed of thy age. • Erlach. And would'st pass for a richer man than thou art? Flax. It is now too late to retract. • Erlach. Good sense comes never too late-tho' she knocks at midnight. Flax. That yet might pafs my heart difregards a diminished revenue-but Erlach. Yet, a but: Flax. To thee, and to thee alone, I confefs my weakness-I am tortured by the demon of jealousy-daily, must I behold a swarm of admirers fluttering around her-they are, to be sure, mere foplings-but woe betide the man who imagines a fop cannot diftrefs him-the neceffity of amufement has often made female virtue fall the victim of amusement. Erlach. Why doft thou not tell her fo? • Flax. It is true, fhe has an hundred times enquired whether I alfo was jealous?-one word, and I fhall difperfe all these butterflies. * Erlach. And an hundred times, thou haft answered her— Flax. What I heretofore anfwered her, as bridegroom-that my confidence in her was boundless. Erlach. That is again, in other words, confeffing, thou waft afhamed of thy jealousy. Flax. Yes, dear Erlach. Erlach. Now is not falfe fhame a damnable weakness-there would not be half fo many miferables, could we but be perfuaded, had we but the refolution to declare ingenuously, where the pain lies. Here now ftands a man who might be happy-whofe wife requires nothing more than confidence-the wishes to be guided by him-will renounce whatever difpleafes him-but he he is afhamed, and holds his tongue. • Flax. I feel my error-but want the refolution to amend.' P. 20. Erlach not only thinks with propriety, but acts with wif dom. He entrufts Mrs. Flaxland with her hufband's fecret. 'Mrs. Flax. My dear captain, you court folitude! • Erlach. It is difficult to meet her in thefe quarters. Mrs. Flax. Is that praife, or blame? • Erlach. I never difpute upon taste. • Mrs. Flax. I understand--but do not mifconftrue into taste, what with me, is only cuftom-and not feldom a tiresome cuftom. Erlach. What hinders you from fhaking off this tire fome cuftom? 'Mrs. Flax. My husband likes this manner of life. • Erlach. He like this life? Mrs. Flax. If we are alone, he inftantly becomes uneafy-inquires twenty times in an hour, if I am not vapour'd-if I will not make fuch and fuch a vifit-and is not eafy till I order the carriage. Erlach. And accompanies you? • Mrs. Flax. Seldom! only when I earnestly entreat him. Erlach. What can he do at home alone? • Mrs. Flax. (playful) God knows:-peradventure, he makes gold-at least, when I return, he always receives me as cordially, and as kindly, as if he had difcovered a treafure. • Erlach. Ha! this grieves me. • Mrs. Flax. How !-what grieves you? • Erlach. To hear that my honeft friend, fince our feparation, has learnt to difguise himself. Mrs. Flax. Difguife! how fo? • Erlach. No fuch alteration occurs to a man at his years. • Mrs. Flax. Speak more intelligibly. • Erlach. I had rather be filent-we do not as yet know enough of one another. 'Mrs. Flax. Not know one another! when my bufband gare me a right to his affection, he gave me also a right to your friendhip. Erlach. Friendship and old hock are good-but mixt with a fharpness, not perhaps to every one's tafte. Mrs. Flax. You excite my curiofity more and more :-I befeech you, captain, don't count me among the formal beings who fcrew up their mouths at a truism, because it is fomewhat bitter :our acquaintance is yet young-but were I flumbering on a bed of roses, and a stranger preferved me from a viper's fting, this Stranger would become my friend. Q |