६

Art. 26. An Efay on the Virtues and Properties of the Ginfeng-Tea. By Count Belchilgen, M. D. and J. A. Cope. M. D. and P. R. B. With Obfervations on the pernicious Effects of Teadrinking in general. 8vo. Is. Mrs. Randal, Royal Exchange. 1786.

Not an effay on the virtues and properties of that fine aromatic and cordial Afiatic plant known by the name of ginseng; but a recommendation of we know not what farrago of herbs, roots, and flowers prepared by the Author.

The obfervations on tea-drinking are extracted from Dr. Lettsom ; and a few cafes are added, of people who have been cured by the ufe of the Author's infufion.

Art. 27. An exact Reprefentation of the very uncandid and extraordinary Conduct of Dr. John Coakley Lettfom, as well previous to, as on, the Day of Election for Phyfician to the Finfbury Difpenfary. By Thomas Skeete, M. D. 8vo. 6d. Fielding. 1786. Art. 28: A Vindication of Dr. Lettfom's Conduct relative to the late Election at the Finfbury Difpenfary, in a Letter from J. C. Lettfom, M. D. to S. Hinds, M. B. 8vo. 6d. Fielding. 1786. The Public is not interested in private difputes. There are few to whom this conteft relates, and ftill fewer to whom it will afford any entertainment.

Dr. Skete has published a reply to Dr. Lettfom's letter, in a half fheet, of eight pages, Svo. given gratis.

Art. 29. An Effay on the medical Character, with a View to define it. To which is fubjoined, Medical Commentaries and Observations adapted to feveral Cafes of indifpofed Health. By Robert Bath. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Laidler.

An imitation of Dr. Gregory's "Duties and Office of a Phyfician." The commentaries and obfervations, which occupy three fourths of the work, are fometimes judicious; but we cannot accede to all Mr. Bath's doctrines, nor do we admire his style, which is in general fingular and affected.

Art. 30. A concife Relation of the Effects of an extraordinary Styptic, &c. By Barth. Rufpini. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Johnfon. 1786.

This performance, which is to be confidered as a second edition, contains farther confirmations of the efficacy of the ftyptic mentioned in our Review for Auguft laft, page 156.

Art. 31. A fhort Effay on the Nature and Symptoms of the Gout;

with a View to recommend a Medicine to the Attention of those who are afflicted with the irregular and flying Gout. By James Rymer, Surgeon. 12mo. 4d. Evans. 1785.

Short, but containing juft obfervations. Not knowing Mr. Rymer's fpecific, we can fay nothing of its good qualities. We therefore refer our readers to his own account of it.

Art. 32. Some ufful Obfervations, from long Experience, on the Virtues and Efficacy of thofe celebrated Medicines, James's Powders, and Norris's Drops. By a Phyfician. 8vo. 6d. Bew. 1785. The Author of thefe obfervations impartially examines the merits of two well-known antimonial preparations, one in a solid, the other in a liquid form. He juftly obferves, that in fome cafes the

powders

.

2

powders feem to be more efficacious than the drops; and, that in others, the liquid form is preferable to the folid. The good effects of each of thefe medicines are fully fet forth in former publications. Art. 33. The prefent Practice of Surgery. By Robert White, M.D. 8vo. 6s. Boards. John fon. 1786.

The art of furgery has of late years been greatly improved, and many useful practical rules have been a ded to those delivered by former writers. Dr. White's intention in the prefent work is, to offer to the young practitioner a general fyftem, as compendious as its nature would admit of, formed from the general practice, in its prefent cultivated state, and founded on pofitive facts.'

We acknowledge his good wifhes, and the defire he expreffes for the improvement of the art; but we fincerely regret that the rational and theoretical parts of furgery should have been not only neglected by the Doctor, but even the ftudy of them difcouraged. He complains heavily, that, in this refined age, theory has too much the afcendency.' The expreffion is by no means a proof, that the Author of it, lives in an age and country which is in the leaft refined. He reprobates the state of learning too; Education,' he fays, is wrought up beyond the limits of ufeful knowledge.' How many parts of ufeful knowledge are we not in want of? Does not the medical art, in all its branches, afford fufficient proofs of our deficiency in ufeful knowledge? How many miferably diftreffed objects daily implore in vain the affiftance of our beft practitioners? Useful knowledge has not yet arrived at its limits; nor is it in the power of man to define thefe limits, fuppofing them even to exist.

The work before us contains many good practical obfervations, and, though it is by no means a complete fyftem of furgery, it will, in feveral instances, afford inftruction to the practitioner. It is concife, and in fome places fo brief, as to afford but little affistance to the ftudent.

The language is frequently laboured, hard words are often unneceffarily introduced, and what is worfe, mifapplied. • Exorbitant flesh,' in fungous ulcers, for exuberant. Purity' of the wound, for cleanness. Lay' frequently occurs for lie. With many others of a like kind, which are unpardonable.

Art, 34. An Inquiry into the Origin and Antiquity of the Lues Venerea; with Obfervations on its Introduction into the Islands of the South Seas. To which is added, a fhort View of the various Remedies recommended in that Disease, from its firft Appearance in Europe to thefe Times. By William Turnbull, Surgeon in his Majesty's Navy. Svo 2s. 6d. Murray. 1786.

We fuppofe moft of our medical readers are fufficiently acquainted with the hiftory of this dreadful calamity they will, however, in the prefent performance, meet with a concife and faithful account of the means by which it has been propagated, and a detail of the various remedies which practitioners in different countries and ages have ufually recommended for its cure.

Art. 35. Obfervations on the Ufe of crude Mercury or Quicksilver, in Obftructions of the Bowels, arifing from Inflammations or

This, however, we imagine, may be an error of the prefs.

Hh 4

other

C

other Caufes. With Remarks on the Ufe of Caftor Oil. By R. S. Nevinfon. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Newark printed, and fold by Baldwin in London. 1786.

We scarcely expected to have seen this dangerous mode of practice, which has been fo univerfally reprobated by all rational practitioners, recommended by a writer of the prefent day. The quotation of the following maxim is a fufficient proof of the Author's literary abilities. Anceps remedium melior eft quam nullam ;' and

his frequent ufe of egotifm marks his felf-opinion. Art. 36. A Lecture, containing plain Defcriptions of the Situation of the large Blood-veffels of the Extremities; the Inftrument called Tourniquet; and the Methods of making effectual Preffure on the Arteries, in Cafes of dangerous Effufions of Blood from Wounds, &c. By W. Blizard. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Dilly. 1786.

The laudable defign of giving inftruction to young men who are intended for the army or navy, of the means by which they may ftop violent hemorrhages until the affittance of a furgeon can be procured, deferves encouragement; and we are happy to find a gentleman, fo well qualified, heartily engaged in the execution of it. Art. 37. A Treatife on the Gout; with the Recommendation of a new Medicine. By Onflow Barret, M. D. 1s. 6d. Stockdale, &c. 1785.

An advertisement for the Author's specific pills.

Art. 38. An Effay on natural Labours. By Thomas Denman,M.D. 8vo. 25. Johnfon. 1786.

A continuation of the Doctor's works on the obftetrical art. The prefent performance is fimilar to those of which we have frequently given our opinion.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 39. A candid Defence of the Appointment of Sheriffs Brokers, as originally inftituted by Sir Barnard Turner, Knt. and Thomas Skinner, Efq. late Sheriffs. 8vo.. Is. Davis, &c.

From the reprefentations here given, we find that where goods were taken in execution, the officers who took them had the appointment of brokers to value them, who managed fo well their mutual intereft as to opprefs both debtor and creditor; and that the connection between them was understood by finding, particular brokers always ftanding fecurities for several sheriffs officers under all changes that took place. In annual offices, thofe who pass through them feldom understand their bufinefs till their term is nearly expir ing; fo that the under-officers, who are ftationary, taking continual advantage of the inexperience of their fucceffive principals, continual abufes are practifed, and under this office they are exercised on the unfortunate! Happily Mr. Sheriff Skinner understood the nature of this bufinefs too well to pafs it over, and therefore he and his colleague in office cut off the iniquitous connexion by appointing brokers themselves: but their year having expired, and other theriffs fucceeded, this publication feafonably appeared, to prevent their tranfactions from returning into the old channel; as the officers contrive to render the bufinefs of the brokers under Mr. Skinner's regu lation as unwelcome as poffible, in order to restore their old friends, and renew their old habits of reciprocity.

Art,

Art. 40. Letters written in London by an American Spy, from the Year 1764 to the Year 1785. 12mo. 3s. Crowder, &c. These letters are fuppofed to have been written by an American Quaker, refident in England, under the character of a fpy. Notwithstanding what is faid in the title, they are all dated within the year 1764, and refer to events of that year, or fome preceding time. They contain flight and curfory remarks on political queftions, public characters, English manners, philofophy, and religion. On the latter topic, the writer difcovers a strong tincture of fuperftition : he is a believer in prophetic dreams or vifions, and is of opinion, that fome of the heathen oracles were under the direction of evil dæmons.

Art. 41. The new Guide through the Cities of London and Weftminifter, the Borough of Southwark, and Parts adjacent. By John Mazzinghy, M. L. 12mo. 3s. 6d. Boards. Dilly. 1785. This work being given in French, as well as in English, the two languages fronting each other in oppofite pages, muft be useful to foreigners, as well as to natives of this country. A compilement from compilements; but being the last, it will, in courfe, have the preference, as containing the fresheft information of what is new-in regard to public buildings, inftitutions, and improvements of every kind; in all which this Hourishing metropolis is continually making

advances.

Art. 42. Appeal from Scotland, in which the Spiritual Court of the Church of England is demonftrated to be oppofite to the British Constitution, and a Part and Pillar of Popery. Addreffed by Calvinius Minor, to the Right Hon. Lord George Gordon, Prefident of the Proteftant Affociation. 8vo. 6d. Wilkins. 1786. The fpiritual courts (as they are termed) of the English church undoubtedly furnish fufficient matter of cenfure. Their claims and orders cannot be defended on rational and Chriftian principles, and were they strictly enforced and extended, would be productive, as they have been, and in fome inftances perhaps ftill are, of heavy oppreffion and evils almost infupportable. Happy for the prefent times, they are generally under the direction of perfons who have too much wifdom and candour to allow the full force and extent of their pernicious influence. In refpect to the pamphlet before us, and the particular cafe to which it is directed, we do not confider it as demanding our farther enquiry. This writer dates his letter, near Edinburgh, 4th June 1786. He appears to be a fenfible man, and not unacquainted with his fubject. After other remarks on the fpiritual court of the Church of England, he proceeds to mention feveral pleas that may be urged against granting the writ de excommunicato capiendo, fome of the more general kind, and fome special, or relative to the particular cafe he has in view.

Art. 43. Genuine Memoirs of Jane Elizabeth More, late of Bermondfey, in Surry, written by herfelf: Containing her Sentimental Journey through Great Britain, fpecifying the various Manufactures carried on at each Town. A comprehenfive Treatife on the Trade, Manufactures, Navigation, Laws, and Police of this Kingdom, and the Neceffity of a Country Hofpital. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Bew, &c.

5

A filly

A filly tale of trifling adventures, related in a moft vulgar ftyle. The language, both in profe and rhime, is beneath criticism; and the journey through Great Britain is neither fentimental nor inftrucWe are forry for the unfortunate woman, while, in justice to the Public, and to our reputation, we must, of neceffity, condemn the ftill more unfortunate writer.

tive.

Art. 44. Particulars of the remarkable Trials, Convictions, &c. of Jobn Shepherd; with his Hiftory, from his Birth. 8vo. IS. Bladon.

Tediously written; but, we believe, faithfully detailed. Shepherd was executed for a highway robbery on the 22d of November 1786. He was a remarkable offender; and had, through mistaken lenity, been too long permitted to prey on the Public. Art. 45. The Cacique of Ontario; an Indian Tale. 4to. is. 6d. Fielding. 1786.

*

This tale appeared in the year 1776 in the third edition of a volume of poems by Mr. Richardson, profeffor of humanity at Glafgow, under the title of The Indians, a Tale +. The new title feems to be fabricated by a perfon wholly unacquainted with the Indians of the northern parts of America, whofe chiefs are called Sachems and not Caciques; and though there be a lake, yet we bejeve there is no tribe, of the name of Ontario. What right the prefent Editor had to make free with Mr. Richardfon's performance, is best known to himself.-N. B. His prefixed advertisement, by which he would, as we apprehend, appear as the original Author, could not, poffibly, have come from the elegant pen of Profeffor Richardfon. What he means by 'fractical profe, we cannot difcover, unless it be a mif-print, for poetical profe.

Att. 46. An hiftorical Narrative of the Discovery of New Holland and New South Wales, containing an Account of the Inhabitants, Soil, Animals, and other Productions of those Countries, and including a particular Description of Botany Bay, &c. 4to. is. 6d. Fielding. 1786.

The present narrative contains an account of New Holland, chiefly taken from Don Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, who first discovered this island in 1609, and from Capt. Tasman, who failed from Batavia in 1642. The description of its foil, produce, inhabitants, &c. is, in great measure, extracted from Dampier's and Cook's voyages. Fronting the title-page, we have a neatly engraved chart of Botany Bay, with a general chart of New Holland, and the adjacent countries and islands. We fhall tranfcribe the two concluding paragraphs for the fake of the observations contained in them.

Should a war break out with Spain, cruizers from Botany Bay might much interrupt, if not deftroy, their lucrative commerce from the Philippine Islands to Aquapulco; befides alarming and diftreffing their fettlements on the west coast of South America.

In the foregoing accounts, the country about the bay is reprefented as producing timber and stone for building, as alfo wood for

* Of the first edition of these poems, fee our account in Rev. vol. li. p. 94.

We alfo find this tale in the fourth edition of Mr. R.'s poems. firing;