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and Money-Of the Police-Of Treaties, and particularly thofe of Alliances and Guarantée-Of Pretenfions, Grievances, Contests, and Mediation-Of doing ourselves Juftice-Of Seizures and Reprifals-Of Wars, Allies, Auxiliaries, and Subfidies-Of Neutrality-Of Truces and Peace.-Such are the principal articles treated in this excellent work.

VII. Vom Blitze, &c. i.e. Concerning Thunder and Lightning, &c. By the Abbé HEN. REIMARUS, M. D. 8vo. Hamburgh. 1778. Here we have a folid, judicious, and useful work. It contains the most excellent directions to prevent the deftructive effects of the electrical fiery fluid. The Author feems perfectly acquainted with his fubject: his reafonings are clear and accurate, his principles folid, and their application eafy. In treating this fubject, M. REIMARUS first points out, after the most exact obfervations, the directions of lightning and its action in different bodies; fecondly, he fhews how it is affected in its course by those metallic fubftances which are employed to fecure edifices against its pernicious effects, and how thefe metals may be the moft effectually and fafely used for this purpofe; he explains, in the third place, the effects of lightning by the principles of electricity, and in a manner conformable to electrical experiments. The ingenious Author of this work is fon to the celebrated Reimarus, who published feveral philofophical treatifes, and a very curious one, among others, on the inftincts of animals.

VIII. Briefe uber Rufland, &c. i. e. Letters concerning Ruffia. By M. J. H. C. MEYER, an Officer in the Hanoverian Regiment of Saxe-Gotha. 8vo. Gottingen. 1778. In these Letters the Author does not follow any regular plan, but treats of a great variety of interefting objects, among which we may place his accounts of the country of KamchatkaOf the Emigration of the Kalmucs-Of the Commerce of the Black Sea-Of the Settlement of Colonies. His extracts from the books that contain the laws of the Kalmucs are curious; and his defcription of the collection of natural history at Petersburg, of that flourishing city, of the Ruffian manufactures, and of the fate of taxes and population in that country, are inftructive and interefting. There is, more efpecially, much information to be had from thofe Letters, in which our Author deleribes the prefent ftate of the city of Peterburgh, the military force of Ruffia, and the oppreffion which reigns in the remote provinces under the defpotifm of their governors. According to M. MEYER's eftimate, the revenue of Ruffia amounts to 30 millions of rubles*, befides a million and a half, which the gold and filver mines yield. This eftimation supposes either

A ruble (as is well known) is four fillings and fix-pence.

that

that M. de Voltaire was very grofsly mistaken, or that the imperial income must have been more than doubled fince the year 1735, or that our Author has valued it at, by far, too great a rate; any of these three may have been the cafe. Voltaire fays, that in 1735, reckoning the tribute paid by the Tartars, with all taxes and duties in money, the fum total amounted to 13 millions of rubles, and that this income was fufficient, at that time, to pay 339,500, as well fea as land forces. Things indeed are greatly changed in Ruffia fince that period. Our Author tells us that above 60 millions of rubles (i. e. about 12 millions fterling) circulate in Bank Bills in the Ruffian empire. Every kind of means has been employed to promote national improvement in Ruffia. The eftablishment of a feminary formed by the Empress for the education of the young Greeks cofts annually 41,613 rubles. Our Author reckons at Petersburgh 80 manufactures of different forts, among which are 11 of woollen cloth: he reckons the fame number at Moscow. Befide thefe, there are in the reft of the empire 53 woollen manufactures, which furnish coarse cloths to the annual amount of 500,000 rubles. It is a remarkable proof of the infancy of letters and science and Ruffia (if it be true), that in the whole empire there are but 16 printing preffes, of which 12 are at Petersburgh and Mofcow it is, however, to be obferved, that Livonia and Efthonia are not comprehended in this account. The number of monafteries in Ruffia amounts to 458, and that of the churches to 19,435. The Author promifes another volume of letters on the Ruffian empire, with an accurate chart of the Caspian Sea.

IX. Teutfche Reichfgefchichte, &c. i. e. A History of the German Empire, in which the most effential Points of Teutonic Hipory are more especially unfolded and illuftrated. By M. PUTTER, Counsellor of Juftice at Gottingen. Svo. 1778. The grand lines of the German Hiftory are perfectly exhibited in the work before us. The ancient ftate of that country, both with respect to its territory and its inhabitants, the character of the latter, and their divifion into different nations, are accurately defcribed: the progrefs of civilization, and the almoft imperceptible gradations of moral, civil, and political, improvement, are diftinguifhed, with a peculiar fagacity and precifion, from the earliest ages to the prefent time. The various effects of the peace of Weftphalia, with respect to the princes and cities of the empire, to the imperial court, and to the ftate of religion, are pointed out by M. PUTTER, who brings down this political hiftory to the entrance of the King of Pruffia into Bohemia in 1778. The learned Writer confirms his relations and decifions by the very best authorities, and we make no doubt but his work will meet with the most favourable

able reception. We must caution the Reader of foreign productions not to confound this work with the Historical Manual of the Empire, or with the View of the Revolutions of Germany, for which the Public is indebted allo to M. PUTTER. The fame ingenious man employed his pen in the late formidable conteft in Germany, which has ended fo happily for humanity, and his historical and literary Illuftrations on the Succeffion of Bavaria were highly efteemed.

X. fo. Gottlob Bochmii de Litteratura Lipfienfi Opufcula Academica: i. e. Academical Differtations concerning the Literature of Leipfic. By M. BOEHME, Counsellor, &c. 8vo. Leipfic. 1779. There is a great deal of erudition in this publication, and feveral things, quæ tollere velles.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, ? For JUL Y, 1779.

MEDICAL.

Art. 17. Hiftory of the Origin of Medicine: An Oration delivered at the anniverfary Meeting of the Medical Society of London. By John Coakley Lettfom, M. D. F. R. S. &c. 4:0. 5s. Phillips. 1778.

men.

EIS oration, printed at the requeft of the Medical Society, comprehends the first chapter of an history of the origin and progrefs of medicine, and its profeffors, which the Author appears to have planned on a very extenfive fcale, if we may judge from this fpeciThe first chapter of the first book, which treats of medicine in general, from the creation to the Trojan war (being the first of nine periods or æras into which the hiftory is fuppofed to be divided), contains feven fections, in which the Author treats, 1. Of the Practice of Phyfic; 2. Of Surgery; 3. Of Midwifery; 4. Of Anatomy;. Of Botany and Pharmacy; 6. Of Chemistry; and 7. Of Myftic Medicine.

Our Medical Hiferian, or Orator rather, has rendered his oration equally infructive and amusing, by numerous anecdotes and quotations, in the form of notes; and by a ftill more numerous hoft of references, which evince an immenfe thare of multifarious reading, well digested and applied.

Art. 18. Obfervations on the Plan proposed for establishing “A Difpenfary and Medical Society for the private and only immediate Ufe of the Subfcribers, their Families, and Friends." 8vo. ed. Dilly. 1779.

In the fpeculating and planning age in which we have the good fortune to live, it feems, from the contents of this pamphlet, that certain fchemers, who doubtlefs have the public intereit only at heart, and who think that health is purchafed too dear from the apothecary, have propofed or opened a kind of whsijale warehouse; where, as they pretend, health may be had a pennyworth. In this inftituton, bendes auditors, meffengers, &c. we are told there are to be

nine officers under the title of managers

-Doctors belike-who

are to receive 501. each for thirty-five vifits.'

It requires fome little arithmetic, but we have been at the pains to calculate the very fractional fee of these medical managers. Each of the managerial wifits will precifely coft the patient one pound eight fillings and fixpence and 9ths of a penny:- while the honeft apothecary, fays the Author, in the common line of business,. would pay twice as many vifits for half the money; and yet the authors of this new fcheme modeftly apply to thefe practitioners the epithet of "greedy men," and pretend to found their plan upon the principle of economy.' He calculates, too that by this economical fcheme, adopted to the extent of the plan, the first year's expence would be 500,000l. and that of every fucceeding year 250,000l.; and that the leaft of thefe fums is more than all the practitioners within the bills of mortality raise from the public annually.

As we confider law as a greater evil, and a more coftly commodity than even phyfic; and as every man that has property is liable to the vifitation of a law-fuit, as well as to that of a fever; we fhould not wonder if fome other schemers were to take in fubfcribers, and fhare among them a fund for maintaining fuits in law or equity, in behalf of fuch of the adventurers as might happen to be faddled with them. But we leave this hint to be improved upon, and extended, by the adepts in the art of raising money by voluntary taxation. Art. 19. The Medical Regifter for the Year 1779. 8vo. 4s. fewed. Murray.

The plan of this work is to give lifts of all the members of every medical body in the kingdom; of phyficians and furgeons to the royal family, to the fleet and army, and to hofpitals; of medical profeffors; and even of all the medical practitioners of every clafs throughout Great Britain, with their places of refidence, and a catalogue of the works of fuch among them as are authors. Likewife, lifts of the principal of the faculty in Ireland; of profeffors and eminent men in foreign countries; accounts of medical books, English and foreign; articles of medical news, &c. It is propofed to make the publication annual; and the faculty are invited to contribute their refpective fhares of information to fo ufeful a deign. That many of the articles comprifed in the above lifts are objects of a just and laudable curiofity to the profeffion, will be univerfally acknowledged; and fo far the plan will probably be thought worthy of encouragement; but we apprehend, that part of it which pretends to register every practitioner, however obfcure, in the whole kingdom, will be conceived by many equally impracticable and nugatory. In effect, who can poflibly be interested to know that the village of Gotham is ferved in medical matters by Meffrs. Julep and Forceps? unless it be the druggift's rider, who may be tempted to deviate from his regular track, in order to inspect their • beggarly account of empty boxes.'

From our own knowledge, we can pronounce feveral of thefe country lifts to be both defective and erroneous. The other parts of the plan appear to be executed with fufficient accuracy and judgment.

Art.

Art. 20. Obfervations on Baron Dimfdale's Remarks on Dr. LettJem's Letter to Sir Robert Barker and George Stacpoole, Efq; refpe&ing General Inoculation. By John Coakley Lettfom, M. D. F. R. S. and S. A. 8vo. 1 s. Dilly, &c. 1779.

We have with much concern obferved this difpute relative to general inoculation be coming more and more personal in each fucceffive publication. Now that it is become entirely fo, we fhail excufe ourselves from entering into particulars which can be of no confequence to our Readers.

Art. 21. Advice to lying-in Women, on the Custom of drawing the Breafts. By C. Cruttwell, Surgeon, at Bath. Second Edition. 4to. Is. Bath printed, for Dilly, &c. London. 1779.

The purpofe of this pamphlet is to fhew that drawing the breafts in all cafes, whether the child be to be fuckled or not, is an unneceffary and mischievous practice. He affirms, that when the breafts are hardened and obftructed by too great a flow of milk, a state of irritability is induced, which renders the ftrong fuction of a grown perfon extremely painful, and liable to produce inflammation; and that fuch fuction will rather invite a greater quantity of fluid to the gland than unload it on the contrary, he afferts, that if they be let alone, a re-absorption of the milk will take place, the breaft will return to its ufual ftate, and no fort of inconvenience will happen. The proof of this point he chiefly derives from experience in his own practice, which he reprefents as uniformly fuccefsful in preventing the common diforders of the breafts. Whether he does not carry the matter too far in forbidding drawing the breafts in all cafes, we fhall not determine; but, on the whole, what he fays appears well to merit the attention of those concerned.

Art. 22. A Treatise on the Teeth: Wherein an accurate Idea of their Structure is given, the Cause of their Decay pointed out, and their various Diseases enumerated. To which is added, the most effectual Method of treating the Disorders of the Teeth and Gums, established by a long and fuccefsful Practice. By Barth. Rufpini, Surgeon-Dentist. A new Edition, with an Appendix of new Cafes. 12mo. Fielding and Walker. 1779.

An account of the first edition of this work is contained in the Monthly Review, Vol. xxxix. p. 157. The cafes now first published in the Appendix are five in number. The firft is of a collection of matter in the antrum maxillare, confequent on the unfkilful extraction of one of the upper grinders, which was cured by perforation. The second and third are of excrefcences in the mouth arifing from the irritation of broken points of the teeth. These were fuccefsfully removed by the knife. The fourth we shall print entire for the benefit of our fair Readers.

A lady of diftin&tion, about twenty-two years of age, in the month of July 1777, fent for me in confequence of a very alarming complaint in her mouth. Her gums appeared greatly fwelled, looked very florid, and were exceedingly painful; the complained of a bray tafte, and had fome difficulty of fwallowing any kind of folid food.

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