ART. ·53. A Letter to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, in Anfwer to a Letter refpecting the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Lauderdale; to which is appended, fome Anticipation of Mr. Burke's Thoughts on a regicide Peace. By the Reverend George Neale, Author of Elloys on modern Manners, &c. &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Darton and Harvey. 1796.

Mr. Neale is angry with Mr. Burke, and not very fond of the Bifhop of Rochester. He thinks the attack of the former on the Duke of Bedford unjuft, and fneeringly, to ufe his own words, pits against him the Bishop, as priest and author, in order to look at the progrefs We cannot fay that Mr. N. is very happy either in his ftyle or his arguments.

of Mr. B.'s career.

ART. 54. Mr. Burke's Conduct and Pretenfions confidered; with illuf trative Anecdotes. By a Royalift. 8vo. 32 pp. IS. Allen and Weft. 1796.

"To banquet the prefs with profaic eccentricities, fhould feem a diftinction more efpecially attendant on the pen of Mr. Burke." This is the fecond fentence of the pamphlet, by which every intelligent reader will judge how well qualified this royalift is to become an antago.nift of Mr. Burke.

ART. 55. Three Letters to the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, on the State of public Affairs; and particularly on the late outrageous Attacks on his Penfion. By an old Whig. 8vo. 52 pp. Is. 6d. Robinfons. 1796.

This pamphlet holds out falfe colours. The term "outrageous attacks" in the title-page, feems to announce a defence of the Right Hon. gentleman; the letters form a furious attack. The author has well enough characterized the fwarm in which he himself condefcends to appear. "You have challenged," fays he to Mr. Burke, and I forefee there will be no lack of combatants-the infect youth in the vicinity of St. Giles's are already on the wing; already they begin to hum and buz." The writer dates from Weft-Park, and figns himfelf R. P. We leave thofe who are more ftudious of fuch intelligence, to decypher thefe intimations.

ART. 56. Remarks on Conversations, occafioned by Mr. Burke's Letter. In a Letter to a Proffor on the Continent. 8vo. 31 pp. 1$. Cawthorne. 1796.

ants.

In this anonymous writer Mr. Burke has the good fortune to meet with a defender more eloquent by far than the generality of his affailHis fentiments on the privileges of old age and affliction, are manly and generous. But, as a topic more pleafing, we shall felect what he fays in defence of Mr. Burke's enthusiasm for the late unfortunate Queen of France.

"His eyes have moistened at the fufferings of a woman! Behold his crime. He had feen the fairest of her fex in the luxuriant dawn of beauty, joy, and youth. His imagination warmed at the recollec

The

tion. He viewed the fatal reverfe-and wrote from the heart. tears that fell were overflowings of the milk of human kindness. I faw her when the luftre of her diadem was beginning to fade-but its gems ftill fhone with an autumnal ray. I remember the air of dignified forrow which mellowed too haitily the lilies on her cheek. Shamefully has this unfortunate queen been traduced. Nine-tenths of the fcandalous tales which malice has induftrioully circulated, are as falie and unfounded as that laft impious charge, to which the mother replied with all the majesty of offended nature. She was gay and unthinking. Tranfplanted from the cold regions of her mother's chamber, when fcarce the baby blush had left her cheek-at the very moment when the paffions began to be ftrong, and ere reafon had yet time to cease to be weak, fhe was placed at once in the Verfailles hot-bed of vice-in a court where immorality was fashion, and where a ftrumpet prefided. What, in fuch a fituation, fome people may fancy themfelves entitled to expect from a girl of fifteen, I know not. But this I know, and feel, and own-that against temptations fo varied and alluring, the ftrength of man, in the full meridian of his reafon, would have proved but weakness." P. 12. This is a morfel worth preferving, amidit fo much calumny and anger.

ART. 57.
A Reply to the Letter of Edmund Burke, Efq. to a noble
Lord. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. late Fellow of Fejus College,
Cambridge. The third Edition, with confiderable Alterations and
Additions. 8vo. 72 PP.
72 pp. 1s. 6d. Kearsley. 1796.

That Mr. Gilbert Wakefield fhould continue in retirement when any field for political controverfy was thrown open, could not be expected. He who cannot refrain from interlarding the most irrelevant poems, ancient and modern, with his anti-monarchical bitterness, would furely not be filent when Mr. Burke had opened a debate. He fights like a hardy veteran, with ancient arms, and in order to be able to employ the fword of Homer, comments upon his doon nap, by endeavouring to prove that the poor, at least, of England, are at this moment flaves. To detail, however, what this author has faid upon the prefent controverfy, cannot be neceffary. It is known to many of our readers what Mr. W. infallibly muft fay, with fuch an opportunity given; and they who do not know already, will not at this time be very anxious to learn. They who have perceived him to be violent, will find him only more fo than ufual on this occafion. Myfelf," he fays, who have exulted in the fucceffes of the French, and the difgrace of their infolent and odious foes, with a keennefs of tranfport not to be defcribed; I have been long prepared to hail the triumphant entry of a republican reprefentative, and fhall exclaim, with equal fincerity and rapture,

66

Dicite lo Pæan! et Io, bis dicite, Paan!"

We have already noticed a warm reply to Mr. Burke, this may properly be called a red-hot one.

Rr

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VII. MAY, 1796.

ART.

ART. 58. A fummary Defence of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke. In two Letters. Letter I. Addrefs to the Reverend Gilbert Wakefield, in Refutation of all his Pofitions. Letter II. Addressed to the Hon. Some fet Lowry Corry: including Strictures upon a late virulent Pamphlet written by Mr. William Miles. By Thomas Townsend, Efq. of the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn. 8ro. 135 PP. 25. 6d. R. White. 1796.

Mr. Townsend writes with ability: and one proof of the fuccefs of his endeavours is, that they have made fome of his antagonists very angry. After wading through fo much contentious difputation, it cannot be expected that we fhould dwell even upon a pamphlet which has fo many claims to approbation. Ten articles of the kind are already ftrung together in our lift, and feveral more remain for another Month.-Dreadful profpect!

MEDICINE.

ART. 59. An Addrefs to Medical Students; A Letter to Dr. Fordyce; with Remarks and Questions upon Quotations from Dr. Fordyce's Dif fertation on fimple Fever. 8vo. 32 pp. Is. Bell, Oxford-street.

1795.

pro

These remarks are ushered by a letter to the ftudents of medicine, admonishing them to reafon rather than harangue, to which he ob ferves, they are too prone; a piece of advice which might with priety be given to the author: alfo a letter to Dr. Fordyce, whom the writer condemns for making a large pamphlet of what might, he thinks have been comprifed within a few pages. Yet the great variety of opinions exifting relative to the caufes, effence, and methods of treating fevers, feems to require a greater latitude than this critic is difpofed to allow. We fhall examine the firft of his remarks, by which our readers will be enabled to understand to what fort of a banquet they are invited.

Fever, Dr. Fordyce has told us, is a difeafe, the exiftence of which no man could have the leaft fufpicion of, fuppofing him acquainted with the ftructure of the body, the properties of the folids and fluids, the various operations which go on in it in health, the manner in which they take place, the powers which produce them, the connection of the body and the mind, as well as thofe known to - phyfiologifts, anatomifts, or thofe who have ftudied medicine itself, or any of the branches of knowledge conducive, or which have been thought conducive to it. It is, therefore, only to be known by obferving it in the diseased bodies of men afflicted with this diftemper." "As much of the above fentence," our critic fays, "as is true concerning fever, is true concerning all other difcafes. Merely reading never made a man know one difeafe from another: but merely reading will teach a man to have a fufpicion of a difeafe. Suppofe a man acquainted with phyfiology and all the other branches of medicine,

"that as

but had never feen a fever in his life. If fuch a man received a writ ten account of an attack of indifpofition, which corresponded with the attack of fever, as described by authors, would he not have a fufpicion of the exiftence of fever in the perfon fo attacked?" This is certainly not refuting Dr. Fordyce's pofition. To have done that, the critic should have shown, that from as complete a knowledge of the anatomy and economy of the human body as we are now poffeffed of, any ingenious perfon, although he had never feen or heard of the difeafe called fever, might have conjectured, or foretold, that a body fo made and organized, would be liable to, and might be affected with the aggregate of the fymptoms which conftitute that complaint. As head-ach, furred tongue, cold and fhivering, heat, depreffion of ftrength, derangement of the intellect, &c. This the critic has not attempted to prove, but contents himself with afferting, much of the above fentence as is true of fever, is true concerning all other difeafes." That is the phænomena of fever, are as easily to be deduced from the known ftrufture and economy of the human body, as the phænomena of any other difeafe whatfoever. To try this pofition, we will apply it to fome particular affections. A very moderate acquaintance with the anatomy and economy of the human body would be fufficient to teach the use of the lungs in refpiration, and the neceffity of refpiration to the existence of life. Any perfon acquainted with the anatomy of the lungs, and the nature of respiration, would therefore be enabled to foretel, even although he had never feen or heard of an animal dying ftrangled, that whatever would prevent the ingrefs of air into the lungs, must neceffarily occafion death. In like manner he would be able to foretel, that any cause capable of diminishing the capacity of the bronchia, and confequently rendering them lefs fit for the free admiffion of air, must occasion a difficulty of breathing or afthma. Thus alfo jaundice and various other affections might be predicted by perfons acquainted with the anatomy and economy of the liver and other parts of the body, although they had never feen or heard of the difeafes. But the fymptoms of fever feem to have fo little dependence upon the ftructure of the body, as far as we are acquainted with it, that no perfon who had not feen or heard of the difcafe, could ever have conjectured, merely from his knowledge of its structure and functions, that it would be obnoxious to fuch a complaint. We shall not examine any more of this writer's remarks, which are, in general, not more important than this we have noticed; and, although fome of them may be juft, as, perhaps, may be that on Dr. Fordyce's affertion," that where a man is afflicted with the most infectious fever, if he be in a clean room, with clean bed clothes, neither the eye, the tafte, smell, or feel, give the fmalleft notice of there being any infection prefent;" which may, we think, be controverted, although it may be difficult to demonftrate the contrary; and fuppofing it to be done, it will fearce pay the trouble of the inveftiga

tion

ART. 60. An Efay on the Abuse of spirituous Liquors; being, An Attempt to exhibit, in its genuine Colours, its pernicious Effects upon the Property, Health, and Morals of the People, with Rules and Admonitions refpecting the Prevention and Cure of this great national Evil. By A. Fothergill, M. D. F. R. S. Member of the Royal College of Phyficians, of the Medical Societies of London, Edinburgh, and Paris, c. Svo. 32 FP. 15. Crutwell, Bath. 1796.

IS.

After fome general obfervations on the pernicious effects of drunkennefs on the fortune, the health, and the moral of the people, and ferious exhortations to them, to check even the flighteft propenfity to drinking fpirituous liquors, the author proceeds to fhow in what manner the habit may be cured in the more hardened and inveterate drinkers. This may be effected, he fays, by attending to and obferving a fimple rule, " to bear and forbear. To bear the prefent want of their accustomed liquor, and to forbear ever after to taste it." P. 28. The author does not, however, entirely depend upon the efficacy of this laconic apothegm, but recommends to his patients, to enter into a voluntary bond, with an obligation to forfeit a fum of money if they fhall tafte fpirituous liquors, for a time to be limited; and this obligation is to be renewed until the habit fhall be entirely conquered. The advice is certainly good, though not extremely difficult to discover; but, as the end propofed is highly defirable, we hope it will prove fuccefsful. The effay is addreffed to the Bath and Weft of England Society, inftituted for the encouragement of agriculture, arts, manufactures, and commerce, who voted the author their honorary premium, and directed the difcourfe to be printed, that the members might be enabled to diftribute it in their refpective diftricts.

ART. 61. The Works of Charles Vial de Sainbel, Professor of Veteri nary Medicine. To which is prefixed a fhort Account of his Life. Including alfo the Origin of the Veterinary College in London. 4to. 128 pp. 21. 28. Martin and Bain. 1795.

Mr. Sainbel having been ruined by the revolution in France, which not only deprived him of the refources conferred by the monarch, but alfo of a benefactor in M. de Fleffeille (the fecond victim of popular fury) who had allowed him an annuity of five hundred livres, determined to fettle in England. In the year 1790 he attracted the notice of the Odiham Society for the Improvement of Agriculture, &c. and on the 18th of February, 1791, a committee from that fociety, joined by feveral gentlemen in London, detached themselves from that body to form an inftitution called The Veterinary College of London, of which they appointed Mr. S. Profeffor. The Duke of Nor. thumberland became their prefident, and feveral other noblemen and gentlemen took the offices of vice-prefidents and directors. From this time the College continued, we are told, to flourish, till the death of M. Sainbel, on August 23, 1793. This pofthumous volume is fwelled out to an unneceffary fize by the mode of printing, but may probably be of fervice in promoting a branch of medicine, which hitherto has but feldom been confidered fcientifically. MISCELLANIES.