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the relation might have been drawn up in a more regular, perfpicuous, and pleasing manner.

Mr. Firmin died in the year 1697. In life he was greatly and defervedly refpected, and his memory is ftill precious. His friendfhip with Dr. Fowler, Bishop of Gloucester, and Dr. Tillotfon, Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as other eminent perfons of that day, would have tranfmitted his name, with refpect, to pofterity, together with theirs but he needed not this fupport; his own fpirit and conduct pleaded fufficiently for him. He was religious, active, catholic, benevolent, charitable, and public-fpirited in a remarkable degree. The perufal of his life is at once an entertainment and a probable means of improvement: it deferves on many accounts to be held up to notice, and affords an admirable pattern, especially for the imitation of young men.

The Editor has arranged his materials under different heads, that he might present them with greater exactness and advantage to the Reader: he has alfo introduced other anecdotes, connected with his fubject, and accompanied all by pertinent and judicious reflections, delivered with an ingenuous frankness. He informs us, that his fentiments, particularly in regard to our bleffed Saviour, are different from thofe efpoufed by Mr. Firmin; any furmife, therefore, that this republication has arisen from an attachment to Mr. Firmin's religious opinions must be groundlefs. This worthy man was what is generally termed a Socinian. But furely that prejudice and bigotry must be unconquerably ftrong, and highly criminal, which does not learn from this little volume that there may be good and excellent perfons in every denomination of Chriftians, even though they differ very widely in their views as to fpeculative points of theology! Excellent Mr. Firmin was; and we are perfuaded that no perfon who reads the account here given of him can with-hold the acknowledgment. We hope too, that this públication may contribute to abate the heat of party, and promote that candour, forbearance, and charity, fo effential to the spirit of the Gospel!

We fhall finish this little article, by adding a few lines, with which Mr. Cornifh concludes his publication. After a lively defcription of the heavenly fociety, he proceeds; Such are the reflections which naturally arife to the mind on contemplating the feveral parts of his conduct, whofe life is the fubject of this book. Happy will he be, who has attempted to set before mankind fo fhining a pattern of difinterefted benevolence, and to revive the memory of one, in whom were united to fuch a remarkable degree, the moft amiable and useful qualities which adorn humanity; happy will he be, if but one perfon be wrought on to afpire after an imitation of thofe various excellencies

which joined in forming the character of Mr. Thomas Firmin!'

ART. VIII. The Hilory of Epidemics. By Hippocrates. In Seven Books. Tranflated into English from the Greek, with Notes and Ob, Jervations, and a Preliminary Differtation on the Nature and Caufe of Infection: By Samuel Farr, M. D. F. R. S. 4to. 11. 15. in Boards. Cadell. 1780.

TH

HE Epidemics of Hippocrates appear to be a kind of journal, in which, among other matters, that attentive and exact obferver kept an account of the medical constitution of the feafons, and of the different cafes which fell under his obfervation; the symptoms and events of which are related with great concifenefs; but with very little attention to the medical treatment of the patients. The talk of tranflating this work, we are told, was originally undertaken by the prefent Tranflator for his own emolument;' and when he had finifhed it, he was defirous to communicate it to mankind, to fave them the fame trouble, and perhaps too great an occupation of their time.' He was at the fame time furnished with a number of commentators, and a variety of editions of the Works of Hippocrates; and therefore made the tranflation rather a ftudy than a mere verbal interpretation: being willing to tranflate rather as a phyfician than as a grammarian.

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Dr. Farr has not however merely confined himself to the task of tranflating his Author; as he has annexed to his tranflation a large body of notes and obfervations. Speaking of preceding tranflators and commentators, of whofe labours however he acknowledges that he has availed himself, he takes notice of many deficiencies in all the writers that he has confulted. Some,' fays he, have erred in the Latin tranflations which they have given us, preferring elegance of language to the real interpretation, which fometimes is to be conveyed in a vulgar and barbarous expreffion. Others have contented themfelves with a mere commentary, or enlarging the verbage of their author, rather than illuftrating his meaning by apt allufions or judicious illuftrations. Others, indeed, as Dr. Freind and Dr. Glafs, &e. have gone upon a much better plan, by determining the propriety of the practice of Hippocrates, and accommodating it to experience and reafon. But ftill their commentary is too much feparated from the Author; and for want of having him always before you, the judgment of the Reader is in fome measure deprived of its proper exercife. Upon thefe accounts, I have thought that a more connected body of notes joined immediately to a faithful tranflation of this ufeful work, would answer every purpofe which might be required; would convey the fentiments

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timents of this excellent phyfician, and at the fame time confirm his affertions by the practice and the best theories of the moderns.'

As a fpecimen of this tranflation, we fhall transcribe the first regular case given in this work, and which occurs in the third fection of the first book; only obferving, that in this short transcript, as well as throughout the whole performance, there are negligences of ftyle-to give them the mildeft appellationwhich ought to have been avoided, and which might easily have been amended, even by a mere English reader. Though we agree with the Tranflator, in the opinion delivered in the paffage above quoted from him-that elegance of language is not to be preferred to the real interpretation; we do not concur with him in his fubfequent remark, that this interpretation ought ever, or at leaft frequently, to be conveyed in a vulgar and barbarous expreffion.'

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Philifcus, who lived near the walls, took to his bed on the firft day of his feizure with an acute fever; he was disposed to sweat, and had a very troublesome night. The next day all his fymptoms were aggravated, but after a loose ftool from a clyfter, he was relieved, and had a quiet night. On the third day in the morning, and till the evening, he appeared to be free from fever; but about the evening the fever was very violent, attended with fweating and thirft; the tongue was dry and parched, the urine was black, he had a very diftreffing night, flept none, but was very delirious. On the next day every thing was increafed, and the urine continued black. In the night he was much eafier, and the urine was of a better colour. On the fifth, about mid-day, a fmall quantity of pure blood was voided at the noftrils; but the urine was of various colours, having some small round globules refembling femen, floating about in it, but not forming any fediment at bottom. A fuppofitory being adminiftered produced only a fmall quantity of wind. He had a troublesome night, with little fleep, was very talkative and delirious, the extremities were cold, nor could any heat be raised in them. He made black urine, flept a little the next day, but loft his voice; his sweats were very cold, the extremities became livid, and about the middle of the day (being the fixth) he died. In this man, at the clofe of the fever, the refpiration was like' [that of] a perfon calling back †, but feldom made, and of long duration. The spleen was elevated in a round and gibbous form. There were cold fweats to the end, and the exacerbations were on the equal days.'

From the Notes we fhall felect a part of what the Translator has thought fit to say on the fubject of Physiognomy; on which

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he certainly lays more ftrefs than it deferves, when he undertakes to fhew, how this fcience may be improved, fo far as to become a proper diagnoftic in cafes of difeafe.' Nothing lefs, furely, than his veneration for the father of phyfic, and that partiality which a tranflator or commentator naturally acquires for his author, could induce the prefent commentator to tell us gravely that almost all diseases are accompanied with anxiety, with pain, and with convulfion;-and that all these confiderably alter the features of the face. Nor can we agree with him in opinion, that it may be worth while to observe too that health is always attended with a remarkable placidity of countenance; and the smallest deviation from a found state, even by fatigue or heat, gives an alteration to it, which is pofitively and diftinctly marked.'

Of what ufe is it to be told afterwards, that 'dropfy, jaundice, and other diforders, which are accompanied with liftlessness and inactivity, have these effects strongly marked upon the features of the face?' Surely the firft is at once more certainly marked by a prominent belly and a fluctuation; and the second, by the yellowness of the skin. Suppofing for a moment the truth of an obfervation made by the Tranflator, that to different kinds of inflammation, gout, rheumatism, colics, ftone and gravel,' and other diforders attended with pain, a peculiar look is affixed, which fometimes will point even to the place where it is feated:" fuch an observation, allowing it, merely for argument's fake, to be juft, might be of use to a painter or ftatuary, who meant to exhibit a person in a fit of the colic, &c. ; but we cannot perceive any advantage that a physician can derive from it, except perhaps in the cafe of infants, or of dumb or infane perfons. In hort, the little ufeful knowledge that the phyfician can acquire from phyfiognomical obfervations muft principally be obtained from perfonal experience; and is of fuch a nature, as not eafily, if at all, except in a very few inftances, to be communicated by books.

We are rather apprehenfive that we fhall expofe the venerable fage of Greece to fome fhare of ridicule, if we felect, as a fecond specimen of this tranflation, two or three paffages taken from the fecond book, relative to this whimsical fubject.

Those who have a yellow fkin, and fharp nofes, with fmall eyes, are fubject to dangerous difeafes. Those who have a yellow fkin and flat nofes, with large eyes, are more fecure. Dropfical perfons have blue eyes, and are bald. A tumour of

the tefticle of either fide deftroys a fhrill voice, and without this it cannot be altered. Large and bald perfons, who are very talkative, and have thrill voices, are fafe; but fuch talkative and bald perfons, with fhrill voices, or those who have a good deal of hair upon their bodies, are apt to be melancholic'

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Thofe who have large heads and fmall eyes, and who are talkative, are prone to anger. Those who have a profpect of long life, have a great number of teeth. Talkative perfons, and who talk quickly also, are melancholy, and fubject to have much bile. Thofe who have their eyes fixed and steady, are apt to be angry. A great head, large black eyes, a thick and flat nofe, are good figns. Large eyes of a blue colour, a small head, thin neck, narrow cheft, are the marks of perfons of the best difpofitions. He who has a small head is never talkative, nor is he bald, unless he hath very fhining eyes.'

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We shall conclude our extracts from this performance by taking fome notice of an obfervation as ftrange as any of the preceding. In a difficult paffage which occurs towards the end of the feventh book, Dr. Farr adopts the common reading of the text [πορνειη αχρωμος δυσεντερίης ακος], which he accordingly tranflates, Impure fornication is a cure for the dysentery." The fingularity, as well as the grofsnefs, and apparent immorality of the obfervation, have induced many critics to be of opinion that it could not proceed from Hippocrates; and that there must be an error in the text. Indeed fome have questioned the authenticity of this whole book. Dr. Farr, without fpecifying any of the numerous criticifms to which this paffage has given occafion, afks what have morals to do with the precepts of a phyfician? and though Hippocrates feems far from being ́an encourager of vice, yet at the fame time he had a very high regard for the truth; that it was a general rule, and which poffibly he might have found to be of use; and that he might therefore give it in its utmoft latitude to those who wished to obey it.' He ftrengthens this opinion by affirming, that in many parts of his works, and in thefe Epidemics, he hath advanced that a connection with the female fex is a cure for this complaint.'

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M. Dacier has, in our opinion, very eafily and fatisfactorily faved the moral character of Hippocrates, by the change only of a fingle letter in the word axpwos, which he would read and refer it to the word ακος. αχρώμου, He obferves, that it is an old or obfolete word, found only in Hippocrates and Artemidorus; which Suidas tranflates, impudent, that is, unblushing, or fhameless, as likewife deteftable. The fenfe of the paffage, thus corrected, will be, that fornication is a fornication is a scandalous or villainous remedy for the dyfentery.'

In a Differtation prefixed to this work, Dr. Farr, availing himself of the late difcoveries relative to air, inquires into the causes of epidemical diforders; particularly as they depend on the chemical qualities of the air, confidered as confisting of an acid principle, combined with earth, and phlogifton. Obferving, that warmth leffens the mutual attraction of these prin

ciples;

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