peculiar, as we believe, to the author, and which we cannot approve, we mean the frequent ufe he makes of the digitalis, and the femina hyofcyami, two drugs of fuch deleterious qualities, that they fhould never be reforted to, where milder remedies may be made to answer the purpose. In cafes of plethora, of too rigid a ftate of the fibres, of quick pulfe, and of uneafy fenfations about the region of the uterus, threatening abortion, we are advifed to give from half a grain to a grain of the digitalis, and continue the ufe of it as long as we find it neceffary. See pages 80, 85, 86, 93, 98, &c. But as thefe are fome of the most common circumftances attending pregnancy, and when exceffive may be remedied by taking away a finall quantity of blood, giving a gentle laxative, and perhaps reducing the diet; and as thefe fymptoms rarely lead to abortion, and frequently fubfide of themfelves, there can be no neceflity for having recourfe to a remedy fo powerful as the digitalis. It is not improbable that the digitalis, and other fafhionable drugs, owe a great part of their reputation to their being frequently employed in cafes, where no medicines are wanted. But as it is often neceffary that the phyfician fhall prefcribe fomething in these cafes, a little of the powder or infufion of chamomile flowers, or of the columbo root, or a glafs of camphor water, may be given with more fafety, and certainly with as much advantage as the digitalis.

Where the uterus does not contract fufficiently after abortion, or after child-bearing, and the patient is in danger of finking, in confequence of the hæmorrhage continuing, or recurring after fhort intervals, during which it is fufpended, the author recommends aftringent injections, and small dofes of ipecacuanha, or emetic tartar to excite naufea. As hysteric affections fometimes occur, at every period of utero-geftation, where they are very troublefome, the author attempts to appeafe them by adminiftering a "liberal dofe of tincture of opium and æther." "During the intervals of the fits," he adds, p. 132, we may give a table fpoonful of the following mixture, five or fix times a day." But a fecond, or third dofe, it is probable, would put an end to the fits, and to the life of the patient at the fame The following is a copy of the prescription,

"R. Tint. Digitalis, ifs.
Ext. Hyociami, zi.
Emls. Camph. 3iv."

The patients are therefore to take a drachm of the tinc ture of digitalis, and five grains of the extract of henbane

five or fix times in the day. It is true the author has corrected the error in this prefcription, in a second table of errata, for it is not noticed in the firft, and we are told to put a drachm and an half of the tincture of digitalis, inftead of an ounce and an half, and a drachm of the tincture of henbane, inflead of a drachm of the extract, which is at the least, eight times as ftrong as the tincture. Where fo important an error as this was committed, the author should not have been contented with noticing it in the table of errata, he fhould have cancelled the sheet.

It is common enough to direct a spoonful of camphorated julap, or a few drops of spirit of lavender to be taken five or fix times a day, at the difcretion of the patient, but we never before faw, and truft we shall not foon again fee, a fimilar latitude given, where the medicines were endowed with fuch powers, as the drugs here recommended are known to poffels.

The obfervations which were delivered in the courfe of the author's lectures, are dedicated to his pupils, who paid him, he fays, very flattering compliments upon them; but he must not expect them to be received by his brethren, fellow practitioners, or teachers, with the fame approbation, until they have been very carefully corrected and amended.

ART. XI. The Works of Dr. Edward Barry, in three
Volumes; 1. Sermons preached on public Occafions. 2. A
friendly Call of Truth and Reafon. 3. Effays. 8vo.
Smart and Co. Reading. Rivingtons, &c. London.

1806.

11. 15.

OF F the Sermons in the firft of thefe volumes, moft, if not all, have been fingly publifhed; and fome of them have in that ftate attracted our attention. It appears also, that, with the exception of five out of nineteen, they have alfo appeared in a collective edition; which, by fome accident, we did not fee. The fecond volume has alfo been twice publifhed before, and was noticed by us in our 17th vol. p. 197. The Effays have either not been published before, or in a lefs extended form.

The fubjects of the Sermons are very various. Sc ne were preached for public occafions, foine for particular focieties, fome on great and fundamental doctrines of Religion. In all of them we can difcern the principles of a found divine, and the zeal of a fincere and benevolent man.. That

the

the author has alfo the fkill to exprefs his fentiments with propriety and animation, may be feen in the following fpecimen. Where he treats of the irreverent practice, lately become but too common, of fitting during the finging of Pfalms.

"In vain alas! is the pious exhortation, Q come let us fing unto the Lord,' to all those who are not difpofed to attune their hearts and lift up their voices in hymns of gratitude-utterly difregarded is the invitation by thofe, who continue in the irreverend pofture of fitting down, when called upon to raise their bodies, and elevate their fouls to the praife and glory of Him, who made heaven and earth: very plainly do fuch intimate, that as they have no melody in their hearts, they will make none with their lips, and thus practically difregard the honour that is due to God, and hold in contempt the injunction of his Apoftle, who has directed us to do all things decently and in order.

"The cuftom of ftanding up to fing, is fet forth in the holy Scriptures, and was at one time the habit of Clergy and Laity: to this purpose the Pfalmift thus exhorts, "Praife ye the Lord, praife ye the name of the Lord, praise him, O ye fervants of the, Lord: ye that ftand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good:"" in obedience, therefore, to this command, they fang his praifes, not in the indecorous manner of fitting down on their feats, but in the becoming pofture of rifing up.

"Why, however, fhould we urge Scripture examples to enforce a refpectful attention to what, the very fuggeftions of nature and habit fhould teach us to regard. A proper attitude and demea. nour of perfon, where compliment or deference is to be expreffed, are moft fcrupuloufly obferved by the different orders of fociety: fhall God Almighty then, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, fhall He be denied that outward mark of efteem and honour, which the ufages of civilized, and even barbarous nations most imperiously demand? forbid it religion, forbid it good manners, forbid it common decency!

"For the aged, the difeafed, and the infirm*, in retaining their feats, every apology is to be offered: but different is my language to the young, the healthy, and robuft; to them I muft fay, for the credit of our holy vocation, in compliance with Chrif tian order, and for the glory of Him, whofe name is Jehovah, that if they hope to join his heavenly choir in heaven, it becomes them no longer to refufe to rife up, and fing his praifes here below, and hence, To give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name, to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.'

*This obfervation actually roufed from their feats many of the congregation, who before were regardless of other exhertations.

"Forbid

"Forbid it, ye that love the Lord, ye that fear the Lord, that fo interefting and fo fublime a part of Christian worship, as Pfalm finging, when properly conducted, fhould any longer be treated with neglect, by fuffering that duty to be done by proxy, and bearing no part whatever in it yourfelves." P. 264.

Let us add to thefe remarks, that a ftill more irreverent, and indecent practice, appears too fall to be gaining ground, that of fitting even during the prayers; which, except in cafes of abfolute infirmity, feems almoft to deftroy the very notion of prayer.

The Friendly Call is addreffed to thofe femi-diffenters, as they might not improperly be called, who affume the merit of being more true Churchmen than the Church itfelf. It contains fome original and useful remarks, and many valuable citations from the works of other divines. It has juftly been much noticed and circulated; but, as we have fpoken of it before, we fhall not here expatiate upon it.

The Effays are fourteen in number, and on fubjects apparently interefting; namely, 1. Celibacy. 2. Wedlock. 3. Seduction. 4. Pride. 5. Duelling, 6. Self-murder. 7. Lying. 8. Detraction. 9: Avarice. 10. Juflice. 11. Generofity. 12. Temperance. 13. Excels. 14. Death. Though thefe Eflays, as well as the Sermons, difplay good and benevolent intentions, we cannot give them unqualified praife. In fome of them, particularly the three firft, are paffages which it might have been more prudent to omit; and the reft deal too much in common remarks, and are rather unreasonably extended by quotations. Nor are the quotations, in general, any very unknown paffages of authors, or difcoveries of latent beauties. We cannot perhaps give a better fpecimen of thefe Effays, than from the conclufion of that on Excefs.

"For accidental ebriety fome few apologies may be offered. The different qualities of the fame kind of liquor, may have very unexpected effects on different conftitutions. In extenuation of the guilt of Noah, it has been obferved, that he was unacquainted with the inebriating quality of fermentation in liquor. Hilarity and other circumstances of fociety, together with the variation of animal fpirits, and the difference of feafons, may have occafionally betrayed into intoxication, even fuch as deferve the name of fober men. On thefe, as on other occafions of accident, liberal and good minds are ready to put the fairest conftruction, and would rather conceal, than publish, such inftances of human imperfection,

"But though we have ventured to fuggeft thus far, by way of apology for those who may fometimes be thus overtaken with a fault, let not the Drunkard or the Sot dare to prefume, that any palliation is here offered for the contemptible and deftructive. habits of him, who either drivels like an idiot, or raves as a madman. Well might the Lacedæmonians therefore hope, that by representing in their flaves the degrading appearance of drunkennefs, it would be fufficient to deter others from the vice.

"Whatever may be the motives of different characters of man. kind to a life of sobriety, the falutary effects are the fame.

"If the knave be fober through defign, and the invalid from neceffity; the wife man will be fo from choice, and the good man from a fenfe of duty.

"There are, fays an eminent poet,

Yet unnumber'd ills that lie unfeen
In the pernicious draught: the word obfcene,
Or harsh, (which once elanc'd muft ever fly
Irrevocable;) the too prompt reply,

Seed of fevere diftruft, and fierce debate,
What we should fhun, and what we ought to hate.
Add too, the blood impoverish'd, and the courfe
Of health fupprefs'd by wine's continued force.
Unhappy man! whom forrow thus, and rage,
To different ills alternately engage.
Who drinks, alas! but to forget; nor fees
That melancholy floth, fevere disease,
Memory confus'd, and interrupted thought,
Death's harbingers lie latent in the draught;

And in the flowers that wreathe the fparkling bowl,
Fell adders hifs, and poisonous ferpents roll."

"This Effay fhall now conclude with a fhort, but pithy anecdote.

"It is fomewhere faid, "That the Devil gave to an Hermit the choice of three crimes: two of them were of the most atrocious nature, the third was to be drunk." The poor man made choice of the laft, as feemingly the moft innocent; but mark the fequel i when he was drunk, he committed the other two dreadful fins!' Vol. 111. p. 174.

The general character of the Effays may here be feen. They are not the best part of the author's works; but, in every part, fome things may be found that are useful, and intructive.

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXVIII, Dec, 1806.

ART,