bus in Gallia miraculis operi deeft prae defectu monumentorum ad horum difcuffionem neceffariorum.

Caput quintum de Miraculis, pag. 142. R. D. Johannes Jofephus Gaffner, natus anno 1727, die 20 Augufti in Braz prope Bludenz, in circulo Suevico, ftudia fua peregit in univerfitate Pragenfi, et Oenopontana, facerdos factus eft an. 1750. Ab anno 1758 parochus in Klosterle diaecefeos curiae, adverfa valetudine, ut narrat, ab annis quatuor antequam parochus fieret, laborabat; ut nunc atrophiam nunc apoplexiam metuerit ; opem multam a medicis Oenopontanis tentavit. Medicorum pervolvendis operibus fe dedit. Cum omnia fruftra tentaffet, Pag. 143. dubitare coepit, an non laboraret morbo praeternaturali? Hancque ob caufam experiri voluit, num forte praeceptis Diabolo in nomine Jefu datis curari poffet. Dictum factum curavit fe fic, ut annis 16 nulla inquerit ope medica. Pag. 144. Fama Helvetiam, Tyrolem, et Sueviam explens, fingulis pofterioribus annis plus 400 imo 500 ad ipfum in Klofterle curandi convolarent, inde parochia relicta, plura loca peragratus, diuturniore tempore, Elvange, tandem fub aufpiciis epifcopi Ratisbonenfis fua portenta Ratisbonae perfecit. Portenta hujus fa

cerdotiş

cerdotis multi admirati funt. Haud pauci, five fuperftitioni, five mimorum atque argyrtarum fallaciis, eadem tribuerunt. Orta hinc inde libellorum ingens feries, Pag. 145. quos omnes poffideo. Sicuti extracta Protocolli epifcopalis Ratisbonenfis, quae accurate omnes Gaffneri proceffus notarunt. Unde maxime authentica mea hiftoria erit. Pag. 146. Morbos in naturales et daemoniacos difpecit. Complures pariter morbos effe fatetur, quos partim Sathan, partim natura gignat. Pag. 147. Daemoniacos innumerabiles fe curare afferit, nec non alios quos non obfeffos, fed circumceffos a diabolo ; vocat circumceffos eos effe, in quibus diabolus morbos producit. Pag. 151. Neque quemadmodum, ut in Evangelio ufque ad legionem, fed ad centum millia ad milliones, ad milliones decem; tam certo novit, daemonum in imo homine fimul ineffe, et ex epifcopali protocollo in uno cafu hunc numerum 10,000,000 expulit. Pag. 156. Singulis a fe exorcizatis, et, ut ait, curatis, ad pharmaciam pergere mandat, quae in Elvangen unica erat, ut ftatuto praetio, oleum, balfamum, aut fpiritum, &c. emant, imo etiam annulos quibus infculp tum fit fanctiff. Jefu nomen. Pag. 158. Viri fapientes indignabuntur in me, pergit De Haen, ut

qui

qui acta agam, qui Ethiopem lavem, quandoquidem tantam fapiant haec opera, fatuitatem, vanitatem, temeritatem, inanitatem, impietatem, ut acternis potius tenebris fepeliri, quam pofterorum memoriae, confervari deberent. Si omnes homines fic judicarent memoriam illorum fuffocafle, quam refricaffe praeftaret: Verum, cum fummi in ecclefia atque republica viri, ea ut vera miracula tueantur, fuaque autoritate idem plebi perfuadeant, neceffe omnino eft extrema tentare, ut quid de illis fentiendum fit demonftretur. Pag. 159. Ita Gaffneri lufus theatrales, Gaffneri impietates, Gaffneri barbaries, nos in indignationem erga illum ducunt. Pag. 166. Nonne in legitimam fufpicionem incidat fimoniacifmi, quod cum fuo pharmacopoeo, qui 200 emptores fimul quandoque falutat, turpiter colludat? Pag. 167. Finis, alter, Gaffneri miraculorum est, ut ait ipse Gaffner, ut cogatur Diabolus publice fateri quantum emolumenti inferno, et quantum detrimenti ecclefiae focietatis Jefu diffolutione acceffe. rit. Pag. 170. Hoc jubente Gaffnero, in pluribus occafionibus faffus eft diabolus, fed nunquam apertius quam anno 1774 die 8 Decembr. ex protocollo epifcopali. Pag. 171. Refpondet Diabolus horrendo ejulatu fe convolvens. Pag. 173.

· Vos,

Vos, o homines ipfa hac Jefuitarum diffolutione ab una parte magnum ecclefiae fulcrum perdidiftis, ab altera notabile mihi lucrum conciliaftis.' Pag. 174. Sed gratulor imperio Romano, (ait De Haen), audio hoc momento Auguftiff. Jofephi Secundi autoritate prohibitos fuos fibi exorcifmos Gaffnero effe.

*

Some years ago, Mr Louis of the French academy of furgery wrote to his friend Profeffor Camper, then at Groningen, that a young surgeon had propofed a new operation to the Academy in cafes of narrow pelvis, by dividing the fymphyfis pubis, in preference to the Caefarean operation. The academy confidered this as an extraordinary project, rather than as a practicable operation. Profeffor Camper was of a different opinion, and began by trying the experiment on a female cadaver, in which he found, that, without any material injury to the parts, he could confiderably enlarge the cavity of the pelvis ; he observed, that it would be required to feparate only one of the crura clitoridis, and that the other might be easily stretched. In order to determine from analogy, how far fuch an operation would be dangerous to life, he performed the section on VOL. V. No. 18.

a

a living pig, and the animal for fome days was unable either to stand or walk. In the fpace of a few weeks, however, it seemed to be perfectly recovered, and at the end of three months was fattened and killed. Dr Camper preferves the bones in his museum. The ingenious Profeffor made fome attempts to procure a trial of this method on a young woman condemned to death at Groningen; but not being able to fucceed in his request, published the letters that paffed on the occafion, together with many ingenious and fatiffactory arguments to prove the practicability of the operation, and the preference it seems, on many accounts, to claim over the Caefarian fection ; the almost certain fatality of which is well known.

This publication, by a man who has long been deservedly eminent for anatomical and furgical knowledge, did not fail to draw the attention of furgeons to this fubject, and, accordingly, the operation has lately been performed at Paris.

The following extract of a letter from Paris, dated October 13th, communicated by Mr Aitken furgeon in Edinburgh to Doctor Duncan, gives fome account of this operation, as perform

ed