lessen the force of the disease, by preventing the operation of fear apon the system.' Purging, sweating, and salivation,-Dr. Rush's general plan for treating diseases,-bring up the rear of depletion. Such are the general contents of the volume before us.-We cannot but consider it as an extraordinary circumstance, that a physician of experience and reputation should adopt the indiscriminating system of Brown; which intelligent students com-, monly discard when they become 'familiar with the real appearances of disease. The evil consequences of such an adoption are but too apparent in the present work; in which the same routine of practice is recommended in yellow fever, in gout, and in hydrophobia. This routine is not so harmless as Moliere's recipe, "Clysterium donare, The loss of one or two hundred ounces of blood, succeeded by brisk purging, and followed up by the debilitating powers of salivation, is no neutral course of medicine! Our conviction of the great danger, which is to be feared from the doctrines and practice recommended by this author, has compelled us to state our objections to both with freedom; it may be said, with severity: but it must be considered that authority in medicine has peculiar weight; and that a writer, who has established a reputation by former works, may contribute to the propagation of serious error by lending his name to the support of false doctrines and hazardous practices, at a subsequent period of his life. We have received some other tracts by Dr. Rush, of which we shall take notice hereafter. (See p. 91.) MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For SEPTEMBER, 1801. PHILOSOPHY, NATURAL HISTORY, &c. Art. 14. The Naturalist's and Traveller's Companion. By John Coakley Lettsom, M. D. The third Edition. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Dilly. THIS will be found to be a very useful compilation for travellers, who may wish to bring home something more than the names of the towns which they have visited, or the signs of the ions at which they have been refreshed. The directions here contained, for conveying plants safely during sea-voyages, will be of particular utility. Art. 15. This is a prosecution of Mr. Bent's annual labours, which we hope will continue to meet with public patronage. Mr. B. has also printed a general title-page, and an introduction, for a volume consisting of the eight annual Journals which he has kept, from 1793 to 1800; which volume is sold for 15s. bound. The Introduction includes tables, from eight preceding Journals, of the greatest, least, and mean height of the barometer and thermometer, in every month of the years 1785 to 1792. Art. 16. An Essay on the general Study of Experimental Philosophy, and the Utility of Chemistry: introductory to a Course of Lectures on the Philosophy of Chemistry, and the Connection of that Science with the Arts and the other Sciences. By Anthony Todd Thomson, Surgeon, Honorary Member and late President of the Royal Physical Society; and Member of the Medical and the Speculative Societies of Edinburgh, 8vo. Is. 6d. Callow. A well-written paper, calculated to recommend the course of lec, tures proposed by the author. Art. 17. MEDICAL, &c. Considerations regarding Pulmonary Consumption. By Thomas Sutton, M. D. 8vo. pp. 121 3s. Robinsons. After a brief history of the case, which led to the train of investigation now before us, Dr. Sutton proceeds to state his doubts on the production of hectic fever by the absorption of Pus. This scepticism seems to have been a new idea with the Doctor, and he tells us that he was agreeably surprised to find Dr. Read supporting the same opinion. The first person, however, who supposed that the absorption of Pus does not necessarily produce hectic fever, was the late Mr. Hunter, who taught it many years ago. Dr. Sutton next delivers his opinion of the proximate cause of the debility and emaciation which take place in phthisis; he imagines it to be obstruction in the mesenteric glands; and that the tubercles in the lungs, and some other pulmonary symptoms, are excited by sympathy. This doctrine, which he labours strenuously to support, may be refuted by a very obvious suggestion. It had escaped Dr, Sutton's consideration that the lungs perform a great, and indispen. sible part in nutrition. In the lungs, the chyle is assimilated with the blood; and any change of structure in them, which alters or impedes this operation, must at once emaciate and irritate the whole system. This view of the subject solves every difficulty started by Dr. Sutton against the common notion of the cause of phthisis, and renders his migration to the mesenteric glands totally unnecessary. The plan of cure, by repeated emetics, which Dr. S. proposes, in consequence of his hypothesis, has been already recommended to the public on other grounds, but has never been adopted to any considerable extent; which is a sure proof that it has seldom succeeded. Purging Purging is also advised by Dr. Sutton; and he has advanced a most unaccountable opinion, that a natural cure of phthisis has sometimes been produced by the purging which attends the last stage of the disease. The united experience of the faculty has decided, on the contrary, that this species of diarrhoea is ultimately fatal. Exercise on horseback, sea voyages, and some other common methods of treating consumptive patients, are mentioned with approbation. Dr. Sutton professes to have tried the digitalis, unsuccessfully but we cannot admit his experiments with it to be conclusive, because he gave it during the emetic course, which would certainly counteract its beneficial properties. : On the whole, we are sorry to find that Dr. Sutton has added nothing to the fund of useful knowlege, on the subject of this fatal disease. His zeal for the improvement of medical science, however, is highly commendable; and he may learn, by correcting his first ideas, hereafter to contribute to the common stock something which may be really important. Art. 18. Observations upon the Origin of the Malignant, Bilious, or Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, and upon the Means of preventing it: addressed to the Citizens of Philadelphia. By Benjamin Rush. 8vo. 15. Philadelphia. 1799. Imported by Mawman, London. Dr. Rush continues, in this pamphlet, to support his opinion that the yellow fever is generated in Philadelphia, by various public and domestic nuisances. He has, in consequence, recommended the following means of prevention; 1. Let the docks be immediately cleaned, and let the accumulation of filth in them, be prevented in future, by conveying water into them by a passage under the wharfs, or by paving them with large flag stones inclining in such a manner towards the channel of the river, as that the filth of the streets shall descend from them (after it falls into the docks) into the river. This method of paving docks has been used with success in the city of Brest. The street now known by the name of Dock-street once exposed a large surface of filth to the action of the sun. Its neighbourhood was more sickly at that time, than any other part of the city. By means of the present arch over that filth, Dock-street has been exempted from an unusual number of sick people during the summer and autumnal months. 2. Let every ship that belongs to our port be compelled by law to carry a ventilator. Let all such ships as are discovered to contain foul air in their holds, be compelled to discharge their cargoes before they reach our city, and let the ships in port, be compelled to pump out their bilge water every day. 3. Let the common sewers be washed frequently with streams of water from our pumps. Perhaps an advantage would arise from opening them and removing such foul matters, as streams of water are unable to wash away. 4. Let the gutters be washed every evening in warm weather. By frequently washing the streets and pavements, the heat of the city would would be lessened, and thereby one of the predisposing causes of the fever would in some measure be obviated. The use of water for the above purposes, has become more necessary since the streets and gutters have been so closely paved; for the filth which formerly soaked into the earth, is now confined, and emits its noxious vapors into the atmosphere. 5. The utmost care should be taken to remove the filth from the yards and cellars of every house in the city. Hog-styes should be forbidden in yards, and the walls of cellars should be white-washed two or three times a year, and their floors should be constantly covered with a thin layer of lime. White washing the outside of houses in sickly streets, would probably be useful. 6. Let the privies be emptied frequently; and let them be constructed in such a manner as to prevent their contents from oozing through the earth so as to contaminate the water of the pumps. The famous Ambrose Parcy ascribed one of the plagues of Paris wholly to foul air, and impure water. Mr. Latrobe in a note, in his proposal for his present important undertaking, has very properly pointed out the impurity of our water as one of the remote causes of the yellow fever.-Happy will it be for the citizens of Philadelphia if by means of that gentleman's plan for supplying the city with river water, they should be delivered from the necessity of making use of the water from their pumps for drinking, and culinary purposes. 7. Let all the filth be removed from the neighbourhood of the city, and let the brick kiln, and other ponds be filled up, from time to time, with the earth which is obtained in digging cellars. 8. In the future improvements of our city, let there be no more dwelling houses erected in alleys. They are often the secret recepta cles of every kind of filth. The plague always makes its first appearance in the narrow streets, or in the dirty huts of the suburbs of Constantinople. 9. The predisposition of our citizens to be affected by the remote and exciting causes of the yellow fever, would be very much lessened by their living sparingly upon fresh animal food and chiefly upon broths and fresh vegetables rendered savoury by spices, and a small quantity of salted meat, during the summer and autumnal months. A constant attention should be paid at the same time to bodily cleanliness.' The efficacy of these methods, we apprehend, would be greatly increased by the establishment of permanent fever-wards; which would check the progress of the disease, whether imported or homebred. That mode of prevention which is supported by experience, with the least reference to theory, is unquestionably the best. A larger work by Dr. Rush, on this subject, is noticed in p. 81. of this number of our Review. Art. 19. A Concise View of the most important Facts which have bitherto appeared concerning the Cow-Pox. By C. R. Aikin, Surgeon. Small 8vo. pp. 202. with a coloured Plate. 2s. Boards. R. Phillips. The The leading facts relating to this important discovery are well digested and arranged, in this neat abridgement. The greater part of Dr. Jenner's book is here incorporated; and the principal objections, which have been urged against the Vaccine inoculation, are briefly, but satisfactorily answered. Now, indeed, that so much additional experience has been gained on the subject, we may consider the practice as established. Art. 20. Observations on the Cow-Pox. By William Woodville, These observations relate to the supposed impurity of the vaccine matter employed by Dr. Woodville in inoculation. Dr. Jenner had supposed that it was mixed with variolous matter, which is here strenuously denied; and the pustular erruptions, which attended some of Dr. Woodville's cases, seem now to be explained on a different principle. Dr. W. supposes that they resulted from the variolated atmosphere of the hospital, and lie has mentioned several facts which render this solution probable. Art. 21. Reflections on the Cow-Pox, illustrated by Cases to prove it an absolute security against the Small Pox; addressed to the Public, in a Letter to Dr. Jenner, from William Fermor, Esq. 8vo. IS. Robinsons. As coming from an intelligent gentleman, unconnected with the medical profession, this pamphlet carries all the weight of unbiassed evidence. The cases, though not very numerous, are satisfactory, and are clearly related. Art. 22. Practical Observations on the Inoculation of the Cow-Pox: to which is prefixed, a Compendious History of that Disease; and of its Introduction as a Preventive of the Small-Pox. Designed principally to promote a Knowlege of the Subject amongst those who have not hitherto attended to it. By John Addington, Surgeon. 8vo. 13. 6d. Johnson. The general facts stated in this pamphlet are nearly the same with those contained in Mr. Aikin's "Concise View" but the authorhas corroborated them by several cases which fell under his own cognizance. He seems to have attended early to the subject of vaccine inoculation. Art. 23. A Comparative Statement of Facts and Observations relative to the Cow-Pox, published by Drs. Jenner and Woodville. 4to. PP. 43. With a coloured Plate. 5s Hurst. This is an acute and sensible view of the points in dispute between Dr. Jenner and Dr. Woodville On the subject of the origin of cow-pox-contagion from the greased heels of the horse, we are presented with the following curious experiment, related by Mr. Tanner, a Veterinary Surgeon: "Some cow-pox matter on a thread was applied to the teat of a cow on the part from which a scab had been removed. I procured it from Mr. Fewster of Thornbury, who told me it had been kept a long time, and that he did not think it possible for it to produce any effect, I went to the cow, and examined the part where it had been applied, in five days after, but it had not produced the smallest effect. Some |