From the Examiner.

m

(princess, who has been changed in her cradle. The AMERICAN NOTIONS.

right to be presented at court, determines that of being

admitted into the aristocratic circle; and it is a standIt would be very hard to decide whether ing rule at most of the courts, that no merchant, no the English writers on America or the member of the learned professions, as such, and in American writers on England, commit the general no person exercising any useful or profitable greater blunders. The exchange of error

calling, can pretend to the honour of a personal introduc

tion to the sovereign. This is a distinction reserved and misrepresentation appears nearly equal. for professed idlers; and so entirely has habit inverted With such curious nicety, indeed, is the the natural course of feeling on the subject, that matter balanced, that a mistake on the one these drones not only exclude all the industrious porside is seldom set right without a mistake tion of the community from their society, but affect to of equal magnitude on the other, in the very the privileged order invented and applied to the

look down upon them with contempt. In France, act of correction. An amusing example of body of the nation an epithet of rather obscure etythis kind occurs in the North American Re-mology, but in practice significant of utter ignominy view.

Mrs. Butler having intimated that and disgrace. Every person not belonging to the persons of literary celebrity are excluded three or four hundred families of the nobility, was from the first circles in the United States,

called a Roturier. Now and then a young man of the Reviewer asserts that the charge does ed to improve it by marrying the daughter of a

aristocratic origin, but reduced fortune, condescend. not apply to America, but he retorts it, with wealthy banker, or a farmer-general, and he was some enormous additions, upon European then said, in the polite dialect of the court, to enrich society, and states that, in the capitals of his lands by a draught upon the dung-hill of the comEngland and of most other kingdoms, the monality; —le fumier de la rôture. The English landistinction between the privileged orders guage, thanks to the manly virtues of our puritan and the other classes is so strictly observed, the French roturier. In England, a commoner was

forefathers, has no term of reproach, corresponding to that the former refuse to associate with the always an honourable title; but even in England, the latter on equal terms, and that the line of line of distinction between the privileged and the proseparation between the nobility and the professional circles is strictly drawn. In this country no minent members of professions is drawn so real difference between the state of society here and

such distinction exists, and this is the great and only rigidly as to be nearly as impassable as that

in Europe." between the two colours in the United States. We quote the passage, as a specimen of the

The Reviewer potently believes that an manner in which one false notion is turned English nobleman would refuse to associate against another:

on equal terms with a lawyer, a merchant, “The truth is, that the fact most strongly char. a physician, a clergyman, or officer--that he acteristic of the state of society in all our principal would not sit at the same table with Mr. cities, as compared with those of Europe, is precisely Bickersteth before he was made a Peer, Sir the absence of this distinction between the fashionable Henry Halford, Southey, and the like, but and the intellectual circles, which our author is would recoil from them almost as Ameri. pleased to represent as particularly marked in this

cans do from men whose skins are as black country. In the capitals of England, and of most of the other kingdoms of Europe, such a distinction as the illiberality and injustice that hold really exists. The hereditary privileged orders, in them in degradation. cluding the reigning families, constitute a separate Such ignorance of English society as apclass, occupying by general acknowledgment the pears in the passage we have quoted may highest rank, and refusing to associate on equal terms with any other. The prominent members of the va.

appear marvellous, but we have not a doubt rious professions, who have acquired wealth or com

that it is fully matched or exceeded by our petency by the successful exercise of their respective commentators on American manners. callings, and are able to surround themselves with the Some remarks which follow are more corelegancies of life, form, in all these cities, another rectly aimed--they hit us in a weak place, class much superior to the court circle in every in- and with considerable force:tellectual and moral quality, but confessedly below it in rank. The line of separation between these two “Our fair censor has described as a leading feature classes is drawn in the most rigid manner, and is near- in the state of society in this country, the precise ly as impassable as that between the two colours in this distinction of which the absence constitutes the great country. In half the novels that have been written, and only real difference between our social constituas those of our readers who are familiar with this tion and that of Europe. It is also remarkable, as a branch of learning are well aware, the distress is proof how little she has matured her opinions on the created by building up between the lovers the ideal subject, that while she condemns, in strong terms, but impenetrable and impassible wall of separation, this distinction, as she incorrectly represents it to exresulting from a difference of rank, which is common ist here, she looks back to it as it really does exist in ly removed at the end of the fourth volume, not by Europe, with a sort of longing regret; and, what is sacrificing the prejudice to good sense and good even more curious, she seems to suppose that every feeling, but by proving, in some extraordinary way, body she secs here, is infected with the same feeling. that the hero is a duke in diguise, or the heroine al'a republic is a natural anomaly. What the world may

VOL. XXIX, AUGUST, 1836- 25.

be fit for six hundred years hence, she cannot exactly equal and familiar terms to the Aristocratic circles of say; but in the mean time, it is my conviction that her country; but in consequence of the distinction of America will be a monarchy before I am a skeleton.' her family in their profession, and their private reAt an interview with the Recorder of New York, and spectability, was occasionally permitted to come and some other gentlemen, she had opportunity of contemplate at a respectful distance, the splendour perceiving how thorough a chimera the equality is, with which the nobility are surrounded. This is prethat we talk of as Americans: here they were talking cisely the view of high life which is best fitted to of their aristocracy and their democracy, and if no- make a favourable impression upon a susceptible obthing else bore testimony to the inherent love of server; and when, with this wholly ideal impression of higher things, which, I believe, exists in every human the state of society in Europe fresh in her mind, Mrs. creature, the way in which the lawyer dwelt upon Butler came to this country, she was naturally the duke of Montrose, to whom, in Scotch kindred, enough, though not very reasonably, disappointed, he is allied at the distance of some miles, and Lady to find that the ordinary sayings and doings of our Loughborough, whom, heaven knows how he got working-day world did not quite realize all the glorihold of, would have satisfied me that my Lord or my ous dreams of her poetical and theatrical imaginaLady are just as precious in the eyes of these levellers, tion."

as in those of Lord and Lady-loving John Bull himIt is certainly a monstrous perversion of self. All this is pleasant enough, and it would be curious, if there were room, to examine the nature of opinion that assigns honour to a title in prothese higher things, of which Mrs. Butler, and, in her portion to the remoteness from the desert opinion, every body else, is naturally so much ena- which is supposed to have won it. A Welmoured. Take, for instance, the Duke of Montrose. lington or a Nelson has been sneered at by The real higher thing called a duke, is a general, many a Noodleman of ancient descent as a dux,- a leader of armies. These are things that we new man, the Duke of yesterday. The prehave in this country in abundance, wherever they are wanted, as our author's countrymen know to their cost. sent merit seems really to detract from the Our Washingtons, Lincolns, Greenes, Lees, and Jack-honour of the title. This mode of rating the sons, were, or are, all real dukes. But what is the advance in honour is like that of measuring Duke of Montrose? A person who is called, by cour- a ship's progress. The desert of the first tesy, duke or general, because one of his ancestors founder is the log thrown overboard, and

was a general some centuries ago. Now, supposing

even that this kind of misnomer may, for certain pur. every knot run from it extends the honour of poses, have its use, we cannot think that there can the line.

be, in human nature, any inherent love' for an ob- In Australia a similar rule will doubtless ject so entirely artificial; or that mere names, thus prevail, with a more sensible application; falsely applied, can be described with propriety as the and the honour of families will be reckoned higher things that naturally excite the enthusiasm of

the generous and aspiring mind. If the son of Sir from the date of the penal sentence. To boast Walter Scott were called, by courtesy, the Author of of being the fourteenth or fifteenth descendant Waverley, should we have a better chance for the of a horse-stealer or house-breaker will, one of further continuation of the Waverley novels, than we these days, be a proud thing in New South have now? The high things, connected with that Wales. In these cases the pride of a long appellation, were the novels, and the power of pro- descent, of a far distant root to the pedigree, ducing them. When these, in the course of nature,

came to an end, the day of high things was over, and will be quite intelligible.

From the Spectator.

that of small things commenced, and it would make no difference to the lover of high things whether some person were complimented, by courtesy, with a title indicating the power of producing these works, or not. The case is the same with political and mili- The Physiology of Digestion, considered with Re

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF DIGESTION.

lation to the Principles of Dietetics. By Andrew Combe, M. D. &c. &c.

tary distinctions. If titular dukes should continue to exist in England half a century longer, which may be looked upon as somewhat doubtful, the next genera Dr. COMBE must be placed in the first rank tion will have its Duke of Wellington, like the pre- of the popular expounders of science. He sent; but the high thing now represented by this title

will be gone, and the one which takes its place will may want the sprightly elegance with which resemble it about as much as one of the gilt paper some few writers have been able to animate crowns, worn by 'my father,' upon the stage, resem- dry or difficult subjects, although their airibles the real symbol of royalty. Why Mrs. Butler ness often degenerates into levity; several aushould feel so much enthusiasm about this composi-thors may have equalled him in the clearness tion jewelry of conventional rank and titles, we do requisite to explain abtruse or complex princon ciousness that there is some analogy between her ciples; but he seems to us to stand alone in late profession and the existence of a titled nobility, the power which he possesses of imparting which is, in fact, from first to last, a sort of theatrical interest to the matters that employ his pen, representation. N'ai-je pas bien joué mon rôle? was without deviating from the sobriety and a question put by the Empress Catharine of Russia, gravity proper to philosophic exposition. to the French Embassador, Ségur. More probably, For some of the attention he excites in the however, the feeling of our author is the common illusion, by the effect of which things unknown pass mind of the reader, Dr. COMBE is unquestionfor magnificent. As an actress, she had no access on ably indebted to his subjects: which, address

not exactly see. Perhaps it may be owing to a secret

ing the corporeal feelings and sympathies of or the force and freshness with which obvious every one, come more directly home to the truths are presented. We have most of us, bosoms of the generality, than even the most for instance, heard that some loss of matter, attractive kind of fictions. As experience, even in inanimate substance, is consequent however, shows that popular medical treatises upon action, however trifling the action may may be written, and well written, without ap-be: but how clearly is the principle impressed proaching the effect produced by Dr. COMBE, upon the mind by instancing "the great-toe it is worth while to analyze the combination of the bronze statue of St. Peter at Rome, of qualities which gives to his writings their which in the course of centuries has been worn peculiar character. And the first of these, it down to less than half its original size, by the is almost needless to say, is a perfect mastery successive kisses of the faithful!" The loss of his subject, by which he is able to reject of substance which living things undergo, every thing not essential to its full exposition. and the power they possess of replacing this The next is the distinct and lucid manner in loss by continual fresh supplies, is familiar which the essentials are presented to the mind. to all: but how few have thought upon the To excite and sustain attention, more than wise provision of appetite!-for, universal as these, however, are necessary; and in the case is now the practice of eating and drinking, it of Dr. COMBE, they will be found to consist would never have done to have made those in the skill with which he selects the most actions a matter of duty. "If man," says Dr. striking facts connected with his subject to COMBE, "had no motive more imperative than illustrate or enforce its principles-the direct-reason to oblige him to take food, he would ness with which every thing is made to bear be constantly liable, from indolence and upon that practical matter, our own wellbeing thoughtlessness, or the pressure of other oc-the reflecting penetration that enables the cupations, to incur the penalty of starvation author to deduce new truths from well-known without previously being aware of his danfacts, which others have passed over without ger."

perceiving their relations, and the faculty he To prevent this is the task of hunger and possesses of putting old things in a new light. thirst: and, before expounding the principles In addition to all this, Dr. COMBE possesses of nutrition which necessarily spring from great ease and clearness of style; its very dif- them, Dr. COMBE investigates their nature at fuseness being in one sense a merit, because considerable length; attributing their origin of the novel and abstruse nature of some of to the waste which the body has undergone, the subjects the author has to expound. It is and showing that their seat, though supposed acutely observed by COLERIDGE, that a senten- to be the stomach, is in reality the brain. He tious style is a defect if it requires more time next, in a chapter of remarkable clearness, and pains to understand it than would have explains the character of the teeth both in been necessary with a fuller diction. man and other animals, as well as the uses of

The volume which has occasioned and mastication, saliva, and deglution. The act which illustrates these remarks, is intended of swallowing naturally leads him to the stoas a companion to the author's Pinciples of mach, where all that we swallow is subjected Physiology applied to the Preservation of Health. to its first transmutation; being converted inIt may be remembered that one distinct fea-to a uniform substance called chyme, by the ture of that work was an account of some of power of the gastric juice, aided by heat, the excretions by which superfluous and effete motion, and a flow of blood to the stomach. matter was thrown off the system. The ob- And this section of the book is enriched, not ject of the present is to describe the opera-only by the soundest views and most striking tions by which the foreign substances taken facts already known to the medical world, but into it are prepared for becoming bone of its by the extraordinary experiments the Ameribone and flesh of its flesh, as well as to derive can physician, Dr. BEAUMONT, was enabled to from this description some practical rules for make on a Canadian named ST. MARTIN. This the attainment of that grand essential to hap- person-luckily for science-had a portion of piness a good stomach. With this view, the a couple of his ribs carried away by a gun book is divided into two parts; the first em-shot wound, and a peep-hole made into his bracing the physiology of digestion, the se-stomach, which remains even till this day; cond containing the general principles of Nature, failing in her attempts to make him dietetics deducible from the natural laws of whole, having doubled up the coat of the digestion. Of these two divisions, the first stomach and formed a valve removeable at is the most satisfactory and interesting, from pleasure. Of this interesting circumstance the nature of its subject and the popular no- Dr. BEAUMONT took advantage; engaging Sr. velty of much of the information it imparts, MARTIN, at considerable expense, to live with

him, and submit to innumerable experiments, ed to, faintness ensues, then wasting, and at the pith of which is embodied in two chap- last death. If materials for more than this ters of Dr. COMBE's book. There the curious just supply is given, the stomach is overmay read how the votary of science inserted tasked; the food, after frequent rejections, is an indigestible substance into the orifice, passed into the bowels undigested; general and decided that the gastric juice was secreted uneasiness follows; and if the plan of overby contact alone, although its secretion ceased eating be persisted on, dyspepsia with its train as soon as it ascertained its incpability of act- of evils is induced, or, where the stomach is ing on the strange visiter. He will there as- capable of bearing such over-tasking, the pacertain the different foods on which Dr. BEAU-tient becomes plethoric, and liable to be carMONT fed St. MARTIN, and the various states ried off by apoplexy or the first attack of an in which he found them at various times as acute disease.

he peeped through the loophole into Nature's The section on chylification, absorption, laboratory. He will learn how the muscular and the mysterious processes which complete action of the stomach keeps substances with- the function of nutrition, is equally clear and in it in constant motion towards the entrance instructive with that on chymification; and to the bowels, (whence, if not reduced to the results described are equally wonderful. chyme, they are rejected and return,)-as the But, as the organs concerned in these proindefatigable experimenter discovered when cesses lie deeper than the stomach, and are he inserted his thermometer, which was gra- not so easily seen or reached, experiments dually drawn downwards; one use of this con- either by inspection or vivisection of animals stant movement being to remove the chyme are proportionably difficult or impossible. from the exterior of the food, and enable the Practically, however, this is of small consegastric juice to continue its action on the yet quence, as whatever conduces to chymificaundigested parts. He will learn, too, the tion seems equally conducive to chylification experiments made on various eatables with or intestinal digestion.

pure gastric juice in phials kept at different Having thus finished Nutrition, Dr. COMBE temperatures,--proving that heat is necessary proceeds to the second part; which, as we to digestion; or with gastric juice and half have said already, is less effective,--not, howdigested food extracted from the stomach,--ever, from any falling-off in the author, but showing that this juice alone is sufficient to from the sheer necessities of his subject. The digest, though not so quickly; or minced exposition of Digestion is specific and commeat put into the stomach without swallow-plete; the rules we must follow to procure a ing, and the digestive operations which fol- good one are general, and appear somewhat lowed its insertion,-whence Dr. BEAUMONT vague. Nor was it possible that they should infers that saliva is not a very essential ele-be otherwise. The use of the stomach and ment in digestion: besides a variety of other bowels is to repair the waste of the system; experiments both curious and useful. and the supplies should be proportionate to

But to return. When the food has been the expenditure. Yet who can lay down one reduced to chyme in the stomach, it passes or several rules of diet that shall be applicable into the bowels, where it meets the bile from to individual cases? The growing youth rethe liver and the pancreatic juice from the quires more than the mature man; the active pancreas, -a junction from which chyle is than the sedentary; the healthy than the inproduced. On the internal surface of the valid. Much, too, depends on the state of bowels an immense number of minute vessels mind, and the potent influences of the nervous are ramified, which absorb or suck up, system. The prosperous person, who sits sponge-fashion, the chyle after it is formed. down to table with a cheerful soul, disposed These lacteal vessels gradually coalesce into to please and be pleased even with trifles, will larger trunks; which, after passing through bear more, and extract more nourishment the mesenteric glands, terminate in the tho- from it, than the harassed, anxious, or thoughtracic duct, by which the chyle is conveyed ful man, whose mind is revolving matters of into the vein that brings back the venous a distressing or exhausting nature. The diet blood to the lungs. There, as was shown in adapted for a bilious temperament would be Dr. COMBE's Principles of Physiology, it is, by unfitted for the sanguine, the nervous, or the contact with the atmospheric air, converted lymphatic, and vice versa. Abstractedly, noon into arterial blood, and is fitted to supply the is the best hour for dining; and the farmer, place of the old particles sensibly or insensibly who leads a natural life, rising early and passthrown off from the system. When this sup-ing his time actively in the open air, generally ply of chyle fails, the system, by appetite, dines about mid-day. The man of fashion, gives signs of its wants: if they be not attend-who gets up after the other has dined, pru

a

dently defers his principal repast till eight or perienced by the whole frame, and perceived by the nine o'clock at night, and perhaps takes a nervous system. Local applications, accordingly, go supper at two or three in the morning: not of Auids by any other channel-by immersion in a

but a short way in giving relief, while the introduction that these hours are good in themselves, but bath, by injection into the veins, or through an exterthat they are well enough fitted to the life he nal opening into the stomach—is sufficient to quench leads. A similar uncertainty prevails with thirst without the liquid ever touching the throat. The regard to the intervals between meals, though affection of that part, therefore, is merely a result of the extreme points are much more limited:

the state of the system, and not itself the cause of

ihirst. the strong and active will be ready for a fresh

SURPRISING POWER OF DIGESTION. supply in four and a half or five hours; the If, in the whole animal economy, where all is admir. weakly and sedentary may go as long as six; able, there be one operation which on reflection apor these periods may be extended if a slight pears more wonderful than another, and which evinces intermediate repast be taken to prevent faint- in a higher degree the prodigious recources and power

of the Creator in fashioning every thing to his own ness. In short, whilst disease is absent, the

will, it is perhaps that by which the same kind of nu. stomach is a very accommodating organ, pro-triment is extrac:ed from the most opposite varieties vided it be managed; and the only rule that of food consumed by living beings. For, singular as it we can glean of universal application is that may appear, recent researches tend to establish the which Milton put into the mouth of Mi- fact, that, even in animals differing so widely in their chael

aliment as the herbiverous and carniverous quadrupeds,

the ultimate products of digestion in both-the chyle "The rule of not too much."

and the blood-are identical in composition, in so far

at least as can be determined by their chemical anaOf course, what we have said is to be con- lysis. sidered as mere indicia of the leading points Remarkable, however, as this uniformity of result of the volume,-a skeleton, without fleshi, undoubtedly is, it becomes still more striking when blood, feature, or roundness. Nor will any

we contemplate the variety of sources from which food specimen that we could offer convey any idea words of an able writer already quoted, “There is no

is derived for the support of animal life. To use the of the work, unless we could extract an entire part of the organized structure of an animal or vege. section. We will, however, take two or three table, however dense its texture or acrid its qualities, short passages, as samples of the author's that may not, under certain circumstances, become the manner.

food of some species of insect, or contribute in some mode to the support of animal life. The more succu.

lant parts of plants, such as the leaves or softer stems, The sensation'of hunger is commonly referred to the are the principal sources of nourishment to the greater stomach, and that of thirst to the upper part of the number of larger quadrupeds, to multitudes of insects; throat and back of the mouth,—and correctly enough as well as to numerous tribes of other animals. Some to this extent, that a certain condition of the stomach plants are more particularly assigned as the appropriand throat tends to produce them. But, in reality, the ate nutriment of particular species, which would perish sensations themselves, like all other mental affections if these ceased to grow: thus the silk worm subsists and emotions, have their seat in the brain; to which a almost exclusively upon the leaves of the mulberry sense of the condition of the stomach is conveyed through tree; and many species of catterpillars are attached each the medium of the nerves. In this respect, appetite to a particular plant, which they prefer to all others. resembles the senses of seeing, hearing, and feeling; There are at least fifty different species of insects that and no greater difficulty attends the explanation of feed upon the common nettle; and plants of which the the one than of the others. Thus, the cause which juices are most acrid and poisonous to the generality of excites the sensation of colour, is certain rays of light animals, such as uphorbium, henbane, and nightshade, striking upon the nerve of the eye; and the cause which afford a wholesome and delicious food to others.” Nor excites the perception of sound, is the atmospherical are the precision and accuracy with which the same vibrations striking upon the nerve of the ear: but the Auid, the blood, affords to every structure of the body sensations themselves take place in the brain, to which, the precise species of nourishment or secretion which as the organ of the mind, ihe respective impresssions its elementary composition requires, however different are conveyed. In like manner, the cause which ex- each may be from the rest in chemical qualities, less cites appetite is an impression made on the nerves of admirable and extraordinary than its own original forthe stomach; but the feeling itself is experienced in the mation from such a variety of materials. To bone, the brain, to which that impression is conveyed. Accord- blood furnishes the elements of bone with unerring acingly, just as in health no sound is ever heard except curacy; to muscle the same blood furnishes the ele. when the external vibrating atmosphere has actually ments of muscle, to nerves the elements of nerve, to impressed the ear, and no colour is perceived unless an skin the elements of skin, and to vessels the elements object be presented to the eye, so is appetite never of vessels; and yet, while each of these differs somewhat felt, except where, from want of food, the stomach is in composition from the others, the constituent elein that state which forms the proper stimulus to its ments of the blood by which they are furnished are nerves, and where the communication between it and everywhere the same, the brain is left free and unobstructed.

Similar phenomena, indeed, occur in the vegetable

world; but this, instead of diminishing our wonder, Thirst is generally said to have its seat in the back rather tends to augment it. The same elements, exof the mouth and throat; but the condition of these tracted from the same soil, are converted into every parts is merely a local accompaniment of a want ex- variety of vegetable producí, into leaves of every shude

HUNGER AND THIRST.

a