this country been found more useful than any of the government banks in Europe. To give their notes currency among the natives, they muft indeed be received in payment of the taxes: but this is to be brought about by inducing receivers of the revenue to become partners in fuch banking-houses, and without putting the public to any hazard. This last chapter alfo contains an interesting account of the falt-monopoly; of which a vindication is attempted, we think, in a very unfatisfactory

manner.

The third volume is particularly remarkable for historical researches, and tends to throw a luftre round the name of Clive which it was once thought not to have merited. Among the tributary writers from whom our analyzer selects his materials, Mr. Grant has been abundantly confulted. It might have been proper for us to tranfcribe much of his political and historical view of the Northern Sircars: but we want room.

The whole work concludes with an effay on the use and abuse of precedent, unconnected with the reft of the performance, but ferving as a vehicle to introduce the writer's profeffions of attachment to church and ftate. The author even approves (p. 958) the 8 and 10 William III., and has given (p.955) an unauthenticated anecdote of Mr. Thomas Cooper, late of Manchester, whom he seems to wifh at Botany Bay for alleged treasonable correfpondence with Hindoftan.

In general, it may be observed that this truly intelligent writer belongs to the clafs of thofe politicians who are fond, to excefs, of regulations, inftitutions, eftablishments, and patronage; and who are not convinced by the arguments of Dr. Adam Smith, that most things may be fafely left to the natural operation of individual intereft. In his fyftem of Oriental Orthography, he differs from Sir William Jones. He rarely writes obfcurely: but, in vol. iii. p. 620, it is not easy to difcover whether Lord Clive or the Nabob Meer Jaffier was made an Omrah.

We cannot close this article without doing the author the juftice to remark that, of all the publications which we have yet feen, refpecting the revolutions antecedent to our acquifition of territory, as well as the concurrent struggles of different European nations on the fame vaft theatre of ambition, the detail here given is the moft clearly fet forth, in the true fpirit of philofophic hiftory: fuch reflections, too, are conftantly introduced, and confequences accurately drawn, as not only ferve to exhibit, in the moft ftriking points of view, the various errors and imperfections of all the fyftems and experiments which have hitherto been attempted for establishing a fimple, permanent, and falutary mode of government in that part of the world

but as fuggeft, in general, what ought to be done,-with fatiffactory reafons for each article. Diffufively as the fubject is treated, we nowhere lofe fight of the grand object of the writer's attention, the better government of India.

The author's impartiality toward all the different actors in the various political ftruggles of the different fettlements is entitled to great praife. He has every where allowed merit its full meed, and has attributed error to the common imperfections of human nature.-Having never been in India, his miftakes in Oriental orthography are scarcely to be mentioned: but there are several typographical flips not noticed in his Table of Errata, and fome which affect the fenfe; particularly vol. iii. p. 643, 1. penult. where 51° is put for 150-which we only mention that it may be corrected in a future edition:-to which, if our recommendation be worthy of any regard, a good Index will be added.

ART. XIII. A Paper on the Prevention and Treatment of the Disorders of Seamen and Soldiers in Bengal. Prefented to the Hon. Court of East India Directors in the Year 1791. By John Peter Wade, M.D. 8vo. pp. 172. 35. Boards. Murray.

ART. XIV. Select Evidence of a fuccefsful Method of treating Fever and Dyfentery in Bengal. By J.P. Wade, M. D. 8vo. pp. 335. 6s. Boards. Murray.

ART. XV. Nature and Effects of Emetics, Purgatives, Mercurials, and low Diet, in Disorders of Bengal and fimilar Latitudes. By J. P. Wade, M. D. 8vo. pp. 352. 6s. Boards. Murray.

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'HESE three publications properly make a part of the fame work; and the author has fcarcely done himfelf justice in printing them feparately, as the two latter are bare collections of cafes, without remark or inference; which, of themselves, cannot but feem dry and unfcientific. We fhall chiefly confine ourselves to a confideration of the doctrines contained in the Paper;' leaving fuch of our readers, as feel disposed to the task, to examine the body of evidence produced in the two other volumes for their confirmation.

Under the head of Prevention of diforders, Dr. W. begins with Contagion; and, from his own experience, he seems of opinion that this has little fhare in the communication either of the fever or dyfentery of the Eaft Indies. On board of the fhip in which he returned, though many were affected with thofe maladies, he was convinced that no infection existed. He feems alfo to attribute lefs to the influence of local miafms, than to other occasional causes of disease.

Under the head of liquor, we find him agreeing with fome other late obfervers in the opinion of the mifchievous effects of

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fpirits,

fpirits, in any form, given as part of the ordinary diet of fol diers and feamen., On the fubject of provifions, he also concurs in the opinion that the allowance of falt meat is much too great for hot climates. It appears to us that very effential improvements, in thefe refpects, ftill remain to be made by thofe who are folicitous for the prefervation of our armies and navies abroad. Cleanlinefs, exercife, and ventilation, are farther topics in which Dr. W. points out much to be done.

In treating of Fever, he commences with fome remarks on the variety of medical theories on this difeafe, and enumerates many authorities for laying the principal ftrefs in the cure on inteftinal evacuations. He goes over the lift of remedies usually employed in fevers, and pronounces on them according to the dictates of medical experience in Bengal. Blifters, he thinks, may be excluded from the treatment of fevers, as often pernicious, and generally infignificant. The bark he finds highly injurious when given early, and with a view of correcting putridity; and in nervous, and even remittant, fevers, he feems to think it more frequently prejudicial than ufeful. He limits its ufe to ftrengthening the habit after a fever is removed, and to preventing its return. Opium he almoft univerfally condemns. The abufe of wine he cenfures in the ftrongest terms, and he pronounces it little adapted to any period of the fevers in Bengal. As to venæfection, though its immediate effects often appear favourable, yet relief may be procured by other means, without the future bad confequences which it is liable to produce. Sweating, promoted in any other way than by evacuating the offending matter from the bowels, he judges hurtful, and he therefore banishes the whole tribe of direct fudorifics from practice in this fever. Emetics are useful as the first resource, not as fudorifics or antifpafmodics, but merely as evacuants, and fhould be joined with purgative medicines to give the matter a tendency downward.

Dr.Wade next proceeds to purging, or the cure. The neceffity for this operation is not, according to him, restricted to any fpecies of fever, but affects every fet of fymptoms usually denominated fever, in proportion to the multiplicity and dangerous tendency of thofe fymptoms. In particular, the approach of thofe termed putrid is prevented, and the danger from them when at their height obviated, by purging. In flight cafes, the faline and oily cathartics may fuffice, and the activity of the former may be ufefully increafed by tartar emetic-but, where the mucus of the inteftines is vitiated, active purgatives are neceffary; of which calomel deferves the preference, either alone, or with cathartic extract, scammony, &c. This fhould always be exhibited at night, and a laxative

in the morning, and repeated according to the pressure of the fymptoms. Should a fever become protracted and chronic, mercury in its various preparations, and occafional purgatives, are most effectual. With refpect to diet, animal food of all kinds and forms fhould be prohibited during the existence of every fymptom of fever. Farinaceous aliment, either alone, or with ripe fruits, is the beft adapted to every period of thefe diforders.

Respecting Dysentery, after an enumeration of the opinions and practice of many writers on this diforder, the Doctor gives, as the result of his own experience, a decifive preference to evacuation by repeated purgatives and emetics. Calomel, in particular, exerts a moft favourable operation; and, in chronic cafes, any alterative courfe of mercury is often fuccessful. Againft wine, opium, bark, and aftringents, he enters the strongest proteft. Our readers will recollect that the very fame theory and practice in the East India fever and dyfentery have been alfo supported in a late publication by Dr. Balfour*.

Dr. W. next treats on liver complaints. He gives a copious enumeration of all that train and fucceffion of fymptoms which, in the Eastern phrafe, bear the general denomination of the Liver; and he then pretty largely difcuffes the mode of cure; which is chiefly comprized in the ufe of evacuants, low diet, and, especially, mercury. So many writers, however, have treated of the exhibition of this last remedy in cafes of difeafed liver, that we think it unneceffary to enter into particulars.

The volumé is clofed by a letter of fome length from Dr. Pailly, Surgeon general at Madras, to a young practitioner, containing many important obfervations concerning the treatment of liver-complaints in that country.

On the whole, however contrary to prevailing notions the opinions of Dr. Wade may be, we think them well deferving the attention of those who are required to practice in the fame and fimilar climates. If the real caufe of febrile diseases be fomewhat noxious lodging in the inteftinal canal, it is obvious that vigorous means employed for its evacuation must be much more effectual than medicines only calculated for correcting it, and for obviating the general fymptoms occafioned by its prefence. How far the fame ideas are applicable to European difeafes, of the fame clafs, is a farther confideration. For ourselves, we are convinced that much is yet to be done in detecting and combating the primary caufe of fevers, instead of attending only to its effects.

The two other volumes, Select Evidences,' &c. and "Nature and Effects,' &c. are little more than tranfcripts from See Rev. for July, p. 336. 0 3

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the Doctor's cafe-book, and, we must say, are compiled in an inattentive manner. The first has abfolutely no index nor table whatever to fhew the general refults; fo that, when the author fays that, from the evidence of these cafes, the fyftem of lunar influence may be judged, he supposes his reader to take on himself all the pains of fumming it up. In the fecond volume, what he calls Ship-fevers are for the moft part only fevers treated on board of thip, their origin being derived from the land.

ART. XVI. The History of Spain, from the Establishment of the Colony of Gades by the Phoenicians, to the Death of Ferdinand, furnamed the Sage. By the Author of the History of France. 8vo. 3 Vols. 11. 1s, Boards. Kearsley. 1793.

THE hiftory of Spain in remote antiquity, like that of all

other countries, is attended with difficulties, but in its later periods abounds with great events. Its antient history, from the time of its difcovery by the Phoenicians till it was difmembered from the Roman empire, is confounded with the history of Carthage and Rome. Not till the commencement of the fifth century did it begin to be diftinctly interefting; when the Vandals, Swedes, Alans, and Goths, having invaded-· it by different roads, fome by the way of Africa, and others by that of Gaul, established a government which fubfifted during three hundred years. At the beginning of the eighth century, in the reign of Roderick, internal commotions encouraged the Saracens from Africa to invade Spain; and, in ten months, they over-ran the whole country. Hence, in process of time, arole a great number of principalities, fome Chriftian, others infidel; which continued in a state of perpetual hoftility, till, at the close of the fifteenth century, the Moors were expelled, and the kingdoms of Caftile and Arragon were united under Ferdinand.

A fuccinct narrative of these revolutions, and of fubordinate and fubfequent events in the hiftory of Spain, would form a work that, notwithstanding the brilliant manner in which detached parts have been written, is much wanted in the Englifh language. This task is here undertaken by the writer who has already obliged the public with brief hiftories of France and of Rome*. Of his capacity for the task we have already expreffed a favourable opinion, It is therefore now only neceffary to fay that this work appears to be executed with the fame judgment and ability which were displayed in the preceding compofitions. I hofe who have not the opportunity of perufing

See Rev. New Series, vols. ii. and iii. and ix.

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