He then adds a defcription of the parts, with references to their figures in a plate, which, on the whole, convey a fufficiently clear idea of the author's fcheme. The advantages propofed by it, may be all comprized in thefe two, viz. that the engine will make double the number of strokes; and that the inconvenience of the weight of the pump rods, which confiderably diminishes the power of the engines in common use, will be removed, as they here mutually balance each other.

Thefe projected improvements are plaufible enough; but the actually carrying them into execution must deterinine the degree of usefulness, till which they will always remain under fome doubt; and it feems the author has never tried them by a working model. As to his faying that this double effect, or rather more, is to be performed with the fame quantity of fuel, we apprehend he has here deceived himself by his conjeatures; for, as it appears to us that, by the continual action of the fteam, either in the one or the other of the cylinders, a double quantity of fteam will be employed, a double quantity of fuel will also be neceffary. And then the effect of these two cylinders, double fuel, &c. will be much the fame as of two other engines with one of each of those articles, or of two levers working in the fame engine. Nor would there be a great difference in the expence of the several materials by the two methods. So that the only feeming advantage is, that of the balance in the pump rods before mentioned,

The method of fupplying the boiler with water, here propofed, is well contrived, and the author fometimes throws out other hints, which are rather ingenious. It muft, however, be confeffed that the whole manner of the compofition, the offering to give any affiftance to fuch gentlemen as pleafe to honour him with their commands,' and the advertising his readers where letters may be addreffed to him, feem to favour strongly of the quack; and the vain and puffing compliments fometimes paid to himself and his abilities, do not very well agree with the affected expreffions of humility, &c. at other times affumed.

and

A new Method of curing the Venereal Disease by Fumigation. By Sir Peter Lalonettee, Knight of the Order of St. Michael, Doctor Regent of the Faculty of Phyfic in the University of Paris, Published by Order of the King of France; and now firft tranflated into English. With Copper Plates. 8vo. 4s. ferved. Wilkie.

TH

HE feveral methods commonly used, of adminiftering mercury in the cure of the venereal difeafe, are each attended with their peculiar inconveniences, whether the medicine be applied by friction, or taken inwardly in any of the ufual forms.

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For this reafon the author of the prefent treatife advifes the method of fumigation, the fuccefs of which he has evinced by a number of experiments in the course of several years. This practice had formerly been introduced foon after the first appearance of the venereal disease in Europe; but, either owing to the inaptitude of the mercurial preparations which were ufed, or the mode of exhibiting the vapour, it was afterwards exploded as unfuccessful, if not in reality pernicious.

Three preparations of mercury are recommended by our author for the purpose of fumigation, viz. fimple mercurial powder, martial mercurial powder, and argillaceous mercurial powder.

For making the first of thofe powders, the author took a pound of corrofive fublimate, which he carefully prepared with the nitrous acid, according to Lemery's procefs. Having gradually diffolved it in a fufficient quantity of water, he precipitated it by the addition of a pound of fixed alcali, likewife diffolved in water. The precipitate, which was of a deep red, was attended with no effervefcence, and, after feveral ablutions, was dried.

To make the fecond powder above-mentioned, he likewife took a pound of corrofive fublimate, prepared in the fame manner as in the preceding procefs, and a pound of very pure filings of iron finely powdered. After mixing them intimately together, he formed them into a pafte with water, which was added partly with the view of diffolving, in fome measure, the fublimate; that the acid, by uniting with the martial earth, might more eafily quit the mercury, and thus afford it more freedom in the operation. Having expofed the mafs to a fufficient degree of heat to diffipate its moisture, he put it into the cylindrical cucurbit, on being taken out of which, he feparated the powder from the crude mercury, by means of hot water, as before.

The third powder above-mentioned was made of the crude mercury, which refulted from the former operations, triturated in a warm mortar, with an equal quantity of pure clay pulverifed.

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The first and fecond of thofe fumigating powders feem not to differ effentially from mercurius dulcis, and might therefore be expected to have the fame properties; but we are affured that, from the experiments made with them, the fuccefs of the latter has by no means been equal to that of the two other preparations.

Having defcribed the fumigating medicines recommended by the author, we fhall next lay before our readers his method of ufing them, as related in the following extract.

Whenever the venereal difeafe affects the furface of the body, by occafioning herpes, blotches, or other eruptions,

chancres,

chancres, warts, condylomata, &c. I make ufe of the martial mercurial powder, in doses of one or two drachms. At first, I fumigate only every other day; but if the mouth does not become affected, and the gums do not fwell or become fore, I repeat the fumigation two days together, and then omit on the third. When these exterior effects are almoft diffipated, I bégin to use the fimple mercurial powder, in the fame dofe as the other, conftantly noting the effects of the remedy, and increafing or diminishing the dose of it accordingly, I continue this method till after all the symptoms have disappeared; ufually adopting in this the rule which experience has taught us in the cure by frictions.

When the difeafe has affected the eyes, the face, the throat, &c. I prefer the argillaceous mercurial powder; beginning with dofes of half a drachm, and augmenting them, infenfibly to a drachm. I do not, however, trust the cure to the local fumigation; I constantly apply a general fumigation, immediately after the local one, but with a lefs dose of the pow der, on account of that which has been exhibited just before.

In the beginnings of venereal phthifis, I ufe, with great fuccefs, the fame argillaceous mercurial powder; and I pass, infenfibly, from that to the ufe of the simple mercurial powder; efpecially if the purulent expectoration does not change its nature; and there is no diminution of the other symptoms. In cafes of glandular swelling, indurated buboes, or fwelling of the tefticles, with or without fuppuration, I have always fucceeded beft with the martial mercurial powder.

• In cafes of anchylofis or exoftofis, I prefer this fame martial mercurial powder,' efpecially when the pains are very vio lent, and without inflammation; but when these pains are appeased, I mix it, with fuccefs, with equal parts of the argillaceous mercurial powder.

In cafes of gonorrhoea and gleets in female patients, when the inflammation is in fome measure diffipated, I use the simple mercurial powder, with fuccefs, the patient being seated on a treffel or ftool.

The venereal symptoms which are peculiar to women, are lefs difficult to cure by this than by any other method. I have feen excrefcences around the os uteri, hard tumours of the uterus itself, and fometimes that vifcus become exceedingly voluminous, accompanied, at the same time, by violent pains, and a very profufe discharge, all which are the pathognomonic fymp, toms of a confirmed pox, I have feen, I fay, all these yield to the fumigations I here propose. I will only obferve, that when the fymptoms are mitigated, the fumigations may be either of

the

the fimple mercurial powder, or of the martial mercurial pow. der, mixed in equal proportion with the argillaceous mercurial powder; and this mixture may be continued till the cure is completed.

If it fometimes happens, though I believe it very rarely will, that falivation is thought to be indispensably neceffary, it may easily be excited by fumigating for feveral days without intermiffion, with a ftronger dofe than what I have prefcribed.

It is of confequence to be careful to disperse the powder over the whole furface of the fire, that all of it may inflame at once; otherwise, if it should fall in one mass, a part of it only would perhaps inflame, the rest might be apt to fall through the grate by its weight, and thus the fumigation would be an imperfect one.

In obftinate gonorrhœas, frictions are sometimes advantageaufly used, but the rubbing the ointment along the perinæum and urethra, does fometimes excite inflammation, and adds to the discharge, instead of diminishing it. I prefer fumigation, with the fimple mercurial powder, to friction in these cases; because the mercury, when applied in the form of vapor, penetrates the parts with greater facility, and softens all the indurations of the urethra. It conftantly happens, that, foon after the use of the local fumigations, the matter that is discharged becomes of a better colour and confiftence, and, by means of a proper regimen, a cure is foon effected.

Nor is the method less useful in fistulas in perinæo, which we know are fo often the effects of inveterate gonorrhea, or in induration of the proftrate, which fometimes caufes ftrangury, and even retention of the urine. In these cafes the use of the bath is infufficient for alleviating the fymptoms:-but fumigations will be found to produce the beft effects, and after they have been several times repeated, recourfe may be had to the use of bougies; and thus, by their united affiftance, will a cure be brought about.

• How many women are there, who, from the irregularity of their husbands, are incommoded with a nauseous discharge, that flows abundantly, with a variety of colours, and of which they know not the fource? How many other women, after having contracted a gonorrhoea, continue to be fubject to a conftant gleet? Thefe difcharges are ufually confounded with the fluor albus; but fometimes they communicate infection, and in almost all, are the effects of a venereal taint. I have often been confulted in cafes of this fort, and having fufpectedthe true caufe of the discharge, have advised the, ufe of fumigations with the martial mercurial powder, as being the most active. The itching and difagreeable fenfation of the vagina, together

together with the excoriations which were produced by the acrid humour, were foon corrected, and the discharge becom ing more laudable, was infenfibly fuppreffed.

In thofe painful exoftofes, with which the arms, the legs, and even the ribs, are fometimes affected, it is impoffible to apply frictions, without caufing intolerable pain. Nor in cafes of painful anchylofis, can we ufe frictions, without danger of exciting violent inflammation in the difeafed joints.

In all these cafes I confider fumigation as the fole means of deftroying the virus, which being imbibed by the cellular fubftance of the bones, and by the cartilages and capfular ligaments, occafions these disorders. It is to be noted, that both local and general fumigations will be neceffary.

• It fometimes happens, that the venereal virus is confined, as it were, to a glandular part, or in follicles, and often re mains there a long time, without producing the fymptoms of pox. In thefe cafes the fumigating vapor is particularly useful ţ it penetrates the part, and thus deftroys, at once, the feeds of the difeafe, without expofing us to the danger of throwing back into the circulation, as in the cafes of frictions, a matter which preferves all its virulence, and which may occafion a confirmed lués.”

After difplaying the fuperior advantages of this method of cure, refulting not only from its efficacy, but the free regimen with which it may be accompanied, the author proceeds to relate a variety of cafes well attefted, in which it has been tried with fuccefs; and he concludes with a description of the apparatus, illuftrated by plates.

This work was published in France at the expence of the government, and we are informed, that so great has been the fuccefs of the method of cure here recommended, that it bids fair to be foon adopted in all the French military hofpitals; we may therefore expect that the merit of the practice will foon be fully afcertained.

Flora Scotica, or a Syftematic Arrangement, in the Linnæan Method, of the native Plants of Scotland and the Hebrides, By John Lightfoot, A. M. With thirty-feven Plates. 8vo. 175. White.

THE rev. Mr. Lightfoot, chaplain to her grace the duchess dowager of Portland, accompanied Mr. Pennant through Scotland, and on his voyage to the Hebrides in 1772, and from his own obfervations, as well as the valuable instructions of many able Scotch botanifts, who very freely and liberally communicated their difcoveries to him, compiled the work be

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