ounce of the following mixture. R. Spir. C. C. fuccinati dr. ij. ol. jtill. fuccini, mentha, lavendula, cum facchari albi dr. iij. in clasfaccharum redact aa. gtt. iij. fyrup, enule camp. unc. j. fpir. menthe unc. fs. aquæ ftill. rowijm. lb. j. Blifters were frequently applied to the back of his neck, and twice a week he drank unc. v. aq. lax. Vienn. On the 12th of January he began to take the following medicated wine. R. Limat. martis non rubig. unc. j. cort. magell. & cinnam. a dr. ij. corticis Peruv. unc. j. pulvis grofjus fpatio 24 horarum digeratur calide cum b.iij. vini auftriaci albi in phiala alta chemica. Of this wine he took at firft unc. s. and afterward unc. j. every three hours. On the 28th of March he was difmiffed cured, and as long as he abftained from grinding white lead, continued well. But returning to his former employment, he was again attacked; on the 10th of July was again admitted into the hospital, and on the 16th died violently convulfed. The morbid appearances after death were principally thefe: the colon, as in the firft fubject, violently contracted in fome parts and diftended in others; the gali-bladder as large as a hen's egg, and full of orange-coloured bile; the pancreas hard in many places, and cartilaginous in the middle; the pleura much inflamed.

Cafe III. is that of a chemift and apothecary who had been for fome time afflicted with the colica Pictum. His pains at length became very violent, and his belly drawn up in a moft extraordinary manner. Doctor de Haen being confulted, advifed camphorated and paregoric emulfions, friction, anodyne fomentations to his back, and oily clyfters; in confequence of which the patient became perfectly well, nevertheless expired fuddenly. Upon laying open the abdomen, there was found a confiderable quantity of extravafated blood, which, upon farther infpection, was found to have proceeded from an biatus in the vena cava inmediately below the diaphragm. This rupture of the vena cava the Doctor attributes to the extraordinary protrufion upwards of the liver, occafioned chiefly by the great diftention of the colon near its origin; but in its progrefs it was found, as in the former fubjects, alternately contracted and dilated in a very extraordinary manner.

The IV. cafe is that of the widow of the painter whofe hiftory we have feen in cafe 1. Having afified her husband in his profeffion, fhe became afflicted with the fame diforder. She was brought to the hofpital labouring under all the most terrible fymptoms of this difeafe, together with the jaundice to a great degree. By means of laxatives and opiates alternately exhibited, together with emollient clyfters, and a ftomach plaifter of labdanum with opium and camphor, her vomiting ceafed and a paflage was procured. She then took feveral doses of bark, and afterwards the following pills. R. Sap, venet. gum.

amm. terræ fol. tart. pil. ruffi ai dr. j. balfam. Peruv. q. f. f. pil. gr. iv. three every three hours. Thus fhe was perfectly cured. This chapter contains feveral other cafes of inferior importance.

In the next chapter, which is the eighth, the Author confiders the colica pictonum pathologically. Obferving that out of the nine cafes related in the preceeding chapter, in no les than feven, lead was the caufe, he accounts for the frequency of this diforder from the number of people employed in lead mines, the many artificers and apothecaries who ufe this metal, its being fo frequently employed in the adulteration of wine, and as a remedy in many difeafes. The nature of the proximate caufe, he obferves, renders our prognofis uncertain, it being impoffible to determine, whether the difeafed state of the inteftines be fuch as to admit of a remedy. The symptoms are variable, not critical, and frequently inexplicable. As to the method of cure, the Doctor is firmly of opinion, that after the exhibition of opium and cathartics, oily medicines are chiefly to be depended on; and with regard to the palfy, as a fymptom or confequence of this disease, he depends principally upon elec tricity.

In the ninth chapter we have the hiftory of a compleat tetamus, the confequence of the colica faturnina. The patient died on the twentieth day of the difeafe.

Chap. X. is a diflertation on the tetanus, its species, and method of cure, as practifed from the earliest ages to the prefent time. Having enumerated the principal Authors who have written on this diforder, the Doctor proceeds to confider its fpecies, caufes, pregnfis, cure, &c. and fubjoins feveral histories of cafes which have fallen within his own obfervation.

Chap. XI. treats of the miliary and petechial fever. This chapter is chiefly employed in replying to Dr. Pringle's answer fubjoined to his Obfervations on the Difeafes of the Army. Such of our Readers as are defirous of entring into the merits of this difpute, we must refer to the book itself, as it would be impoffible to do justice to the Author before us without tranfcribing the whole. It is fufficient to obferve that he continues firm in his opinion that miliary and petechial eruptions in acute difeafes, are generally the effect of improper treatment, and never critical.

Chap. XII. contains obfervations on various fubjects. In the firft fection, the Doctor gives a fuccinct account of the Authors who have lately written on the virtues of the uva urfi. He informs us likewife that he has received feveral letters from different parts of the world, fome of which mention this medicine having been tried without any effect; others on the contrary confirm its lithontriptic power. Sect. 2. mentions a number of new experiments made with great accuracy by Van Doeveren, which entirely overturn the prefent fyftem of the initability and fenfibility

L12

fenfibility of different parts of animal bodies. Sect. 3. confirms, from repeated experiments, what the Doctor had formerly advanced concerning the virtues of the liquor of the liver of the mulela fluviatilis, as a collyrium in removing specks on the eye. In fect. 4. the Author proves, from many years experience, that the fuppofed emetic quality of Kermes mineral, and Sibium diaphoreticum non ablutum, when adminiftered with acids, or when there is an acid in the ftomach, is without foundation. In fect. 5. The Doctor recommends cold water as an efficacious remedy in hemorrhages of the lungs or ftomach. Sect. 6. informs us that, for want of a fufficient quantity of vipers, the Doctor had not been able to make fo many experiments as he intended, in order to ascertain the medical virtues of those animals in obftinate cutaneous diforders, and extream debility. He promifes however to procure a fufficient quantity from Italy against next year. Before we hear the refult of his intended experiments, we will venture to prophefy, that, in extream debility, he will find them equally nutrimental with many other fpecies of food, and, in cutaneous diforders, of no effect at all, Sect. 7. treats of inoculation as an uncertain and dangerous practice. How well foever this opinion may be received in other countries, where they have had lefs experience of this falutary invention, yet, in this nation, where it has been attended with fuch amazing fuccefs, it will gain the Author very little credit. Nevertheless, the medical world is greatly obliged to the Author for the publication of his Ratio Medendi, every number of which contains many important obfervations, and useful experiments. B...t.

Dictionnaire de Chymie, contenant la Theorie & la Pratique de cette Science, fon application a la Phyfique, a P Hiftoire Naturelle, a la Medicine, a l'Economie Animale, &c. 8vo. 2 Tom. Paris, 1766.

A Dictionary of Chemiftry, containing the Theory and Practice of that Science, its Application to Philofophy, Natural Hiftory, Medicine, and the Animal Oeconomy; together with a circumftantial Explication of the Virtues and Operation of Chemical Medicines, and the fundamental Principles of the Arts, Manufactures, and Trades, which depend on Chemistry. 2 vol. Paris. Lacombe.

HIS dictionary is generally supposed to be the work of the celebrated chemist Macquer; but if it be really so, we acknowledge ourfelves at a lofs to conceive, why an author whole other chemical productions have been fo well received by

the

the public, fhould have with-held his name from the title of this.

The alphabetical method of arrangement is of all others the leaft fyftematical, and confequently the leaft proper for the study of a young chemift: nevertheless, it may be ufeful to those, who being already acquainted with chemistry, may have occafion to confult particular articles, which in a dictionary are more readily found than in a fyftematic work.

It being impoffible to give an adequate idea of the contents of a performance of this nature, we shall only tranflate a fingle article, as a fpecimen of the author's manner:

'AFFINITY. We are to understand by the word affinity, the tendency of the parts, whether conflituent or integrant, of bodies, one towards another, and the power which caufes their cohefion when united. Hence it appears that the word affinity is not to be numbered among thofe vague terms which convey no idea. The power by which bodies tend to unite with each other, and their mutual adhefion, are fenfible and palpable effects, because that power cannot be deftroyed but by a power as real and more confiderable. This is demonftrable by an infinity of experiments, as for example, by the cohefion of two bodies whofe furfaces are well polished; the mutual tendency of two drops of water, which being brought into contact inftantly mix and form one mafs; the convex or fpherical figures affumed by the drops of different fluids, when fingle, or united to a body with which they are not difpofed to unite: effects which take place even in vacuo, and which demonftrate the affinity of integrant parts of bodies as well folid as fluid.

The affinity of the conftituent parts of bodies is demonftrated by every phænomenon in chemistry.

It is not our bufinefs, in this place, to enquire into the caufe of this great effect, which is fo general, that it may be confidered as the caufe of all combinations. It is perhaps a property as effential to matter as extenfion and impenetrability, and concerning which we can fay no more than that it is fo. On this fabject may be confulted the works of Newton, Friend, Keil, and Marcuzzi, who have attempted to throw the light of calculation upon this dark subject. We fhall content ourselves with pointing out the principal laws obferved by the conflituent parts of bodies in their different unions and combinations in virtue of this property. Mr. Macquer diftinguishes feveral fpecies of affinities. Not that he imagines them effentially different; it being very certain, that it is always one and the fame property of matter differently modified in different circumftances The intention of that writer is only to diftinguifh the various phanomena produced by this property in the combinations and fe

£13

parations

parations which take place in the most general operations of chemistry.

He calls fimple affinity, the difpofition of the integrant and homogeneous parts of the fame body, to unite and adhere together, or the different parts of two heterogeneous bodies; which divides it into two fpecies."

The firft fpecies of fimple affinity produces only the union of aggregation; that is, the refult is a body of the fame nature, but of a larger mafs; this M. Macquer calls affinity of aggregation as for inftance, when several particles, being feparated from a piece of earth or metal, are again united by fufion into one mafs.

The fecond fpecies of fimple affinity produces the union and cohesion of heterogeneous parts, forming a new body with properties different from either of the principles of which it is formed this is called affinity of compofition, because the refult is really a new compound body. If, for example, the integrant particles of the vitriolic acid be united to thofe of iron, a third body is produced, which is called vitriol.

Concerning thefe fimple affinities we are to obferve,

1t. That the affinity of aggregation oppofes that of compofition; for it is evident that the power which caufes the cohefion of homogeneous and integrant parts of a body, prevents their difuniting in order to be joined to another body.

2d. It follows, that by deftroying or diminishing the cohefion of aggregation, you facilitate the affinity of compofition.

3d. The hardness of a fimple and homogeneous body depends entirely on the cohefion of aggregation between its integrant parts. If we deftroy this cohefion by feparating thefe parts, that is, by reducing them to powder, or, yet more compleatly, by the interpofition of a fluid to which they either do not adhere at all, or lefs than to each other; thefe parts, thus feparated, will more readily unite with thofe of another body, being more diftant from each other by means of this mechanical divifion.

4. Different bodies being more or lefs fufceptible of this divifion, muft neceffarily form combinations with other bodies with greater or lefs facility.

5. But the facility with which one body unites with another, by an affinity of compofition, does not alone determine the degree of affinity which it bears to that body: for we find, by experience, that the conftitucnt parts of certain compounds, which unite with great facility, cohere nevertheless fo weakly, as to be decompofed by the leaft effort of chemical aralyfis; whilft on the contrary, other bodies which cannot be united

but