The following is the form in which affafœtida was commonly pre fcribed: R Gummi affafoetidae drachmas duas: Spiritus mindereri unciam unam. Fiat folutio, S. A. A table spoonful of this mixture was given every half hour. If the child was very young, or delicate, a fmaller quantity was ordered; but if ftrong, and of more years, two fpoonfuls, or even a larger quantity was given. But this large dose was not perfifted in, if it occafioned much vomiting or purging; and was always diminished, when the most urgent symptoms were removed. This medicine is extremely penetrating, and when it is used for fome time, the breath, urine, and all the excretions are flavoured by it. However nauseous it may feem to be, children feldom refuse it; and even when they have fome averfion to it, if they are obliged to take it, they foon acquire a taste for it, and not only use it without reluctance, but with pleasure.' Dr. Millar was very happy in his little patients, who could be so easily brought to fwallow down affafoetida in fuch large dofes, not only without reluctance, but even with pleafure. For the first information,' fays Dr. Millar, concerning the ufe of the Peruvian bark in this disease, I am obliged to Mr. Walter Gibson, furgeon in Leith.' Does not Sir John Floyer recommend the bark as a very powerful remedy to prevent the return of the afthmatic paroxyfms? In enquiring into the cause of the Afthma, our Author says, From the history which has already been given of the Afthma, it ap pears, that it is chiefly incident to children, efpecially fuch as have been lately weaned, and that it has been most prevalent in fpring and autumn, moift feafons, changeable weather, and when the mercury stood low in the barometer.' Our Author concludes his account of the acute Asthma, with pointing out the means of prevention. Here we are to endeavour to counteract the causes of the disease, and this is to be effected by proper diet, ftrengthening medicines, and exercise.— The folids are to be strengthened by the cold bath, or by wash ing the child daily in cold water, by excercife, and free air. Acidities are to be corrected, and digeftion promoted, by magnefia, rhubarb, and the aromatic fpecies. The chronic Afthma comes next under confideration. When become habitual, our Author fays, it is feldom completely cured; but fortunately the method to be followed, for palliating the fymptoms, is the fame by which a radical cure may be ef fected. Dr. Millar recommends a nourishing diet, milk, light animal foods; emetics, the ftimulating pectorals, and particu larly the julep. e camphor. as more immediately efficacious in re lieving the afthmatic paroxyfms. Setons, iffues, or perpetual blifters blifters, are directed in order to carry away the vitiated humours; and for ftrengthening the folids, bitters, elixir of vi triol, the bark, and cold-bath. Upon the whole, many of our Author's obfervations on the Afthma are fenfible and judicious; but the Reader will meet with little that is new upon the subject. With refpect to the Hooping cough; Dr. Millar, after collecting and comparing the practical obfervations of the feveral authors who have treated of this disease, comes to this general conclufion : 'From a careful review, therefore, of the various methods of cure which have been proposed for the Hooping-cough, it feems evident, that the judicious management of it, in all its different periods and circumflances, confifts in the skilful application of gentle emetics and laxatives, antimonial medicines, aflafoetida, mild aftringents, Peruvian bark, blifters and iffues, and that thefe, together with a prudent regulation of diet, are perfectly fufficient for the fuccessful treatment of this alarming disease.' There is added to thefe Obfervations, a fhort Appendix, containing remarks on the natural, chemical, and medical history of Affafœtida; collected from Hippocrates, Diofcorides, Celfus, Galen, Pliny, Bontius, and Newman. From which our Author concludes, that the common affafoetida of our shops is inferior to that which was so much esteemed by the antient Greeks and Romans, or even what is now used by the Afiatics. Dr. Millar attributes this difference to adulteration: and we apprehend there is another caufe to which this difference may in part be attributed, viz. age; for by this its ftrength and fmell are confiderably diminished: Kæmpfer informs us, that a fingle drachm of the recent juice fmells more than an hundred pounds of fuch as is commonly fold in Europe. Bilancia di Pandolfo Scornabecco nella quale fi Pefa la Dottrina del Dotter Vincenzio Martinazza. The Scales of Pandolpho Scornabecco, in which is weighed the Learning of Dr. Vincenzia Martinazza. 4to. 7 s. 6d. Bingley. 1768. T HIS book is written in oppofition to Martinello, an Ita lian Writer, well known among perfons of fafhion and literature in this kingdom, where he has long refided; he is here called Martinazza, and his writings are cenfured with great afperity. The Author fets out with declaring his defign to afcertain the real merit of Martinazza by an examination of his Iftoria cri tica della vita civile, his Lettere famigliari e critiche, and his Note al Decamerone del Boccacio-his Critical Hiftory of Society, his REV. July, 1769. Familiar Familiar and Critical Letters, and his Notes on the Decameron of Boccace. He ranges his remarks under the following heads: The historical knowledge of Martinazza. His knowledge in geography. His knowledge in logic. His fkill in civil law and phyfics. His tafte in poetry. His knowledge of the Latin and Italian Languages, with a compendium of the errors he has committed in the latter. His general erudition. His criticisms. His adulation. The Author has produced a great number of paffages to prove that Martinazza is totally deficient in every branch of knowledge requifite for a writer, and indeed the quotations feem to juftify in fome measure his conclufion: there is, however, an acrimony in the criticism which renders it disgusting, however juft; and in many places the fatire is low and illiberal in the utmoft degree. The Author is angry with Martinazza for having attacked Menzini, Bayle, Pope, Bolingbroke, Montefquieu, Rouffeau, and particularly Voltaire: he condemns him for placing Dante, Ariofto, and Metaftafio, above other Italian poets, and upon Metaftafio he is illiberally fevere: he calls many of his pieces bald compilations from the French writers, forgetting perhaps the teftimony of his own favourite, Voltaire, who, when it was obferved that Metaftafio had borrowed fome paffages from his writings, replied, Ah! le cher voleur! il m' a bien embelli. Ah! the dear thief, how much has he improved me! To give our Readers fome idea of the Author's manner, we have tranflated a few fhort paffages, by which we believe it will appear, that our cenfure of his work, as low and illiberal, is juft. After having endeavoured to expofe Martinazza's ignorance of historical events, and examined his knowledge in the fables of poetry, he concludes in this manner: Thus, Martinazza, it appears, that you are neither acquainted with the facts of history nor the fables of the poets, tell us then with what you are acquainted: your learning probably extends to fop's Fables, for it cannot be fuppofed that you are unacquainted with the language of your brethren.' When the Author, to prove that Martinazza is illiterate, has pointed out his mifconftruction of feveral paffages in different authors, ancient and modern, and his mifapplication of others, he difmifles this part of his fubject with the following paffage: 'Antonio Angaro, author of the Alcæus, has called it a pifcatory fable, because he has laid the fcene among fishers: Dr. Martinazza calis it a paftoral, as if he fuppofed the name of paftor comprehended not only fwine herds but fishermen, con founding founding all diftinction of fheep, fwine, and fifhes: thus all forts of brutes will be reduced to one fpecies; nay, they may be reduced to one fingle brute, and he who defires to fee this wonderful fight, need only turn his eyes upon Dr. Martinazza.' The Light of Nature purfued. By Edward Search, Efq; 8vo. 3 Vols. 11. 15. T. Payne, 1768. O investigate the principles of reason, and to raise a folid ftructure of religion and morality, upon the firm and unfhaken bafis of human nature, its powers, fituation, and deftination, appear to be the manly and liberal views of the Author, in this elaborate and comprehenfive performance. How far he hath fucceeded in his defigns we leave to the determination of the attentive, candid, and judicious Reader: After fome juft and pertinent remarks on the advantages and inconveniencies attending controverfy, he obferves, that, in order to avoid the difagreeable neceffity of combating the opinions of others as long as poffible, it seems advisable to begin with • Principles univerfally agreed to, and to gather all the conclufions they will afford, that may be ferviceable to the world, and wherein every body may acquiefce, without prejudice to his favourite tenets.' He then introduces an account of himself and his defign, in the following manner : Both believer and unbeliever will admit, that there are certain truths and certain duties difcoverable by our own care and fagacity; that our reafon is of fome ufe to us, and that we ought to make the best use of it in our power. This, therefore, is what I purpose to attempt; to try what may be done by the exercise of our reafon, either for the advancement of knowledge or guidance of our conduct, without pretending to determine beforehand whether we may furnish ourselves this way with every thing for which we have occafion; without embracing or rejecting what other helps may be afforded us from elsewhere. Since it is allowed, on all hands, that reafon may do fomething for us, let us avail ourselves of that fomething the is capable of, be it little or be it much this furely will not indifpofe us against receiving further benefits from fupernatural affiftance, if any such are to be had. Such an attempt cannot juftly offend either party for if reafon be fufficient, what can we do better than liften attentively to her voice? and if he be not fufficient, how can this be better evidenced than by putting her upon the trial in order to fee what fhe contains? If we shall find her any where at a nonplus, or her ftores exhaufted, and our wants ftill remaining unfupplied, we fhall the more readily recur to fupplies afforded from another treasury. C 2 But, But,' he continues, who is able to ranfack all the ftores of reason, or compute the exact amount of the riches the poffeffes for my part, I am far from fancying myself equal to the talk; nor do I imagine it can be performed by any fingle perfon, but must be compleated, if ever, by the fucceffive endeavours of many and on this very plea I found my juftification. For although what can be managed by a few we choose to entruft only with confummate mafters in the bufinefs, yet in works requiring numbers to execute them, an indifferent workman may be admitted to give a helping hand. It is the duty of every one to serve the public in fuch way for which he is best fitted, how fender foever his ability may be; and this is the only way wherein I have any chance of making myself useful. I have neither conftitution nor talents for active life, neither ftrength nor fund of fpirits for hard ftudy, nor have been bred to any profeffion: but my thoughts have taken a turn from my earliest youth towards fearching into the foundations and meafures of right and wrong: whatever nature gave me has been cultivated by a careful education, and improved further by as much application as I could bear the fatigue of: my love of retirement has furnished me with continual leifure, and the exercife of my reafon has been my daily employment: the service, therefore, I am to do, muft flow from this exercife or not at all. And it must arife from the exercife, not the ftrength of my reafon. I pretend to no fagacity capable of striking out uncommon difcoveries my dependance must reft folely upon my care and vigilance, which keep me conftantly upon the watch for such fparks of light as occur from time to time fpontaneously: the coldness of my natural temperament inclines me to caution and fufpicion; fo that I do not haftily embrace the most striking ideas, until I have turned them again and again in my thoughts, in order to difcern the genuine rays of truth from the flashing meteors of delufion. Whatever of the former I can gather, I preferve diligently, laying them up in ftore against any further ufe that may be made of them. For I am a kind of mifer in knowledge, attentive to every little opportunity of gain: though my income be small, I lofe nothing of what comes to hand; all I can fcrape I place out at intereft; ftill accumulating the interest upon the principal, as well knowing that this is the only way for men of moderate talents to raife a fortune. Let not any man expect extraordinary ftrokes of penetration from me I fhall prefent him with nothing but what he may Have had within his view before. I pretend only to remind him of things that may have flipped his memory, or point out to him objects that may have efcaped his notice: if I fhall offer him any thing new, it will be no more than he would have found naturally refulting from things he knows already, had he held them |