character is certainly displayed in it with very little disguise: vanity is the only covering which he puts on to conceal himself, and that, like a fashionable female dress, only betrays more distinctly the shape of the wearer. Indeed Mr. Cumberland hardly needs any other veil; as a man he appears amiable in every relation of life; as a politician he has been ill-treated and unfortunate; as an author he imagines that his talents have been underrated by his contemporaries, and it is no wonder, with that persuasion, that he overrates them himself. His style in this volume is generally lucid and easy, sportive and harmonious; rarely elegant or energetic. In light humorous sketches his pencil is free, and his colouring agreeable; in his graver pictures the outline is hard, and the execution feeble: Weak, ungraceful, anomalous phrases occur too frequently in the pages of a writer, who boasts, perhaps not without some reason, that he has improved the English language. There is a miserable deficiency of dates throughout the narrative, for which no satisfactory apology is given.

As one of Mr. Cumberland's favourite objects, in writing these memoirs, has evidently been the vindication of his literary claims, which he thinks have been too much neglected, we shall make a few remarks on his most popular productions. Among these, perhaps, merely considered as works of genius, we must, however reluctantly, assign the first place to his comedies; which, with more sprightliness of dialogue and originality of character, are on the whole less immoral, than dramatic pieces generally are. We regret that Mr. Cumberland should have sacrificed thie Hower of his talents to objects so exceptionable. Without repeating the numerous unanswered and unanswerable objections which have been urged against theatrical performances, it is sufficient to seal their condemnation that we have reason to say, the manners, characters, conversations, and incidents, which are exhibited at a playhouse, are contrary to that purity of heart, which the religion of Christ enjoins and requires. And here we agree with Mr. Cumberland (though from different motives,) in censuring the recent rage for infant actors. Language cannot express our abhorrence of the conduct of parents, who thus expose their offspring to the pollution of the stage; is it not making their children pass through the fire to Moloch? What virtue can live in such flames?

Of Mr. Cumberland's novels, Henry, in four volumes, is considerably superior to the common herd of this inflaming or insipid race; but we remember thinking that its interest gradually deelined from the first volume, and that the flimsy morality which it occasionally inculcated, was completely counteracted by the very exceptionable scenes and characters which it introduced. A more permanent though less dazzling reputation, Mr.

VOL. II.

E e

Cum

Cumberland has obtained as an Essayist. The Observer is at least as much above the Triflers, Loiterers and Saunterers, as he is below the Spectators, Tatlers, and Ramblers.

Mr. Cumberland has made a bold attempt to force himself into the highest class of British Poets, while he would exclude Goldsmith and Pope from that rank, because they had not made any work large enough to constitute monks a poet. Whether Mr. C. is singular in this decision we have not the means of ascertaining. He certainly has failed of convincing us: but not having room to state our reasons for dissenting, we shall only mention that his pretensions are founded on a Heroic Poem, in eight books, written in Miltonic blank verse; and entitled, Calvary, or The Death of Christ.' This_task, the author informs us, was undertaken with ardour and soon dispatched at the average of fifty lines a day! Perhaps no work of enduring celebrity was ever completed in such haste; but we do not imagine that Mr. C. would have made this ten times better, if he had composed only five lines a day: for his thoughts seem to be rather impaired than improved by the labour which he occasionally bestows upon them. The soil of some minds teems spontaneously with rapid, thick, and fleeting vegetation, which is lovely and luxuriant in proportion to the unchecked freedom of its growth that of others, like the mountain of Lebanon, puts forth cedars, slow in rising, majestic and perennial in maturity, unrivalled in excellence and duration.

On a comparison of Paradise Lost with Calvary, (waving all religious objections to either as subjects for poetry,) we never think of the latter, in reading the former; Mr. C.'s poem, on the contrary, continually reminds us of Milton's, rather by the feebleness than by the force of his imitation. Yet it is a work of considerable merit, even without estimating its value by its bulk. Voluminous as Mr. Cumberland's publications are already, we are promised, at a period that we hope is still distant, as many posthumous works as may build his monument.

Art. III. A Clinical History of Diseases. Part First; being I. Clinical History of the Acute Rheumatism. II. A Clinical History of the Nodosity of the Joints. By John Haygarth, M. D. F. R. S. &c. &c. 8vo. pp. 168. Price 5s. Cruttwell, Bath; Cadell & Davis, London, 1805.

THE accurate and impartial reports of his practice, which the experienced physician preserves, we regard as of high and intrinsic value; their publication therefore is a benefit to the public, which deserves the warmest acknowledgements. By the facts they communicate, rash and obtrusive systems are checked,

the

the progress of medical science is promoted, and, consequently, the sufferings of the sick are more speedily and effectually res moved.

The present work of Dr. Haygarth contains the Clinical History of a disease, which, from the tediousness of its duration, and the long lasting injuries by which it is frequently succeeded, may be reckoned among the most distressing.

Since the year 1767, Dr. Haygarth has constantly recorded, in the patient's chamber, a full and accurate account of every important symptom, the remedies which were employed, and, when an opportunity offered, the effects which they produced. The observations thus sedulously collected, Dr. Haygarth has arranged in an appropriate tabular form; and thus he has been enabled to exhibit, at one view, the most important facts which have occurred, during an experience of thirty-five years. Every symptom, and every remedy indeed, are not thus noticed; but the omissions are of trivial consequence. We can readily join with Dr. Haygarth, in the observation, that, considering the urgency of medical duties, the intelligent reader will rather be surprised that so many circumstances are preserved, than that some are omitted.

After separating nodosity of the joints, Tic Doloureux, sciatica, lumbago, and other diseases which nosologists have improperly, in Dr. Haygarth's opinion, placed under the denomination of rheumatism, there still remained, among the Dr.'s cases, 470 which actually belonged to rheumatism. Of these only 170 were accompanied with fever; and come under the title of acute rheumatism. These exclusively form the subject of the first part of this most useful work; the principal purpose of which is, to recommend the peruvian bark, in preference to all other remedies.

The most interesting deductions, founded upon the facts noted in the tables, appear to be that-more males are attacked with this disease than females; probably because men are more exposed to cold and rain than women-it affects all ages from < below 5 to above 60-it is more frequent in the colder than in the warmer seasons. Exposure to cold and moisture, is its principal cause; the latent period, between the proximate cause, and the first symptoms of disease, exceeded fortyeight hours, in only four cases out of twenty-one; persons who have been previously afflicted with the chronical rheumatism, the gout, or sore throat, especially the first, are most liable to suffer attacks of this disease; although the acute rheumatism is chiefly seated in the joints, it is manifest that it sometimes attacks the muscles.

But little is here added to our stock of knowledge, with respect

to effects of the remedies which have generally been employed, in this malady. We were rather surprised to find only one instance of the exhibition of the volatile tincture of guiacum; since, from the very high character this medicine obtained from Dr. Dawson, we should have wished its real merits to have been determined by so accurate an observer as Dr. Haygarth. With respect to the remedies in general use, the Dr. presents us with the following remarks.

In most of the cases of acute rheumatism, blood was taken from the arm by the lancet, before I received the interesting intelligence of the efficacy of the peruvian bark in this fever. Even subsequent to the time when this important information was communicated, I did not neglect this proper and powerful remedy, though I gradually employed it seldomer and in diminished quantities, as the successful use of the bark increased my confidence in its salutary effects.

For the same reason, leeches were much more frequently employed in the former than the latter period of my practice.

Only 20 cases are noted in which sudorificks were administered, which were composed of opiates generally with antimony, sometimes with ipecacuanha. The omission of so usual and so important a remedy must be ascribed to the same reason as the neglect of letting blood by the lancet and leeches. Saline medicines were given in 54 cases, as, acetated ammonia, the effervescing draught, and nitre.

Antimony has been employed not only as a febrifuge and antiphlogistick remedy, but principally with an intention to cleanse the stomach. and bowels, as a preparation for the exhibition of the bark. The rheumatism was frequently relieved by antimony, and for some years I waited for this relief by antimony, bleeding, leeches, and saline medicines, before the bark was administered. But, for a considerable period of time, after sufficient evacuations were obtained, the bark has been exhibited without any farther delay.

The antimonial powder has been given in 55 and the tartarised antimony in 35 cases, being ninety in all.

The warm bath was employed in 11 cases. It is superfluous to remark that this remedy is chiefly useful in the chronical rheumatism.'

PP. 42-44.

The chief purpose of Dr. Haygarth's clinical history of acute rheumatism being to explain why, in what manner, and with what effect, he has employed the peruvian bark as a remedy in this disease, it is necessary that we should place these before our readers. The circumstances which led him to the adoption of this mode of practice, are thus related.

• For several years after the period when I commenced the practice of physic at Chester, that excellent physician the late Dr. John Fothergill used annually to retire from the fatigues of his profession during about two months in the summer to Lea-Hall in Cheshire. In this pleasing rural retreat, I had frequent opportunities to enjoy his very improving and entertaining conversation. He allowed me the very

important privilege of stating to him the doubts and difficulties which often perplexed me as a young physician. With a truly liberal and enlightened mind he freely and generously communicated to me his opinion and advice whenever he was thus consulted.

In one of these friendly visits I solicited his counsel for a patient ill of a rheumatic fever. He recommended that the peruvian bark should be administered. At this advice I expressed great surprise; that it was directly contrary to the mode of treatment which I had been taught by the most judicious and learned authors and professors; and that I had always understood the bark to be highly improper in all inflammatory disorders.

To my objections he replied, "when I was a young physician, being twice called out of my bed to visit patients in a frosty night, I caught a very severe rheumatic fever. By the advice of my medical brethren I had been blooded repeatedly and largely, even to 70 ounces. My disease yet remained unsubdued, and my blood still exhibited an inflammatory crust. Hence I was convinced that the method of curing this fever by such copious evacuations was erroneous. Soon after my recovery, I was desired to visit a patient ill of an acute rheumatism. At my_request, Sir Edward Hulse, at that time the most eminent physician in London, was consulted. He proposed that we should order the peruvian bark. I gladly agreed to the proposal, as I thought there were several analogies between an ague and a rheumatick fever. In both diseases, the urine lets fall a similar lateritious sediment. In intermittent, as well as rheumatick fevers, the blood when left is covered with an inflammatory crust. The pain and fever of rheumatism have certain periodical, though not quite regular paroxysms and intermissions.

In this consultation with Sir Edward Hulse, the bark was given with such manifest advantage, that I have ever since adopted the practice in this disease, and recommend it to you in spite of all medical authorities to the contrary." pp. 45-48.

Dr. Haygarth is very much pleased at being able to trace the traditional authority, by which the benefit to be derived from the peruvian bark, in the acute rheumatism, had been secured to us; having discovered by examination of Dr. Richard Morton's treatise on fevers, that Dr. Hulse had derived this remedy from that physician.

It appears that in 35 out of 66 of the cases which were noted, the bark was given in the first fortnight, and of these it was given in only 3 cases within the first week. In the remaining 31 cases its employment commenced from the 16th. to the 40th. day. But being unable to give to this useful and respectable work all the attention we could wish, we must briefly observe, that after the stomach and bowels had been sufficiently cleansed by antimonials, the bark was given in doses of gr. v. x, xv. every two, three, or four hours; and if this quantity had a salutary effect, it was gradually increased to xx. xxx. or xl. grs. with sedulous attention, never to add inore than what perfectly

agreed