lutely necessary; although on the mode of treatment must much depend upon the individual instance presented. He regards religious mania as the most difficult of any to dispel.

From the same able writer we have also received a volume of "Clinical Medicine;" the object of which, like that of the former work, is to introduce a new and more characteristic nosology. As in the former work, we think also in the present, that in this respect he has not been successful. In few words, his views are seldom perspicuous, and his practice is too timid.

Professor Vitet has published, in six volumes 8vo., his " Medicine Expectante," Expectant Medicine," which is a work of considerable merit; and, as grounded almost entirely upon practical attention, is highly worthy of the perusal of the medical world at large. The golden mean is to determine when to act, and when to refrain from acting; since as much harm at least has been done by being too busy, as by being too quiet. In England, and our author asserts the same in France, we cannot generally be charged with the crime of remaining inactive spectators: the late Dr. Heberden is the only physician of real respectability whom we, at the present moment, recollect as being liable to this imputation; he was, upon every occasion, an expectant practitioner, but he was a most careful observer of nature; and, we believe, often accomplished more. by his quietism, than the most vigorous assailants have obtained by their hardihood. The work before us, as we learn from the introductory letter, is the result of a contest which for many years seem to have been maintain ed at Lyons, our author's last

abode, between the different physicians established in that city, and in which we are here told the erpectant cohort at length prevailed. M. Vitet, like M. Pinel, offers us a new system of nosology; but we see nothing in it to induce those who are attached to the classifications of Sauvage or Cullen to desert them for the present. The last volume consists of a Materia Medica, but which, from the feebleness of its contents, we should suppose rather drawn up for the lady-practitioners of France, than for the profession.

MM. Nicolas and Guendeville have published, conjointly, an octavo volume of "Medical and chemical Investigations and Experiments on the Diabetes Melitus, or Phthisurie Sucrée," the last term being employed by themselves, but in our opinion without answering the purpose, to convey a more definite idea of the disease than its common appellation. The plan not long since proposed by our own ingenious countryman Dr. Rollo, and so powerfully confirmed by the experiments of Mr. Cruickshank, seems to be still novel in France. The experiments here detailed however, the theory of the disease, and the method proposed to be pursued in its cure, are in perfect unison; the last consisting in removing the spasmodic affection on which the disorder is conceived to depend, and in multiplying the principle of animalisation. We are sorry to find Dr. Rollo's name not treated in this volume with the respect to which he is entitled. For the rest, the account contains a full history of the diabetes, but irregular in manner, and in matter not always comprehensible.

Among the medical practitioners of Germany, we still perceive something of the same controversy between the Brunonians and the

Anti-Brunonians, which we noticed in our last year's retrospect. On the part of the former have appeared not less than two Materia Medicas, one by M. Loos of Erlang, and the other by Dr. Frank of Vienna: of these, the latter is by far the best calculated to support the theory of excitation, though the writer is an indiscriminate encomiast, and not perfectly correct in the distribution of his classes. The medical journals, which, like those upon theology, are almost innumerable, have entered into the contest, and a great number of the academical theses are devoted to the same subject. Dr. Meyer, Dr. Hartmann, and Dr. Schorndorfer, appear to be the chief supporters of the theory, in conjunction with Dr. Frank; while the "Medicinisches Archiv von Wien und Oesterrich,” “Medical Archives of Vienna and Austria," for several years published under the superintendence of Dr. Ferro, a physician of considerable talents and reputation, still adheres to the old school. We perceive that the Bruno-mania is by no means confined, however, to Germany. In our last retrospect we pointed out its inroads into Spain, and we have now to notice its progress into Italy, and the publication at Florence, by signor Luigi Emiliani, M.D. of an octavo volume, entitled "Analisi delle Propositioni fundamentali della Teoria Medica de Brown." It is not, however, a book that merits an analysis for the meridian of our own metropolis. As new journals, we have to introduce the "Archiv für die Thierische Chemie," "Archives of animal Chemistry," published by Dr. Horkel, at Halle, of which the first three numbers are the whole that have yet reached us; and which, contrary to the archives of Crell and Scherer, that 1803.

include both pharmacy and mineralogy, is to be confined to animal chemistry exclusively; and the "Archiv für die Pharmacie und Aerztliche Naturkunde," "Archives of Pharmacy and medical Philosophy," which may tend, in some degree, to apply the deficiencies of the former. This last is edited by MM. Schaut and Piepembring conjointly, of Cassel; and the first five numbers are the whole we have hitherto met with. Many of the articles inserted in it, and especially on chemistry, are highly valuable. M. Osiander, of Göttenburg, has published two volumes octavo, entitled " Principles of the Art of Midwifry." It contains many judicious remarks, but is by far too free in recommending the use of instruments, and not allow ing Nature to perform those evolutions to which she is often competent by her own powers, and still more frequently when merely assisted by the fingers. M. Tittman, of Dresden, has completed his "System der Wundarzney kunst,"

System of Surgery," consisting of the course of chirurgical lectures he lately read at the college in this city; and M. Richter, of Göttingen, has published the sixth volume of his "" Aufangsgründe Wundarzneykunst," Elements of Surgery," constituting, in every respect, a companion worthy of the volumes which have preceded it.

In Italy, independently of M. Emiliani's "Analysis," which we have just glanced at, we cannot avoid noticing the "Institutioni di Medicina forense," "Institutions of forensic Medicine," by M. Tortosa of Vicenza; which is an able publication upon this branch of medical science: and, as forensic or judicial medicine, the study of it which enables us to give a clear and perspicuous account of diseases

Y

and

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and their consequences in courts of justice, is by no means so much attended to in our own country as in many parts of the continent, the work before us is entitled to attention: it extends to two volumes octavo. We have also met with a clear and judicious account of the epidemic that prevailed at Genoa during its siege in 1799 and 1800, under the modest title of "Storia della Febbreepidemica di Genova." It is written by M. Giovanni Rason, and published in one volume octavo at Milan. It was a typhous fever, and not essentially different from that which has lately made such fatal ravages at Gibraltar and in various parts of Spain, and which is said to have been imported from Malaga. The Genoese epidemic, however, does not appear to have possessed so quick a contagion as the Malagese; nor was it so certain of mortality. We rejoice to perceive that a posthumous work of Spallanzani, on the subject of respiration, has been communicated to the public through the medium of his friend M. Sennebier. It was left in manuscript in the Italian tongue; and the only extant publication from it is in French, entitled, "Mémoires sur la Réspiration." It was printed at Geneva in the current year (1803), and has already found an introduction into our own country. The volume consists of three memoirs; of which the first treats of the respiration of snails, whether with or without shells: the second, on that of the aquatic testacea, as the viviparous snail, the helix vivipara of Linnæus, and the duck and swan muscle, the mytilus anatinus, and cygneus: the third presents refiexions and new experiments on the crustacea hitherto examined, as well as on other animals of different orders. This volume does not

comprise the whole of the manu script which was left behind him by this ingenious zoologist on his decease: an additional volume may therefore be expected daily, though the work will at last be imperfect, as the abbé did not live to complete the entire plan which he had projected.

The medical publications which have chiefly excited an attention from the Dutch press are, a new journal entitled, "Geneeskundig Magazin," "Magazine of Medicine," by MM. Van Stripian Luiscius; C. G. Ontyd; M. J. Macquelin; and J. Van Heekeren. We have hitherto received of this jour nal only the first four numbers; and, independently of the very respectable names specified in the title, we meet with others in the body of the work, who have been occasional contributors, of at least equal celebrity; such as Vanden Bosch, Van Geuns, and Runk. We are hence induced to augur well of this new undertaking. The Amsterdam medical society has published the seventh volume of its proceedings; in which we observe several important cases that we are sorry we cannot find room to detail. M. Bake, in an octavo volume, entitled, "De Staatkundige Handhaving, &c.," "Cases of the State for the Life and Health of the Inhabitants," has republished three very valuable discourses of Van Geuns, pronounced in 1777 and 1778, on his dismission from the rectory; to which he has subjoined various observations of his own, relative to the advantages of a medical police. And we perceive an octavo volume of "Medical Ordinances," "Geneeskundiga Berordeningen," published by the executive power of the Batavian Republic: in the course of which the chief thing worthy of observa

tion is a recommendation to the faculty, and to the public, to persevere in the use of variolous inoculation, till the effects of the vaccine are more completely established. This we are the more surprised at, because it is the only continental publication we have met with that seems indifferent to the propagation of the cow-pox; and because it does not yet appear, that either in Holland or in any other country, the doubts have been so openly entertained upon the efficacy of the practice which have of late been started among ourselves; or any instances of the anomalous return of the small-pox after cow-pox, which are stated to have occurred in different parts of England, and which, most indubitably, have occurred in two or three instances in the metropolis.

We were sorry to learn that the Acta Medicorum Suecicorum, "Acts of the Swedish Physicians," had declined. These were succeeded by several journals of a date nearly as short; of which the best was entitled Vetenskaps handlingar fær lækare. This too, we believe, has ceased; but it has given rise to a young phoenix, which, we trust, will attain an honourable longevity; we mean M. Hedin's "Vetenskaps Journal, &c.," "Scientific Journal of Medicine and Surgery;" of which one volume and about half the second are now before the public, and are well entitled to encouragement.

The American States have no medical publication to boast of possessing any very prominent merit. The cow-pox has excited many tracts; but of little importance among ourselves. Drs. Currie and Cathrall have endeavoured, by the advance of facts, to establish the importation and contagious nature

of the yellow fever; and Mr. Sabatier has been very laudably employed in drawing up an unprofessional volume of "Hints towards promoting the Health and Cleanliness of the city of New York.” Dr. Mace, in a theoretic perfor mance, not devoid of ingenuity, entitled, "The proximate Cause of Disease," has passed in review before him the different theories of Townsend, Reich, Darwin, Rush, Wilson, and Brown; to the last of whom his own inclination obviously points. Quincey's "Medical Lexicon" has undergone a new and very considerably improved edition; and professor Barton has published a revisal of his "Collections for an Essay towards a Materia Medica of the United States." It was at first a valuable work, and is now rendered considerably more so by several judicious additions.

That we may not have to turn back again to this quarter of the globe in the course of the present chapter, we shall here remark that Mr. Hare in his "Memoir on the Supply and Application of the Blow-Pipe," has announced a very valuable improvement in this important instrument; by which, instead of using the mouth or foot, he employs a machine that impels the air by the pressure of a column of water; and is hence denominated, though not with strict propriety, the hydrostatic blow-pipe. We can only glance at the invention, without plates. In topogra phy, geography, and agriculture, the United States have also been enriched with several respectable publications. Such are Mr. Sibbald's "Notes and Observations on the Pine-lands of Georgia;" written for the patriotic purpose of encouraging, in this district, an increased growth of cotton: Mr. Y 2

Hall's

Hall's "Brief History of the Mississippi Territory," which appears to be in a highly progressive state of improvement: "Communications on different Subjects, addressed to the Bahama Agricultural Society;" in the course of which, it should seem that the exertions of this very laudable association have been attended with the best effects imaginable upon the subjects of rural economy, and a judicious recommendation and naturalisation of many valuable exotics: and a work by Mr. Thomas Moore, entitled, "The great Error of American Agriculture exposed, and Hints for Improvement suggested;" the whole of which is worthy of attention, but too complicated in its view to allow us to enter upon it in a detailed form.

We now return to the Old World. M. Comparetti of Padua, in his "Dinamica Animale degli Insetti," "Animal Dynamics of Insects," has offered a valuable work to the entomologist, so far as relates to the anatomic and microscopic descriptions of the external senses and viscera of these diminutive animals and has corrected many of the assertions of Reaumur and the authors of the Encyclopædia Methodica, who have copied from him. M. Daudin has published at Paris a "Natural History of Tree Frogs, Frogs, and Toads, embellished with 38 Plates, representing 54 Species, painted from Nature." This is the most ample work upon the subject of the bactracian family, of which we are at present in possession: it is founded upon the prior observations of La Cépede, and especially of La Treille, to the former of whom it is dedicated. It offers much, however, that is new, and is written in a close compacted style, with a

terseness and brevity of expression that forms a considerable contrast to the diction of our author's pa tron. While upon the subject of natural history, we ought not to forbear to notice that M. La Cépède himself has published the fifth volume of his "Natural His tory of Fishes;" by which this valuable and important work is at length brought to a conclusion. We have still to object, however, to the meretricious ornaments of the language in which it is com posed, as well as to an occasional indulgence in unfounded conjec tures. We perceive but little of the literature of Germany appropriated to the branch of natural history; the numerous journals upon this subject appear to be continued with their different degrees of merit: independently of which we have chiefly to notice M. Blumenbach's "Delineation of Ob jects of Natural History," and "Outlines of a general Natural History, arrranged according to the Three Kingdoms;" in neither of which, however, do we trace any thing that needs to detain us. In the branch of chemistry, Galvanism appears considerably to have taken the lead; it is by far the most conspicuous article in the literary ar chives and magazines, and has been selected, as an individual subject, by MM. Augustin, Grapengissen, Jacobi, and Wolke. In its medical application, it seems to have been of chief utility to the deafly-dumb: and the case upon this subject, published by M. Sprenger, is well worth attention.

In the vegetable kingdom, the works that have chiefly attracted our attention are, "Les Liliacées," "Liliaceous Plants," by M. Redouté, painter to the national me scum of natural history; a truly

mag.