defcription of the disease from his own obfervation, that the plague is a putrid fever of the worst kind, Sir Wm. recommends a liberal ufe of the muriatic acid, as the grand fpecific. From the great utility of a fmall portion of this acid, in preferving falt beef and pork, from the circumftance of its being recommended by a Greek empiric, and fold in the streets of London during the plague, and from the benefit derived from anointing an ulcerated tonfil in a malignant fore-throat with honey of rofes acidulated with it, Sir Wm. was induced to ufe it internally in all putrid difeafes; and this with neverfailing fuccefs, in the worst cases, unlefs he happened to be called in too late. In fupport of this Sir Wm. gives a few cafes. Amongst others, p. 15. I comforted the late earl of Morton,' fays he, extremely, in the hope of preferving his fon, if I could have time to pickle his juices with the spirit of fea-falt; which I did very largely, and it fucceeded. After this he recommended me warmly to thofe of his friends, who required fuch pickling in fimilar cafes.' [Malignant angina.]

With respect to the author's principle of reafoning on the antifeptic power of this acid on dead animal matter, we apprehend it to be thoroughly vicious. 1. Eighty drops of fpirit of falt is the quantity given in twenty-four hours, with which the juices are to be pickled,' which quantity contains about eighteen grains of acid free from water; but what effect, as an antiputrefcent, would this quantity have on 100 or 150 pound weight of animal matter, either alive or dead? 2. The quantity of acid being much too fmall to operate chemically as an antifermentative, its action must be explained on a different principle. 3. The putrid state of the juices is taken for granted to be prefent: all the proofs being equivocal. 4. The plague has not been hitherto fatisfactorily fhown to be of the fame nature as the fevers called putrid in this country. That acids, perhaps, of every kind, will palliate fymptoms in fevers is well known; but that the marine is poffeffed of peculiar efficacy, and in the degree affirmed by the author, he has not proved to our fatisfaction,

Subjoined is a letter from the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Stuart on the fuccefs of inoculation, published two years ago in the European and Gentleman's Magazines; and a poftfcript lamenting, that Mr. Howard was unacquainted with the fuperior antifeptic power of the muriatic acid.

T. T.

ART. XXI. A new Tranflation of the Pharmacopoeia of the Royal College of Phyficians of London, of the year 1787; with Notes, critical and explanatory; Dofes of the feveral Preparations; likewife a Table of the Quantities of Opium and Quickfilver in the compound Medicines which contain them; and a

Lift of the new Names; together with Latin and English Indexes. By an Apothecary. 8vo. 296 pages. Price 5s. in boards. Johnson. 1789.

THE new London Difpenfatory, being, we prefume, long ere this, in the hands of most of the medical practitioners in the kingdom, and having been, moreover, amply noticed in this Review, we have only to observe of the article before us, that in the most effential parts, namely the different preparations, it appears to be faithfully rendered.

The original part of the work confifts of notes, differing from thofe of Dr. Healde, in being chiefly pharmaceutical; and tho' fome of them contain remarks which are too obvious, and too generally known, to merit publication, yet to many readers moft of them will convey useful information, and in all of them we observe a laudable endeavour to improve the several chemical and pharmaceutical proceffes, and to ascertain the beft mode of exhibiting medicine.

In a note on the acetous acid, the author afferts that it does not fhow the leaft mark of copper, when prepared according to the process of the Difpenfatory, not acquiring the smallest purple blue colour from the application of any quantity of volatile alkali: Dr. Healde fays the contrary, on the authority of Leonhardi; and from Mr. Berthollet, that this acid differs effentially from the acid of vinegar.

There is probably fome error of the prefs in the note to the aromatic confection; as it now ftands it is certainly unintelligible.

As it ought to be supposed that every Apothecary is competent to make all the preparations from the original, there fcarcely would feem a neceffity for any English translation of the Pharmacopoeia; three have however already been published, the first by Dr. Healde, the fecond by Dr. Monro at the end of his pharmaceutical Chemistry, and the third is that now before us. Poffibly the prefent universal custom of druggists difpenfing medicines, may be one reafon for it, and without obferving any thing further on this circumstance, we must acknowledge that whilft Pharmacy remains in their hands, its language cannot be too plain and intelligible.

P..

ART. XXII. Every Lady and Gentleman their own Dentift, as far as the Operations will allow. Containing the Natural Hiftory of the Adult Teeth, and their Difeafes. With the most approved Method of prevention and cure. By F. B. Spilfbury,

In reviewing Dr. Healde's tranflation, we omitted mentioning an erratum in his pofological table. The proportion of quickfilver in the weaker ointment of quickfilver, is one dram in fix, not one in five.

Surgeon, &c. 12mo.
12mo. 56 pages. Price 1s. 6d. Barker.

1790.

THESE remarks are neither new nor ufclefs, but the conclufion of the whole matter is, that at the medicinal warehoufes about 'Change, &c. may be had the author's Dentifrice and Tincture, price 2s. 6d. each, remedies, which, of course are recommended from their infinite fuperiority.

C. C.

ART. XXIII. Dr. Geddes's General Aufwer to the Queries, Counfils, and Criticisms that have been communicated to him fince the Publication of his Propofals for Printing a New Tranflation of the Bible. 4to. 30 pages. Price 1s. 6d.

Johnton. 1790.

THERE is much learning, much ingenuity, and, what is better than all, much good humour in thefe general answers; a fhort fpecimen will fufficiently evince, that this publication is not fo dry and uninterefting as its title may feem to indicate.

Having received,' fays the author, fince the publication of my Propofals and Specimens, a great number of letters relative to my work; and not having leifure to make particular and refpective acknowledgments, I have judged it expedient to publish the following fheets as a general anfwer to them all.'

A Fair Correfpondent fends this query: "Is your Verfion to be accompanied with prints "No, my good lady; not even with a fingle frontifpiece! This must be left to fome future Macklin, if future Macklins arife,- -or rather if my labours merit their attention.-If my book cannot have the fortune to be embellished with prints of the firit rate, it fhall not be difgraced by paltry ones.-There was a time, when the zeal of the Catholic artists in London would have been roufed on fuch an occafion; and would not have permitted Mother Church to be outrivalled by her ambitious younger fifter: but those times, and that zeal, I fear, are over-and Mother Church may even shift for herfelf the belt fhe can.

• Mother Church brings to my mind another double query, which was fent to me fome time ago, conceived in the fol lowing polite terms: "Sir, are you a Roman Catholic? Sir, are you a Christian ?"

(To the latter of thefe queries, anfwer pofitively and peremptorily: "I am a CHRISTIAN."-In order to give a just and cautious anfwer to the former, I muft confult my old friend and countryman Duns Scotus. Now Duns Scotus inftructs me (very properly) to make a distinction between the two terms; and to fay, "A CATHOLIC I am abfolutè, a Roman Catholic only fecundum quid." If the querit underfiand Latin and Logic, he will be at no lofs to comprehend my anfwer; but in cafe he fhould be a mere English fcholar, and for the fake of other English readers (if there be any) who may entertain any doubts about my catholicity, I will make my diftinction as clear and

explicit

explicit as he or they can with.-If by the epithet Roman be only meant, holding communion with the fee of Rome, and acknowledging the primacy of its Bifhop, I am certainly fo far a Roman Catholic: but in any other fenfe or refpect, I am no more a Roman, than I am a French, German, or Spanish Catholic. If to the appellation Catholic any difcriminating adjunctive were neceffary, I would call my felf a British Catholic; but I rather adhere to the fimple declaration of an ancient martyr: "CHRISTIAN is my name, and CATHOLIC my furname."

In apology for the feemingly great expence of the doctor's verfion, we find the following note:

Nine guineas are certainly a confiderable fum to a man of fmall fortune; efpecially when paid all at once: but a guinea and a half, year by year, is not fo formidable: and many London mechanics fpend more on fixpenny numbers of the most common productions-But, not to go out of my own line, let me only calculate what is paid for the feveral detached portions of fcripture, that may be denominated, in fome fenfe or other, New Verfions.

4000000

O

3

£. 8 о O

• All which (exclufive of the Apocrypha) make not one half of the Scripture: whereas my version contains the whole Scripture, including the apocrypha, for one guinea more. Not to mention the great difference between fuch a checkered collection of pieces of various impreffions, papers, forms, and ftyles; and one uniform work of the fame colour and complexion, at least, however inferior in other refpects.'

The lift of fubfcribers is highly refpectable; and every liberal mind muft rejoice at the fpirit of the times, when he finds prefixed as fubfcribers to the fame verfion of the Scriptures, the public libraries of two monafteries at Ratisbon and Wartzburgh, and thofe of feveral of our Colleges at Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glafgow, &c. Lord Petre, Sir William Jerningham, the Bishop of Morocco, and many Catholic clergy, united with the Bishops of London, Landaff, Salisbury,

Salisbury, Dromore, Killala, Waterford, &c. as well as with Doctors Price, Kippis, Priestley, Rees, Mr. Lindsay, Dr. Lettfom, &c.

ART. XXIV. Remarks on the Religious Sentiments of learned and eminent Laymen, viz. Sir Ifaac Newton, Hon. Robert Boyle, Locke, Sir Matthew Hale, Addifon, Nelfon, Lord Lyttleton, Weft, Soame Fenyns, &c. with occafional Reflections on Incredulity. Crown 8vo. 157 pages. Price 2s. 6d. fewed. Robinfons. 1790.

THIS fhort publication is greatly to the credit of revealed religion, as it collects and exhibits in its favour the free and unbiaffed teftimonies of perhaps the greateft men that ever adorned this or any other country.

Among the motives ftated by the editor for presenting the public with this collection we find the following. p. 6.

The last and very material confideration is, that as the perfons whofe "religious fentiments" are here collected were all LAYMEN, there is no room for the enemies of revealed religion to alledge, that they were prejudiced by intereft, or fecular confiderations of any kind. How many are ready to fortify themfelves against every thing advanced by men of the clerical order, with that hacknied and illiberal remark," that it is their trade, and that they are paid for it."-A fuggeftion that has really no weight when urged against the writings of the clergy in defence of revelation, fince they do not defire to be trusted upon their own authority, but upon the reafons which they offer. Lawyers and phyficians are not lefs trufted because they live by their profeffions: but this is a fuggeftion that eafily takes hold of weak minds, and fuch as are willing to be caught by it. And confidering the diligence of the adverfary, in making profelytes and drawing men from the faith of Chrift, equal diligence is required of thofe who are to maintain that faith, not only to leave men no real ground, but even no colour or pretence for their infidelity. Therefore (as St. Paul, who, from a violent perfecutor, became an eminent convert to the Chriftian religion, writes) we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, left at any time we fhould let them flip. For if the word fpoken by angels was ftedfaft, and every tranf greffion and difobedience received a juft recompence of reward; how fhall we efcape, if we neglect fo great falvation? which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him: God alfo bearing them witnefs, both with figns and wonders, and with diverfe miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost." Heb. ii. 1, 2, 3, 4.

B.

ART.