ART. VI. The new Family Herbal; or, Domeftic Physician: enumerating, with accurate Defcriptions, all the known Vegetables which are any Way remarkable for medical Efficacy: with an Account of their Virtues in the feveral Difeafes incident to the human Frame. Illustrated with Figures of the most remarkable Plants, accurately delineated and engraved. By William Meyrick, Surgeon. 8vo. 496 p. Pr. 7s. in boards; coloured copies 14s. Birmingham, Pearfon; London, Baldwin. 1790. A WORK of this kind muft obviously be principally a compilation; and whether, in the botanical part of it, the author be chiefly indebted to the Genera Plantarum or Syftema Vegetabilium of Linnæus, to the late tranflation of these works by the Lichfield Society, or, as is perhaps moft probable, to the laft edition of the Botanical Arrangement of Drs. Withering and Stokes, can be of little importance, provided the general descriptions are accurate, and fufficiently mark the different fpecies. Mr. Meyrick has adopted an alphabetical arrangement of the plants, which, for the purposes for which this publication is designed, we think preferable to a fyftematic arrangement, the former certainly admitting of a more convenient reference. We pretend not to have examined every fpecies, a tafk, in fo comprehenfive a work, evidently more arduous than neceffary, but in thofe individuals which we have compared, and the number is not fmall, the descriptions are so very juft, that we think we may fafely give the author credit for the reft being fo, and may therefore pronounce this part of the work to be fufficiently accurate for those perfons to whofe ufe it is appropriated. The author will, however, excufe us for pointing out an error he has fallen into with respect to the botanical name of a well-known and much-ufed plant, the rofe; though we are the less surprised at this, as the learned college, in the late new Pharmacopoeia, fell into a fimilar miftake refpecting the fame plant. The damafk rofe is not, as Mr. Meyrick fuppofes, the rofa gallica of Linnæus, nor the rofa centifolia of Linnæus, as it is called in the Pharmacopoeia, but the rofa damafcena of Miller, and which feems not to have been known by the Swedish naturalist, as he quotes Miller for it in his Materia Medica, to which we refer our author. The rofa gallica is the red conferve rofe, and is properly fo called in the new Difpenfatory. The true damask rofe is pale, like the common Provence, but has fewer petals, and little fcent. The petals of the red rofe, on the contrary, though few in number, are of a deep red. As the virtues of thefe two rofes are very different, it feems abfolutely neceffary, that this matter, fo little attended to and fo little known, should be cleared up, the red rofe poffeffing aftringent ftrengthening qualities, and the damafk purgative ones. The firft is made into into a conferve, the latter into a fyrup, and is diftilled for its water; but as it is scarce in gardens, and has but few petals, the Provence rofe is frequently fubftituted for both thefe purposes. Mr. Meyrick, indeed, feems to know the different virtues of these two plants, though he has miftaken the Linnæan name, and omitted mentioning the conferve made from the red rofe, or rofa gallica, a medicine fo univerfally known. The euphorbia ipecacuanha is likewife not the Linnæan name for the ipecacuanha of the fhops. This the author has taken from the fecond edition of the Species Plantarum, published in 1762: had he looked into the Materia Medica of the fame author, published in 1773, he would there have found that it is called viola ipecacuanha. The real plant, however, is perhaps ftill doubtful; for Dr. Aikin, in his Manual of the Materia Medica, fupposes it to be pfychotria emetica, Linn. Supplement. With regard to the medical hiftory of the plants, though the author quotes the authorities of many celebrated writers, as Gerard, Ray, Colebatch, Hill, Home, Lewis, Withering, &c. and though he fays, in the preface, that the reader will find no plants introduced to his acquaintance, which are not poffeffed of confiderable medical powers, nor any virtues afcribed to them, but what are warranted by unquestionable authority, or confirmed by actual experiments,' we ftill think he has fallen into the common error of herbalifts. Many of his accounts of the properties of plants are much too vague and indeterminate; and their virtues, in moft inftances, we are perfuaded, are greatly exaggerated. In almost every page we find a plant which is extolled for the cure of a long catalogue of diseases; and we are particularly ftruck with the circumftance of fo many being recommended as fpecifics in the moft formidable difeafes, as hæmorrhages, coughs, &c. Though we have not had actual experience of the virtues of fo many vegetables as our author profeffes to have had, yet if the reader have experienced half the disappointments we have done in the ufe even of fome of the most celebrated articles in the materia medica, he will not wonder that we are reluctant to give our affent to many of the accounts which are contained in this part of the work. In the page which is now open before us, is the following account of the properties of the cynogloffum officinale. It is a plant of very confiderable virtues, being of an aftringent balfamic nature, and excellently adapted to ease those coughs which proceed from a thin acrid humour, falling upon the lungs or other parts of the breaft. A decoction of the root drank freely is good against the bleeding of the piles, overflowing of the menfes, and the whites. The root powdered and taken in dofes of half a drachm, twice or three times a day, is excellent against purgings and the bloody flux. An ointment made of. its juice, with honey and turpentine, is a good application to VOL. VIII, D old. old fiftulous ulcers.' Can it be fuppofed that a plant, containing fuch rare qualities, would be to little noticed, or little made ufe of? To the botanical defcription and medical history, in fome inftances, the author has added an account of the cultivation of the plant; and this we think not the least useful part of the work and in the appendix are given directions for gathering and preferving all kinds of roots, herbs, flowers, and feeds, with the methods of preparing diftilled waters, conferves, fyrups, pills, tinctures, ointments, and every other neceffary form of medicine.' The following extract, which we give as a fpecimen of our author's manner, contains directions for cultivating the liquorice root. Having made choice of a proper piece of land for the purpofe, let it be thoroughly dunged, and after being ploughed up in the latter end of the fummer, and lying all the winter to mellow, in the fpring let it be dug in the following manner: In the middle of February let the labourers be fent in and properly looked over, to fee that they do not perform the work flightly. They must dig every part of the earth thoroughly, to the depth of three feet, and take care to break every lump they meet with, in order that the ground may lie fmooth, and be nearly as fine as fand all the depth. The expence of doing this is very confiderable, but it is abfolutely neceffary; the profit will be answerable; and the hufbandman may reft affured, that by every fhilling he would fave in not having his work well performed, he would lofe ten at least in the crop. When the whole piece of ground intended for the plantation is thus prepared, the fets are to be put in, and the fame care and attention are requifite here as in the other parts of the bufinefs. The first thing to be regarded is the choice of the plants or fets; and the fecond, the placing them properly in the ground. Choice fhould be made of fuch only as are in good condition, and have, as the planters call it, a good eye or bud. They are either raifed from feed, or procured from the heads of the old roots, most commonly the latter, and fhould beat out a foot in length, found, clear, and fresh on the furface. About the beginning of March, when the fets are chofen, and the ground properly prepared, is the feafon for planting, which fhould be performed in the following manner. Let there be got in readiness a gardener's line, of fuch a length as to extend from one fide of the ground to the other, if it be but fmall; but if larger, it may be removed from place to place occafionally. Belides this, the planter must be furnished with a fetting tick of a certain dimenfion, that it may serve for a meafure; and for this purpofe it fhould be just a foot and a half long, with a handle at the top like a fpade, and a point made of a fquare piece of iron, in form of a very large fpike. All things being in readinefs, let the line be drawn at about the diftance of a foot from the outfide of the prepared ground. The planter then taking his fets in a basket, and the fetting flick in his hand, may begin to plant, placing the first fet at about 6 half half the flick's length from the end of the line. When he has done this, let him meafure from it along the line the length of his fetting flick, and at that distance plant another, and fo on for the whole length. But in The remaining part of the row is to be planted exactly in the fame manner; and when that is compleated, a fecond is to be begun at the diftance of two feet and half from it. planting this, it will be beft not to place the plants exactly op polite to thofe in the lait row, but in the middle between them. The fecond row being planted, the line is to be drawn for the third; and the plants in this fhould be fet oppofite thofe in the first row, which being done, every fourth plant of the first and third rows, will have one plant of the fecond row in their centre. This method is to be followed throughout the whole field, and is called the quincunx manner of planting; the effect of which is, that look whichever way you will at the plantation, when the ftems are rifen, they will appear in regular rows the whole length of the ground. The whole being planted, the earth is to be finely raked, and the surface made perfectly level. Thus it is to be left for the prefent, and the advantages of fo regular piece of husbandry will fufficiently recompence the planter's trouble. The heads of the young plants will quickly appear, and weeds of the annual kinds will fpring up in abundance along with them: these may be eafily and expeditiously destroyed by the hand-hoe. This hoeing must be occafionally repeated during the fummer: all the care requifite is to avoid cutting the young plants. • The ground being thus kept clear during the fummer, it will be well worth while to turn the whole over, one fpit deep between the rows, as foon as the leaves begin to decay; and about a month or two after, let a fmall quantity of very rotten dung be fcattered all over the furface. This will cover the crowns of the young plants, and defend them from the feverity of the winter's froft; and when thofe are paft, the rains will, in a manner, diffolve the very fubftance of the dung, and convey its riches into the heart of this fine loose earth, for the better nourishment of the plants. In the fpring, what remains will be dug in by turning the spaces between the rows over again, where, by mixing and fermenting with the mould, it will break and divide the foil as well as enrich it farther. • All that remains to be done the fecond fummer, is to keep the plants free from weeds, and at the end of the third they will be ready to take up for ufe.' Fourteen plates, containing fifty-four figures, are annexed to illuftrate the work, which, though fmall, give a tolerable idea. of the plants they are intended to reprefent. The scientific and technical terms, which occur in the book, are alfo explained in a gloffary. On the whole, we must give our author credit for the great pains he has taken in this publication, which, both with respect to language and accuracy, we recommend as the beft perform ance of the kind we have seen. P. ART. VII. Effays Medical, Philofophical, and Experimental. By Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. s. and A. s. &c. &c. The fourth Edition, revifed and enlarged. 2 Vols. 8vo. p. 949. Price 12s. in boards. Johnfon. 1788-9. DR. PERCIVAL's effays have now been fome time before the public, and their merit is well known. To thofe, however, who are yet unacquainted with them, it may not be unacceptable to point out the subjects on which they treat; and in doing this we fhall adopt the author's method of indicating those which are additional by an afterisk (*), and those which have been enlarged by a dagger (†), confining our remarks to thofe which are properly new. Vol. I. Arguments for and against the use of theory and reafoning in phyfic. On aftringents and bitters. On blifters. On the refemblance between chyle and milk. On water. Difadvantages of early inoculation. Efficacy of external applications in ulcerous fore throats. On columbo root. On the preparation, culture, and ufe of the orchis root. On the waters of Buxton and Matlock. Medicinal uses of fixed air. On the antifeptic and fweetening powers, and on the varieties of fixed air. On the noxious vapours of charcoal. On the atrabilis. On the feptic quality of fea-falt. On coffee. History and cure of a difficulty in deglutition, arifing from a fpafmodic affection of the fophagus. Cafes of dropfies. Cafe of palfy from the effluvia of lead cured by electricity. Cafes of obftinate colics cured by the ufe of alum. Cafes in which the warm bath was fuccefsfully employed. Mifcellaneous cafes and obfervations. Propofals for eftablishing more accurate and comprehenfive bills of mortality in Manchester. Plan of bills of mortality by the Rev. Mr. Dade, of York. Obfervations and experiments on the poifon of lead. VOL. II. + State of population in Manchester and adjoining places. On the fmallpox and measles. On different quantities of rain falling at different heights over the fame fpot. On the folution of human calculi by fixed air. On the nature and compofition of urinary calculi. + Effects of fixed air on the colours and vegetation of plants. On manures. On abforbents. On the internal regulation of hofpitals. Mifcellaneous obfervations, cafes, and inquiries: viz. fatal effects of yew-leaves: an extra-uterine foetus voided by ftool: the rarity of the air a caufe of hæmorrhage: electricity: a poifonous fpecies of mushroom: worms discharged from the lungs: miliary fever: angina pectoris: * typhus: * apoplexy: † folution of water in air: affections of the eyes: hofpital for venereal patients. New and cheap method of preparing pot a fa |