MEDICAL. ART. 21. Analyfis of the Carbonated Chalybeate lately difcovered near Story; with Obfervations on the Effects of Carbonic Acid and Nitrogen Gas, on the Animal Economy, &c.; and Extracts from fome of the beft Authorities we have, relative to the Ufe of Chalybeates To which is fubjoined a Gloffary of the Technical Words neceffarily made ufe of in the Work. By R. Farmer. 8vo. pp. 68. 2s. fewed. Lackington, Allen, and Co. 1808. The carbonated chalybeate, which is the fubject of the following analyfis, is fituated in the parish of Lower Swell, three quar ters of a mile from Stow. "The water, when firft taken from the fpring, is beautifully tranfparent and colourlefs; the taste inky, but not very unpleasant, and the fmell feruginous. A quart of the water yields, by evaporation, about eight grains of folid contents, which the author's analyfis proves to confist of Grains. - 0.75 Carbonate of Manganefe Carbonate of Iron Neutral Salts, not ascertained 100 inches of the water yielded gafeous contents in the following proportions. Carbonic acid gas, abforbed by lime water 9. Oxygen gas, abforbed by a folution of lime and fulphur 9. Nitrogen gas 32. Total cubic inches 50. This, the author obferves, is a greater proportion of nitrogen gas than has been found in any water yet analyzed. We have no doubt that this fpring will prove beneficial to invalids whofe cafes sequire chalybeates. Mr. Farmer does not appear to be a medical man, but he has fubjoined extracts from various writers, on the use of mineral waters, to indicate the complaints in which they may be taken: with advantage. ART. 22. Practical Obfervations on the Nature and Cure of Stric tures in the Urethra. By William Wadd, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London. 8vo. pp. 88. 39. J. Cal. low, 1809. After the perufal of every book which come ader our ob fervation, we naturally ask ourselves, what good purpose it ap pears pears calculated to fulfil. We wish it were equally natural for an author to make the fame enquiry previously to writing, or at leaft previously to committing the fruits of his labours to the prefs we should not then have to wade through fuch a mass of useless matter, nor would fo much stale material, dreffed up in a variety of forms, be daily laid before the fatiated public. Mr. Wadd, in his Obfervations upon the nature and cure of Strictures in the Urethra, endeavours to prove the fuperior efficacy of the use of common bougies, over the application of thofe which are armed with cauftic; conceiving himself fully qualified to do fo from his "having hitherto never committed (himfelf) as advocate for either mode of practice, and having had great opportunities of feeing the effects of each." Notwithstanding thefe great opportunities, however, Mr. Wadd has certainly, at length committed himself, for his obfervations contain nothing new, either in fact or idea, upon the fubject; we therefore feel very much inclined to clafs him among those inconfiderate authors to whom we have already alluded. an Mr. Wadd objects with horror to the ufe of the armed bougie, becaufe, under its application, "the furgeon is not the only party made fenfible of its action,"-regards with aftonishment equal to that of Mr. Whately, "The coolnefs with which a furgeon views a chamber-pot full of blood, and the eafe with which he calls for another ;" and once actually got fuch a fright by being "covered with blood, which came out with a jet, nearly equal to the flow of urine," that he joins the ingenious author of the first lines of the practice of furgery, in agreeing, that even could we imagine that the cauftic would remove the obftruction, "our judgment and common fenfe would revolt at the doctrine of this being the proper plan to be purfued." At the clofe of his Obfervations, Mr. Wadd has placed the detail of fome of the cafes which have led him to judge of the. fuperior advantages of the common bougie. How far they may be allowed weight in determining this point, may perhaps be judged, by our giving one of them, which we have felected as a fpecimen. We queftion much whether the Major, who is the fubject of it, felt fo much alarm in the whole course of his campaigns, as he did during the period of thofe feven eventful weeks, in which his furgeon was probing his urethra, in fearch of a stricture, which many, probably, will be inclined to think the product of an imaginary impreffion. CASE IV., "Major, about thirty-five years of age, applied to me to examine whether he had ftrictures. He faid he could make water very well, but that he was living with a friend who was, fufferingreadfully; that his mind was fo affected by it, that he could not rest satisfied till he was jure he was free! from any fymptom of the complaint; particularly as his courfe of of life, for years, had been fuch as to warrant the expectation of it. I paffed a full-fized bougie as far as the bulb of the urethra, but could not get it further; it was therefore withdrawn, and I could not then perfuade him to let me try a fmaller fize. His diftrefs was very great, though he confeffed he did not feel the leaft pain on its introduction, yet the fenfation at taking it out, he faid, was horrible. In a few days he confented to another trial; a moderate-fized bougie pafied through without pain, and in feven weeks, a full-fized bougie paffed the ftricture." P. 75. BIOGRAPHY. ART. 23. Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Victor Alfieri. Written by Himself. Tranflated from the Italian. 2 Vols. 8vo. 155. Colburn. 1810. The author of this whimfical performance is known as a dra matic writer, and, among his countrymen, of no finali celebrity. His calibre, according to our John Bull's estimate of literary ta lent, is of no confiderable weight. Yet his life, thus written by himself, is far from being deftitute of intereft or entertainment. It exhibits a memorable specimen of the wretched mode. of education adopted among individuals of noble birth in Italy, the thraldom in which they were held by their confeffors and priefts, and the little pains which were taken to enlighten and improve the understandings of youth. The Count reprefents himfelf as a wayward, but certainly not an unamiable character; and his adventures, at leaft many of them, are amufing enough. His good fenfe feems, on moft occafions to have induced him to give a decided preference to the English character. The Penelope, whofe name is introduced in Alfieri's adventures in this country, can have been no other than the celebrated Lady Ligonier. EDUCATION. ART. 24. The Principle of the Syftem of Education in the Publie Schools of England, as it refpects Morality and Religion, fa vourably, but impartially, confidered. 8vo. 80 p. Hatchard. 1809. The difpute, which arofe fome years ago, refpecting the fyftem of religious education at our principal schools, was, we conceive, terminated by the able and spirited work of the Dean of West See Brit. Crit. Vol. xviii. p. 657. BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXXV. JAN, 1810. minfter. minfter. The author before us treads, in a great measure, over the fame ground, and defends our public fchools from the twofold charge of neglecting the study of Chriftianity, and of devoting fo much time to the ftudy of Pagan writers as to cause the youths educated there to imbibe falfe principles and feelings. To thefe imputations the author replies, 1ft. That as much is done in the study of Chriftianity as can be with fafety in a public fchool, and that what is done is fufficient. 2dly. That the ftudy of Pagan writers is not injurious to the interests of Christianity. On the first of thefe topics he prefents us with an account of the religious ftudies and exercises at Eton and Weftminster, which he profeffes to transcribe from the work of the Dean of Westminster, and thefe he deems fufficient, without making theology a diftinct branch of ftudy; which, in his opinion would, to youths, at fuch an early period of life, be less likely to afford inftruction than to produce difguft. The author proceeds to argue, that "the study of the Pagan writers is not injurious to the interefts of Chriftianity." This point has been already fo fatisfactorily proved (and indeed the objection itself is fo futile), that we deem it unneceffary to fay more, than that the prefent author has not added any material argument to thofe of his predeceffors; nor has he placed the fubject in a very ftriking point of view. The third propofition, laid down by this author, is, "that though the discipline" (at our Public Schools)" is lax, yet on that laxity is founded a peculiar utility, and the evils naturally arifing from it may be guarded againft by proper care." This leads him into a long difquifition, which our limits will not permit us to accompany; nor indeed is it necessary, as we agree with him on the principal points. The circumftances of a public fchool not admitting of attention to the different characters of boys, or of that clofe confinement which would preclude all irre gularities of conduct, are yet accompanied with these advantages, that they produce a knowledge of the world, and habits of felf-poffeffion, which a private education cannot confer. These are, in the author's opinion, the advantages of that laxity of difcipline (as he terms it) which is unavoidable in a public fchool. On the other hand, the danger of vicious habits being acquired, may, he thinks, be greatly counteracted by the judicious attention of parents, who ought to make it their bufinefs to gain an afcendency over the mind of their child before they fend him to school, and afterwards, fo far as circumftances will permit, to "fuperintend his conduct, enquire into his pursuits, obferve his inclinations, and feize every opportunity to direct his judgment, ftrengthen his principles, and fix his habits." Upon the whole, this work, though prolix, appears well itttended, and contains fome fuggeftions not unworthy of attention. ART. DIVINITY. ART. 25. Á Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in the Abbey Church, Westminster, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 1809, being the Day appointed for a General Faft. By Samuel, Lord Bifhop of Carlisle. 4to. 26 p. 2s. Rivingtons. 1809. We have here a fuitable, and very momentous difcourfe, on the nature of God's judgments upon earth, the blindness of men respecting them, their unwillingness to believe in the operation of any but human causes; and the neceffity for feverity, on the part of the Divine Ruler to awaken men to any fenfe of duty. This is argued with ftrong and folemn feeling of the truth. "Is one nation," fays the Bishop, "fuccefsful over another? You hear men haranguing moft carelessly upon the fuperiority of plan and management; none confidering the predifpofing caufe, God's intent to raise up one and to pull down another; his blinding of a nation, so as not to profit by wife counsellors; and, by a multitude of thefe imperceptible circumftances, his making of the weak confound the ftrong." P. 13. Again, he asks, "Does it appear that any nation ever gave proof of a ftrength inherent in itself? Does it not rather appear, that God raised them up for a time, to fhow his power in and by them, and that they all at length fucceffively fell by their own vicious inclinations, and by not being foftered by the Grace of God? How eafily might the power that now triumphs in its unexp fted dominion, be humbled, by disease or by want, by fudden difafters, by its own provoking arrogance, by its levity, or by the difaffection of its affociated peoples! How eafily alfo might our maritime greatnefs be diminished by much the famé caufes, or rather by one blafting of the breath of God's difpleafure." P. 14. We have feen many discourses on these topics, but few, if any, where the right confideration of them was urged with so much energy and effect. ART. 26. Select Portions of Pfalms from various Tranflations, and Hymns from various Authors; the whole arranged according to the yearly Prayers of the Church of England, with Attempts at Corrections and Improvements. By the Rev. John Kempthorne, B. D. and late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. 3s. 6d. Hatchard. 1810. 12mo. The object of the pious compiler of thefe Pfalms and Hymns is to promote "Congregational finging of pfalms, hymns, and fpiritual fongs," to the accomplishment of which we would our felves gladly contribute. The verfion of Tate is oftentimes in G 2 harmonious |