machine, and bring all the main springs of human action into play, But he was deceived. He had formed no just estimate of the weight he was to stir. Above all, he had forgotten that a war, which pretended to be a war of honour, admitted nothing doubtful, nothing double in its character; that it could not be a war of sentiment to-day, and of plunder to-morrow.' The sentiments of this able writer respecting the French Revolution ought not to be omitted: The revolution, we know, presents many aspects. One is, that of a great people resorting to original rights for the redress of fun. damental grievances, Another is, that of a series of barbarities more atrocious and more disgusting than human wickedness ever crowded together within the same space of time since the beginning of the world. When Ministers, therefore, wished to argue from the example of France, it was from this side of the picture that they drew their illustrations; and by a process of reasoning of which a calm mind is just as sure to detect the fallacy as an inflamed one is to follow in its train, the short conclusion to which they invariably came was, that the crimes were produced by the principles. The result was natural. Many good men, of all ranks and degrees, without farther inquiry, carried their just abhorrence of such crimes forward to what they imagined to be their cause, and learned to detest and abjure, not the new version alone of the Rights of Man, but those fundamental rights themselves on which all lawful government is founded, and must rest. This fallacy, and a most cruel one it is, has prevailed, to the irreparable injury of real freedom. It is a fallacy for this simple reason, were there no other, that in the proposition from whence it flows no distinction is offered between the principle and its abuse. It is no less striking as a fallacy when we enlarge our views, and reflect that, in truth, the revolution itself has never yet presented an aspect in which it was fair to argue from it as an example. It never has been before us as a whole. It never could, indeed, have been so considered without taking into our account, at one and the same moment, not only its origin and object, and its progress to establishment, but also its effects as a change upon the happiness of France. On this last point, where all the good is to come, it is possible that our hopes and our fears may not be equally balanced; but still there are hopes; as there eyer must be while there is virtue. At all events, let it be recollected, that hitherto we have passed only the two first of these stages; dreadful stages it is true, full of darkness and of death! But even here, if we are to determine like reasoners upon the revolution as an example, we must know, first, how far a cruel foreign enemy, how far the assembled representatives of all the religion, justice, and morality of the world, with their whip of scorpions lashing France into madness, are not themselves more than half guilty of the crimes they reprobate.' These passages will evince that the present pamphlet contains the reflections of no ordinary politician; and, since the subject of them is of such high importance, they may justly claim no slight slight attention. We have only to add that, in thus ably supporting the principles of his living co-adjutor, Mr. Adair does not omit to pay a grateful and affecting tribute to his deceased noble friend, the justly lamented Duke of Bedford. ART. XI. The Modern Practice of Physic, which points out the Characters, Causes, Symptoms, Prognostics, morbid Appearances, and improved Method of treating the Diseases of all Climates. By Robert Thomas, M. D. 2 Vols. 8vo. 17 s. Buards. Murray and Co. 1801. TH "HIS is a judicious compilation of facts, from the best writers, which may be perused with great advantage by students, because the different subjects are treated with brevity and perspicuity. The author has chiefly followed Dr. Cullen, both in the classification of diseases and in his text: but, when we make this observation, it is necessary to add that Dr. Thomas does not prove a servile copyist. He has abridged with judg ment, has added modern opinions and discoveries, has frequently introduced the result of his own experience, and his performance thus becomes an useful compendium of the present state of Medical Practice. In some instances, perhaps, he has assigned too much importance to the transactions of the day; as in the chapter on rheumatism, in which he has condescended to refute the patrons of the Tractors. Such transitory folly scarcely merits attention in a regular medical work. To exemplify Dr. Thomas's style, and his method of arrangement, we transcribe the chapter on Chronic Aphtha: This is a disease very frequently to be met with amongst the inhabitants of our West India colonies, many cases of it having occurred during my practice there; but which is likewise apt to prevail in those northern countries where the cold is combined with a considerable degree of moisture, or where the soil is of a very marshy nature. It may in some few cases be considered as an idiopathic affection, but it is more usually symptomatic. It shews itself at first by an uneasy sensation or burning heat in the stomach, which comes on by slow degrees, and increases gra. dually in violence. After some time, small pimples, of about the size of a pin's head, shew themselves on the tip and edges of the tongue; and these at length spread over the whole inside of the mouth, and occasion such a tenderness and rawness of the parts, that the patient cannot take any food of a solid nature; neither can he receive any vinous or spirituous liquor into his mouth, without great pungency and pain being excited; little febrile heat attends, but the skin is always remarkably dry and without the least moisture on it, the countenance is pale, the pulse is smaller and more languid than in health, and a general coldness is felt over the whole body, but more particularly in the extremities. N 4 6 • These These symptoms will continue probably for some weeks, the general health being sometimes better and sometimes worse; and then the patient will be attacked with acid eructations, and a vomitting of acrid phlegm, as likewise with a severe purging, which greatly exhausts his strength, and produces considerable emaciation of the whole body. After a little time, these symptoms cease, and he again enjoys better health; but, sooner or later, the acrid matter shews itself once more in the mouth, with greater virulence than before, and makes frequent translations to the stomach and intestines, and so from these to the mouth again, until at last the patient is reduced to a perfect skeleton. General relaxation, exposure to cold combined with great moisture, obstructed perspiration, and an acrimony of the humours, are supposed to be the causes which give rise to the chronic thrush. Elderly people and persons with a shattered constitution are most liable to its attacks. Even at an early stage of the disease, it is often difficult to effect a permanent cure; but when it has been neglected, is of long standing, or has made its attack at an advanced period of life, it will most probably, after a time, terminate fatally. The principal appearances to be observed on dissection are the aphthæ, which extend through the whole of the alimentary canal. The muscles throughout the whole body are relaxed and flaccid, and their connecting cellular membrane is divested of any fat. It will in all cases be advisable to begin the cure with giving a gentle emetic, to dislodge the acrid phlegm with which the stom ch is usually loaded, and if any acidity prevails afterwards (which may be known by sour belchings attended with a degree of heat and pain) a little magnesia, or a small quantity of the absorbent mixture here recommended, may then be taken occasionally. Wherever we suspect the disease to have arisen, or to be kept up from the ingesta, then, besides an emetic, it may be right to cleanse the primæ viæ by some gentle cathartic; as the irritating matter, when permitted to accumulate in the alimentary canal, increases the morbid affection of the intestines. A combination of rhubarb with magnesia will be a proper laxative: manna, and the cassia fistularis will likewise be suitable laxatives. Medicines of this nature are however to be administered only in the first stage of the discase, as the risk of inducing excessive purging more than counterbalances the chance of advantage from them. In an advanced stage of the disease, where it is found necessary to evacuate the intestines, emollient clysters may be employed. When the purging shews a tendency to become excessive, we should, in order to put a stop to it, have recourse to astringents *R. Magnes. ust. 3j. Aq. puræ 3vss. Spirit. Cinnam, 3ij. Aq. Ammon. pur. 3j. M. joined with opiates, agreeably to the prescriptions below *, or as advised under the head of diarrhea; besides which, the patient should drink about a pint a day of the decoctum cornu cervi, or the same quantity of lime-water, with an equal proportion of milk. When there is no tendency to excessive purging, opiates perhaps may be omitted, unless they be necessary to procure sleep, when they are always to be employed, except where symptoms denoting a tendency to visceral inflammation shew themselves. With the view of determining the humours to the surface of the body, it will be proper to give frequent small doses of some diaphoretic, such as the pulv. ipecae, compos.; and to assist their operation, flannel should be worn next to the skin. Should these fail in exciting a proper perspiration, and the patient continue to waste in flesh, a tepid bath may prove serviceable, and where a natural one can be procured, it ought to have the preference. To remedy the inconvenience arising from the soreness of the mouth and tongue, these should be washed frequently with some kind of healing astringent gargle t. When the rectum is affected, mild injections are proper, and produce effects similar to those of gargles in the fauces: they should consist of mild mucilaginous and gentle stimulating decoctions, such as veal broth boiled with rice and bruised turnips, or turnip-radishes, which will likewise prove an excellent article of diet. In the mildest cases of the disease, a decoction of the Peruvian bark is often used internally, and with much advantage. In those cases, where it puts on an alarming appearance, this preparation should be used as a gargle, and the powder be administered in as large doses as the stomach will bear. If it excites a purging, a few drops of tinct. opii may be added to cach dose. The diet in this disease should consist only of such things as are light and nutritive, as milk, mucilaginous soups, jellies, prepara tions of barley, sago, rice, Indian arrow-root, plantains, bananas, &c. Port-wine diluted with water may be used for ordinary drink. To restore the lost vigour and tone of the system, astringent bitters, with chalybeates, myrrh, and such like topics, may be used, as advised under the head of dyspepsia, together with such moderate daily exercise as the strength will admit of. If the patient's circumstances will allow of his removing to a cold climate where the air is dry, he should do it before the disease becomes inveterate.' As the comprehensive nature of Dr. Thomas's plan has obliged him to treat many important subjects in a very brief manner, it would have increased the value of his work to young readers, if he had referred, at the close of each division, to the principal authors from which it was compiled. ART. XII. Miscellanies, in Verse and Prose, English and Latin. By the late Anthony Champion, of the Middle Temple, Esq. Published from the Original Manuscripts by William Henry Lord Lyttelton. 8vo. 10s. 6d. Boards. White. 1801. THIS HIS posthumous work contains many pieces which dis play considerable elegance of taste, and correctness of composition, though they do not exhibit a high degree of poetical genius. They are in general above mediocrity, and all evince the author's acquaintance with the best models. We extract, as a specimen, the subsequent elegiac verses: • STANZAS BY SEVERN-SIDE, Nov. 1.788. WRITTEN AT HAM-COURT, THE SEAT OF JOHN MARTIN, ESQ Through the soft meads and hospitable grove, Nor charm of female worth, serene and kind: Too soon must whelm us in the general shade. Time was, ore huge Plimlimmon heav'd the breast, |