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his temper and language. Blush mayor and aldermen We afk no blufhes from the common common-council . . The commons have no fhame, no fenfe, no feelings :-they are a factious mob, at war with reafon and understanding; they are the trainbands of fedition, the jobbers of riot, the bulls and bears of dulness, -and honefty with them has long been under par. But fince, mayor, aldermen, and commons, ye have no gratitude, no fenfe, no reason, nor no feeling. What can be expected from fuch an inanimate body,-bodies without fouls! Alas! &c. &c. &c.'

This feems, from fimilitude of manner, to be the fame angry maftiff that fo furiously baited the bulls and bears of the city, in the Fable hereafter mentioned in our poetic articles. See p. 324.

MEDICAL.

Art. 15. The Commentaries upon the Aphorifms of Dr. Herman Boerhaave, the late Profeffor of Phyfick in the University of Leyden, concerning the Knowledge and Cure of the feveral Difeafes incident to Human Bodies. By Gerard Van Swieten, M. D. Tranflated into English *. 3 Vols. 8vo. 18s. Horffield, &c.

The character of our learned and useful Commentator, Baron Van Swieten, is fo well established, and fo univerfally known, that we fhall difcharge our duty to the public with refpect to the prefent work, by giving only a fhort account of the tranflation.

These three volumes are a translation of the fourth volume of the Latin original, which was published in quarto about a year ago, and contained our Author's commentaries on the following diseases; Pthifis pulmonalis :-Pthifes alia :-Hydrops: -Podagra:-Morbi virginum:-Morbi gravidarum:-Partus difficilis:-Morbi puerperii: Morbi infantum. -Few perfons, we apprehend, will read the tranflation, who are fo far acquainted with the Latin as to understand the eafy and correct language of the original.We must advertise, however, thofe Readers, whofe fate it is to take up with the translation, that great liberties have been taken in dividing not only fentences and periods, but even whole paragraphs, in a different manner from what they are in the original; and that the tranflation is far from being always clofe, accurate and correct.Impro prieties fuch as the following frequently occur:but no patients as had fuch an inflammation that they grew feverish, were ever cured.' lefs danger is to be apprehended for evacuating the whole fluid.'-Sanguinem exfpuit, is tranflated, he threw up blood;' now blood, we believe," is generally thrown up by vomiting; and fereatu educere fanguinolentum fputum, to hawk up bloody fpittle, is tranflated, to fpit up bloody fpittle.'-Verum quidem eft, quod olim quidam medici crediderint, naturaliter copiam humoris aliquam pericardii cavo contineri, ut calidiffimum cor perpetuo humectaretur; fed hodie illa lites compofita funt, cum tantum poft mortem frigefacto cadavere liquidum hic inveniatur; in vivis animalibus fubito diffectis

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Being Vols, 12, 13, and 14, of the English translation.

vapor

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vapor exhalat, caterum nil invenitur, fi nempe ante mortem fana fuerint. Our Tranflator, by a wonderful flight of hand, has, from this one period, conjured up three diftinct periods in his tranflation; and, at the fame time, making very free with the fenfe of the original, has perplexed the paffage, and rendered it almost unintelligible.-Here it is: It is indeed not true, as phyficians formerly believed, that a quantity of fluid was contained in the cavity of the pericardium, to moiften the heart, and temperate its heat. But this difpute is now fettled, as this fluid is only found in the body, when it is grown cold after death. In live animals, cut open fuddenly, a vapour only breaks forth; and nothing else is found, if the animals are healthy.' -Old veterans occur more than once in this tranflation.-We wonder whether our Translator ever heard of young veterans. We know that in the Latin, two negatives make an affirinative; and if, in the Englifh, two affirmatives did but make a negative, our Translator would have discovered the furprizing knack of making old people young again. The following paffage, quia allium v. g. fuo odore inficit urinam is tranflated thus, becaufe garlick, for inftance, Smells the urine, but then it is with its own particular flavour.' This is the first time we remember to have feen the fenfe of fmelling attributed to garlick; but, poffibly, this perfonification of garlick may be particularly bold and happy: garlick it feems smells the urine, and in return for this compliment of fenfibility, Mafter Garlick is prefented by Mafter Urine with his own particular flavour:-very picturesque truly! and perfectly confiftent with the politeness of two fuch distinguished perfonages!.

But if our Tranflator excels in the profe parts of his work, he is no lefs excellent in the poetical.This appears from the translation of thofe paffages which are quoted from Lucian's Tragopod:

Mendacia tibi dicta, quæque dicta funt;

A heap of lies he has told, and more will tell,
For no one thing he faid to him befell.'

A tranflation, concife, expreffive, and poetical!
Again,-Cognofcat unufquifque, me folam deum
Non deliniri pharmacis, non obfequi.
That every one may know

That i the only goddess am, who dumb

To tears and fupplications, fighs and shrugs,

And quite inexorable then become

When once affail'd by 'pothecaries drugs.'

The tranflation of the following line is fingularly happy:

Sed vos manuum digitos agite, conftringite.

; and you

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as foon

Their finger-knuckles and their wrifts invade.'

Wrifts and finger-knuckles are, to be fure, an admirable translation of manuum digiti.

Cur non adeft gravis inflammatio

Ipfo in loco, nec humidum fomentum habes.

Why was there not a grievous inflammation,
Or, to the parts applied, a fomentation?'

Better and better ftill!- -We need not furely lament the lofs of
Sternhold and Hopkins, fo long as the Tranflator of Baron Van Swie-
ten's Commentaries, fhall be pleafed to exert his poetic abilities.

D.

Art. 16.

Art. 16 Oratio anniversaria, in theatro collegii regalis medicorum Londinenfium ex Harvai inflituto habita, die 18vo Octobris, 1764. 4to. Is. 6d. Whiston.

One fingle phyfiological or practical truth, when put into the medi cal balance, is of more real weight, than all the eafy, elegant, claffic declamations which have ever iffued from the ROYAL COLLEGE of Phyficians. Declamation often leads to extravagance; and, in the mighty pother, truth too frequently efcapes the fight of the Orator.

This oration is a panegyric on our English medical worthies, from Caius down to the present time; in which Dr. Cadogan, the Author, does ample justice to the respective characters: once or twice, however, he even out-Herods Herod !From the labours of these great men, whofe eulogy he has juft given, he says, tandem ea nata eft et ftabilita, quá nunc fruimur phyfiologia; cujus ad perfectionem PAUCIS IMA certe defiderari videntur. We apprehend our phyfiology is far from being brought to fo GREAT a degree of perfection; and had Dr. Cadogan confulted Haller, Hunter, or any other of our beft phyfiologifts, they would have informed him, that, non PAUCISSIMA, fed PERMULTA certe defiderantur.-Speaking of Dr. Jurin, who was one of our English patrons of inoculation, our Orator takes the opportunity to deliver his own fentiments on this fubject:

What, fays Dr. Cadogan, if one in a thousand dies?'-A very round number truly, and far, very far, exceeding the authentic accounts relative to this practice.--But our Author goes on:- What if one in a thousand dies, of those who would have died in the natural way?-One out of feven, we believe, dies in the natural way: our Author's declamatory arithmetic therefore stands thus :- What if one out of seven thoufand dies?'-Very well Dr. Cadogan! and what then? Why then that one which dies under inoculation, dies through the ignorance and mifmanagement of the inoculator. -Here follows the paffage itself: - Quid fi hinc inde unus e mille perit eorum qui Spontaneo morbo perituri effent? id maxime imperitorum agros tractantium infcitia imputandum. -To recommend any practice in this manner, is, we think, moft effectually to difcommend it.

D. Art. 17. Centaury, the great Stomachic: in Preference to all other Bitters; in that it gives Appetite and Digeftion, and neither heats nor binds the Body. With an Account of the Plant, and the Method of gathering and preparing it; and a few Rules for fuch as have weak Stomachs. By J. Hill, M. D. Member of the Imperial Academy. 8vo. 6d. Baldwin.

J. Hill, M. D. and Member of the Imperial Academy, is certainly, in his way, a moft accomplished and managing Practitioner; he fells his elixir, and at the fame time has the extraordinary address to make the public pay for the advertisement; and this, he generally exhibits under the form of a fixpenny pamphlet.In the prefent fixpenny advertisement we are informed, that Centaury is infinitely preferable to every known bitter; that its virtues chiefly refide in that part which is between the ftalk and the root, called the crown of the root: that on chewing it, there is perceived a moft agreeable bitter, and a comfortable warmth, joined with a light auerity; hence a most excellent trengthener

ftrengthener and ftomachic: and that all thefe furprifing and powerful qualities are moft compleatly communicated to perfectly rectified spirit: in which form this most noble elixir is prefented to the public.-Whether this elixir will really effect wonders, we pretend not to determine. One effect, however, we apprehend it will work, it will put money into the Imperial Academician's pocket; and, as the Doctor himself obferves, in recommending his Balfam of Honey," there is more in this than GOOD MEN would think of.”

D. Art. 18. An Efay on the most effectual Means of preferving the Health of Seamen in the Royal Navy, &c. By James Lind, M. D. Second Edit. improved and enlarged. 8vo. 2s. 6d. few'd. Wilfon.

For an account of the first edition of this work, we refer our Readers to the Review for July 1757, p. 89. As to the additions and Improvements in this impreffion, we cannot give a better general idea of them than in the Author's own words, which we fhall transcribe from the advertisement prefixed to the work. I have, fays the Doctor, now revised these sheets, and made fome additions, endeavouring to render this performance more extenfively useful, not only to all feamen and paffengers in fhips, but alfo to others, more efpecially to many of our colonies, and factories abroad. In the fecond part, I have more fully enlarged on the precepts for fecuring fuch as attend fick perfons againft infection, which are not confined to feamen or to hips, but intended as general directions, and as a fupplement to my Two Papers, now published, on Fevers and Infection. See our account of these Papers, p. 301 of this month's Review. The precepts, for the fecurity of thofe who attend the fick, with which the Doctor hath particularly enlarged this edition, are briefly thefe: Drink a glafs of a flight infufion of the Bark once or twice a-day. Vifit not the fick with an empty stomach. Wath your mouth with camphorated vinegar, and ftop your noftrils with lint dipped in the fame before you enter the room. Wear a fuit of waxed linen. Fumigate the chamber with the fteam of tar. Chew fomewhat which may caufe you to fpit often. Dip your fingers in vinegar before you feel the pulfe. Drink a glass of wine, with the juice of half a lemon and fugar before bleeding the patient. There are undoubtedly very efficacious precautions, and are therefore proper additions to this excellent treatife: they are however not altogether

ew.

POETICA L.

B..t,

Art. 19. The Addrefs. A Fable. 4to. 6d. Nicoll.

Foolishly abufes the city addrefs, and the citizens themselves, in fuch wretched rhymes as the following:

Ye tools of art and mysteries!

Where each to cheat the other tries:
Ye flaves of law, attornies, brokers!
Of oilmen, ginmen, chandlers, grocers!
Of vintners, mercers, haberdashers,

Smiths, toymen, Lombard-credit thrashers..

Grokers, it should have been, for the rhyme's fake.

We

We have, ourselves t, cenfured the citizens on account of the addrefs here alluded to; but this Fable-monger feems to be chiefly angry with them for being tradesmen. Our would-be wits are often thus exercising their little talents, in order to ridicule those who are much more useful and more valuable members of fociety than themfelves. And yet to thefe very fcribblers may the following couplet, from Dr. Young, be often juftly applied:

His hammer this, and that his trowel quits,

And wanting fenfe for tradefmen, pafs for wits.

+ See Review for laft Month, p. 238, art. 15.

Art. 20. The Elbow-Chair: A Rhapsody. By the Rev. E.
Cooper, of Droitwyche, Worcestershire, Author of a Col-
lection of Elegiac Poefy; Bewdley, a defcriptive Poem;
Elegy on the Death of Mr. Shenftone, &c. &c.
Is. 6d. F. Newbery.

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4to.

We never met with a more rhapfodical rhapsody than this of an hoSeated in his elneft Welch parson, in praise of his own country. bow-chair, fmoking his pipe, and ruminating on love, and liberty, and rural profpects; on the marriage-act, on angling, on churchyards, on hunting, on patriotism, and on the Scotch favourite.Though the good man feems to have no great notion of elegance or among correctness of compofition, he has fome harmonious lines; and the reft, the following hunting-fcene is not unworthy the Reader's.

notice.

At the found

Of deep-mouth'd beagles all the foul's on fire;
Up from the bed of floth, thou lazy Cit,
And meet the morning's freshest looks, and hear
The hills and dales refound with joyful cries.
Here bring thy courfer to the fylvan train,
And join the mutual cry: for buxom health
Repays our toil, and o'er the nut-brown jug
At night the mirthful tale infpires the foul.
Here will fit upon the verdant fide

Of this known hill: obferve the merry crew
With fenfe fagacious (as they queft along)

Now catch th' informing gale: what fweet-ton'd thunder

Rolls tremulous along the winding vale!

For Trimbush now confirms the doubtful strife,

And all the pack his well-known voice obey.
Quick fee the hare fkim o'er the lefs'ning plain,
In view the general chorus loud refounds.
Such charming mufick never did I hear;
For, Somerville! a cry more tuneable,

"Was never hallow'd to, nor chear'd with horn,"
E'en woods and dales rejoic'd, and join'd the cry.
Swift as the bounding roe yon courfers fly,

Outftrip the wind, and skim along the mead.
Now to yon grove, where playful oft and young
The lev'ret peaceful ftray'd, a refuge there

• Printed in the GRAND MAGAZINE, Vol. II. for the year 1750.

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