the dulci. The Reader may be entertained, at the fame time that he is informed. And the writer's genius may be more awakened, and his abilities more exerted, to execute the work with fpirit and with precifion, when his whole attention is entirely collected, and devoted, to one fingle and invariable subject.

After this apology for the fingularity of the plan, the Author begs the permiffion of the public-before he finally clofes this Addrefs to them-to offer fome apology for the feeming fingularity of the expence of this performance. He wishes then, difidently, to remind them, that, if the propofed fubfcription fhould appear larger than is ufual, the charge which will neceffarily attend this Hiftoryagreeable to the preceding faithful and concife detail of it-will be as unusually expenfive. And, though he is far from infinuating any comparative excellence between Carte's General History of England and the prefent performance, yet he wishes equally to remind them, that the public attention was fo far awakened to this Writer's de fcription of his very numerous materials-that they generously granted him their indulgent patronage, not in proportion to the fixe of his intended History, but in proportion to the great expence, and the infinite labour, which appeared evidently to attend it. And he adds too, with the most fenfible pleasure-as being a work of univerfal and moft facred import-that the public patronage is at prefent munificently extended to the learned Dr. Kennicott's Collation of the Hebrew Manuferipts, not in proportion to the fixe of the inspired text, but to the amazing charge which will attend this collation.'

We have, as friends to every undertaking which tends to the advancement or credit of any part of our country, the fatiffaction of hearing, that fome of the principal gentlemen of Chefhire have fubfcribed liberally toward carrying on this great and expenfive work. At the fame time, however, we are forry to learn that the county, at large, have by no means followed fo public fpirited an example: deeming, perhaps, the fum of Ten Guineas to be too confiderable t.-But the public, it is faid, have been much more munificent than the county; being, we fuppofe, well affured, that in an expenfive undertaking, of this nature, the Author must be actuated, not by a principle of lucrative advantage, but of enthufiaftic, yet proper, and becoming regard for the honour and ornament of his native county.

+ Surely not! efpecially as we hear that these three large volumes are to be decorated with very near 100 folio copper-plates, delineated and engraved by the most ingenious artists.

J

MEDICAL.

1773.

Art. 11. A fhort Account of a Society at Amfterdam, inftituted in the Year 1767, for the Recovery of drowned Perfons; with Obfervations fhewing the Utility and Advantage that would accrue to Great Britain from a fimilar Inflitution extended to Cafes of Suffocation by Damps in Mines, choaking, ftrangling, ftifling, and other Accidents. By Alexander Johnson, M. D. 8vo. 2 S. Nourfe, &c. 1773.

TH

HIS pamphlet confifts chiefly of extracts from the Memoirs of the Amfterdam Society, of which an account has been given in the Appendixes to our 45th and 47th volumes.

After tranfcribing upwards of fixty hiftories from the Memoirs, the Author makes the following general reflection.

The foregoing cafes afford proof fufficient of a furprising fuccefs in recovering drowned perfons. Other publications in England help to demonftrate, not only the practicability of that, but farther prove that the means ufed with fo much efficacy in recovering drowned perfons, are, with equal fuccefs, applicable to a multitude of cafes, where the animal powers feem in reality to be only fufpended, and to remain capable of renewing all their functions, on being put into motion again. There are too many inftances, where the want of this confideration has been attended with the most unhappy confequences; and perfons have been committed to the grave, in whom the principles of life might have been revived.'

Y Some further histories and obfervations are then related, in confirmation of thofe published by the Amfterdam Society.

The laudable defign of this publication, is to excite a fimilar attention to the prefervation of the lives of the fubjects of Great Britain. Art. 12. Memoirs of the Society inflituted at Amfterdam in favour 1of drowned Perfons. For the Years 1767, 1768, 1769, 1779, and 1771. Tranflated from the Original by Thomas Cogan, M. D. Evo. 25. Robinfon. 1773.

On the commencement of this laudable affociation, many thoufand copies of the following advertisement were diftributed in the city of Amfterdam and other places, in order to make the intention of the fociety as generally known as poffible.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The fociety lately formed in Amfterdam in favour of drowned perfons, being defirous of informing all the inhabitants of the United Provinces of their charitable defigns, have judged it proper to publish in this manner a brief fummary of them, having been more circumftantial in a periodical paper, intitled The Philofopher, which appeared at Amfterdam, in the months of Auguft, September, and October, this year.

1. Whoever shall produce a regular certificate, proving that by the ufe of the proper methods, he has recovered a grown perfon or child, that has been taken out of the water without any figns of life, he hall receive for recompence fix ducats, or a golden medal of the

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MONTHLY CATALOGUE, Medical.

fame value, on which his name fhall be engraved, according to his option.

II. As it may happen, that feveral perfons may have affifted, the medal, or the fix ducats, fhall be bestowed according as the parties can agree it amongit themselves.

II. In order to be entitled to the reward, they are only to produce a written declaration, figned by two creditable perfons, notifying that they were witneffes of its being due to the clainiants.

IV. This declaration is to be tranfmitted to Mr. P. Meyer, and upon its being proved authentic, the reward is to he conferred within a month after the faid declaration has been given in.

V. Where any neceffary expences have been made at inns or other places, thefe fhall be repaid (independent of the premium) provided they exceed not the fum of four ducats; and that whether the drowned perfon has been recovered or not, if it fhall appear that the money has been expended in making the attempt.

VI. If any furgeon or phyfician have used their utmost endeavours to recall the patient, and have not been otherwife paid for their trouble, they fhall be equitablly recompenfed, by the fociety, whether they have fucceeded or not, upon fending in their account, properly attefted, to Mr. Peter Meyer, bookfeller.

We moreover affure the public, that fuch affiflance is no infringement upon the laws; for thofe laws, propofing the public good for their object, not only permit fuch unfortunate perfons to be taken out of the water, but every fuitable method to be tried, in order to reflore them to life; and the edics relating to this fubject will be fufficiently obeyed by acquainting the magiitrate with the cafe, when the attempt has been made in vain.

The moft fuitable methods to be purfued refpecting the drowned, as experiments made both before and fince the eftablishment of our fociety teftify, are as follows:

1. To blow into the inteftines through a tobacco pipe, a pair of bellows, or the fheath of a knife, cutting off the lower point, The fooner this operation is performed with force and affiduity, the more useful it will prove. If a lighted pipe of tobacco, or fumigator constructed for that purpofe, be made ufe of, the operation will be more effectual; for thus, inftead of fimple air or wind, the warm irritating fumes of tobacco are introduced into the inteftines. In whatfoever manner this be done, it is in general the first thing that can be tried, and can be executed without lofs of time, either in a boat or upon land, in fhort, wherever the drowned perfon was immediately placed.

2. It will be neceffary as foon as poffible to dry and warm the body with care, which will often be quite fodden, fometimes abfolutely cold, benumbed, and even fliff. This can generally be done with eafe, and that feveral ways: for example, by a warm shirt, and the under clothes of one of the affiftants; by one or more woollen blankets previously warmed, by hot embers from a brewery, bakehoufe, faltern, foapboilers, or other fabrics; by the skins of animals, efpecially of theep; by a moderate fire, or by the gentle and natural warmth of healthy perfons placing themselves in bed with the drowned. Whilit the two preceding methods are employed with circumspection

eircumfpection and affiduity, it may be very ferviceable to make ufe of ftrong frictions all over the body, particularly down the spine of the back from the neck to the rump, with warm flannels, or cloths, fteeped in brandy; or fprinkled with fine dry falt, or with linen. wetted with brandy, or fome ftrong volatile falt, as the fpirits of ammoniacal falts, should also be applied to the noftrils or rubbed upon the temples. Tickling of the noftrils and throat may also prove beneficial; but not any wine, or brandy, or any ftrong liquor, mixed with falts or other ftimulants, fhould be poured down the throat until fome figns of life are perceived. The following experiment has proved fuccefsful: let one of the afliftants, applying his mouth to that of the drowned, clofing the nostrils with one hand, and preffing the left breaft with the other, blow with force, and endeavour to inflate the lungs. We believe, that, from the beginning, this might be as efficacious as blowing up the fundament. In a word, to draw blood, if it be poffible, as foon as it is poffible, from a larger vein of the arm, or the jugular itself, fhould by no means be neglected.

These are the most proper and approved methods in fuch cafes. It were much to be wifhed, that, for the future, none were employed as can only be prejudicial; fuch as rolling them upon a barrel, faf pending them by ropes under the arms and legs, &c. Moreover, fince no body can affirm with certainty that the drowned be really dead, unless there be fome figns of putrefaction on the body, we hope that till then all poffible efforts may be made; and that those who know any other means of affiftance will communicate them to us. Should any perfons, who have been fuccefful in their attempts, not think proper to claim the reward, we defire them notwithstanding to inform us of all the circumstances of the fact, that we may make afe of this information whenever our fociety fhall publifh any thing upon the fabject.'

The Memoirs of the fociety, (which Dr. Cogan has here given the Reader in an English drefs) contain the whole of the cafes as yet Communicated to the fociety, the means employed for recovery, and the event.

We do not find that the warm bath was employed in any of the cafes here related, as a means of recovery.-Would not this be an expeditious and effectual way of restoring the natural heat of the body, and confequently one powerful ftep towards recovery? Art, 13. Medical and Philofophical Commentaries. By a Society in Edinburgh. Vol. I. Part II. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Murray, &c. 1773. The Second Part of this valuable work, contains an abridgement of feveral new medical publications, and fome abftracts from both the Philofophical and Foreign Transactions.

1

C

Under the head of Medical Objervations, we have three cafes.1. The hiftory of an epileptic patient, with the appearances on dif fection, by Dr. de la Roche, of Geneva.

On diffection, fays the Doctor, I found about twelve ounces of water in her head; part of which was contained in the ventricles of the brain, and the reft in bags, formed by a lengthening of the ante

For the First Part, fée Monthly Review for June, p. 501.

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rior ventricles. Thefe bags reached the dura mater, with which they were in contact about an inch above the frontal finus. Every other part of the body was found perfectly in its natural ftate. It may be remarked, that this hydrocephalus was attended with none of those fymptoms fo accurately enumerated by Dr. White. This patient was neither affected with headach, vomiting, nor flow fever. It may; I think, be a queftion, Whether the hydrocephalus was the caufe of the epileptic fits, or merely a concomitant effect? I am inclined to the latter opinion; but I think it probable, that the compreffion it occafioned produced the palfy in the arm.'

2. The history of an obftinate epilepfy relieved by the flowers of inc. And, 3. An account of the diffection of a man who died of the hydrothorax.

Among the articles of medical news, we have a sketch of the life of the late worthy and ingenious Dr. Gregory.-And an account of an uncommon accident which lately occurred at Edinburgh.

A gentleman of about fifty years of age was thrown down with confiderable force upon the floor of his own bed-chamber. He pitched upon his fhoulders, and being remarkably round fhouldered, his head was jerked fuddenly backwards, but did not touch the floor. He was inftantly feized with a general paralyfis over his whole body; upon which Mr. Alexander Wood was immediately fent for, and Dr. Monro was foon afterwards called in. They found him with all his fenfes, except that of feeling, perfectly entire but he was totally deprived of the power of motion; and he had little feny fation upon any part of the trunk of his body being touched. His voice was in no degree affected; refpiration went on as ufual; and he complained only of a flight pain in the back part of his neck. In fpight of every remedy which could be employed, his paralytic fymptoms continued, a lethargy fupervened, and he died within a few minutes of twenty-four hours from the time of his fall.

Upon examination of the body after death, the third vertebra of his neck was found fractured; but the fpinal marrow did not feem to be hurt, and its membranes were not in any degree torn. Every other part which was examined was perfectly found.'

Art. 14. The Effects of Injections into the Urethra, and the Ufe and Abuse of thofe Remedies in the Cure and Prevention of the virulent Gonorrhoea briefly confidered. With occafional Remarks on the Nature of that Disorder, in Answer to fome modern Doc. trines. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Whiffon. 1773.

This is a well written pamphlet, and contains fome just cautions with respect to the fubject in question.

MISCELLANEOUS.. Art. 15. The Rat-Trap; dedicated to Lord Mansfield, and addrefled to Sir John Fielding. By Robert Holloway, Gent. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Allen.

Mr. Holloway seems to apply his talents folely to the desperate and dangerous employment of monfler-painting. See Review for June 1772, p. 417.

The objects who principally figure in the prefent production of his pencil, are fome of the rotation juftices in Litchfield-ftreet; with

their