ordinary attention, as the low price at which it is offered, compared with the quantity of it, feems to fhew, that mere profit on the fale could not be the author's motive of publication. In this point of ob-. fervation, the very defects of language in a treatise on a practical fubject, far from giving diftafte, will rather excite regard to the information evidently dictated by an honest concern for the welfare of the public.

This writer afcribes the adulteration of our bread to the late legal diftinctions in the quality of it, and to our growing luxury in making colour the standard of goodnefs.

Thus, as he obferves, by affizing different denominations of bread, the trade of making it became a mystery, and we no longer knew what we were eating.

But the baneful effects of luxury extend much farther than debafing the wholesome qualities of the ftaff of our lives, for the fake of colour. It appears paradoxical, amidst the great attention bestowed of late years to the cultivation of land and the produce of corn, to hear, among other caufes, the high price of bread and other necessaries attributed to an actual scarcity! We laugh at thinking men who declaim against the general luxury of the age, as vifionary Utopian, reformers; but in the intance of corn, we apprehend the argument is here brought to a close pinch, that will not be eafily evaded. Our Readers are referred to the particulars at length, from p. 18. to 33.

To our extravagant wafte of wheat, for an idle gratification in the. colour of our bread, the Author, whofe refentment fometimes breaks out with an honest indignation, adds fome pertinent remarks on the pernicious luxury of keeping horfes; of which he obferves that, excepting thofe Tartars who live in the open fields, and fcarcely provide any thing for pleasure, food, or war, befide horfes, there is no country on the earth which maintains half fo many of thefe creatures, in proportion to the numbers of people, as ourselves.

In regard, fays he, to our foreign traffic in horfes, if we were to receive 351. each for 2000, which feems to be an ample computation, the value is 70,000 l. The question is, if we have not annually imported a much greater value in oats for fome years paft: if we have, fuch a trade can never turn to account, especially when it is con-, fidered that a horfe confumes the produce of two acres of land, whilft an ox doth not expend the growth of one and a half: if for the fake of horses, we are alfo become great importers of tallow, it cuts double against us.'

When the affairs of Bengal are fettled, it would be happy if fome effectual care were taken of thofe at home; the ill ftate of which we feel fo fenfibly.. We fhall difinifs this article in the Author's own words: in the mean while, we must take mankind as we find them, every one in his humour, and leave fomething to time for the radical cure of the political difeafe which has fo long raged amongst us, particularly in these cities.'

NOVEL.

Art. 24. Falfe Gratitude. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. Sewed. Noble. 1773.

Although this performance is not crowded with interesting events, yet it contains incidents fufficient to keep the Reader's attention

awake

awake; and fome patlages in it will not fail to excite the tender and fympathetic paffions. The characters are confitent, the fentiments delicate, and the language eafy, and not incorrect.-Among the numerous publications of the kind, this female production may be ranked, with refpect to its merit, in the middle class.

MEDICAL.

Art. 25. A Treatise on the Venereal Difeafe, &c. illustrated with Copper-plates. By N. D. Falck, Surgeon. 8vo. 7 s. 6d. Law.

1772.

The late great multiplicity of medical publications has brought us fo deeply in arrears with the public, with refpect to this particular department of our work, that we find ourselves obliged to be very concife in our Review of many of them. For this reason, and on account of the indelicate nature of the subject treated of in the present performance, we fhall give only the following general sketch of its

contents.

The Author divides his work into three parts; in the first of which he gives an anatomical and phyfiological defcription of the genital parts of both fexes, and of their functions, illustrated with copperplates. Though the Author every where profeffes the highest regard to decency and good manners, this description is, in many parts, unneceffarily loofe, and even voluptuous. In the fecond part of the work, the Author treats of the origin of the venereal disease, the natúre of the verolic virus, the diftinctions of infection, and the fymptoms attending it throughout the various ftages of the difeafe. In the third and last part, a rational and true method of cure,' both of the first and fecond infection, is defcribed, which is preceded by many obfervations relative to the animal economy, remarks on temperaments and regimen, and on the nature and operation of cathartics, diureties, &c. as well as on the grand anti-fyphilic, mercury, and its preparations. The method of cure recommended by the Author is, in many refpects, new, and its efficacy, as he affirms, has been eftablifhed by a fuccefsful practice: his manner, however, of curing the gonorrhoea, we fhall obferve, by means of injections of calomel, has been long practifed, with apparent, or at least declared fuccefs, by others. With respect to his theoretical notions, we fhall be filent.

As to the merits of this work, confidered as a literary compofition, we cannot avoid noticing, in the first place, the many obvious errors and imperfections, in the article of language, obfervable in it; feveral of which, doubtlefs, may be juftly imputed to the prefs: though it cannot fairly be chargeable with many of the numerous violations of grammar and decorum that occur in it. Thofe of the first kind particularly, are fo grofs, that we can offer no other apology for the Au thor, than a fuppofition, founded, however, merely on his name, that he may poffibly be a foreigner. The Author, indeed, in his preface, apologises for his ftile, acknowledging that it is not according to the modern luxurious mode of writing, and in many places, will not ftand the teft of the delicate critic.-Now, our complaint against him is, that he evidently affects fine writing, and luxurious' expreffion; and that his ftile is frequently, and in more than one fenfe, most difguftingly meretricious.

Art:

Art. 26. An Effay on the Bath Waters, in four Parts, &c. By William Falconer, M. D. of Bath. 8vo. 6s. Lowndes. 1772. The Author's former publication in 12mo, under the fame title with the prefent, has been particularly noticed in a former Review *. That work here appears under a new and improved form. It has un dergone feveral alterations; and many confiderable additions have been inferted, which make it, in a great measure, a new work, and render it still more deferving of the patronage of the public. The Author propofes, in a moderate time, to add a fecond volume, containing his fentiments and obfervations on the external use of the

waters.

Art. 27. A Candid Enquiry into the Merits of Dr. Cadogan's Differtation on the Gout. 8vo. 3s. Hooper. 1772.

We heartily beg this jocofe Enquirer's pardon for not having fooner introduced him to the notice of the public t; affuring him, that the omiflion has not been in any degree owing to a difrespect for his performance. By this time, it is to be fuppofed, he has, in a great measure, made his own way in the world; at least, among those who intereft themselves in the fubject of his Enquiry. For the fake of thofe, however, to whom his character and bufinefs may yet be un known, we shall juft obferve, that he is the moft fhrewd, facetious, and farcaftical, of all Dr. Cadogan's numerous commentators. In a continued ftrain of grave irony, he expofes to view the Doctor's many inconfiftencies and contradictions; his unapt allufions, his pompofity and pretenfions to originality.-In fhort, not a wry word, or a lame argument, in the Doctor's Differtations, efcapes him. He is, however, upon the whole, frequently too captious, and his wit often runs away with him, and carries him on to a most exorbitant length. -What a mercy it is for poor authors, that this remorfelefs wight is not one of Us!

Art. 28. An Effay on the Force of Imagination in pregnant Women. Addreffed to the Ladies. 8vo. I s. Baldwin.

1772.

This Efayift endeavours to quiet the minds of the ladies, with re gard to the great powers that have been afcribed to the imagination in pregnant women, in deforming, mutilating, or marking the foetus. The fubject has, however, been treated in a much better and more pleafing manner by others.

NATURAL

HISTORY.

Art. 29. Spatogenefia. The Origin and Nature of Spar, its Qualities and Ujes, with a Defcription and Hiftory of Eighty-nine Species, arranged, 1. in an artificial, and, 2. in a natural Method. A Specimen of a general Diftribution of Foils. By J. Hill, M. D. Member of the Imperial Academy. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Elmfley.

1772.

The general name of Spars is given to a great variety of chryftallifed fones, varying greatly in their exterior appearance, and poffeffing very different properties; fo that this part of mineralogy has hitherto

• See Monthly Review, vol. xiiii. December 1770. p. 430. + Since the first publication of this Enquiry, the name of Dr. Sheb beare ftands prefixed to the fecond edition.

remained

remained in a very imperfect and confufed ftate. In the prefent publication, the Author has endeavoured to reduce into order this numerous clafs of fofils. With this view, after fome preliminary obfervations, he gives, in feveral diftin&t tables, an artificial arrangement of the different kinds of Spars into orders and genera, &c. and afterwards exhibits, on a fingle sheet, a natural method, founded on a confideration of the origin of the obvious characters of different Spars, or of the caufes which produce the differences of form and colour in these bodies; which are variously modified, according as they have paffed, while in a fluid ftate, through different strata of earthy, faline, metallic, or other matter, previous to their concretion.

The Author arranges Spar under the third clafs of native fofils, and defines, or describes, it to be a pure fofil, heavier than any of the three other pellucid foffils, and compofed, even in its minuteft particles, of brittle rhombs; diftinguishable from tale by its want of elafticity; from felenite, by its want of flexibility; and from chryftal, by its dulnefs, and by fermenting with acids; and, at the fame time, as diftinguishable from all bodies in the world, (when pure enough to be feen through) by being poffeffed of the property of double refraction. This quality has been fuppofed peculiar to that ipecies of it called ifland chryflal; but the Author affirms, that it refides in all the species of Spar that he has examined, and declares it to be of its nature; as it arifes from the internal conftruction of the body, which is made up of fmaller rhombs, applied one to another.'' No body, he obferves, has this conftruction, except Spar; therefore, no other natural or artificial fubftance has this power of double refraction. Even Sir Ifaac Newton, (adds the Doctor, in his peculiar and quaint manner) has faid, chryftal has fomething of this power; in vain for no authority can stand against the teftimony of the fenfes. All different mediums vary in refraction; but this peculiar power refides only in a pellucid body, formed of connected rhombs.'

We fhall only add, that in the Author's artificial arrangement, Spar is diftributed into ten different orders, which are afterwards divided into genera, in different tables; in which are given the form, degree of hardness and weight, the colour, quality, place, and ufe, of cach fpecies.

Art. 30. Fofils arranged according to their obvious Characters; with their History and Defcription, &c. By John Hill, M. D. &c. Svo. 6 s. fewed. Baldwin. 1771.

This larger work, though prior in date to the preceding, which conftitutes a part of it, has evidently been publifhed after it, as we find the latter referred to in it. The Author's defign is merely to lay down an arrangement of fofils, founded on their outward and obvious forms, or fenfible qualities; without chemical analys, or the fatigue of experiments; fo that they may be known, and regularly difpofed in a cabinet, or collection of fofils. The method is the fame with that defcribed in the preceding article; the work almost intirely confifting of tables, in which the form, hardnefs, weight, &c. of all the known claffes of native foffils, are given in feparate columns under each of thefe titles, in a few words, or molt commonly in a fingle word or epithet.

Though

Though the nature or philofophical hiftory of the different foffils is not the object of the prefent work, which is properly only a methodized catalogue of thefe fubftances; yet there are a few obfervations prefixed to the claffes, but which are very fhort and general; if we except thofe relating to Spars, where the Author gives us his thoughts fomewhat at large concerning the nature and probable mode of formation of this clafs of bodies. In the thort introduction to his qth class, fpeaking of nitre, (which he chooses to arrange in the order of acid falts) and of chryftalization in general, he announces his very late fuccefs, after four years fruitless trials, in procuring the actual rechryftalization of Spar, after folution. We fhould have been glad to have had it in our power to communicate to the Reader fome account of the Author's process, or a general idea, at least, of the track he purfued in this enquiry; but what he fays on this fubject, in the difcourfe prefixed to his claffification of Spars, is delivered in fuch concife, oracular, and pointed terms, that we can collect no lights from it relative to his mode of investigation. He obferves in one place, that the falt produced by flow chryftalization from a lixivium of lime and fulphur, comes nearest of all to Spar;' but still, that it is but an approach, and not a famenefs;' nor does he conceive, that Henkel's receipt, formed on the fame foundation, would go any farther.' We shall not proceed to collect the Author's fcattered hints, which are often rendered dark by his peculiar phrafeology; for, to ufe nearly his own words, till men fpeak plain, 'tis vain to endeavour to develope their buried meaning.'

Art. 31. Obfervations on Mount Vefuvius, Mount Etna, and other Vulcanos, &c. By the Hon. Sir William Hamilton, K. B. F. R. S. → &c. Svo. 3 s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1772.

The pretty large extracts which we have already, at different times, given of thefe obfervations, in our accounts of the three or four laft volumes of the Philofophical Tranfactions (where they were originally published) render it unneceffary for us to fay any thing further concerning them. than that they are here collected and republished in a convenient pocket form; and that they are illuftrated with fix plates, and a few additional explanatory notes by the ingenious Author. In their prefent detached ftate, and commodious fize, they will be more peculiarly acceptable to thofe who may have an opportunity of viewing the curious and magnificent fcenes defcribed in them.

CORRESPONDENCE.

R. Whyte, in a candid and friendly Letter, dated at the Eng

the double infertion of the epigram noticed in our account of the Shamrock (Rev. December laft, p. 484) had been discovered by him! before the publication of the book, and that the fheet was, thereupon, cancelled; fo that it must have been wholly owing to the carelessness of the bookbinder, that the fingle copy, which fell into our hands, was not rectified.-For an account of the origin of the faid epigram, Mr. W. is referred to the last page of our Review for February.

N. B. The Reader is defired to correct the following error of the prefs in our tranfcript of the title-page of the Shamrock; viz. for general, read eriginal.

The