after the flood, and being compelled to investigate fome of the celeftial phænomena, it is most probable that after they had advanced fo far as to calculate the periods of the moon, they did not stop there; but that finding the advantages refulting from the confideration of one of the heavenly bodies, they profecuted their researches, in order to ascertain that period in which all the circumstances of the seasons had been paffed through. And how could they effect this but by diftinguishing the fituation of the fun in refpect of the horizon and particular stars? "Another argument, in favour of the Chaldeans being the dividers of the Zodiac, offers itself. They never could have ascertained the returns of the feafons by the observation of the moon alone; as, although in twelve revolutions of that body, the fun would have nearly performed his apparent revolution, yet not entirely fo; therefore, if they had beer. guided by obfervation of the moon's period alone, compared with the annual period of the fun, they would have made great mistakes, and could never have calculated the returns of the seasons with accuracy,

"The method faid to have been pursued by these astronomers, in the infancy of fcience, in order to afcertain the important epocha in which all the circumftances of the feafons had been paffed through, and afterwards of dividing the Zodiac into twelve parts, was as follows: They prepared a couple of veffels; piercing a hole in the bottom of one of them, they placed it over the other veffel: after putting a plug into the orifice, they filled the upper veffel with water, and left them in that fituation. Obferving the time a particular ftar, in that circle of ftars which the fun appeared to pafs through, tranfited the horizon, they inftantly withdrew the plug, and fuffered the water to run into the lower veffel, which it did gradually and alsoft regularly; letting the operation continue till the fame ftar paffed the horizon the next evening, when withdrawing the under veffel, they provided themfelves with the measure of time of one intire revolution of the heavens.” P. 23.

In Chap. IX, are given fome obfervations on the telescopic. appearance of the moon; but the figure on pl. 13. reprefenting this object, feems to be fomewhat too finall for the purpofe fcarcely allowing fufficient space for a diftin& reprefentation of the feveral fpots, &c.

Mrs. B. takes the liberty of offering fome doubts relative to the fuppofed volcanos in the moon. Though the by no means prefumes to deny that fuch eruptions may exift, yet, the thinks,

that the theory is by no means fanctioned by thofe undeniable demonstrations deducible from the other phænomena of the moon," nor will it ever be poffible, in her opinion, that they should.

We should by no means forget to add, that this work is very handfomely printed, and that the plates with which it is illuftrated are executed with great neatness. To the whole is added a very ufeful vocabulary of the philofophical terms occurring in the courfe of the work; as well

as a catalogue of the conftellations, and the names of the lunar fpots and from all that we fee in this production, we are inclined to felicitate thofe parents who have placed daughters under the care of an instructrefs fo judicious and intel ligent.

ART. XII. The Univerfal Family Phyfician and Surgeon, containing a familiar and accurate Defcription of the Symptoms of every Diforder incident to Mankind; together with their gradual Progrefs, and Method of Cure. With a System of Family Surgery, an Univerfal Herbal, and a Complete Dif penfary. 8vo. 768 pp. 9s. Ogilby and Son, Holborn. 1797.

IN N the courfe of the last and prefent century, numerous productions have appeared profeffing the humane intention of enabling the people to adminifter affiftance to themselves, under the various diseases with which they might be afflicted. But the execution of thefe works rarely correfponded with their titles, references to Greek and Roman writers, ufelefs differtations on the caufes of difeafes, tedious details of symptoms, and too great variety in their prefcriptions, with which they all more or lefs abounded, ferved rather to perplex and confound, than to inftru&t the perfons to whom they were ad drefled. From the failure of fo many writers, it became pqpular to decry any attempt at instructing the people on fubjects that were fuppofed to be much beyond their comprehenfion. For, it was obferved that many difeafes, apparently fimilar, were of oppofite natures, and required very different modes of treatment. How therefore it was afked, were perfons not previously initiated in the fcience of medicine, to distinguish one difeafe from another? On the other hand it was urged, that, admitting the impoffibility of giving fuch information. in a popular work, as thould enable perfons ignorant of the principles of medicine to know and prefcribe for all difeafes, a path was ftill open for the exertion of benevolence; and the writer who should lay down plain directions for the preferva tion of health, and for remedying fome of the most common and known difeafes. would perform an acceptable service for the public. This talk was accomplished by the late Doctor Tiffot, phyfician at Laufanne in Switzerland. In the year 1761 he published a volume, under the title of Avis au Peuple.

In compofing this valuable work, his first care was to remove the numerous falfe notions and prejudices, that prevailed among the poor, relative to the diet and management of the fick; convinced that in doing this he was laying a foundation for a rational mode of treating their difeafes. Instead of ranging through the whole circle of phyfic, and treating of all the difeafes to which the human frame is liable, he confined himself to fuch of them as were most frequent, and of which a juft knowledge might be eafily obtained. His defcriptions of the difeafes are clear and diftin&t; his remedies, in general, fimple, eafily to be procured, and fafe in their application. That his benevolent intention might not be fruftrated, the author took care to affix the price of fuch of the medicines as could only be procured at the apothecaries.

This work was efteemed of fo much importance, that the Council of Health at Berne prefented the author with a medal on the occafion, accompanied with a letter, expreffive of the high fenfe they entertained of its value. In the space of four or five years the author had the pleafure of feeing his work tranflated into almoft all the languages of Europe; and, from the notes and commentaries accompanying thefe tranflations, he made confiderable additions and improvements to it. In the year 1772, Doctor Buchan publifhed his Domestic Medicine. The plan of it was evidently taken from Tiffot's work, but altered and adapted to the manners and habits of the people of this country. Tiffot entertained the highest opinion of this work: "Je le regarde," he fays, "comme un des plus bons ouvrage qu'on ait.” A rare inftance of candour; as the Family Medicine was publifhed with the view of fuperfeding, and has actually fuperfeded the English tranflation of the Avis au Peuple, by Doctor Kirkpatrick, which was published in the year 1765. Buchan's book has been fo favourably received, that fixteen or feventeen large impreffions of it have been fold; and as the author has availed himself of the opportunity which fuch repeated calls for new editions offered, to correct and improve the work, it has, as it may reafonably be fuppofed, attained a confiderable degree of perfection.

The fuccefs of this work has called out many imitators, but with little advantage, we believe, either to the writers or the public. The book before us, although profeffing the fame defign, is far from poffeffing fimilar merit. It offends in moft of the effential qualifications of a popular work. It is by much too prolix and bulky, containing no less than 768 pages,

* Preface to his Avis au Peuple, 6th edition, 1775

and

and in a type fo fmall and indifferent, as to be often scarcely legible. The editors, for it profeffes to be the work of a fociety, are too diffufe and technical in the defcriptions, and in the accounts they give of the caufes of the difeafes. Some of the diseases that are treated of at great length, are either fuch as are not known in this country, or rarely occur among the common people, or are fo complex in their natures, that it is impoffible to communicate to perfons not ufed to the study of medicine, an adequate knowledge of the mode of treating them. The account of the plague occupies nearly thirty pages; of the gout nineteen. The work concludes with what is called in the text the British Herbal, but more properly, in the title to the volume, an Univerfal Herbal, as it contains an account of all the foreign as well as indigenous plants that compofe our Materia Medica, but incumbered with defcriptions of innumerable others, long fince difcarded from practice. The accounts of the plants are lame and defective, as the editors have neither noticed the compofitions into which they enter, nor the dofes in which they may be given. The Complete Difpenfary, promifed in the title, is entirely omitted.

ART. XIII. Elements of Mineralogy. By Richard Kirwan, Efa. F. R. S. &c. The Second Edition, with confiderable Improvements and Additions. Volume 11. Salts, Inflammables, and Metallic Subftances. 8vo. 529 pp. 8s. Elmfly, 1796.

THE

HE first volume of this work was published in the year 1794, and we gave an account of it in the British Critic for April, 1795; to which we now refer our readers, for fuch remarks as relate to the general plan of the work. In the perufal of that volume, we found ample reafon to admire the ingenuity of the author, and the usefulness of the performance. These fentiments must be extended to the prefent, or fecond volume, which is equally replete with new and valuable materials.

Of the four claffes into which minerals are generally, and almoft naturally, arranged, the former volume contains one only; namely, that of earths and stones, which is by far the most extended and comprehenfive. The other three clailes, which treat of faline, of inflammable, and of metallic fubftances, form the contents of the fecond volume; which is of course divided into three parts. The first of thefe, or fecond part

of

!

of the work, is fubdivided into three chapters, under the titles of acids, alkalis, and neutral falts; the last of which contains 26 fpecies. The third part comprehends fix genera, viz. t. inflammable air; 2. bituminous fubftances; 3. carbonaceous fubftances; 4. vegeto-carbonated fubftances; 5. vegeto-bituminous; 6. fulphur and its ores. The fourth, or laft, very extenfive part, is divided into 22 chapters, under the following titles: 1. gold; 2. platina; 3. Lilver and its cres; 4. copper and its ores; 5. iron and its ores; 6. tin and its ores; 7. lead and its ores; 8. mercury and its ores; 9. zinc and its ores; 10. antimony and its ores; 11. arfenic and its ores; 12. bismuth and its ores; 13. cobalt and its ores ; 14. nickel and its ores; 15. mangenefe and its ores; 16. uranita and its ores; 17. tungstenite and its ores; 18. molyb. denite; 19. fylvanite; 20. menachanite; 21. titanite; 22. of the determination of an ore from its external characters. Te this, the author has added a general method of affaying alleys in the dry way; together with tables, 1. of the compofition of metallic calces; 2. of metallic falts; 3. of the proportion of fulphur, in fulphurated metals: and the analyfis of coals.

Among the contents of this volume, the following feem to be the most useful and remarkable; namely, the methods of analyzing the various forts of mineral, the author's judicious difcrimination between the opinions of different writers on controverted points, and the tables of the compofition of me tallic calces, &c. with the notes that are annexed to them.

In the perufal of the volume we have met with a few inaccuracies; but they are fuch, as may be reckoned infeparable from a work of this nature. We might also wish, that Mr. K. had avoided the introduction of a few new names, in addition to the many which have of late been adopted in chemistry and natural history. Thofe imperfections, however, are utterly eclipsed by the tranfcendent luftre of the work, confidered as a fingle object, with the performance of which (we think) mineralogists must remain thankfully fatisfied.

We fhall conchide this account with the following fpecimens of the work.

Speaking of native tin, Mr. K. fays,

"Moft mineralogifts feel an invincible repugnance to allowing the exiftence of native tin, and yet it feems to me highly probable, that all metals, and particularly tin, were originally in a native ftate. For it has been known and worked in, the remotest times, in which the skill requifite to reduce its calces, cannot eafily be fuppofed to have exifted. The fuppofition of this ftate not being therefore, for this or any other reafon, improbable, a priori, I fee no reafon for rejecting the teftimony I formerly alledged from the Phil. Trans. 1766; and confirmed by fe

fkilful