fpecies exhibiting fome degree of inflammation, as well as of the fator peculiar to the difeafe. That the various temperaments of mankind have a powerful influence in modifying the fmall-pox, is beyond a doubt; but when thefe temperaments coincide with the inflammatory-septic principle, the dileafe is always violent; hence variolous contagion, meeting either with the phlogistic or putrid diathefis, conftantly produces a fevere and dangerous disease.”

Our author farther illuftrates his opinion on this fubject by an experiment and an incident, which likewise we think it proper to extract:

• Four ounces of blood taken from a perfon who never had the fmall-pox, and fuffered to flow from the vein upon a small quantity of fal glauberi in powder, and ftirred till cold to prevent coagulation, was equally divided into two phials. Phial, No. 1, contained the uncoagulated blood; Phial, No. 2, contained the fame; to which was added a small portion of variolous matter, and fhaken together. Both phials were placed in a heat of 98°. The refult of this experi ment was, that phial No. 2 acquired a putrid smell 48 hours fooner than phial No. i.

The fame idea refpecting the inflammatory-feptic nature of variolous contagion, is corroborated by a fact which fometimes occurs in practice; for, while variolous contagion propagates the fame fpecific disease in thofe that are fufceptible of it, in others who have already undergone the small-pox, it occafions malignant and putrid fevers *.'

In the fourth chapter the ingenious author proceeds to deduce the action of variolous contagion upon the fluids from its obvious effects. This is a very important part of his system, and requires to be fully elucidated. He obferves that the most apt idea we can form of the action of this contagion upon the the blood, is that of a ferment. The term, he acknowledges, is liable to exception, as the action inferred does not in every refpect correspond with the chemical procefs from which the analogy is taken. But whatever may be the properties of this contagion, or whatever its operation may be on our fluids, in the production of the fmall-pox, it evidently acts upon them,

A young woman, a patient in the clinical ward of the Royal Infirmary, fome years ago, died under a load of confluent small-pox. She was opened, with a view to ascertain whether there was an eruption of puftules upon any of the vifcera. Moft of the ftudents who attended the diffection, were feized with a malignant fever, and narrowly escaped with life; each of them having formerly paffed through the fmall-pox, were not fufceptible of a fecond infection. Is it not therefore probable that this fever, with which they were feized, was the effect of the inflammatory-feptic contagion?'

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as other ferments do on the bodies to which they are applied, by affimilating a lefs or greater proportion of some of the confituent parts of the blood into its own nature. This is Dr. Walker's chief reafon for using the term; and in fuch an ufe of it, he is doubtlefs fupported by modern writers of the first eminence. It is proper, however, on this fubject, that we should communicate his fentiments with precifion. When he afferts that variolous contagion acts as a ferment to our fluids, he does not mean, by this action, that the blood is converted into pus, in the system of circulating fluids; the production of purulent matter being an effect of inflammatory fuppuration. 'But,' fays he,

How can variolous contagion produce a fermentation in the courfe of circulation, where we muft fuppofe it in a perpetual state of motion? As it is admitted that the contagious particles enter the blood, they muft neceffarily mix and unite with fome of its constituent parts; in which cafe, these particles will more readily fall into ́. contact with different parts of that fluid, in the course of circulation, than if the contagion was confined to one point, and remained in a ftate of reft. Variolous contagion is active and penetrating in its own nature, and though its fubtilty eludes examination, its powerful effects are evident upon the vital fluid, where, inftead of being extinguished as a fpark of fire in water, or of rolling on in a friendly conjunction with the circulating mafs, without producing any change upon its fenfible qualities, we plainly fee, in every bad case of smallpox, from the effects of this contagion upon the vital fluid, a confiderable feparation of fome of its conftituent parts, appearing in an accumulation of contagious ichor in the fyftem, the quantity of which may be conceived of, by a numerous eruption of pimples over the whole furface; by its rufhing to the head and faucial glands; by profuse perspiration, or diarrhoea; or general tumefaction of the body; each of which fecretions partake of the contagion of the disease, as ftreams from the infected fountain, indicate its attenuated ftate, and fhew, efpecially in cafes of the confluent and malignant fmall-pox, that a confiderable change has taken place in the fenfible qualities of the blood.'

The limits of a Review will not permit us to follow the ingenious author through all his arguments relative to the progrefs of variolous contagion in the circulating fluids. We can only fay, that he establishes his theory of a morbid affimilation upon fuch minute and learned inquiry, and fuch practical facts, as seem to leave not the fmall doubt of the perfect ftability of his doctrine. Nor has he omitted to investigate, by a number of: conclufive experiments, what conftituent parts of the blood are most readily affected by variolous contagion.

Our author, after endeavouring to prove, as far as the nature of the subject would admit, that variolous contagion has a certain

action on the blood, fome of the component parts of which are affimilated into the nature of the contagion, proceeds afterwards to fhew that different quantities of this contagious ichor are generated in the system, in different kinds of small-pox. The evidence which he adduces in fupport of this doctrine, feems to be abfolutely demonftrative of the fact, and throws great additional light on his general theory of the disease.

In the fame chapter in which this interefting inquiry is profecuted, the author likewife attentively examines the pathological question, Whether the variolous puftules invade the vifcera and internal parts? fome writers afferting the reality of this phænomenon from their own obfervation, and others no less pofitively contradicting it. Dr. Walker affures us that, in the different diffections of variolous patients that he has witneffed, he has never seen the appearance of puftules upon any of the vifcera, or upon the intestinal canal; nor does he think it probable that they can take place in those parts. Did variolous puftules,' fays he,

Inveft the external membrane of the lungs, liver, ftomach, or intestines, and pass through the common stages of inflammation and fuppuration, we might expect a regular courfe of internal complaints, more urgent and diftreffing than what occurs on the furface of the body; but we never find this to be the cafe. Befides, we see a certain conftruction of the cuticle that has an influence in detaining the affimilated fluids, that does not exist in the membraneous coverings of the vifcera, which are not only preferved from the effects of the external air, to which the fkin is expofed, but conftantly bedewed with a moisture that evinces the perviousness of their coats.'

The author next confiders, at great length and with his ufual accuracy, the predifpofition neceffary to variolous infection; fhewing, at the fame time, that two different diathefes, viz. the inflammatory and putrid are powerful predifpofing causes towards the reception of the disease. With regard to the proximate cause of the fmall-pox, he obferves that we shall find few diseases where it appears with more certainty, and confequently where the indications of cure are more apparent; nor where the mode of treatment, arifing from thofe indications, is oftener crowned with fuccefs. The blood,' fays he, in confequence ⚫ of the action of the variolous ferment, during the stage of fer'mentation, being more or less affimilated, and the contagious ' particles accumulated in the fyftem, we confider to be the 'proximate caufe of fmall-pox.' It is certain that this view of the fubject coincides with the hiftory of the different fpecies of the disease, whether mild or malignant.

ENG. REV. VOL. XV. FEB. 1789.

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In the eighth chapter the author describes the symptoms preceding eruption, and delivers an accurate history of the disease, under the different fpecies of the contiguous, the fimple confluent, the putrid, and the cryftalline small-pox; paffing over the kind denominated difcrete benigna, as being fufficiently well known.

In the ninth chapter the author proceeds to treat of the indi→ cations arifing from the preceding hiftories; but we must at prefent fufpend the examination of this important part of the work, which certainly forms one of the most elaborate, interesting, and useful productions of the medical kind that have ever come under our observation.

ART. IX. The Art of Criticism, as exemplified in Dr. Johnson's Lives of the most eminent English Poets. 8vo. 4s. boards. Hookham. London, 1789.

WHEN we confider the variety of inducements men have to write, we shall lefs wonder that the press so constantly teems. Of those who write for bread, happily for our craft, the numbers are but few; and yet, like moft others, our trade is perhaps overrun. But the conftant defire of novelty might enable us to feed better, were the occupation confined to ourselves; and did not leifure, and the misfortune of a liberal education, induce many to give their thoughts to the public from the romantic idea of reforming their manners, or the vanity of improving their tafte. Where the first is the only object, it does not become us to cenfure, how much foever, in our hungry moments, we may be induced to murmur; but, in the latter cafe, the affectation of novelty or fingularity, and an impatience of correctness, ufually give us ample fcope to fnarl, if we cannot bite.

The work before us feems the production of a man of leisure, well educated, and fond of fingularity; willing to write a book, but too idle to work with fteadiness, or to correct what he has written. Though it is not always eafy to determine whether he is cenfuring or approving, nor precisely whether he has any meaning at all, we can frequently difcover an agreeable boldness of thought, united with well-turned expreffions and accuracy of language. Of this mixed kind feems his definition of genius, A mind vigorous, comprehenfive, and endowed with 'curiofity and fufceptibility of impreffion.' This he opposes to Johnfon, who defines the true genius a mind of large and general powers, accidentally determined to fome particular direction. Neither of thefe is in our opinion fatisfactory. As

to the laft, we need only defire pur readers to recollect characters who have fhewn a strong propensity to fome particular art or fcience, and neither a difpofition or capacity for any other. The former is fo general, that, without being explained by the author, it might be fuppofed by fome to mean the fame as Johnfon's; for if the doctor's laft claufe [accidentally determined to fome particular direction] were added, the fenfe would only seem more complete. But while we make this objection to our author's expreffion, we agree with him in opinion, and would propose, in his next edition, the addition of a fingle word: A mind 'vigorous, comprehenfive, endowed with curiofity and a susceptibility of fome particular impreffions.' That this is our author's meaning, he afterwards fufficiently illuftrates. The ftriking difference between him and Johnfon is, that the former ascribes taste and fondness for any particular purfuit to accident, while the latter confiders them as arifing from an original difpofition and brought forward by accidental circumftances.

As in the prefent work a critique is given of all the poets to whom Johnfon was biographer, we may fuppofe many of them are fhort. The first of any length is upon Milton. It begins with a vindication of fome part of Milton's character, and particularly of his smaller performances. After this we have Johnfon's opinion of Paradife Loft, which it is difficult to know whether our author approves or not. It leads him, however, to a fhort difcuffion of metrical compofitions, in which are fome forcible arguments in favour of blank verse. Mrs. Montague's remarks on the fubject are extracted from her critique on Corneille's Cinna. These are much approved of, but difmiffed with a cenfure on their principal beauty. Poor Milton fares no better; he is driven from the ftage with many more fevere epithets than Johnson ventured to befpatter him with.

To give our readers fome idea of the ftyle of this curious medley, we have felected the following paffage, because, being as little connected with the life it is taken from as with any other, no introduction will be neceffary, nor fhall we be accused of concluding abruptly:

• Antithefes, especially in rhyme, present themselves at once to the mind, like a regular building. Mallet, in his life of Bacon, has fome fuch ftrokes. Voltaire abounds with them, delighting efpecially to level them at priests, whofe affiftance he is nevertheless faid to have craved when fick, though I can hardly believe him to have been fo weak as to reft his falvation on a fuborned repentance in the lap of men, who, like indeed other religionists, devote their faces to God, and hearts to the devil; and, a few members excepted, ought to be hooted out of the world for their villainous hypocrify, and will doubtless bring the grey hairs of the church with forrow to the grave; wretches, whofe trade it is to barter inheritances in the other

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