lect one in which the professor has not indulged his metaphysical inclination to any great extent, and has compressed his observations within narrower limits than usual. Speaking of carbo and pruna, he says,

CARBO, PRUNA, agree, in denoting a substance, which, though it has been exposed to the action of fire, is still capable of supporting it: but the former applies to it in a state of ignition, or otherwise; while the latter applies to it in that of ignition only. CARBO most commonly denotes charcoal, and supposes, that though the nature of the substance, whether fossil or animal, is immutably altered, yet it is still capable of supporting fire. Though this mass, styled Carbo, has furnished fewel to an extinguished fire, yet it has not been reduced to a residuum of ashes. Thus, the fuel that supported the unseen fire, mentioned by Horace, might have been expressed by either term, but the "Cineres" could be expressed by neither. et incedis per ignes

Suppositos" cineri" doloso,

-HOR. Car. 2. 1.7.

Tam excoctam reddam atque atram quam carbo est.

TER. Adelph, 5. 3. 63.

The word "excoctam" literally signifies, thoroughly changed by means of fire; and "atram," a blackness, not natural, but superinduced by it.

Quæque sequenda forent, et quæ vitanda vicissim,

Illa prius creta, mox hæc carbone notasti. PERS. Sat. 5. 108. In both these examples Carbo signifies" charcoal." A mass has been exposed to the action of fire, which, being quenched, leaves a cinder. In the two examples that follow, this mass is ignited, and in that form also gets the name of Carbo, till it is reduced to ashes, "Qui cultros metuens tonsorios, candente carbone sibi adurcbat capillum. Cic. de Off. 37. 6.

Protinus inclusum lentis carbonibus ure.

Ov. Trist. 3. 11.47.

The difference stated by Servius to exist between "Carbo" and PRUNA, does not seem to be well founded. When commenting on the following passage,

et medium freti pietate per ignem Cultores multa premimus vestigia pruna.'

VIRG. En. 11. 788,

he says, "Carbo" et pruna differunt, quod pruna dicatur quamdiu ardet," carbo" quum extincta est." The first part of this remark is true, which the last is not; as there is many an instance of " Carbo" being applied to a substance upon which fire still acts.

'Subjiciunt verubus prunas, et viscera torrent.'

The Pruna, as fit for roasting any thing upon state of red heat, and would emit no flame.

VIRG. En. 5. 103.

spits, would be in a That this was con

stantly the state of a substance so denominated, appears from a

passage in the great Roman physician, whose authority may be always trusted. "Nunquain ad flammam ungi oportet, interdum ad prunam." CELS. P. 174.

Now to us it appears, that all the information which this pas sage contains might have been conveyed in a very few words. To our conception it would have been sufficient to state, that carbo might be applied to a coal, whether ignited or otherwise, whilst pruna signified only a coal that was red-hot. If this be the sum total of the doctor's information, as it unquestionably is, much has been written by him to little purpose. Every word that does not tell is an incumbrance that should be removed. Some parts, indeed, of Dr. Hill's observations we are unable to understand. What does he mean by saying that carbo signifies a substance, which is immutably altered? Nothing surely is immutably altered which admits of still further alteration; as nothing can be said to be immutably fixed which admits of a future change. The carbo, or coal, has not this quality; for it may be speedily reduced to ashes. The expression, therefore, if it signifies any thing, signifies what is palpably untrue. We are also of opinion, that he has encumbered the subject with frivolous remark. What, for instance, does it contribute to the illustration of carbo to be informed, that atram means a blackness not natural? What to be told, that excoctam literally signifies thoroughly changed by means of fire?' which by the way is not its literal meaning? We should, indeed, have made no comment upon it, had we not observed a sort of fondness in Dr. Hill for irrelevant remarks. A few instances will justify the assertion. Commenting on the following lines of Horace,

Quod si pudica mulier in partem juvans
Domum, atque dulces liberos,

he furnishes us with very curious intelligence; namely, that a single child, as well as a number of either sex, might have been the object of this woman's affection. P. 497.

So again, after having quoted from Plautus

-Defigere aliquem colaphis in terram

he is so condescending as to give us information, which we earnestly request the admirers of pugilism to receive with attention and repay with gratitude; it is no less than the discovery, that a well-aimed box upon the trunk of the body often produces the effect here mentioned, as well as one upon the head." Really it must have required great experience to find out that a mother may love an only child, and that a blow on the stomach will bring a man to the ground; and it must have been very becoming a learned professor to insert it in a treatise on Latin Synonymes !!

We must receive likewise, with equal gratitude and respect, the intelligence with which he favours us, P. 110, where he tells us, If the fish caught by the book had had more sagacity it would not have swallowed the bait. The book is concealed by the angler, that may be the instrument of deceiving the fish, and because without being concealed in a certain degree is would be of no use.

it

Thus, again, P. 474, out of his abundant goodness, he gives us to understand, that though the exertion implied in the act denoted by ambulare is not the severest, yet, by continuing it, the animal mov ing may be fatigued.

It would be as uninteresting to the reader as fatiguing to ourselves to produce all the instances of childish remark which we have observed in this volume, or even to refer to them. We shall therefore content ourselves with the two following: Defining the meaning of the verb saturo, he quotes these words of Cicero, Nuper nati maminas appetunt, earumque ubertate saturantur.' Cic. de NAT. DEOR. 52. a. and adds (what we hope will contribute to appease the fears of doting mammas), that the rich provision made by nature for supporting the young of animals, is happily expressed by the last verb. In the case of the human race, the superfluous milk is thrown from the stomach of the child by an operation that is not painful, and at the same time involuntary.'

If the above passage bears testimony to Dr. Hill's skill in physic, the following is a proof of his acquaintance with hydrostatics. In his remarks on a passage in Cæsar Bel. Gal.7. 57. Is, quum animum advertisset perpetuam esse paludem quæ influeret in Sequanam, atque illum omnem locum magnopere impediret, hic consedit; nostrosque transitu prohibere instituit, he condescends to communicate to us this intelligence: The word" perpetuus" here, denotes the unbroken extent of the marsh, not its continued supplies. This marsh would empty the surface water that formed it, into the sequana, in a time porportioned to the aperture and declivity jointly. P. 485.

Every one, we conceive, must agree with us in thinking that such frivolous remarks disgrace the pages in which they appear; and we exceedingly lament, that Dr. Hill should have suffered them to enter into any part of his work, which frequently assumes, in consequence of them, an appearance of burlesque. But it gives us real pain to be compelled to say, that he is guilty of a much more material error; that he is undoubtedly mistaken as to the signification of many words: and sometimes forms hypotheses concerning them which will not bear the test of rigid examination. This will be considered, perhaps, as bold criticism, but we think it equally true: let the competent judge determine, from some instances which we shall produce. (To be continued.)

ART. XIV.-Observations addressed to the Public in general on the Cow-Pox, shewing that it originates in Scrophula, commonly called the Evil; illustrated with Cases to prove that it is no Security against the Small-Pox. Also pointing out the dreadful Consequences of this new Disease, so recently, and rashly, introduced into the Human Constitution. To which are added Observations on the Small-Pox Inoculation; proving it to be more Beneficial to Society than the Vaccine. By R. Squirrell, M. D. 8vo, 2s. 6d. Highley.

THE cow-pox is a subject on which we can scarcely speak with propriety. We certainly considered the first promoters hasty and imprudent, and reprehended the enthusiasm of some of its injudicious friends with severity. These steps which we thought, and still think, proper, this scepticism which should be the foundation of unprejudiced enquiry, drew on us torrents of abuse. It was styled an attack on the dearest interests of humanity; an opposition to a plan which might prove the salvation of millions; an attempt to tear the civic crown from the brow of mankind's best benefactor. It was, however, no more than a caution to examine previous to decision, to enquire cautiously before a step of such vast importance was resolved on. This plan we ourselves followed; and, in consequence of it, we have become converts to the practice of vaccination-have professed ourselves its friends. Yet truth is still dearer; nor shall we shut our eyes to evidence on the opposite side, or feel indifferent to the consequences of opinions which, since we formed our own determinations, we have given.

Many cases have been published, in which vaccination, it is said, has been followed by the true small-pox. Some have certainly been owing to mistakes, either in the former or latter disease, and many such we have ourselves traced; some have been owing to matter either of a bad quality or of a different nature, else it would be singular that Portsmouth should furnish more exceptions to a general rule than the whole kingdom. We confess, however, that there are others of a suspicious nature, which at least lead us to doubt whether the rule is so general as has been supposed. We own, that, since many errors and mistakes have been detected, which account for the second disease, we suspect that there are still some undiscovered minute circumstances on which the absolute security rests: but is this surprising, when it is not vet ascertained with certainty whether the small-pox may not affect any individual twice?

In a general view, it appears singular that the cow-pox should prove a security from small-pox in fifty instances, and fail in one. From what cause are the fifty secured? certainly from some change produced on the fluids, which render them no longer susceptible of any action from the small-pox virus. We thus gain a step, and may conclude that it has such a power. It is also, we believe, admitted by every one, that this power has some permanence: the difference only respects the duration of the security, whether five or fifty years, or any intermediate period. A great point is however gained by even a temporary security, at so small an expence or hazard. Many critical periods of life may be thus passed with impunity. Yet, while we claim so much, we do not abandon the further pretensions, nor would we, for a moment, discontinue the practice from the few instances yet undisputed. We have seen men of considerable talents and experience mistaken, in deciding on the true nature of cow and small-pox; and were we to adduce the names, they might be fairly brought in competition with the evidence before us. In such errors, so minute are the characteristic distinctions of pustular diseases that no blame can attach to either party.

Since, then, on the most dispassionate view of the question, we have, even from the opposing facts, no reason to reject the practice of vaccination, and every reason, from the vast body of evidence in its favour, to continue it, with perhaps more advised watch,' we shall advert to the work before us. The title-page certainly betrayed a zealous warmth, approaching to prejudice; and the introduction glowed with still stronger reprobation of the new practiee. We shall advert, however, for a moment, to a different subject:

Inoculation, every body must acknowledge, was not the province or department of physicians. They considered it much beneath them, and even thought themselves degraded in performing the operation; nor was it deemed necessary that they should attend to the progress of the disease; and though in other respects they might be extremely well acquainted with the profession of medicine in general, yet with regard to inoculation in particular, they had not practice sufficient to furnish them with an adequate knowledge of the subject, and, consequently, in such a case, ought not to be considered as men of experience, nor qualified to make any innovation. This part of the profession has been always practised by apothecaries and surgeons, who are the only men in this country possessing any claims to a real judgment, either in the choice of the matter, performing the operation, er attending to the progress of the disease; and in short, these are the only men who are qualified, and could be justified in making any alteration (were it necessary) in the practice.