various frauds are expofed, and a correction of them is properly wifhed for from the legislature. But the fuggeftions here offered for fuch correction, are as futile as could easily be contrived; namely, an annual licence from the magiftrates, on the production of a certificate of good conduct; which would doublefs be procured from the cow-keepers and their cuf-. tomers," with at least as much facility as a licence to keep an ale-houfe is at prefent obtained from the parith-officers. The impofing of an oath, upon fuch wretches as the retailers are here defcribed to be, could tend only to add one enormous wickedness to many others.

"

"Hogs. The largest breed in Britain is fuppofed to be kept in the neighbourhood of Rudgewich, on the borders of Surrey and Suffex; which feed at two years old to an astonishing weight, even to doubie or treble the ufual weight of hogs at that age." P. 376.

The largest of these hogs, two years old, weighed 116 ftones, 6 pounds; others from 80 to 100 ftone.

Warnings like the following cannot be too often repeated: "the increase of public-houfes is, in my opinion, more ruinous to the lowest orders of fociety, than all other evils put together." P. 383. That this increafe, however, has happened by reafon of many of the brewers and diftillers being in the commiffion of the peace," (ib.) we cannot believe; fuch people being made incapable of granting licences by 26 Geo. II. c. 13. In this, as in most other cafes, the countyfurveyors would have done well, by abstaining from all pretenfions to even the leaft knowledge of the laws of their country.

Roads.-The truftees of turn-pike roads in this county are very feverely, and (as it feems) justly reprehended (p. 395, &c.). We believe that the whole fecret of the mifmanage ment of fuch roads, throughout the kingdom, may be expreffed by one word, jobs. The Grand Junction Canal is reprobated for its" very unneceffarily expenfive fcale" (p. 405); but canals, in general, are strongly and wifely recommended. The confumption of animal food in London, is affirmed to be full one half more than it was 45 years ago. The frauds in most of the London markets are reprefented as fcandaloufly enormous. At p. 461, the magiftrates of Middlefex, and the officers fubordinate to them, are spoken of in terms grofsly offensive, and (we truft) unmerited. The legislature itself is treated with as little ceremony at p. 63. But it feems to be a part of Mr. M.'s plan, to render all exifting inftitutions odious in the eyes of his countrymen.

Let us produce, however, a fpecimen of his own legislative wisdom.

"The cure of fo mighty an evil would require a law, enjoining every perfon annually to ftate in writing, by what means he gains his livelihood, to fome tribunal competent to fcrutinize the information, and punish the party if it be falfe." P. 463.

The County of Middlefex has more than once astonished the rest of England by its choice of a member of parliament; and why fhould they not keep up the wonder, by returning the fage Mr. M.

Mr. M. ought to have heard in December, 1797, that Weights and Meafures not only "require," but had received on the 22nd of June, 1795 (in addition to about 25 preceding Atatutes)" the affiftance of the legiflature, to fhield mankind againft numerous impofitions." P. 471. This laft ftatute (amended by 37 Geo. III. c. 143) we can affirm to be fingularly useful in thofe diftricts, within which it has been executed; and fhame must be taken to themfelves by the magiftrates, if, in any diftrict, they have neglected to do what is by the statute pofitively required from them.

It appears from the Appendix, that Mr. M. has done himfelf much credit, by declining any remuneration for his trouble in preparing this Report; and by zealously offering 100l. towards the execution of an improved plan, for drawing up the County Reports in general. Among the improvements which may be fuggefted, we ftrongly recommend a much more rigid abftinence than almost any furveyor has yet practifed, from fchemes tending to the invafion or compulfory transfer of property; and from invectives against burthens impofed by. the public neceffity; against the management of the poor, which is more indulgent in the present than in any former time; and against the laws of our country, in general, and thofe by whom they are administered.

ART. III. Afthenology, or the Art of preferving Feeble Life, and of fupporting the Conftitution under the Influence of incurable Difeafes. By Chriftian Auguftus Struve, M. D. Translated from the German, by William Johnfton. 8vo. 430 pp. 8s. Murray and Highley. 1800.

IN a I a fhort Preface, the author explains the nature of the work, which is new, he obferves, in its object, no writer having treated exprefsly on the fubject before.

"Afthe

"Afthenology," he says, "in regard to its theory,and the application of it as an art to maintain feeble life, is diftinguished not only from the macrobiotic art, or that of prolonging human life, of which it forms a fubordinate part (afhenomacrobiotic) but alfo from the antiafthenic art of healing, or afthenotherapia, which is employed in removing weaknefs, and reftoring the loft powers and health. The art of maintaining feeble life leaves to thefe the direct ftrengthening method; and has for its object merely to preferve and prolong the existence. It extends its aim farther than the direct art of healing, and is therefore active, when the common phyfician deferts the patient, and declares his malady to be incurable. În regard to its object, the maintaining and prolonging life in the afhenic ftate, it comes within the boundaries of both fciences, and endeavours to maintain feeble life, rescued from apparent death. It tries alfo how far it is poffible to operate a direct cure in cafes of afthenia; and, when no radical method of cure is applicable, relieves by the palliative method the moft urgent fymptoms, and exerts itfelf to prolong, for a certain period, that life which it is not able to preferve." Introd. p. 2.

The prefent volume is divided into two Parts. In the first, the author gives the theory; in the fecond, the application or practical part. To be methodical, he thinks it necessary to begin with giving a definition of life, or the vital principle, or what he would be understood to mean by it. "The naturalists and phyficians of the prefent period have made great progrefs," he fays," in the difcovery of that all-powerful principle, which he calls the vital principle, &c." Who those physicians are, and what their difcoveries, we profefs ourselves to be totally unacquainted; fome conjectures on the fubject, and very forry ones, we have indeed feen. This author's discoveries, however, go far beyond any of his predeceffors.

"The vital principle," he fays, " is felf- fubfiftent, free, and inde pendent. It is only modified by foreign powers, between which and it there is a certain mutual connection. It exifts alfo without this connection; that is, without the organization which it at prefent animates. It is not confined to certain bodies; but is generally diffused throughout the corporeal world: it is indestructible. As foon as an organized body is decompofed, it removes from it, and communi cates itfelf to another organization. In a word, it has a great refemblance to the electric fluid.

"The grounds of life, therefore, do not lie in organization, nor in ftimulants; both are neceffary conditions of our existence on earth." P. 20.

Thefe are not difcoveries, our readers will obferve, but bold affertions, that are in their nature incapable of being ascertain ed or proved. Their direct tendency is to materialism, which is ftill not the author's intention, as he talks of intellect, or foul,

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foul, as diftinct from vitality; but, having made his vital principle free, independent, felf-fubfiftent, and indestructible; that is, having given it attributes, equal, or perhaps fuperior, to thofe poffeffed by foul, there feems, on his fuppofition, little room for the latter. Having defcanted at large on what he calls, or, rather, what the tranflator calls (for it is the translation we are examining) the doctrine of feeblenefs, he proceeds, in the next Part, to treat of the means of preserving feeble life, in children, in aged perfons, and in perfons recovering from long and depreffing illness, or labouring under chronic complaints. We are furprised to find fo degrading an epithet as feeble applied, by the tranflator, to life, or the vital principle, which had before been decorated with fuch fuperb appendages. It is evident, from the whole context, that conftitution, or a debilitated ftate of the nerves, or of the body, in the aggregate, would have been more appropriate; but a new philofophy muft have new terms. Be that however as it may, the means proposed are the fame as have been recommended from the earlieft periods, and are founded on experience. They confift in the due regulation of our diet and clothing, air and exercife, fleep and watching, and of the affections of the mind. The following fection, containing the Treatment of the Afthenia of old Age", will fhow our affertion to be correct, and, at the fame time, afford a favourable fpecimen of the work.

"

"Old age is of itself a ftate of debility and feeblenefs. The vital principle is not only confined in its activity, but is alfo deficient, and the organization has become unfit for the purposes of life. This ftate would foon conduct to the grave, were not the confumption of the vital principle lefs in old age. It is poffible to fupport finking nature by means of art, and to prolong feeble life in this period. Socrates compared old people to drooping plants; they are refreshed by dew, but violent rain promotes their fpeedy decay.

Old people muft avoid violent mental affections; great and over, ftrained activity of the powers of the foul: their greatest enemy is cold. All fudden changes, abrupt tranfitions from one extreme to another, and all changes which make no impreffion at another period of life, are pernicious. Violent exercife fatigues and exhauts their powers; all ftrong ftimulants excite an irritability that debilitates the, vital principle, by, which their life is fhortened; though their general fenfation for common itimulants is blunted as foon as thefe ftimulants are perceived by them, they exercife an action exceedingly violent. They are much weakened by evacuations through the skin, or return if they are difproportioned to their powers; but nothing is more pernicious to old people than violent bleeding.

"Warmth is the element of old age. The more natural, internal heat is deficient, the more muft this want be fupplied and preferved by external calefacients. Warm clothing, a warmer climate, and a warm

apartment

apartment to refide in, are the more beneficial to old people, as they thew a defire for them.

"Old age requires REST, moderate activity, and leffened exercife of the powers. A certain activity, however, efpecially if people have been accustomed to it in their youth, is, in feeble age, a mean of prolonging life, were it only the ufe of the fpiritual or bodily powers, but no fatiguing oppreffive labour must be undertaken. The increafing aridity and hardness of the fibres muft, as far as poffible, be leffened by emollients; and hence the great benefit of the tepid bath and unction, already recommended. Moderate ftimulants are required to maintain the activity of the vital principle, becaufe, with the decrease of this activity, the fufceptibility of the organization for life is gradually lost; hence, wine is fo falutary for old people. To maintain the powers, and ftrengthen the body, is the principal object; and this object will be accomplished by choice, digeftible, juicy food, meat foups, broth, &c. Milk affords excellent nourishment for old people. Human milk, drawn immediately from the breaft; and, in the next place, affes milk, or milk in general, if drank when newly milked. It is of importance alfo to maintain cheerfulnefs; a placid agreeable frame of mind, pleafing hope and joy, a retrospective view of the past, and fweet care for the future, are the means of enlivening old age; alfo the company of young perfons, attention to children, by whom old people are fo naturally attracted, and in particular the fociety of young females, who, as fome pretend, have a phyfical influence over old age. The fleeping of old perfons with young women, prefcribed by fome as the means of prolonging life, we do not recommend, and wish to confine their intercourfe merely to converfation.

"From what has been faid, we may eafily deduce thofe indications which the art of the phyfician requires for maintaining feeble life in old age. The healing art, as applicable to old age, depends on the fame principles as the treatment of children, viz. maintaining the powers by gentle ftimulating and ftrengthening means; guarding against every thing that ftrains or exhaufts; foftening the dry, rigid fibres; producing a derivation of the congeftions in individual parts; the application of local ftimulants; and, in particular, attention to preferve a good ftate of the organ of the fkin, and of the ftomach, &c." P. 384.

A judicious reader of fuch a work will feize what is good and useful in it, and reject the fanciful and the falle. Whether there is a fufficient number of fuch readers to justify any with for any great circulation of Dr. Struve's Anthenology, is with us a very queftionable point.

ART. IV. A complete Syftem of Aftronomy, Sc.

(Concluded from p. 52 of this Volume.)

HAP. XXXVII. is on the Effects produced on the Motions of the Planets in the Planes of their Orbits, from their mutual Attractions. This chapter is one of the most impor

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