different parts of the earth have been used as means to determine the ratio of its diameters, but this method is not to be depended upon, arifing probably from the irregularity of the denfity of the interior parts of the earth. From the figure of the earth, the increase of attraction from the equator to the poles varies as the fquare of the fine of latitude, which is the fame ratio as that by which the degrees of latitude increase. The mean radius of the earth is determined to be 3963,95 miles, and the difference of the polar and equatorial radii 17,1 miles; alfo, the length of a mean degree 69,2 miles. A table of the measures of various countries is added, which will be found very useful. Chap. XXXIV. is upon the Preceffion of the Equinoxes, and the Nutation of the Earth's Axis. Sir I. Newton first accounted for the precellion of the equinoxes, but he made a mistake in computing the quantity. Mr. V. has here given a folution of his own, which is very fhort and fatisfactory. If the earth were of uniform denfity, he makes the annual preceffion from the fun to be 21" 6", fuppofing the ratio of the diameters to be 229: 230. But if the greatest nutation of the earth's axis be rightly afcertained, the preceffion from the fun is only about 141"; which difference arifes, either from the fluidity of the earth's furface, an increase of denfity towards the centre, or the ratio of the diameters being different from that which is here affumed; or probably from all the causes conjointly. The equation of the preceffion is found to be 1" 9" x the fine of twice the fun's longitude. The inequality of the preceffion of the equinoxes, and the nutation of the earth's axis, were discovered, by Dr. Bradley, to arife from the attraction of the moon in different fituations of its nodes. The nutation of the earth's axis is 19"; and this, with the equation of preceffion, may be reprefented by an ellipfe, fuppofing the major axis (lying in the folftitial colure) 19", and the minor 14",14. Mr. Lambert computed a table of the nutation in right afcenfion and declination, fuppofing the nutation= 18"; but Profeffor V. has given a new inveftigation of the rule, and calculated the table for a nutation of 19". He then finds the variation of right afcenfion and declination of a star, from the preceffion of the equinoxes. Of all these subjects, he has entered into a very full inveftigation. Chap. XXXV. is upon the Denfities, Quantities of Matter, Light and Heat of the Planets. To measure the quantity of matter in diftant bodies, appears at firft fight to be a problem of infuperable difficulty; but Sir I. Newton refolved it for those bodies which have fatellites revolving about them. The denfities of the other planets are ftill fubject to a confiderable degree degree of uncertainty. The relative quantities of light and heat are very eafily found, fince they vary inversely as the squares of the diftances of the planets from the fun. The relative weights of bodies upon the furfaces of different planets is also here determined. Chap. XXXVI. is upon the Motions of the Planes of the Orbits of the Planets, from their mutual Attractions. Kepler and Tycho obferved that the latitude of the ftars was fubject to a change, and the former concluded that it was owing to a change of the ecliptic; which is a neceflary confequence of the general principle of gravitation, as the attraction of the planets must neceffarily draw the earth from the plane of her orbit. Euler first computed this effect upon the earth, and found that it would folve the phænomenon. The method here given is fimilar to that by which the author determined the motion of the moon's nodes; and, having investigated the rule, he applies it to the different planets. He makes the annual motion of the nodes of Jupiter upon the orbit of Saturn, from the attraction of Saturn, to be 9",9 in a year. Euler makes it 10". The inclination of the orbits is also liable to a change from the fame caufe; and having given a rule to find that variation, and applied it to the variation of the obliquity of the ecliptic, the author finds, that "when the longitude of the afcending node of a planet's orbit is lefs than 180°, that planet diminishes the obliquity of the ecliptic; but when greater than 180°, it increases it ;" and as the longitudes of the nodes of all the planets are now lefs than 180°, they, at prefent, all tend to diminish the obliquity of the ecliptic. But as the longitudes of the nodes continually increase, they will afterwards become greater than 180°, and then obliquity will increase. The obliquity of the ecliptic is therefore confined within certain limits, and the ecliptic can ever become either perpendicular to the equator, nor coincide with it, as fome authors have afferted. This author makes the diminution, at this time, to be 49",35 in 100 years, agreeing very nearly with obfervation, which makes it 50". The fecular diminution for the beginning of our æra, is here computed to be 45",43, which is 3,92 lefs than at present. The motion of the equinoctial points from this caufe in 100 years, at this time, is found to be 17",4 progreffive; but for 100 years, at the beginning of our æra, it was 47". Now the preceffion of the equinoxes from the fun and moon, by difplacing the equator, varies as the cofine of the obliquity of the ecliptic; and therefore as the obliquity decreases, the preceffion will increase, and the increase, from this caufe, will be g in 1700 years; and if we take the whole fecular preceffion to be 1° 24 2",4, the preceffion of the equi D 2 noxes, - nbxes, in the first 100 years of our æra, must have been 1° 24′ 2",4 - 9′′ = 1° 23 53,"4; therefore 1° 23′ 53′′,4 — 47′′ 1° 23′,4, the whole regreflion for that time. Hence, 1° 23′ 45" (the whole preceffion at this time) — 1° 23′ 6′,4 = 38′′,6. the quantity by which the regreffion is fafter now in 100 years Hence, the trothan it was in the first 100 years of our æra. pical year is now decreafing. Now the regreffion of the equinoctial points is (at the above rate) failer at this time by o",386 in a year, than it was at the beginning of our æra. Now the fun takes 9" to move over that space; and thus the author proves that the tropical year is 9" thorter now than it was 1-00 M. de la Place makes it 10",33 fhorter now than years ago. at the time of Hipparchus, who lived about 1950 years ago. The author Thefe conclufions therefore agree very well. then proceeds to investigate the variation of a star's latitude 17′′,023, and longitude, and exemplifies his rules. He makes the fecular variation of the longitude of Regulus to be and its increafe of latitude to be 20" 56. The important matter contained in this work, obliges us again to defer the couclufion of our account. (To be concluded in our next.) ART. IX. A Second Effay on Burns, in which an Attempt is made to refute the Opinions of Mr. Earle, and Sir W. Farqubar, lately advanced, on the fuppofed Benefit of the Application of lee in fuch Accidents: with Cafes and Communications, confirming the Principles and Practice brought forward in a former jag. Alfo Proofs, particularly addreffed to Surgeons of the Army and Navy, of the Utility of the ftimulating Plan, in the Treatment of Injuries caufed by the Explofion of Gunpowder. By Edward Kentifh, Author of the former Effay. 117 pp. 35. Mawman, London. 18co. 8vo. IT are are more common than fcalds or burns, none more excruciating to the fufferers, or more diftreffing to their friends; and fince the ladies have fo generally adopted the unnatural custom of wearing light thin gauze and muflin dreffes, in the midit of winter, few have proved more fatal, and yet there is no complaint in which the practice of furgeons is more various and difcordant. In the year 1797*, Mr. Kentith published an Effay on Burns, in which, after taking a flight view of the practice that had prevailed at different periods of time, and' particularly of the method that had been employed, almost immemorially, in the collieries at Newcastle, where accidents of the kind, from the explofions of the inflammable air, are more frequent and dreadful than in most other places, he laid down a mode of cure which he had found fuccefsful, in fome of the fevereft cafes that can well be fuppofed to happen, and which he had repeatedly found to terminate fatally under the old and eftablished treatment. The improvement adopted by Mr. Kentish, confifts in the application of fpirit of wine, oil of turpentine, or fome other warm application, instead of linfeed oil, which had been generally ufed; in allowing a cordial and nourishing diet; and adminiftering opium, æther, wine, &c. during the three first days after the accident, or until the life of the parts in the neighbourhood of the burn, appear to be reftored, inftead of further debilitating the conftitution, by bleeding, purging, and a low diet, as was formerly practiled. In this Second Effay, a number of new cafes are introduced, confirming the propriety of the practice recommended in the firft, with fome flight alterations and improvements, by which, the author thinks, large and extenfive ulcerations have been induced to fkin over and heal, fooner than he had before found them. Thefe confift principally in adminiftering, occafionally, brifk active purges, with a view of checking the protufe difcharge from the wounds, and in covering the wounds, in that ftate, with powdered chalk. In the courfe of this Elfay, the author enters into a minute examination of a work, lately published by Mr. Earle, on the fubject, and fhows, that the obfervations introduced by him in fupport of his opinion, of the fuperior efficacy of ice, or other cold applications to burns, do not bear him out in the conclufions he has drawn from them; on the contrary, that, by an opposite practice, the cure, in those cafes, would have been more speedily effected. * See Brit. Crit. vol. xi, p. 297. We We fhall conclude our account of this interesting publication, by laying before our readers a communication from Mr. Frederick Horn to the author, illuftrating the value of the practice here recommended. "DEAR SIR, Newcastle, 25th July, 1800. "I have great pleasure in communicating to you another inftance, where your method of treating burns has been fuccefsfully employed. "George Smith, an under-viewer, in Ravenfworth colliery, was feverely burnt on the 3d July, 1800, by a quantity of inflammable air taking fire in the pit, into which he had juft defcended to give directions to the workmen. The explofion was fo violent as to drive up ftones, &c. to the top of the fhaft, (above fixty fathom); and the fhock was felt, and the report which accompanied it was diftinctly heard, by fome farmers who were in bed in their houses, at fome diftance from the place. "I found him two hours after the accident, with his hair finged clofe to his head. The whole cuticle was peeled off from his face and neck, which were quite black with the fine coal duft, which had been driven fo forcibly upon them. He was burnt in different places about his loins, and from the knees to the ancles, except fome small patches where the skin had only been fcorched. "On looking at his hands I was fhocked with their appearance: on taking hold of them, the skin and nails came off exactly like a torn glove, and the extenfor tendons of the fingers were bare in feveral places. In fhort he was the most severely burnt of any patient who ever came under my care. Nothing had been done to him before I faw him, as he had only just been brought home. He had frequent fhiverings; and, although a very refolute man, complained much of pain, and thought he must have been injured in his lungs, from the fense of heat he felt there, and from the bad tafte in his mouth. "There was fome ftrong gin and water on the table when I went in, and I immediately gave him a large tumbler glass full of it. I warmed fome oil of turpentine, by holding a cup of it in boiling water, and I directed the attendants to bathe him affiduously with it, by means of probes armed with lint, and dipped into the fpirit. This was continually done while I was employed in fpreading plasters, (viz. ung. refin. flav. c. Ol. Terebinth) and the poor man found much relief from it. He however complained much of his hands, which were very painful, and fmarted at the time of the application, but foon had a inuch easier feel. I applied the plailers to every part where 1 fufpected the fire to have reached, gave him another glafs of ftrong gin and water, to which I added fixty drops of laudanum, and I defired he should have more of the fpirit if the fhiverings fhould recur. In the evening I found him tolerably cafy, and confidering his fituation, wonderfully fo.-He had been my patient fourteen years ago, when he had been pretty much burnt, although not near to feverely as at this time; and had then been treated with ol. lin. c. aqua calcis, to which a portion of the tinct. opii. had been added, and he remarked, "that the fire, he thought, feemed likely to be killed fooner now than |