ufeful part of chirurgical knowledge. But we would recommend to the Author, in cafe of a fecond edition, to correct a few inaccuracies which we have obferved in his language; though it is not worth while to point them out here.

General Cautions in the Cure of Fevers, viz. inflammatory, intermitting, flow, nervous, and hyfleric, putrid, malignant and miliary Fevers. Small Pox, Meafles, Pleurefy, true and spurious Peripneumonies. Calculated to fupply the Want of a regular medical Education, and an extenfive Reading on thefe Subjects. By the Rev. G. Etherington, L. L. B. 8vo. I s. 6 d. Bristow.

IN

N this little performance many of the most fundamental and valuable precepts of the healing art relating to the above mentioned diseases, are delivered in a manner sufficiently easy and perfpicuous. They are collected from the writings of the most eminent Phyficians, particularly, the learned and ingenious Dr. Huxham, whofe very expreffions are generally made ufe of. Mr. Etherington's intentions in this publication, we doubt not, were very good; he must however be fenfible, that fuch a compilation, however judicious, can avail but little in fupplying the want of a regular medical education: the principles, on which a rational practice of phyfic, is founded, cannot be ftudied with too much care, or taught with too great precifion. The excellent Writers, from whom these Cautions are chiefly extracted, may all be confulted by every man who can read English. The Practitioner therefore, who is fatisfied with the little knowledge which can be obtained even from the best compendium, ought to be reminded of another caution, namely, that contained in the fixth article of the Decalogue. We do not, however, by this reflexion, mean to depreciate either the defign or execution of Mr. Etherington's plan; which we think may prove ferviceable as a ufeful remembrancer, even to men of the moft regular education: and we may venture to add, that in general, fuch only will be capable of perceiving the propriety of the greater part of these Cautions, or of profiting by them. We fhall felect the chapter on the measles, taken chiefly from the excellent Sydenham, and the Monita of Dr. Mead, which will exhibit a fufficient fpecimen of this publication.

Of the Meafies.

1. The greatest danger to be apprehended from this difcafe, is an inflammation of the lungs; to obviate which,

as

as foon as poffible, our utmost care fhould be employed. And notwithstanding the vulgar opinion, we must take away blood at the beginning, according to the age, ftrength, and circumftances of the patient.

2. Nay, further, if that operation has not been performed before the coming out of the measles, we fhall be blamed by the experienced, if we do not let blood, altho' the puftules have already appeared, especially if the fever is very high, and even repeat the bleeding, if the urgency of the fymptoms require it.

3. We must not defer venæfection till the decline of the difeafe, when a hot regimen has brought on more or less of a cough, difficulty of breathing, &c.

4. In fevers, attended with eruptions, to the common people, it appears a dangerous practice to bleed, especially children, whom this difcafe chiefly attacks, leaft it should hinder nature from forcing out the morbid matter sufficiently.

5. When the violence of the fever, difficulty of respiration, &c. demand it, even the tenderest infants may be let blood; for it is found, by experience, that this operation may be performed with as much advantage to children as to adults, and may be repeated if the symptoms are 6 urgent.

6. And during the encreafe of his fever, altho' venæfection has been performed in the beginning, yet fometimes there is a neceffity of repeating the operation; and when that appears, we are not, from an ill-grounded fear, to • omit it.

.

7. It is unpardonable not to bleed when the difeafe is going off, and the puftules are already dried upon the skin; for if this feafonable evacuation is omitted, the confequent inconveniences of a defluxion upon the breast and inteftines, a hectic or confumption are always to be dreaded.

8. The meafles generally difappear on the eighth day; we must not therefore abfurdly imagine, that the Symptoms which fucceed upon their going off are occafioned by their ftriking in too foon, and unwarily adminifter heating medicines; for in that time they commonly run thro' their whole course.

9. When the meafles begin to dry, the fever and difficulty of breathing begin to increafe, and the cough be

• comes

comes more troublesome, fo that the patient can get no reft in the day, and very little in the night: in these circumftances, whatever tends to make the motion of the blood quicker, must be carefully avoided.

10. Children are most fubject to the evils which come on at the declenfion of this malady, efpecially when the difeafe has been treated at the beginning with alexipharmacs, &c. For, from hence arifes a peripneumony, very often not fuperable by any medicines, and deftroys greater num⚫bers than the fmall-pox, or any of its concomitant fymptoms. The violent cough, often fo harrafiing, even in the mildest kind, and which no fort of treatment it the first ftages, yet known, has been capable of preventing, would 'incline us to believe, that the true nature of this diforder is not fully discovered.

11. The fick are not to be loaded with too many bedclothes, for this increases always the difficulty of respiration, and by this means too immoderate sweats are forced 6 out; which fo far from relieving, that they aggravate every • bad fymptom

12. Sometimes alfo, after ufing an exceeding hot regimen, the eruptions turn livid, and then black; but this happens only in adults, who are irrecoverably loft, upon the firft appearance of the blacknefs, unlefs they immediately be relieved by bleeding, elixir of vitriol, &c.

13. As the measles in their nature are thought nearly to refemble the fmall-pox, they muft likewife agree pretty much in the method of cure; fo that hot medicines must not here, at all events, be given, no more than in the fmall-pox, whatever fome unfkilful nurfes may fay about driving the difeafe from the heart; the different circumftances of the patient fhould direct us to the proper treat

· ment.

C 14. Neither are we to run into the contrary extreme, and by a very cold regimen, cold air imprudently admitted, &c. left, by thefe means, we should cause the puftules to be repelled.

15. Sydenham obferves, that the loofenefs that frequently accompanies this fever, and which, he fays, has its rife from the effluvia of the inflamed blood rushing into the intestines, is only to be relieved by venæfection. Hence we ought to conclude, that ftrong and powerful aftringents are to be avoided.

16. Neither

16. Neither will that loofenefs, which fometimes fucceeds this difeafe, and continues for feveral weeks after all the Symptoms are gone off, be relieved by the methods commonly used for the cure of a diarrhea.

17. Anodynes are not to be given in the early days of this difcafe, for they thicken the humours, make the breathing difficult, and hinder the eruption.

18. And, in the increase of this diforder, opiates cannot be too sparingly ufed; but, in its decline, when the cough, from the acrid defluxion on the lungs, becomes trouble• fome and threatens a confumption, they may be of the greateft ufe, when proper purges are fubítituted at convenient intervals.

19. To diluting medicines, and fuch as are of service in the finall-pox, we are not to forget those that have a power of mitigating the cough, and promoting expectoration, as oily Linctus's with a little nitre, &c.

20. In the beginning, and during the whole disease, it is thought ufcful to guard againft coltiveness and putridity; for which reafon, what loofens the belly, and corrects putrid acrimony, and promotes urine, as figs, raifins, tamarinds, wine-whey, lemonade, Rhenifh and Mofelle wines • well diluted with water, &c. are only to be advised.

21. The diet is to be regulated according to the different ftadia of the diorder; but no flefh or fish is allowed, • left a very great difficulty of breathing and other bad symptoms, fhould ensue.

22. The want of proper purging, after this disease is gone off, has been very often attended with great detriment to the patient, for the poifonous reliques have occafioned, afterwards, internal abicelles, malignant ulcers, a confump• tion, dropy, blindnefs, &c. We ought therefore to remember, that purging after this diftemper, is as neceffary as purging after the fmall-pox.

23. Many have required frequent purging, æthiops mineral, &c. for a confiderable time after the diforder is gone off, and a milk-diet: and here we muft obferve, that milk, in a watery ditiolved fate of the blood, is much preferable to whey; but whey, where there is an inflammatory flate of the blood, never fails to do fervice.

24. The patient is not to expofe himself too foon after his recovery to the cold; or be too hafty in changing a

• plain

plain fimple cooling diet for high-feafoned difhes and strong liquors, leaft he fhould be feized with a fuffocating catarrh, afthma, phthifis, &c.'

An Effay on the medicinal Nature of Hemlock: In which its extraordinary Virtue and Efficacy, as well internally as externally used, in the Cure of Cancers, Schirrous, and oedematous Tumours, malignant and fiftulous Ulcers, and Cataracts, are demonftrated and explained: The whole being founded on Obfervations made in a Variety of the reffective Cafes where this Remedy was adminiftered by Dr. Stork, the Baron Van Swieten, Dr. Kollman, and others of the most eminent Phyficians and Surgeons at Vienna. Tranflated from the Latin Original, written by Dr. Stork, Physician in ordinary to the Pazmarian City Hospital at Vienna, 8vo. Is. 6d. Nourfe.

THE

HE importance of the fubject itself, and the respectable names prefixed to this pamphlet, have an undoubted right to claim the utmost attention of the public. Whether an efficacious remedy has at length been found in the above-mentioned diforders, hitherto ranked among the moft obftinate and painful which afflict mankind, time alone, and future experience, muft determine. The trial is eafy, and will, we doubt not, be duly attended to, both in our public Hofpitals and in private practice-from whence the effects of this medicine will be more fully ascertained.

In the mean time we may remark, that all the circumstances of the twenty Cafes in which Dr. Stork experienced its efficacy, feem to be recited with great candor and modefty. The following are the Corollaries drawn from them.

1. That a remedy highly innocent may be prepared from the juice of hemlock, infpiffated by a flow fire; and, which in every habit of body, fex, age, &c. may be given in confiderable large dofes.

2. That this remedy does not hinder any of the natural functions of the body, the fecretions, nor the excretions.

3. That it acts in an infenfible manner: neither exciting ftool, vomit, urine, nor fweat.

4. That it difcuffes indurations, and fchirruffes; even in