tion to the skin, no red coloured spots were formed, which should have been effected, had the lithic acid been prefent: befides, the fkin was irritated confiderably, spotted yellow instead of red, and incapable of ablution by water; while the rofe-coloured spots, defcribed by Scheele, were foluble in water, and no way irritating to the skin. • Another portion of nitrated folution of inteftinal calculus was evaporated to drynefs, which, if the lithic acid were prefent, fhould have left a rofe-coloured falt; but, in place of this, yellow-coloured cryftals were formed, one half of which was nitrated magnesia, the remainder an infipid white concrete, neither calcareous, aluminous, nor magnefian, The anonymous author, already quoted, in his new Theory of the Gout and of the Stone, relates, that the lithic acid is contained in the healthieft urine, and is feparable from the fame, in a cryftalline form, by means of any other acid. To exanine this precipitate, I collected ten grains, by adding a few drops of marine acid to eight ounces of recent urine, and frequently repeating the experiment. But after being collected, wafhed, and dried, inftead of poffeffing the properties of an acid, it was infoluble in water, infipid to the tafte, and changed the blue infufion of redcabbage leaf, green; and inftead of forming rofe-coloured crystals, after folution and evaporation in nitrous acid, a yellowish white powder was left, which appeared to be animal earth. It prefented phenomena very fimilar to the coagulable lymph of the blood; for it changed vitriolic acid black; and, diffolved, admitted of dilution with water to a certain extent, beyond which the acid was abstracted, and most of the earth precipitated. The precipitate of urine was found foluble in the three mineral acids concentrated, and decompofable by dilution with water; and coagulable lymph, fimilarly treated, was found equally foluble in the concentrated acids, and equally decompofable by water.' Mr. Gaitskell concludes from his experiments, that inteftinal calculi are compofed of dry animal oil, animal gelatinous matter, volatile alkali, argillaceous earth and magnefia, probably united with phofphoric acid, variously proportioned and combined. The cauftic mineral alkali is the most powerful folvent, and it feems to be active, when diluted with four parts of water. Art. VI. An Account of the good Effects of Opium in a Cafe of retention of Urine. By Mr. Alexander Mather, Surgeon at York. Communicated in a Letter to Mr. John Pearion, Surgeon of the Lock Hofpital and Public Difpenfary, in London; and by him to Dr. Simmons.--Opium, in thefe inftances, is undoubtedly ufeful: we prefer, however, in fuch obftructions, giving it in glyfters. It certainly fucceeds better. Art. Art. VII. A Case of monftrous Birth. By the Same.This monstrous birth was a fingular one. Two children were united at the sternum. In reality, there was but one fternum, from which the ribs of both children divaricated. Art. VIII. A Case of Varicose Aneurism. By Mr. H. Park, Surgeon to the Liverpool Infirmary.-This cafe is well related, and the operation perfectly fucceeded. Art. IX. An Account of the good Effects of Opium, ade ministered in Clyfters, in Cafes of Menorrhagia. By Mr. Peter Copland, Surgeon at Swayfield, near Colfterworth, in Lincolnshire. We can add only to the title of this article, that we have often found the fame plan fucceed. - Art. X. An Account of the good Effects of a Mercurial Snuff, in a Cafe of Gutta Serena. By Mr. R. B. Blagden, Surgeon at Petworth, in Suffex. This fnuff, according to the plan recommended by Mr. Ware, confifted of five grains of hydrargyrus vitriolatus, with thirty-five of pulvis afari compofitus. It made the nose bleed a little at first; and, while this effect continued, the progrefs of the relief feemed greater. Art. XI. A Cafe of Pulmonary Hæmorrhage, with Remarks. By Mr. William Davidson, Apothecary in London. --Another instance of the good effects of abftinence from liquids in pulmonary hæmorrhage; though, from a strong occafional caufe, the bleeding returned fo violently, that the patient was fuffocated. Art. XII. A cafe of Pfoas Abfcefs fuccefsfully treated. By Mr. William Smith, Surgeon at Bideford, and Member of the Corporation of Surgeons of London. Communicated in a Letter to Edward Whitaker Gray, M. D. F. R. S. and by him to Dr. Simmons.-The pfoas inflammation terminated in abfcefs, which first pointed in the groin, and afterwards in the thigh. By the common plans, and strict attention in opening the abfceffes, to prevent the access of air, the patient recovered. Art. XIII. Cafe of Phlegmonic Inflammation, with Reflections on certain Effects of Heat and Cold on the living Syftem. By Thomas Beddoes, M. D.-Dr. Beddoes feems to think, that inflammation often depends on the fucceffion of cold to heat, fince the transition from a lower to a higher tem perature, is, in general, eafily borne.-On this principle he Teems to account for the bad effects of a ftream of cold air, on a part heated by any caufe. On thefe, we cannot, from want of more decifive facts, decide. He certainly steps out of his way, when he takes fo much pains to prove that the ophthalmiæ, endemic in Egypt, arise from their fleeping in open air. It is more probable, as we have had occafion to obferve, that C. R. N. ARR. (XI.) July 1794. M they they arise from muriatic acid air, fince a natural process is conftantly going on, in the decompofition of sea salt, which fets this air at liberty. Art. XIV. Obfervations on the good Effects of Cauftics in Cafes of White Swellings of the Joints. By Mr. Bryan Crowther, Surgeon to Bridewell and Bethlem Hospitals.-Our author appears to have fucceeded in removing these complaints, by applying cauftics on each fide the affected joints. The application of a blifter or a finapism, prepares, he thinks, the parts for the cauftic, and affifts its operation. Art. XV. On the Cure of the Elephantiafis. By At'har Ali Khán, of Dehli. Vide Afiatick Researches: or, Tranfactions of the Society inftituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the Hiftory and Antiquities, the Arts, Sciences, and Literature of Afia. Volume II. 4to. Calcutta, 1790.-This and the following article, are felected from the fecond volume of the Afiatic Researches, a work which we have not yet been able to procure, but which we hope to poffefs and examine very foon. At prefent we fhall felect only the receipt: Take of white arfenic, fine and fresh, one télá; of picked black pepper fix times as much : let both be wel beaten at intervals for four days fucceffively in an iron mortar, and then reduced to an impalpable powder in one of ftone, with a ftone peftle, and thus completely levigated, a little water being mixed with them. Make pills of them as large as tares, or fmall pulfe, and keep them dry in a fhady place *. One of thofe pills must be fwallowed morning and evening with fome betel-leaf, or, in countries where betel is not at hand, with cold water: if the body be cleanfed from foulness and obftructions by gentle cathartics and bleeding, before the medicine is administered, the remedy will be fpeedier.' The following note to the above paffage is by fir William Jones: The lowest weight in general ufe among the Hindus is the reti, called in Sanfcrit either rettica or radica, indicating redness, and crifinalà from crisina, black, it is the red and black feed of the gunja-plant, which is a creeper of the fame clafs and order at least with the glycyrrhiza; but I take this from report, having never examined its bløffoms. One ratticà is faid to be of equal weight with three barley corns, or four grains of rice in the hufk; and eight reti weights, ufed by jewellers, are equal to feven carats. I have weighed a number of the feeds in diamond feales, and find the average apothecary's weight of one feed to be a grain and five fixteenths. Now in the Hindu medical books, ten of the rattica feeds are one máfhaca, and eight máfbacás make a túlaca or tólà; but in the law books of Bengal, a máfbaca confifts of fixteen ratticás, and a télaca of five mif'; and, according to fome authorities, five reti's only go to one majoù, ixteen of which make a tilaca. We may obferve, that the filver reti weights, ufed by the goldfmiths at Benares, are twice as heavy as the feeds; and thence -it is that eight reti's are commonly faid to conftitute one mifà; that is, eight filver weights, or fixteen feeds; eighty of which feeds, or 105 grains, conftitute the quantity of arfenic in the Hindu prefcription.' Art. Art. XVI. On the Spikenard of the Ancients. By fir William Jones, Knt. Vide Afiatic Refearches: or, Traniactions of the Society inftituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the History and Antiquities, the Arts, Sciences, and Literature of Aua. Volume II. 4to. Calcutta, 1790.-We.fhall, in the fame fummary way, for we mean, when we receive the volume, to return to the fubject, obferve, that the spikenard is the jatananfe of the Hindus, a fpecies of valerian. Art. XVII. An Account of fome chemical Experiments on Tabafheer. By James Louis Macie, Efq. F. R. S. — Vide Philofophical Tranfactions of the Royal Society of London, Vol. LXXXI. for the Year 1791. Part II. 4to. London, 1791. This article has already occurred to us. The third and fourth volumes conclude, as ufual, with a lift of publications. A Sketch of a Tour on the Continent, in the Years 1786 and 17873 By James Edward Smith, M. D. F. R. S. &c. - 3 Volumes 8vo. 18s. Boards. White. 1793. DR. Smith's talents, as a botanical writer, are already well known to the public. In the prefent work he appears in a new character, and we will venture to fay, with undimi nished advantage. His obfervations are thofe of a philanthro pic and enlightened mind; and his judgment on the produc tions of the fine arts is commonly guided by the most genuine tafte. Hardly have we ever perufed any book of travels with more fatisfaction; and we mult recommend it to our readers as a publication replete with inftruction and amufement. The general outline of the Tour is through Holland, and the Netherlands, to Paris, thence to Italy, the chief feene of defcription: the return is by Switzerland to Paris. The botanical remarks are not very numerous, and are fo agreeably introduced as to intereft the common reader. This we mention to obviate an idea, which might naturally arife from the doctor's known department of. ftudy, that this is a botanical tour, calculated folely for the lovers of that branch of natural history. But we haften to prefent our readers with fome extracts from this entertaining work, that they may judge for themfelves of its manner and merit. The fourth chapter of the first volume relates to the Hague, and opens thus: July 17. The canal which leads from Leyden to the Hague is pleafant; the Hague itself is celebrated as the most magnificent vil lage, it being esteemed but a village, in Europe. Streets of very large dimenfions, with fpacious canals planted with fine trees, addel M 2 .to to a fituation rather more elevated, and a better air than that of other Dutch towns, make this really a defirable abode. The eye long accustomed to watery flatnefs, and Dutch regularity, cannot but be peculiarly fenfible to the charms of a fine, natural, and extenfive wood, about a mile from the town, adjoining to which stands the country-feat of the prince of Orange. The gardens of this palace are a curiofity in their way. The projector of them having doubtless heard the general difapprobation of Dutch gardening, and how very,odious ftrait walks and rows of trees are univerfally reckoned by all who efteem themselves critics or perfons of tafte, was refolved at least to avoid that fault; so that every walk in the prince's garden is twifted into a femicircle, every grafs-plat cut into a crefcent, and every hedge thrusts itself where it is least defired. In vain does the right-on traveller wifh to faunter leifurely and infenfibly along, to attain any point of view, or other object, that promises him pleafure. He foon finds the moft fpecious path is not to be trufted; for, inftead of leading him where it promised, an unexpected turning may bring him near the fpot from whence he fet out. Whether the contriver of this garden was an English politician, and thought it wholesome to accuftom his princely employer to a little twifting and turning, I will not determine. • About three miles from the Hague, on the fea-fhore, stands the little town of Scheveling, the road to which is along a noble avenue of trees. The fandy ground on each fide this avenue is overrun with birch thickets, and abounds with the true arundo epigejos of Linnæus (that is calamagroftis of all English writers), aira canefeens, hippophae rhamnoides, a fingular dwarf variety of liguftrum vulgare (privet), and a number of heath plants, mixed with others ufually found in marfhes. The fluctuating moisture of the foil may perhaps account for this. I certainly never before faw a small spot whofe Flora would in print appear fo paradoxical. Among the rarer fpecies were, convallaria multiflora and polygonatum, with gentiana cruciata, the firft plant I have met with abroad not a native of Britain. • In Scheveling church is a monument very fimilar to that of Boerhaave at Leyden; the infcription on it only OSSA Cornelii ab Heemfchkerck. The principal church at the Hague is entirely lined with black efcutcheons, than which nothing can be more infernally hideous. It contains a monument of fome landgrave or other, who should feem by his epitaph to have been at least as great a perfonage as any of the Roman emperors at the height of their glory. The palace has nothing very remarkable. In one of the apartments are portraits of all the princes of Orange from William I, Each wears a flaring orange-coloured fafh; a circumftance as un fortunate |