” 42 
be benefited by his patience, the fashion- 
able physician has learnt, that a call at 
an apothecary’s shop, or some jocose re- 
mark on the news of the day, conduces 
more to increase his fortune and profes- 
-sional reputation, than the most profound 
speculations on the tremors and interest- 
ing sensibility of delicate females. The 
ingenious author of these essays must be 
applauded for his laudable courage, in 
upbraiding the leaders of fashion for their 
senseless course of routes, balls, and other 
such sickly joys. “It is a notorious 
fact, that at the close of the season in 
J.ondon women appear worn out, hag- 
gard, and spent. During their stay in 
the country, their shrunk countenances 
regain a degree of plumpness, their mus- 
cles recover their tone, and they really 
feel somewhat of that flow of spirits, 
which they often afterwards so misera- 
bly aifect.” But as if Dr. B. apprehended 
some danger from this bold and disinte- 
rested remark, he courts favour again, 
upon the happy recollection of the rules 
of good breeding, that have confined to 
the pulpit the privilege of declaiming 
with safety against the vices and follies 
of the age. 
«« Persons, it is commonly seen, who are 
governed by different habits, conceive to- 
wards each other a species of antipathy, so 
quick and inveterate, that it may almost pass 
for instinctive; and many a fine lady, on 
hearing the ceconomy of her time arraigned 
hy the sedate, has persuaded herself that the 
censure procecds from this feeling, and not 
gom any foundation in reason. But it is 
* pyatiy necessary for her to revert to the influ- 
née of her days upon her nights, to be con- 
e ag ha the sober part of mankind do net 
ving ody ‘ 4 raunre 
~wogaig to themselves a superiority 
barely . E re ap ne A, 
y Gian or cast may ai diirarny 
such as a ’ 
Peal kom some sssignificant distinctions, 
CO eee o. Nex Heeg acknowledge. On 
but which no oi 77 ' phate nag 
the contrary, the ad."4? (age they enjoy is no 
a a than the laws, ac- 
less solid and permanes oe area ths: 
cording to which nature . 1S Un" na 
the human frame shall be a: napiste tife 
throngs, by which the followers of high i e 
are perpetually pressed 5 the dazzling scenes 
which they irequent in quick SUCCESSIOD 5 
their unceasing hurry of bedy and mind; the 
anxiety (to say nothing of the mortification) 
which every candidate for admiration must 
andergo; all contribute to stir up a cerre- 
spondent tumult of imagination as soon as 
they ate sunk into slinnber. When they 
have tossed themselves awake, how can they 
help feeling more weary by: half than on go- 
ing to hed? Without spirit to raise their head 
from the pillow, even if theyshave suspected 
this to be the best measure they could adopt, 
and in spite of constant disappointnicuts, 
MEDICINE, SURGERY, ANATOMY, &c. 
rose cheeks and aspen constitutions, which 
they still hope to find refreshment in an ad- 
ditional nap. But another and another leave 
them but in more languid plight. We 
cannot, therefore, be at a Joss to compre- 
hend the tendency of that mode of existence, 
to which we see our countrywomen so eimu- 
lously devoting themseives. The night is 
the season in which the vulture of fashion 
flies abroad for prey. Many of the prim- 
are to be met with so abundantly in the 
great world, exhibit the consequences of his 
secret depredaiions.” 
In the ninth essay Dr. Beddoes wanders 
through all the roads, lanes, and alleys, 
of the nervous labyrinth, in the least 
connected with a derangement of the 
intellectual faculties. Not one is omit- 
ted ; epilepsy, Hysteria, catalepsy, con- 
vulsions and spasms, have long been 
known as belonging to this old tribe; 
but giddiness, chills, shiverings, heats, 
tremors, and starting form a new addi- 
tion to the list, not the less formidable, we 
believe, from their apparent insignifi- 
cance. It is one of the merits of this part 
of the work, to extend our views of those 
baneful disorders, to shew with more than 
commonaccuracy the relations that these 
deviations from the healthy state bear to 
each other. The perusai of this and the 
following essay may be amusing and in- 
structive to medical inqutrers, but in 
spite of the benevolence and good inten- 
tions of the author, we cannot recom- 
mend them to that particular set of per- 
sons whom they equally concern, and for 
whom they were designed. Even our 
tried spirits have been more than ence 
almost smothered under the heavy load 
of predisposition to these horrible malas 
dies, attendant upon human nature ; and 
we still tremble and shake at the idea of 
impending danger. Nothing but a lau- 
dable. confidence in the wis medicatrix na- 
ture could have preserved the author 
himself from sinking under the workings 
of his vigorous imagination. How dread- 
ful must be the situation cf those who 
read these essays, and have no experi- 
ence or knowledge of such friendiy aid ! 
Inthe tenth essay, Dr. Beddoes proceeds 
in the same strain to the consideration of 
those disorders, more strictly called mental, 
known by the names of mania and melan- _ 
cholia. ‘This is not the place for enlarg- 
ing upon these important topics of hu- 
man miseries. Our author is less origi- 
nial here than in other parts of this work, 
for with the exception of some witty re- 
marks on public characters, who boast of » 
understanding human nature, when they 
