Notices respecting New Books. 73 
livered at the College of Surgeons during his Lectures——This 
gentleman has shown that we are in reality indebted to Hunter 
for many facts in natural history, &c. plagiarized by the mo- 
dern writers on physiology. The publication of his Introductory 
Lectures, relating to Hunter’s Theory of Life, &ec. &c. were 
omitted to be mentioned in the Philosophical Magazine. They 
contained a sort of summary of the physiological opinions, of 
that acute and truly philosophical reasoner. _Among other things 
whieh the author has’ably handled, we may reckon his remarks 
on: the vital principle as some of the best,—not because any 
theory of life is therein established on demonstrative evidence, 
_ and placed beyond all controversy—for the obscurity of the sub- 
ject renders this impossible—but because on a subject in itself 
purely theoretical he has followed a course of reasoning founded 
on the observance, and strictly philosophical throughout, and 
which is more consistent with the common sense of the thinking 
part of mankind in all ages past, as well as with popular feeling, 
than any other modern theory of life, or philosophy of mind.. 
It is in this respect eminently contrasted to that confused farrago 
of scarcely intelligible words in which some modern writers have 
attempted, in humble imitation of the French school of philoso- 
phy, to convey and establish the gloomy and misanthropic doc- 
trine of materialism, and thus confound the distinction of au- 
tomatic and animal life—opinions which, however prevalent they 
may still be among the unreflecting people of France, are daily 
losing ground in Germany, Scotland, and our own country, and 
are giving place to a more rational philosophy. : 
A work is in contemplation, and it will probably be shortly 
laid before the public, entitled “ History of the Helvetian, Au-+ 
strian, Apennine, Pyrenean, and Northern Floras,” considered 
with respect to the points of origin from which the different 
families of plants have travelled to the valleys and plains, and 
become mixed together ;. illustrated by a Botanical Map of the 
yegions assigned to each, : 
X. Intelligence and Miscelluneous Articles. 
To Mr. Tilloch. 
Sm, — I write chiefly with a view to correct the latter para- 
graph of the description of “ Steele’s Nooth’s apparatus,” which 
should stand thus: ‘* The impregnation is very soon effected, as 
the pressure is great ; and as the parts are fitted by accurate 
grinding, much trouble and inconvenience are saved, from the 
usual method of luting being avoided.” 
{ 1 think 
, 
