228 Notices respecting New Books. 
to twenty years, it gave relief quite as readily as in more recent 
cases ; which proves, that the habitual difficulty of breathing, 
even in the most protracted cases, is not to be ascribed to any 
permanent change having taken place in the lungs. 
« With regard to that form of asthma which returns in violent 
paroxysms, with intervals of perfectly free breathing, I should 
expect little advantage from galvanism in it, because, as I have 
jest observed, | found that the peculiar difficulty of breathing, 
which occurs in this species of asthma, cannot be induced i 
animals, except by means lessening the aperture of the glottis. 
It is probable, that in the human subject the cause producing 
this effect is spasm, from which indeed the disease takes its name, 
and we have no reason to believe, from what we know of the 
nature of galvanism, that it will be found the means of yelaxing 
spasm,” 
[To be continued. | 
Mr. Accum, author of several well-known works on Chemistry 
and Mineralogy, has just published a new work entitled ‘* Che- 
mical Amusement,’ ”’ comprising a series of curious and instruc-, 
tive experiments on chemistry, which are easily performed and 
unattended with danger. The work has been written, the au- 
thor states, ‘‘ with a view to blend chemical science with, rational 
amusement. ‘To the student they may serve as a set of popular 
instructions for performing a variety of curious and useful ex- 
periments well calculated for illustrating the most striking 
facts which the science of chemistry has to offer. To give effect 
to this object, the author has selected such experiments only as 
may be performed with ease and safety in the closet, and the ex- 
hibition of which requires neither costly apparatus nor compli- 
cated instruments. And that the experiments may be of greater 
value than merely to afford amusement for a,leisure hour, he has 
added the explanation to each individual process, in order to en- 
able the operator to contemplate the phenomena with advantage 
as particular objects of study, if his inclination should lead him 
that way.” 
The first number of a new periodical work, entitled ** Journal 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, * has just 
reached this country from America. It contains, Ist, Descrip- 
tions of six new species of the genus Firola, from the Mediter- 
ranean, by MM. de Sueur and Peron, with a plate. 2d, Anac- 
cout of the new mountain sheep, Ovis montana, by Mr, George 
Ord; with a wood engraving of the horn of the animal. 3d, A 
description of seven i 
‘Thomas Say. 
Another 
merican water and land shells, by Mr. 
