449 
i 821. j Crit kal Not ices of Books of the Month . 
the facts., as exhibited in many cases, are 
.sufficiently strong to command our assent. 
In attacks of a nervous nature, the happy 
influence of this process is equally undeni¬ 
able. This remedy has 16ng been in use 
amongst the Japanese and Chinese, and is 
now making its way into European prac¬ 
tice, with results which at least demand 
the earnest attention and scrutiny of the 
•physiologist. The author of the Treatise 
in question abstains altogether from the 
dubious enquiry into the origin of these 
singular effects ; and we think that, in this 
stage of the business, he does well to con- 
line himself to the establishment of facts. 
He must expect to find no little scepticism, 
on a subject so much at variance with the 
common appi*ehensions of the public ; but, 
as far as we can yet judge, we think he 
is proceeding on solid ground, and will, in 
the end, do considerable service to the 
cause of surgical science and humanity. 
Observations on Vocal Music, by Dr. 
Kitchiner, an author, who, whether we 
contemplate him in the various, and certain¬ 
ly somewhat opposite capacities of cook, 
opticiau, physician, or musician, equally 
excites our surprise. We could, however, 
undertake to refer him to fifty much better 
written treatises than his own, on the sub¬ 
ject which has occupied his attention. But 
that he does not in reality stand in need of 
our assistance to enable him to turn th< 
writings of his musical predecessors to 
good account, is evident from the circum¬ 
stance of his having half filled his volume 
with quotations from those who have gone 
before him. This is bad enough in a small 
essay like the one before us, but it is infi¬ 
nitely preferable to the continual extracts 
from his own books, which the worthy 
Doctor inflicts upon his readers in every 
recent production. About thirty of the 
.eighty widely-printed pages of this small 
volume' consist of quotations from pub¬ 
lished works. 
We have not lately met with a more en¬ 
tertaining and able work of the sort, than 
Sketches of Upper Canada, byJoHN How- 
isoN, Esq. This gentleman appears to 
be of Scotch extraction, and possesses much 
of the shrewd and clever character of his 
nation. His descriptions of the wild and 
picturesque territories through which he 
passed, are uncommonly characteristic and 
vivid ; and we have only to object to them, 
that his imagination seems occasionally to 
grow too enthusiastic, and revels somewhat 
too luxuriantly amidst the beauties of na¬ 
ture that surround him. At one time he pad¬ 
dies down the river St. Lawrence in a half 
slumber; and at another, is roused in the 
woods from a delicious reverie, by a bear 
or an Indian. These are exaggerations of 
feeling, which a traveller, when they in re¬ 
ality exist, should rather conceal than ex¬ 
press, as they tend to throw a suspicion on 
Monthly Mao. No. 361. 
the graver and more common-place parts 
of his narrative. When, however, Mr. 
Howison descends from his ideal trans¬ 
ports, he shews himself to be master of 
humbler subjects, and his information on 
the state of the present inhabitants of Up¬ 
per Canada, and his advice to emigrants 
about to proceed thither, are truly valua¬ 
ble. He appears to have a happy talent 
in catching the peculiarities of manner and 
language of the people, the details of which 
will afford no small amusement to his 
readers. Some of the conversations which 
he records are expressed in a phraseology 
excessively ludicrous to an English ear. 
Upon the whole, this volume well deserves 
perusal, which it will reward with very 
valuable stores of information and amuse- 
ment. 
The lovers of light reading will find a 
considerable fund of entertainment in a 
small unpi’etending volume, entitled Para- 
mythia ; or, Mental Pastimes: being ori¬ 
ginal Anecdotes, historical, descriptive , 
humorous, and witty, collected chiefly dur¬ 
ing a long residence at the Court of Russia. 
From the preface, we learn that the author 
is the writer of the descriptions which ac¬ 
companied the prints of the Costumes of 
Russia, published a few years ago. The 
author has, we think, succeeded in what he 
tells us was his aim—to amuse, and not to 
offend; aud certainly his little volume 
will be found of considerable utility in 
dispelling the tediousness of those long 
winter evenings which are so dreadful to 
those who have nothing useful to do, and 
nothing amusing to read. 
Amongst the many writers of fiction of 
the present day, whose aim it is to be at 
once both useful and agreeable, we may 
rank the author of ‘‘Rachel aud the Au¬ 
thoress,” who has lately offered to the pub¬ 
lic another little tale, on the same model, 
entitled Prudence and Principle. We 
have no hesitation in saying that this vo¬ 
lume is all that it pretends to be—a tale of 
common life and common failings. It is 
written for the valuable purpose of demon¬ 
strating that it is not upon one virtue alone 
that we can rely for happiness, but that it 
is by the operation of seemingly contrary 
principles that our actions are to be go¬ 
verned. The author has exemplified this 
truth in the characters of Ellen and Phoebe, 
one of whom possesses principle without 
prudence, and the other prudence without 
principle. There is no genius shewn in 
this volume, nor is it peculiarly interest¬ 
ing ; but the useful tendency of its design, 
and the excellence of its precepts, render 
it valuable. Like the other productions of 
the same family, it is neatly printed, and 
ornamented with a frontispiece. 
It is a very painful thing to be compelled 
to read a bad novel, and it is still more, 
painful to be compelled to give it a bad 
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