~ Vos. VIL] Retrofpett of Domeftic Literature... Medicine, Ses 
were fairly and fully—and_ inefficacioufly 
applied: fome patients were relieved, and 
fome few cured; but fo precarious are the 
benefits with which the application of 
oxygen is attended, that it feems zot im- 
probable that we fball foon return to mer- 
cury. Inthe third volume of Dr. FreR- 
RIAR’S °* Medical Hiflories and Réfleéit- 
ons,” the author fays that he has made 
trequent trials with the nitric acid in 
fyphilis, but without obtaining the ad- 
vantage from it which he was taught to 
expect: like Mr. B. however, he is of 
opinion that it may be ufeful in certain 
{tages of the difeafe, although neither the 
extent or (nor) permanency of its effects 
are (is) yet afcertained.”” The firft paper 
of this volume contains fome ingenious 
and novel obfervations on rabies canina. 
Dr. HAMILTON has publithed a fecond 
edition, with additions and correétions, 
of his “¢ Remarks on Hydrophobia ;”’ this 
work contains a great deal of moft valua- 
ble matter: the Doctor has {pared no pains 
in collecting faéts and opinions, ancient 
as well as modern ; but the ftyle is fo in- 
accurate, and the arrangement fo very 
defective, as certainly in fome degree to 
detraét from the merit of the work. But 
Dr. HAMILTON has loft his fight : we 
ought rather to wonder, therefore, that 
his ftyle is not more inaccurate, and his 
arrangement more defective. Dr. For- 
DYCE has publifhed A Second,’ and the 
firft part of his Third Differtation on Fe- 
‘ver.” In thefe as in his former tracts, 
Dr. Forpyce difplays much ingenious 
reafoning and novel remark: his hiftory 
of fymptoms is minute, and evinces that 
he has marked their progrefs with much 
nicenefs and precifion, Dr. Jenner’s, 
“© Enquiry into the Caufes and Effecis of the 
Variole Vaccing” is extremely curious, and 
much benefit, it is probable, will refult 
to the public from the profecution, which 
he promifes, of his inveftigations. This 
difeafe was difcovered in fome of the 
weftern counties of England, and is 
known by the name of the Cow-Pox : it 
bears a very firiking refemblance in its 
fymptoms, its appearance, and in the 
nature, though happily not in the degree, 
of, its effects, to the fmall-pox ; the prin- 
cipal difference confifts in this, that the 
fluid of the cow-pox remains limpid nearly 
to the time of its total difappearance, and 
never becomes purulent, as in the direét 
fmall-pox, and that the former is local, 
while the latter is general. The difeale 
appears on the nipples of cows, in livid 
irregular puftules, furrounded by inflam- 
Mation; it is communicated to thoie em- 
Montuiy Mac. No, xu, 
the Human Body, &c.” 
509 
ployed in milking, and any perfon who. 
has been once affected with it, will never 
afterwards take the {mall-pox, either by 
expofure to variolous efiluvia or by the 
inoculation. From the eftablifhment of 
this very important fact, Dr. JENNER 
purpoles to fubftitute the inoculation of 
the cow-pox, for that of the fmall-pox ; 
the following advantages are ftated to re - 
fult ; ft, It clearly appears that the for- 
mer procefs would leave the conftitution 
in aftate of perfect fecurity from the in- 
fection of the finall-pox. a2dly, In the 
cow-pox no eruption of puftules takes 
place over the body. 3jdly, The difeafe 
when received, cannot be communicated 
te other perfons by effluvia; nor per- 
haps by fimple contaét unleis there be 
fome abrafion of the cuticle. 4thly, No 
fatal effects have ever been known to arife 
from the cow-pox, even when impreffed 
in the moft unfavourable manner. It is 
ardently to be hoped’that this fubjeé 
will meet with that minute atten- 
tion which its extraordinary confequence 
demands. A fecond and correéted edition 
is publifhed of Dr. Hamilton’s very ufe- 
ful work, on * The Duties of a Regimental 
Surgeon, Gc.” It will excite no turprife 
that a great deal of curious and valuable 
matter is to be found in the volume which 
has appeared of ‘* Medical Records and 
Kefearches,’ when it is known that the 
principal contributors are Dr. HaIGcu-. 
TON, Dr. BABINGTON, and Mr. AsvT- 
LEY Cooper. ‘That metallic fubftances 
have {ome influence on the animal fyftem 
is {carcely to be doubted, fince the experi- 
ments of Galvani (fee Monthly Mag. 
vol. i, p. 348); Mr. BENJAMIN 
Doucuas PeRKiNs has publifhed, what 
he calls, the difcoveries of his father Dr. 
PERKINS of Conneéticut, relative to 
‘¢ Lhe Influence of Metallic Tra@ors on 
In the perulal 
of Mr. PERKINS’s pamphlet we cannot 
but fay, that the numerous lift of difeafes 
which vanifhed at the magic of thefe trac- 
tors in fome meafure reminded us of Dr. 
Brodum’s panaceas: we were particu- 
larly fufpicious when we found that Mr. 
PERKINS had taken out a patent for fel- 
ling his tractors in this kingdom, and 
that he offers them at five guineas a fet ; 
we were difpofed, however, to a more fa~ 
vourable opinion, when he fays concern- 
ing them, that ‘ inftead of being fuc- 
ceisful only among the lower clafles of 
mankind who are moft fubject to credulity - 
and impofition, they have hitherto been 
chiefly ufed among men of fcience and 
refpectabjlity, who have often been dif- 
3. poled 
‘ 
