530: 
Fourcroy, bas a high degree of philolo- 
gical merit, and facilitates the orderly 
recollection of thofe fubftances with 
which their analyfis is converfant. Yet 
fome of their elements have been rafh- 
ly named. Hydrogez, for inftance, 
might, with equal propriety, defignate 
any other coni{tituent part of water, as 
oxygen,or latent heat. Azete might, with 
equal propriety, defignate any other 
gaz, fuch as the carbenic, which extin- 
euifhes vitality. Such names fhould be 
changed. Common minds are very apt 
to confound words with things; to 
miftake philological precifion for che- 
mical truth ; to confider the reception 
of the new nomenclature, as an admif- 
fion of thofe doétrines which the in- 
venters of the nomenclature happened 
to hold. Such prejudices are only 
worthy of feiolifts. It may be hoped 
~that the word pblogiffox, which predi- 
cates nothing concerning the element 
defignated but its prefence in flame, 
will fuperfede the word hydrogen (water 
generater), which predicates concern- 
ing the element defignated, perhaps a 
falfehood, and certainly a quality not 
exclufively peculiar to this fubftance. 
If, however, this exchange of a fingle 
term (which any algebraic ex, any un- 
defining atmé might as yet reprefent) 
were made, the difference between Dr. 
Prieftley and his antagonifts would be fo 
fmall, that a nitrous telt could f{carcely 
redden into vifibility its gazeous eva- 
nefcent fubtlety. 
¢« FlorsLey’s Elementary Treatifes 
on Mathematics, &s. 6d.”’ 
If it be the intention of the Univer- 
ity cf Oxford, as we have heard, to 
yntroduce the ftudy of mathematics 
into their fyitem of education, it may 
now, with propriety and benefit to it- 
felf, teflify 1ts gratitude toward a learn- 
ed and diftinguifhed. member, by em- 
ploying the prefent treatife as a book 
of lecture and reference—a treatife, 
which, in the words of the preface, 
may be truly faid to be plain enough 
for the learner, and adapted, at the 
fame time, to the tafte of the {cholar. 
*«* Comparative View of Cullen, 
Brown, and Darwin, by H. X. Basra, 
18.60" 
To the character and influence of our 
literature and language it is highly 
glorious, that the theories of our medi- 
cal philofophers fhould be dividing the 
{chools of Paris and Vienna into parties - 
of Zoonomians and Anti-zoonomians; 
and that a native of Portugal fhould 
Retrofpe® of Domeftie Literature—Natural Hiftory, Ses 
take a fhare of the controverfy in am 
idiom to him fo foreign, Dr. Baeta 
graduated at Edinburgh, and difplays 
no common familiarity with our opi- 
nions and our tongue. 
“« Reich on Fever, tranflated by C. H. 
Parry, 38. 6d.” 
The German author of this Differta-_ , 
tion profeffed to have difcovered a cure _ 
for fever, which was purchafed by the 
King of Pruffia, and made public. It 
appears to. be muriatic acid. 
‘¢ Four Effays on Praétical Mecha- 
nics, by T. FENWICK.” 
All thefe Eflays have merit, particu- 
larly the fourth, on the fimplification 
of machinery. “ 
“* TatTuam’s Hiftorical Effay on To- 
bacco, 6s.” 
The chronological, natural, com- 
mercial, and political hiftory of tobacco 
have all afforded to this writer an op- 
portunity of curioussand copious com- 
ment: but his information is fo com- 
prehenfive as to be fometimes nuga- 
tory. He defcribes the method of 
prizing, or {queezing, by dint of me- 
chanifm, the article into its package,, 
fo as to reduce its bulk for ftowage. 
and to exclude the air of fermentation, 
A little literary prizing would be of | 
ufe to his volume, which, without the 
water-pre{s of Bramah, might be con- 
denfed into much lefs fpace, and not 
incur the éxpulfion of ufeful and in- 
terefting details. The practice of 
fmoaking the leaves of fome plant is 
common to all countries troubled with- 
mofquitoes ; but the ufe of tobacco, 
as the herb of predilection, feems to 
have been familiar in China and Hin- 
doftan before the difcovery of America, 
and to have been borrowed from the 
Europeans by the Floridans in pre- 
ference to their own killiconik and 
fumach. Several produétions, habits, 
and difeafes, which the Portuguefe 
brought from the Eaft Indies, having 
become rife in Europe about the time 
of the difcovery of America, were mif- 
taken for American. The lues pro- 
bably is a propagation of the Perfian 
fire; andthe fegar, or cigarro, an imi- 
tation of the fharoot. , 
<¢ New Obfervations on Thin 
parent Bodies, 2s. 6d.” 
This continuation of a well-con- 
ducted attack on the Newtonian phi-- 
lofophy of light and colours: cannot 
but enfeeble the authority of the po- 
pular fyftem. But as yet it fubttitutes 
nothing fatisfattory. The beer are 
/digat 
Tranf- 
