Retrofpedt of French Literature —Miifcellaneous, 
prudence, from the Foundation of 
Rome until the 38th Century; to 
which is added, the Text of the Laws 
of the Twelve Tables. By Goujon, 
4-vols. 12m0. 
The fiudy of jurifprudence prefents 
a variety of difficulties, on account of 
the theories arifing out of the practice 
of independent nations, who differ in 
nothing fo much as in the formation 
of their. criminal laws, The Roman 
code, however, has generally been con- 
fidered as opening an ample field of in- 
formation to the ftudent; and in many 
countries it became indifpenfably ne- 
ceflary for every practitioner, and in- 
deed for every private gentleman,to at- 
tain a knowledge of it. 
Previous to the revolution, the de- 
fcent of property in moft of the pro- 
vinces of France was regulated by the 
civil law; and even now it would ap- 
pear, that an acquaintance with it is 
ftill proper for all profeffional men em-. 
ployed in the courts of juftice. It 4s 
on this account, that M. Goujon, think- 
ing the ftudent might be deterred from 
the perufal of the tubjeét, by the folio 
edition of ** /Hiftoire du Droit Ro- 
main,” has been at great pains to ex- 
tract the quinteflence, which is bere 
prefented to the woild in the thape of 
a {mall duodecimo. 
The author confiders the hiftory of 
Roman jurifprudence, under four dif- 
ferent epochs. The fift epoch includes 
the periods from the foundation of 
Rome until the abolition of royalty, 
containing a {pace of 244 years. The 
fecond reaches from the commence- 
ment of the republic, until the battle 
of A&tium. The third, from the time 
of the emperors until the conclufion 
of the Eaitern Empire ; and, the fourth, 
from the time of Juftinian, until the 
prefent. 
The queftion has been much agi- 
tated among the learned, whether the 
laws of the Twelve Tables were in- 
tively borrowed from Greece, or con- 
fifted chiefly of the ancient cuftoms 
and inftitutions of Rome. M. Goujon 
inclines to the latter opinion, as both 
Romulus and Numa had enaéted regu- 
lations exactly fimilar in every parti- 
cular. 
“< Hiftoire Medicale del’ Armée Fran- 
gaife, &c.”—-A Medical Hiltory of the 
French Army at St. Domingo, during 
the tenth Year. By the Chief Phyfi- 
clan, Dr. GILBERT, 8vo. 
_In imitation of M. Defgennettes, 
651 
who accompanied the Army of the 
Eaft, M, Gilbert here gives an account 
ot the maladies which proved fo fatal 
in St. Domingo, and made a voyage ta 
that ifland an objeét of terror to the 
bravett of the French troops. That 
dreadful difeafe, termed the yellow fe- 
ver,ishere defcribedas atribute paid by 
a great majority of Europeans to the 
climate between the tropics, &c. the 
confolatory idea is held out, that, as it 
proceeds trom accidental caufes, thefe 
may be either anticipated, or at- 
tenuated in fuch a manner, as either to 
avoid the malady, or render it almoft 
harmlefs. In fhert, we are told that 
the epidemic fever, which cut off fo 
many French troops in the Weft In- 
dies, will ceafe to be dreaded the moe 
ment that proper regulations are adopt- 
ed ; and it is afked, why a voyage to 
the colonies of the Republic fhould be 
more dreaded than one to Botton, Phil-. 
adelphia, the Havannah, or Jamaica, 
in all of which the fame fcourge has 
recently afficied mankind? 
In order to forma juft notion of his 
fubject, Dr. Gilbert undertakes to pre- 
fent the reader with what he denomi- 
nates the sedical topography of the 
ifland of St. Domingo. He, accords 
ligly, contiders its geographical pofi- 
tlon, its temperature, which is greatly 
modified by the fea-breezes, the change 
in the feafons, as dcfignated by the 
rainy and dry feafons, the nature of 
the joil, the quarries, the mines, the 
rivers, the common and mineral waters, 
the botanical productions, and the itate: 
of the atmo{phere. After this he in- 
dicates the difeafes which occur annu-~ 
ally, the common modes of treating 
them, and the remedies, both indi- 
genous and exotic, ufuaily applied. 
On the difembarkation of the army 
the foldiers immediately became in- 
temperate, in confequence of which, 
they were expofed toa variety of ma- 
ladies. About the end of April, the 
yellow fever made its appearance, and 
its progrefs increafed with the heat of 
the feajon, which happened to be un- 
commonly dry and fultry. It was 
ufhered in by exceflive pains in the 
head, a hard pulfe, fudden naufea, ab-_ 
dominal pains, and afymptomatic diar- 
rhcea; death generally occurredon the 
fifth or feventh, and often before the 
third day, and it was preceded by ar 
univerial difcoloration of the fkin, and 
a fupprefion of urine. Thofe who 
efcaped, not only remained for a long 
tine 
