614 
P -aétical,” is eminent for the fame good 
. - fenfe and piety which diftinguifhed the firit. 
And we may here mention, though a 
little out of time, the: ‘* Difcourfes of 
Bifhop Seabury,””’ publifhed in a moderate 
oftavo in New York, fince the Reverend 
Author’s death. 
Of fingle Sermons there have appeared 
feveral purporting, to be Centurial, but 
thofe which we have feen, are little dif- 
ferent from ordinary compofitions. 
We mention, however, an exception to 
this, in the ** Sermon delivered on the Firtt 
of January, 1801, by SaMUEL MILLER, 
A.M. which includes a Review of the 
Progrefs in Literature, Science, Politics, 
and Religion, during the Eighteenth Cen- 
tury.” "A work which, we regret, is not 
yet publifhed from the prefs. From the 
learning, induftry, and talents of the Re- 
verend Author, great expectations are 
entertained. 
- MEDICINE. 
In this department of knowledge, 
America has furnifhed its full proportion. 
‘The peftilential diftempers which have 
afflifted the growing cities on the At- 
lantie fide of that Continent, have given 
rife to much fpeculation and obfervation. 
It feems to be now fettled that they are 
not contagious, that is, not. produced by 
fecreted fluids poffeffing f{pecific-morbid 
qualities, but are the offspring of putre-' 
faétion engendering their exciting caufe, 
either within the alimentary canal, on the 
external furface of the body, or in the 
furrounding atmofphere. In inveftigating 
the phenomena of thefe procefles, Dr. 
“Mitcuitt fill continues his unwearied 
labours. After having proved, beyond 
queftion, the predominant Acidity of the 
vapours and liquids produced during the 
corruption of /eaz fubftances in the hot 
feafons of America, he has proceeded to 
demonftrate the prevalence of Acidity 
alfo in the pus of fiphylitic and cancerous 
ulcers; in the remains of food about the 
teeth and gums 3; in the ftomach, and 
fmall inteftines when indigeftion happens; 
and in the large inteftines when dyfentery; 
tormina, and tenefmus prevail. The 
predominance of Acidity is no lefs fre- 
quent in the perfpiratory fluids of the 
fkin. Having fatisfied himfelf that va- 
vious diftempers arofe from the accumu- 
lation of thefe four and venomous pro- 
ductions on the cuticular furface, he was 
induced to explain the origin of certain 
itchings, pimples, blotches, tetters, erup- 
tions, and foul diforders of the fkin, from 
the irritating adiion of this acid... The 
operation of water, and frequent ablution 
Retrofpei of American Literature---Medicine. 
or changes of linen were thus accounted 
for. Even oil, and greafy un&tion would 
neutralize a portion of this fkin-bred 
acidity. But folutions of mild alkalies 
in water would be preferable to either. 
This led to a theory of the alkalies, 
and the foaps made from them in wafh- 
ing both the fkin and the clothes worn 
next to it, and impregnated with the four 
excretions wiped from it. This principle 
once eftablifhed, was of eafy application 
to the alimentary canal. In common 
cafes, fournefs produced there, was over- 
come by the bile, a faponaceous and alka- 
line fluid formed for the purpofe. But 
in morbid inftances, where there was too 
much fournefs for the bile to neutralize, 
an addition, ab extra, of fome alkaline 
folution would reinforce the bile, and quell 
the overplus of detrimental acidity. 
Alkalies therefore prudently adminiftered, 
particularly carbonate of foda, would be 
as operative and as ufeful to the furface 
of the fiomach and bowels, as to the 
furface of the fkin. And. peccant quali- 
ties of the foeces were as capable of be- 
ing corrected by it, as naftinefs inherent 
in clothing.. Hence was deduced a theory 
of neutral falts doing good as they under= 
went decompofition, and attracting the 
peftilential acidity of the prime vieto their 
alkaline bafis. Domeftic Economy and 
Materia Medica -having received thefe 
aids, Surgery came in next for a fhare 
of the benefits refulting from Dr. Mitchili’s 
difcoveries. The acid formed on the fur- 
face of malignant ulcers, and infecting 
the holds of fhips and wards of -holpitals, © 
{preading fevers all around, was coercible 
by alkalies and folutions of potafh-foda; 
and ‘lime admitted into the lif of Chi- 
rurgical dreffings, was of fingular effi- 
cacy to prevent bad fmells and to ftifle 
infection at its birth, as well as to pre- 
vent the exciting caufe of heétic-fever in 
the individual, from its abforption and 
agency within. The feries, however, of 
théfe memorable pieces of induétive 
philofophy, may be feen at large in the 
four volumes of the Medical Repertory 
of New York, and feveral of them in 
the Medical and Phyfical Journal of Lon- 
don. 
Blanchet’s Applications of Chemiftry to 
Medicine, which appeared lait fummer, as 
been followed by ‘*Ramsay’s Centurial + 
Medical Addrefs,”” Megask’s ** Eflayson 
the Spafmodic Nature of the Difeafe, 
caufec by the Bite of a rabid Animal,” 
Caldwell’s ‘* Medical and Phyfical Me-~ 
moirs,”? and his ‘‘ Analogy between Afi-- 
atic Plaguey and American Yellow fe- 
ee yer,” 
4 
