642  Retrofpeé of Demeffic Literature.—Natural Hiftory, ts 
incredible difficulties aud dangers : volun- 
tary exiles from all civilized fociety, they 
forfake relations and friends, parents, bre- 
thren, and the companions of their early 
life, to propagate the Gofpel among fa- 
vages; to extirpate idolatry and inculcate 
among the Heathens the morality of 
Chrift, his precepts, and his doctrines. 
Thefe volumes, confidcred as mere books 
of travels, will be confulted as imparting 
more information concerning the manneis, 
characier, and religion of the favages, 
with whom the Mifficnaries refided, than 
perhaps any other works in the language. 
As throwing light on the nature of the 
human mind, they are of great value. 
An interefting ‘* Narrative” has jut 
been publifhed of events that have lately 
taken place in Ireland among the fociety 
called Quakers. The harmony of that 
feciety, which denominates itfelf the So. 
ciety of Friends, has recently been difturbed 
by certain differences in opinion on points 
both of fpeculation and practice among 
members of the fociety who live in Ire- 
land. The objeét of the prefent publica- 
tion is to counteract erroneous reports 
which have been circulated on the fubject 
of thele differences and the confequent 
proceedings of the fociety, and to gratify 
the wifhes of thofe who are defirous of a 
correct ftatement of faéts. For that flate- 
ment, as it would occupy too much room 
heie, we mutt refer to the volume itfelf. 
. We are indehted to Mr. Myues for a 
° Chronological Hiflory of the People called 
Methodijis, of the Couneétion of the late 
Rew. John Wefley, from their Rife iu the 
Year 1729, te their laff Conference in 
1802.” 
If the Society of Friends is declining 
in numbers, that of Methedilts is very ra- 
pidly increafing s a fociety, whofe seli- 
gious tenets aie of the molt gloomy, dan- 
gerous, and debafing kind. -Many indi- 
viduals of them have already entered the 
church, and are forming within its bofom 
a loud and powerful faction. 
NATURAL HISTORY, NATURAL PHILO- 
SOPHY, AND PHYSICS. 
Under this head we have to notice a 
very unvfual number of valuable works.— 
<¢ Elements of Galvaaifn, in Theory and 
Praéice; with a comprebenfive View of 
its Hiftary, from the fui Experiments of 
Galvani io the prefent Time: containing 
alfe pradlical Direétions for eonftruciing 
the Galvanic Apparatus, and plain SyJ- 
tematic Inftructions for performing all the 
various Experiments; illufiraiea with a 
great Number of Copper-plates, By C. Hi. 
WILKINSON.” - 
Mr. Wilkinfon is mafter of the fubjecét 
which he has undertaken to explain, and 
of which he has given a very interefting 
hifttory. It was in the year 1790, that 
M. Galvani, of Bologna, while making 
experiments with a comnton eleétrical ma- 
chine, was infenfibly Jed to the inveftiga- 
tion of this fcience : he publithed his dif- 
covery in the following year, and from this" 
period it has been very afliduoufly and 
fuccelsfully cultivated by the philofophers 
of Europe. The {cience is yet in its in- 
fancy, but there feems a ftrong probability 
that animal electricity, or Galvanifm, as 
it is now called, may be rendered fubfer- 
vient to very important pu poles, both in 
medicine and chemiftry. Mr, Wilkinfon 
has déeveted a chapter to what he terms 
Medical Galvanifin, as it has fallen un- 
der his cwn obfervation, with fuch di- 
rections, illuftrated by plates, as may be. 
underftood by others, who are difpofed to 
make fimilar attempts. In porate: af- 
feStions it has often proved of confidera- 
ble advantage, in cafes of deafnefs alfo. 
relief has been afforded by Galvanifm ; 
but Mr. Wilkinfon has never fucceeded 
in being ferviceable in affections of the 
eye. ‘ In involuntary aétions of the 
mulcles, (fays Mr. Wilkinfon,) I know 
of no remedy fo efficacious as Galvanifm. 
In a contracted ftate of the fingers or 
hands, however violently the latter may 
be clenched, on the application of this 
principle for the fpace of a few minutes, 
it rarely fails to induce a relaxation. 
In cafes of cramp, if of long continu. 
ance, and even of tetanus, or locked jaws 
it has afforded relief in a fhort {pace of 
time. In contraCtions of the joints, and 
in all cafes of rigidity,.jit will be found a 
very advantageous ftimulus, which will 
greatly contribute to the reforation of 
motion.” With regard to the influence 
of Galvanifm in cafes of mental derange- 
ment, Mr. Wilkinfon mentions its good 
effeéts in two inftances, by Aldinis he 
gives Mr. Haflam’s theory on the fubject, 
but does net appear to have had any ex- 
perience himfeif. The author concludes 
with giving infruétions for the employ- 
ment of Galvanifm in cafes of fufpended 
animation. Mr. Wikinfon’s theory is, 
that its principles and thofe of eleétricity 
are identically the fame : that the former 
is the evolution of ele€tricity from con- 
duéting bodies, and difengaged by a che- 
mica! proce(s ; while the latter is the fame 
principle, rendered apparent to our fenfes 
by the temporary changes of non-conduct- 
ing bodies to a conduéting ftate. 
“An Account of the late Improwement 
in Gawanifm 5 with a Series of curious 
and interefing Experiments, performed 
~ before 
