Retrofped? of French Literature—Mifcellaneous. 
feveral interefting Galvanafcopic expe- 
riments. Of thefe, are particularifed 
the Galvanometers founded on the at- 
traction of light bodies, conftructed by 
Erman and Bitter, as well as thofe of 
Robertf{on and Graperon, who had em- 
ployed the effects refulting from the 
decompofition of water by Galvanifm. 
In the fixth and laft fection, the 
author enumerates feveral diftinct ap- 
paratus, which he denominates fecon- 
dary, 
This work may be confidered as at 
once a hiftory of, and a treatife on, Gal- 
vanifm ; and the name,and authority 
of M.Izarn will doubtlefs contribute 
to its popularity. 
‘< Difcours fur les Progrés futurs de 
Ja Science de l’Homme, prononcé dans 
T’Ecole de Montpellier, le 10 Germinal, 
An, XII.”—A Difcourfe on the future 
Progrefs of the Science of Man, pro- 
nounced in the School of Montpellier, 
on the roth Germinal, XIIth Year; by 
CuarLes L.Dumas,aProfeflor in that 
Schoo}. 
M. Dumas, in the beginning of this 
eloguent difcourfe, undertakes to trace 
the progre{s which the phyfiological and 
medical {ciences are capable of making, 
and which the prefent ftate of human 
knowledge permits ustoexpect. Af- 
ter having given a brief expofition of 
the caufes capable’ of influencing this 
progres, either by accelerating, or re- 
tarding it, he traces out the connexion 
which exifts, between the poffible per- 
fection of medicine, and that of the 
human fpecies, and thus infpires a ge- 
neral intereft for the encouragement of 
a fcience, equally ferviceable to indi- 
viduals and to fociety. 
We are next prefented with a rapid 
{ketch relative to the hiftory of medi- 
cine, at the epoch of Hippocrates 5 un- 
der the influence of Galen; among the 
Arabs; at the refufcitation of letters 
in Europe, and alfo in more modern 
times ; at the period of the abufe of 
chemical applications ; of the circula- 
tion; of the mechanical doctrine ; phy- 
fiological refearches ; the employment 
of the philofophical method, &c. 
He then attributes to five principal 
caufes thofe meliorations which he an- 
ticipates : 
1, The deflruction of a variety of 
errors, relative to different portions of 
the {ciences. 
2. The ftability of the bafis on which 
Facdical certainty is now founded, 
683 
3- The relative progrefs of our 
knowledge. 
4. The fyftematical re-union of all 
the parts, which conftitute a whole. 
5. And, finally, the real perfectabi- 
lity of practical medicine. 
“¢ The ftudy of philofophy,” fays 
he, “and that of medicine originated 
at the fame time ; the fame neceffity 
prefided at their common origin; the 
fame deftiny will foon affociate them by 
means of a reciprocal exchange of fer- 
vices and of information.. Their 
union, equally ancient as the world, 
ought alfo to be as durable, while it is 
as neceflary as the indiffoluble union 
between man and nature. 
<¢ If they differ in fome points, that 
difference is wholly to the advantage of 
medicine ; for philofophy is nothing with- 
out a previous knowledge of the nature of 
man; while, on the contrary, medicine is 
{till fomething, even if it be unacquainted 
with all the objects relative to which phi- 
lofophy is occupied. It isin the ttudy of 
phyfical man that we are to fearch for the 
principle of our intellectual faculties, the 
origin of the operations of our underitand- 
ing, and the fource of all our moral affec- 
tions. It is inthe bofom of medicine that 
we are to conceive the idea of thofe active 
and varied {prings, of that fecret and hid- 
den power, of that foft and flexible orga- 
nization, which move, change, command, 
and modify, our minds as well! as our bo- 
dies. In fhort, it is in the knowledge 
of human nature that we find all the re- 
fources fitted to embrace the immenfe ex- 
tent of univerfal nature. An Hippocra- 
tes was wanting to forma Plato ; and the 
firtt of philofophers is indebted for a por- 
tion of his genivs and fublimity to the 
greateft of phyficians.”’ 
Abandoning himfelf, foon after this, to 
all the warmth and fentiment of a philo- 
fophical mind, as well as to the hope arif> 
ing out of the expected benefits from the 
perfectibility of medicine, the author 
proceeds as follows : 
“« If the knowledge of difeafes and their 
treatment fhould be pxrfected; if we are 
enabled to trace their origin and their caufes 
with greater certainty ; if we are to be ren- 
dered acquainted with all the diftant caules 
which produce maiadies, little doubt can 
be entertained but we fhall at length be 
enabled to deitroy thofe which appear at 
prefent moft fatal, and be at length en- 
abled to banifh from the human {pecies 
the moi active caufes of defiruction and 
of death. Is it uneafonable after this to 
re te} fuppole, 
