its necessary temperature, and hospital 
fever, he shows us, can only svread in si- 
tuations similar to those which gave it 
birth. But the true contagions inay be 
communicated at all seasons, in all cli- 
mates, in all situations. It:is even as- 
serted, that the very purity of the air 
which protects us from the other epide- 
mics, will serve to render the effects of 
contagions more certain; that is, that 
small-pox, measles, and scarlet fever, will 
spread with more certainty, in propor- 
tion as the inhabitants of the place are 
accustomed to breathe a purerair. It 
must be admitted, that, though London 
is never free from these diseases, yet that 
they do not constantly spread with that: 
rapidity, which is generally remarked 
when they are introduced into villages. 
On these accounts, Dr. Adams. takes 
much pains to call the attention of the 
public and individual families, to the con- 
sideration of those means, by which they 
are to protect the community, themselves, 
and families, from the different epide- 
mics. A chapter is dévoted to each dis. 
ease; in which, after ascertaining the 
manner in which it is conveyed, the 
means of prevention are readily deduced. 
Such a work was much wanted, not 
only to teach matrons to conduct their in- 
tercourse with others, so as to protect 
their offspring, but to facilitate our con- 
nections with each other, by distinguish- 
ing between false alarms and real dan- 
gers. We are therefore pleased to find 
the whole written in that popular style, 
which must not only be intelligible to, 
but interest, every reader, 
One object of the author, seems to 
be to set the public to -rights, on the 
popular subject of exterminating the 
small-pox. If the premises we have 
already offered, are correct, it will follow 
that those writers, who assume the: pos- 
sibility of exterminating small-pox, be- 
cause the leprosy is now but little known 
among us, and because the plague has not 
visited us for nearly a century and a 
half, have fallen into, an error from not 
distinguishing the diferent manner in 
which-such diseases are spread. With: 
out expressing any doubts concerning 
the security derived from cow-pox, or 
rather without entering mto the question, 
the author urges, that the only security to 
_be depended upon from small-pox, is to 
destroy in the rising generation the sus- 
ceptibility to the disease: that the 
plague ceases by a change of temperature, 
after which, neither the sick, nor their 
cloaths, nor furniture, are contagious ; but 
Montury Mac, No. 187, 
that no such change arrests the ravages 
of small-pox, which only cease when 
none remain, who have not passed 
through it; aud which, in the succeeding 
generation, may be revived by furniture, 
cloaths, and even burying-grounds : that 
therefore, though those who are satished 
of the security of vaccination, do right to 
recommend it to others by their example, 
which will be more powerful than any 
advice; yet that we are not to expect. 
the extermination of small-pox, by pro- 
hibiting inoculation; that the public 
mind has, for the most part, judged prd« 
perly enough on these subjects; ino= 
culation having been almost universally 
practised in large towns; but in villages, 
not without some popular or implied re- 
straint, excepting when the disease has 
been accidentally introduced, and spread 
beyond human controul, before any 
means have been used to prevent it. 
Qn the means of avoiding what has of 
late been popularly called Typhous fever, 
Dr. Adams is particularly full, and also 
on the extermination of the disease alto~ 
gether. This leads him into some very 
interesting enquiries, concerning the 
habits of the poor, the melhoration of 
whose condition, he shows, has contri- 
buted greatly to lessen that disease, 
which may therefore ‘be gradually ex- 
terminated, in proportion as society is 
progressively improved: 
The subject of contagion leads us to 
a controversy, of which we never think 
without pain. Our readers must have 
been disgusted, as well as ourselves, with 
the various brochures which have issued 
from the press, on a discovery which re= 
quired the most impartial, and patient 
investigation; but which has at iast de- 
generated into personality, and almost 
scurrility, It is with some satisfaction, 
however, that we announce a_perfor- 
mance on vaccination, of a different de- 
scription, Mr. Prart’s “ Account of 
an Evruptive Disease,” is written with 
much candour, though it contains little 
information. 
In an art so important to the comfort 
and preservation of the human race, we 
are glad to see an increase of those mis- 
cellaneous productions, which contribute 
so much to furnish the practitioner with 
useful hints for conducting and impro- 
ving his own practice. Since cur last 
has appeared, “The Annual Medical 
Register,” by a Soctrty or Puysicians,. 
From the title we formed great expec- 
tations. ‘The medical occurrences of a 
whole year, digested and regularly com-. 
4Q piled 
>) 
Retrospect of Domestic Literature.—Medicine, Ke. . 655. 
