640 — 
author’s observations. It may perhaps 
be enough to say they are in general 
judicious. 
A work, not only much extended, but 
materially improved also, occurs in the 
new edition of the “ London Medical 
Dictionary,” originally compiled by Doc- 
tors Mornersy and Wattis. hough 
broken into articles, the different sub- 
jects are properly connected; a syste- 
matic arrangement of each having been 
first formed on given principles. ‘The 
references attached to each article point 
out the original writers on the different 
subjects. 
Another work, of which the title only 
was mentioned in our last, is Mr. Joun- 
ston’s ‘‘ Practical Observations on Uri- 
nary Gravel and Stone; on Diseases of 
the Bladder and Prostate Gland; and 
on Strictures of the Urethra.” The dif- 
ferent combinations under which these 
diseases appear, tend very much to per- 
plex and embarrass the medical practi- 
tionex Mr. Johnston, however, has 
endeavoured to point out distinctly the 
circumstances attending each modifica- 
tion, and to explain the practice which 
has been found, or may be considered 
most likely, to remove or alleviate com- 
plaints so formidable and distressing. 
In the treatment of gravel and stone, 
alkalies appear to be the chief remedies 
recommended. In respect to the prin- 
cipal diseases of the urinary organs, Mr. 
Johnston has accurately detailed both 
the theory and practice of several men 
of eminence. 
Scarpa’s “ Practical Observations on 
the principal Diseases of the Eye,” trans- 
lated by Mr. Brices, will be found _a 
work of considerable merit. The sub- 
ject of Cataract forms the most inter- 
esting chapter in the volume. 
Mr. CarmicHarEr’s “ Essay on the 
Effect of Carbonate of Iron upon Cancer ; 
with an Inquiry into the Nature of that 
Disease ;” seems to have been hardly 
formed upon sufficient data. He con- 
siders Cancer as an animal. 
There are a few detached observations 
in Dr. Cumine’s © Naval, Military, and 
Private Practitioner’s Amanuensis Me- 
dicus et Chirurgicus,’ which probably 
may prove instructive; but we cannot 
give a general commendation of the 
work, Some of the most important dis- 
eases, both in medicine and surgery, are 
wholly overlooked by the author; while 
others are but very superficially exa- 
mined. | 
Retrospect of Domestic Literature.—Poetry. 
POETRY. 
“« Specimens of the later English Poets, 
with preliminary Notices,” by Rozurr 
SoUTHEY. 
As a Sequel to Mr. Ellis’s ‘Specimens 
of the early English Poets,’ we cannot 
give the three volumes here noticed, the 
commendation we could wish. Mr, 
FEllis’s Specimens. were chosen with the 
most exquisite taste, and criticized with 
a truth, a delicacy, and a neatness of 
expression, which have not frequently 
been equalled: while the materials of 
Mr. Southey’s work seem to have been 
brought together im a more hurried man- 
ner, and the Poets of a later day criti- 
cized with more harshness than might 
reasonably have been expected from a 
brother bard. In the Preface, Mr. 
Southey tells us, that many worthless 
versifyers are admitted among the En- 
glish Poets by the courtesy of criticism, 
which seems to conceive that charity to- 
wards the dead may cover the multitude 
of its offences against the living. But 
that there were other reasons for inclu- 
ding in this work the reprobate, as well 
asthe elect. His business was to collect 
specimens as for a Hortus Siccus, not to. 
cull flowers as for an Anthology. After 
a rapid sketch of the progress, or rather 
the changes of our Poetry from Chaucer 
to Akenside, the Specimens commence; 
consisting of samples from tne works of 
every writer whose verses appear in a 
substantive form, and find their place 
upon the shelves of the collector. The 
preliminary notices prefixed to each, 
however, afford in some instances only a- 
criticism or a censure. Indeed, Mr, 
Southey says in his Preface, that “ of a 
few great writers it was unnecessary to 
say any thing, of some ignoble cones 
suthicient to say what they had written.” 
Although of a few lives more ample 
sketches are afforded: those of Otway, 
Mrs. Manly, Budgell, Relph, and Carey, 
in the first volume; Muller and Jones, 
in the second; and Wilkie, in the third 
volume ; are perhaps among the best. In 
regard to the Specimens themselves, we 
may observe, that, though unequal in 
merit, they certainly afford an opportu- 
nity of giving a few extracts ‘superior to 
any we can select from the productions 
of the day. The following is entitled, 
“« The Wish,” from the Poetry of JaBEg 
HUGHES. ihe 
Ye pow’rs who sway the skies above, 
The load of mortal life remove: 
I cannot, lab’ring thus, sustain 
Th’ excessive burthen of my pain! 
A dance 
