whofe contents it circulates, and which it dilutes. This internal Perfpiration, he thinks, is greatly increased by an obs struction of the external, whence an extraordinary discharge by Urine may refult. He forms many other phyfiological fuppofitions on this fubject, equally probable, and fupported by obfervations or experiments; always deducing fome practical applications from them; and appofitely obferves, in the courfe of this chapter, how exactly the fagacity of Hippocrates has expreffed the ftatic doctrine, even while he lamented the impoffibility there appeared to him, of attaining fo very useful a part of medical knowlege.' And, in fact, it may be affirmed, that fome phyfical Axioms, which the moderns have deduced from, and eftablished on, their further attainments in Anatomy, and by Experiments, were in a confiderable degree forefeen by the penetrating contemplation of this exquifite, and moft worthy Phyfician. Laftly, as the errors of the two former Digeftions, which may be confidered as fubfervient to this, are thrown upon this third, he fuppofes the difficulty of curing the difeafes of it to be obvious; both from the previous neceffity of ftrengthening and regulating the former, and the impediments that prevent the full efficacy of remedies from arriving at these more remote and minute paffages. A fection on the Gout is annexed to this chapter, our Author reasonably fuppofing it to arife particularly from a defect in the laft Digeftion, and its appropriate difcharge, Perfpiration. He queries, however, from a very juft penetration, whether even fuppofing the three Digestions and Ex⚫cretions to be regular, a particular fpecies of the Gout may ⚫ not arise from a fault in the nervous fluid? which circum•stance he thinks may fingly exift, tho' it probably attends every other fpecies of the Gout.' ' Indeed, not only the excruciating pain, in a high degree of this difeafe, would incline us to think it particularly nervous; but also the perceivable relief of the brain, and the revival or invigoration, as it were, of the Faculties by a com→ pleat Paroxyfm (which had been fenfibly obfcured before its invafion) would induce a perfon of medical reflection, either to subscribe to our Author's Hypothesis of a vitious nervous Fluid in the Gout; or to fuppofe fome defect or obstruction in those indiscoverable canals which convey it: if he should find it too difficult to conceive an improper confiftence or elaboration of the animal Spirits, while the Digeftions, from which they must have been fecreted, were compleat and regular. For notwithstanding the perfecteft tenuity we can imagine in the finest animal vapour, yet, as it muft, in fome measure, partake of the materials of the mafs which fupplies it, it is not inconceivable, that in their circulation for forty or fifty years, through the minutelt cavities in the body, fome of thefe may be furred, as it were, from its leaft attenuated parts, even when they had been fecreted in their usual tenuity. But be our diftinction here as it may, this section itself contains fo many juft ones, and fuch falutary regulations in different circumftances and modes of this difeafe, that it fhould be perused by every fenfible Arthritic, to whom it will be generally intelligible. It feems impoffible to abstract it without injuring it, nevertheless, after we have hinted his ingenuous acknowlegement of the difficulty, or rather impoffibility, of curing a radicated Gout, and the imprudence of confiding in any boasted Specifics; which, tho' accidentally beneficial in fome cafes, muft be more frequently prejudicial,' we shall prefent our Readers with the conclufion of it. It is evident, that whatever contributes to improve the Digestions, and regulate the Discharges, and particularly infenfible Perfpiration, will give the fafeft, though a flow • relief to gouty conftitutions; that where the Digeftions are entirely impaired, and the Strength is reduced by frequent returns of the Gout, a Milk Diet, prudently directed, may prolong Life, and make it more eafy; that a mixed Diet of that kind, and of animal Food, may be useful in other cafes; that a merely vegetable Diet, which is with the greateft difficulty affimilated into healthy animal fluids, is therefore most improper, and dangerous in gouty Conftitutions; and that whenever gouty materials are formed in the finest Veffels of the arterial, and nervous system, a regular Paroxyfm will more effectually depurate them, than any other discharge; and that in habitual gouty Conftitutions, this painful, though falutary irritation, becomes likewife, in fome measure, neceffary, to throw off other be ginning diforders, which arife from too languid a Motion in the Fluids.' Though an Atrophy feems to depend, in general, on the Difcharges being greater than the Supplies, [which connects it with the title of this work] yet our Author feems to have been led into a confideration of it, chiefly from the imperfect and undistinguishing manner in which most of the antients, and fome moderns, have treated of it. Hence he defcribes the different fpecies of it, as they may arise from more peculiar peculiar Faults in the Conftitutions, Digeftions, and Dif charges, beginning with the nervous Atrophy. The caufes of this, as well as of the other fpecies, are juftly enumerat ed, their appearances well defcribed, and their proper Regimen and Remedies fummarily directed; our Author being, prudently sparing of much formal Prescription. We fhall close our account of this ufeful chapter, however, with the only one he has given at length, which is a piece of physical Cookery, as it has certainly been of use in fome low cafes, is very cheaply prepared, and may not be generally known. He calls it Beef-Broth, but it has alfo been called Beef-Tea, and is directed as follows. Cut a pound of the lean part of the Buttock of Beef into very thin flices, or rather fhreds, put it over a quick fire, with a fufficient quantity of Water; as it grows hot, take off the rifing Scum, and do the fame while it is boiling, which is to be continued only twenty minutes: when it is cold, decant a pint from this pound of Beef, which looks like a light infufion of fine Green-Tea, has a very • grateful flavour, and is more ftrengthening than stronger Broths; a tea-cup of this may be fometimes taken with • great advantage, and in most low Constitutions, is preferable to Broth made from dried Vipers.' The remainder of this work, which is confiderably more than a third of the whole, confifts of two chapters and five fections, which are employed on the Structure and Ufe of the Lungs, and their Diseases, viz. a Catarrh, an Asthma, Obftructions in the Lungs, an Hæmoptoe, an Abcess or Ulcer of them. This must be confidered as Dr. Barry's compleat Digestion and Improvement of his former Treatife on Pulmonary Confumptions, and has certainly great merit on that important and frequent difeafe. But as the pleasure we have received from an attentive perufal of the whole, and the fervice we judged it might be of to fome of our Readers, has led us to expatiate confiderably upon it, we think it feasonable to vary the entertainment; after giving our hearty fuffrage to the excellence of this work, both for matter and manner; Hotwithstanding a very few fuch inaccuracies of Idiom as are likelieft to happen, where an intelligent Writer's ftrict attention to things may subject him now and then to a little negli gence, or rather familiarity, of expreffion. Thus, we often meet with the Particle or following neither or nor, in fentences where we fhould prefer the repetition of the latter negative, as the negation is defigned to be affirmed of both the terms. For inftance, it is faid, page 93, Milk is of a mix ed mixed kind, neither entirely vegetable or animal.' See alfo Fear not the anger of the wife to raise; By Thomas The Tragedies of Sophocles, from the Greek. T HE prefent age has produced fome tranflations from the Greek Claffics, which have enriched our language, and In this number the work bedone honour to their Authors. fore us may be allowed to ftand, as it will enable the English Reader to form a juft idea of the tragic poetry of the antients. The language is eafy and natural, and fuited to the fentiments, which, for the most part, are plain and fimple: tho', in those paffages where the description is more pathetic, the ftyle is proportionably heightned and animated. The tranflation is remarkably clofe and concife, yet fufficiently free to give it the air of an original: and, as far as we can judge from the paffages we have compared, the fenfe of the Author is given with great fidelity and exactnefs. In a word, the English Poet feems to have, in fome measure, preferved that elegance and fimplicity, for which the Grecian is fo deservedly admired. REV. Nov. 1759. Ff As As a fpecimen of the work, we shall present our Readers with an extract from the AJAX, whence they may, in fome measure, judge for themselves, of the Author's ability for an undertaking of this kind. For the fake of those who are unacquainted with the hiftory of this play, it may be proper juft to obferve, that Ajax having formed a defign of killing the Chiefs in the Grecian army, in revenge for the lofs of the armour of Achilles, is feized with a fudden frenzy, and falls upon the cattle, which he mistakes for his enemies; and having made a great flaughter amongst them, he returns to his tent, boafting of the revenge he had taken. Soon after, his reafon returns, and understanding what he had done, he is overwhelmed with grief and rage. In this fituation, the Chorus, who confifts of his countrymen and fellow-foldiers, are introduced to him by his wife Tecmeffa, who had juft informed them what had happened. After fome speeches between them, in which the shame and indignation of Ajax at his disappointment is strongly painted, he proceeds to lament his deplorable condition in the following terms. AJAX. O darkness, my best light TECMESSA. Alas! how dreadful 'tis to hear fuch words, AJAX. Ye well-known floods that roll into the Main, Ye caves and forefts by the rocky shore! Years heap'd on years faft by the walls of Troy Amongit the living fhall ye ever fee The hapless Ajax; this remember all : Nor fhall thy neighb'ring waves, Scamander, ftill Tho' now dishonour'd thus, and thus opp:efs'd. CHORUS. |