1 The sooty coal to living sulphur turns, But red, or black, the substance still remains.' Verse, we find, cost little to this translator; for he has given this form to a dedication to the Earl of Buchan prefixed to his work, and consisting of nearly 400 lines. We are afraid, however, that he is too much disposed to be liberal in quantity, to be sufficiently solicitous about quality. We observe an odd mistake in the life of St. Marthe, p. 87. where the name of the celebrated chancellor de L'Hopital is rendered, Monsieur the chancellor of the hospital:' but it afterward occurs properly printed. ART. XVI. An Essay on Burns, especially upon those which hap pen to Workmen in Mines from the Explosions of Inflammable Air; containing a View of the Opinions of ancient and modern Authors upon the Subject of Burns, and a variety of Cases con ducted upon different Principles, &c. &c. By Edward Kentish, Surgeon. 8vo. pp. 180. 3s. 6d. sewed. Robinsons. 1797HOUGH we think that this little volume contains much T which might have been spared, and though the author appears to us too confident in his theoretical opinion, and somewhat affected in the use of philosophical language, yet we cannot but warmly recommend his publication to the attention of medical practitioners, as containing a fund of ingenious reasoning, and some very striking and important matter of fact. The first part of it is occupied by long quotations to shew, what is certainly not difficult to be shewn, the inconsequent and contradictory doctrines maintained by authors at different periods concerning the treatment of burns. Mr. Kentish then proceeds to state the progress of his own reasonings on the subject, and of his consequent practical trials. The law which he was at length led to establish, as the foundation of an improved practice in these cases, is the following: That any part of the system having its action increased to a very high degree, must continue to be excited, though in a less degree, either by the stimulus which excited the increased action, or some other having the nearest similarity to it, until, by degrees, the extraordinary action subsides into the healthy action of the part.' The application of this law leads him to the employment of strong stimulants externally, and cordials and opiates internally, immediately on the reception of the injury; which are gradually exchanged for more lenient applications, and for a cooler plan of diet and medicine, as the inflamma tion abates and the suppuration advances. The success of this method, which is so much the reverse of the common practice, is exemplified in some cases; one of which we shall transcribe: CASE. G. H. a pitman, aged about 36, belonging to a coal-work in the neighbourhood, in the month of November 1792, was exposed to the action of disengaged caloric, from the combustion of a large quantity of hydrogen gas, which, from the neglect of keeping up the circulation of the atmospheric air, had been allowed to collect in a part of the work he had to pass with one of the small-lighted candles they work with, which acting as a combining medium of the oxygen and hydrogen gasses, caused the explosion: He had on a flannel shirt, drawers, and shoes and stockings, so that the parts exposed to the contact of the flame were his face, neck, and part of his breast, also his hands, and some part of the arms; from the whole of the face being much burnt, particularly the Tips and the nostrils, there was as much reason to suppose this man as much burnt internally as any I ever saw; the hands in several places appeared deeply burnt, and he had very severe shivering fits, and all the bad symptoms which indicate a very rude shock to the system : the whole of the burnt parts were liberally washed with spirit of turpentine, and covered with plasters spread with a liniment composed of basilicon, made very thin with spirit of turpentine; he had a cardiac draught with fifty drops of laudanum to take instantly; a pint of oily emulsion with an ounce of camphorated tincture of opium, to take a teacup full every three hours; and a bolus at night with two grains of opium; the diet was ordered to be generous and stimulating. Second day.-Had several paroxysms of pain during the night, and also some short intervals of repose; slight vesications appeared in different parts of the neck and face; the serum of these was discharged by puncturing them with the sharp point of a probe; it was not thought necessary to repeat washing the parts with the essential oil of turpentine, but to use something less stimulating; tincture of opium was thought of and applied, after which the dressings as before; a decoction of the bark, with the proportion of two ounces of the tincture to a pint, was ordered to be taken in the quantity of a tea-cup full every two hours; the bolus, with opium at night, was repeated, with the addition of five grains of calomel to obviate constipation; he continued the diet as at first ordered. Third day.-Had more sleep last night, and less pain than the night before; the redness of the neck and breast had a good deal disappeared; where the vesications were, a kind of secretion had taken place, such as may be remarked upon the second or third day after the application of a blister; some of the redness had also disappeared about the wrists, but the hands seemed to remain inuch in the state they were in at first; the redness was not so perceptible as before, and the parts secreting had nothing applied to them but the plasters as before; the parts of the hands which appeared little changed, were again washed with the tincture of opium, and treated a before; 23 fore; the medicines were continued, except the calomel, which had procured a stool. Fourth day. Was not so easy last night as he had been before; pulse 110; tongue dry with thirst; the parts which had been red, and ceased to appear so, were now reassuming that appearance, and the secreting surface under the vesications was dry; from these cir cumstances I supposed that the stimulating applications to the absorbents being continued after they had re-absorbed the secreted fluid, might be the cause of this re-appearance of inflammation, accordingly I ceased the digestive liniment, with the basilicon and oil of turpen tine, and applied plasters spread with ceratum é lapide calaminari to the face, neck, and breast; the hands were tumified, but as there had been no appearance of pus upon them, I judged that to be an effort of the system to throw of the eschar; with this view I therefore continued the former dressings to the hands; the same medicines and diet were still ordered. Fifth day. Has passed an easier night; pulse 100; the new inflammation upon the face, neck, and breast not so violent as before, and a little moisture on the part which had been secreted; the dressings to those parts the same as yesterday; the hands still much tumified; they are dressed as before; continue medicines as before. Sixth day.-Continues easier; the face, &c. much better; some parts beginning to skin; the hands remain much swelled, but the skin is beginning to separate, and a degree of moisture to be secreted round the edges of the burnt parts; the same means continued. Seventh day. The upper parts are healing very rapidly, and there is a greater secretion of pus from the hands, Eighth day.-Appearances still as favourable; the hands secrete a great quantity of pus, and the eschars are loosening; both external and internal stimulants having brought about the state of the system I wished, that is, a sufficient secretion of pus, it now appeared from my former experience to be necessary to desist urging the system any further, therefore the diet was changed in its quality, and the tincture of bark was omitted; one half the quantity of opium was given, and the dressings on the hands were changed for the same cerate as the face. From the eighth to the fifteenth the same means were continued with the best effect; the change of diet moderated the discharge, and brought on the disposition for healing in a much better and more rapid manner than I was ever before capable of producing : Notwithstanding the use of every topical astringent, the quantity of pus formerly secreted, and for the length of time, brought on such a state of surface, as resisted every effort of art to heal; and the very means pursued to prevent the patient sinking under the discharge appears, if not to have been the only, at least the most hurtful, cause of the complaint it was meant to remedy. The face and neck being now skinned, they are anointed once or twice a day with some camphorated oil to prevent the cracking of the new skin, which is likewise of much use in taking away that unpleasant redness which some times remains a long time after the cure. The sloughs upon the hand come away kindly; three of the nails of the left hand have been thrown off, and the ulcers are healing at the edges. From the fifteenth to the thirtieth day nothing particular happened; the ulcers gradually cleaned, and after the formation of granulations when there was a loss of substance, they healed kindly; a little fungus now appearing, required to be touched with the common aqua carulea, and in about ten days more the cure was compleat, that is to say, the whole was covered with a cuticle, but which as yet was very tender, and required time and caution both to give it strength, and to restore the motion gradually and safely to the flexors and extensors of the fingers, which, from want of use, had acquired a degree of rigidity; by the use of camphorated oil, and keeping the parts from the external air by the use of gloves, in the course of a fortnight more he was perfectly cured.' The other cases are at least equally remarkable ; and, as we see no reason to doubt the fidelity with which they are narrated, we presume that they sufficiently entitle the author's plan to the notice even of those who may not place much confidence in his theoretical principle. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For NOVEMBER, 1797. EDUCATION. Art. 17. An Abridgment of L. Murray's English Grammar. With an Appendix, containing an Exemplification of the Parts of Speech. Designed for the Use of the younger Class of Learners. By Lindley Murray. 12mo. Is. bound. Darton and Harvey. 1797. THIS abridgment is not intended, in any case,' as the author ob serves in the preface, to supply the place, or supersede the use, of the original grammar;'-of which we gave an account in our Catalogue for July 1796. If, however, (adds Mr. M.) the teachers of such children as can devote but a small part of their time to this study, should think proper to make use of it, they will not, it is imagined, find it more defective than abridgments are in general. It exhibits a general scheme of the subjects of grammar; and contains definitions and rules, which the compiler has endeavoured to render as exact, concise, and intelligible, as the nature of the subject would admit.-The tutors who may adopt this abridgment merely as an introduction to the larger grammar, will perceive in it a material advantage, which other short works do not possess ; namely, that the progress of their pu pils will be accelerated, and the pleasure of study increased, when they find themselves advanced to a grammar which exactly pursues the plan of the book they have studied.'-The remark is certainly just and well founded. Art. 18. A new Classical Dictionary, for the Use of Schools, containing, under its different Heads, every Thing illustrative and explanatory Z 4 explanatory of the Mythology, History, Geography, Manners, Customs, &c. occurring in the Greek and Roman Authors, generally read in all Public Seminaries, and intended as a Medium be tween the scanty and defective Descriptions of proper Names subjoined to Latin Dictionaries, and a more voluminous Work of the same Kind. By Thomas Browne, A. B. Pocket 4to. 55. Boards. Robinsons, &c. 1797. The encouragement, which Mr. Lempriere's Bibliotheca Clarstea has justly experienced, seems to have given birth to this more abridged account of persons and places mentioned in antient authors. Mr. Browne very properly acknowleges, that to arrogate to himself a su periority in the execution of this work over any existing one of a similar kind would be presumptuous; he only designs it as a substitute for the meagre appendix of proper names annexed to our Latin Dic tionaries, and as an epitome of the voluminous, but elegant Bibliotheca Classica of Mr. Lempriere, the price of which obstructs its entry into the generality of seminaries where the Greek and Roman languages are taught. The Author thought, that if a Dictionary were compiled, containing a certain portion of explanatory matter, which might, in a great degree, instruct the student, without surcharging. his memory, and which was, at the same time, reduced to such a price, as to render it generally attainable, a work correspondent to the wishes of many teachers would be then furnished.' This task Mr. B. seems to have performed in a manner which bids fair to recommend his performance, as he wishes, into schools, He seems, also, to have entertained some expectation that young ladies may possibly find it a pleasing book of occasional reference in the ordinary course of their reading.' Art. 19. The Juvenile Speaker: or Dialogues and Miscellaneous Picces, in Prose and Verse, for the Improvement of Youth, in the Art of Reading. 12mo. 28. bound. Bent. 1797. The first edition of this compilement appeared in 1787, and was noticed in our Catalogue for July in the same year. Some useful additions are now made, particularly a chapter on common improprietics in writing the English language.' A list of such books as the author deems proper for the amusement and instruction of youth is also added: besides which we observe some other materials, prose and verse, that were not in the former impression, HUSBANDRY. Art. 20. The Orchardist: or, a System of Close Pruning and Medication, for establishing the Science of Orcharding, as patronized by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. By Thomas Skip Bucknal, Esq. Extracted from the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Vols. of the Society's TRANSAC TIONS, with Additions. 8vo. 35. sewed. Nicol. 1797. Our former notices of Mr. Bucknel's useful papers on the improved culture of fruit-trees in orchards, &c. render it unnecessary for us to expatiate on this collective edition of them. We have, therefore, at present, (besides repeating what the author mentions in his title page, with respect to additions,) only to refer to our preceding Reviews, 6 |