or even Morton's repetition of opiates, till the patient is feemingly quieted, can produce no other than a difturbed and oppreffive flumber, from the two great fulness and diftention of the veffels, as well as from the rarefaction of the fluids contained in them. If this is the cafe, we plainly fee how thefe oppreffive flumbers may be prevented, viz, by pursuing the antiphlogistic courfe; for by plentiful bleeding, and daily purging, the patient is gradually difpofed to foft and quiet reft, in proportion to the emptying of the veffels; and fleep obtained in this way, is fo far from being pernicious in any period of small-pox, that it is of the greatest ufe in promoting the kindly maturation of the puftules; whereas it is found in experience that long watchfulness, or the want of refreshing reft, interrupts this good effect, and increases the inflammation of the puftules, and irritation upon the whole nervous fyftem.'

A very important period of the fmall pox, namely, the fecondary fever, comes next under our author's confideration. In treating of this fubject, he begins with fhewing the causes affigned for the fecondary fever by fome of the best writers on the difeafe, and he offers objections to the common .received, doctrine upon this head, which is, that the variolous pus contained in the puftules is abforbed into the blood. The following are the reafons for which Dr. Walker diffents from this opinion; and it must be acknowledged that they claim no fmall confideration:

Ift. At the commencement of this fever, and for fome days after, we may obferve that most of the puftules, excepting fuch as may have bursted by preffure, &c. are replete with pus, and incapable of containing more. Had abforption in any degree taken place, we might expect a proportional depletion of the puftules within the above period; but this is not the cafe, either on the body or extremities; and before this time the puftules on the face are generally fo much encrufted, that little or no moisture can be abforbed from them: befides, many fmall pox cafes occur, where the fecondary fever runs its courfe for fome days, and terminates fuccefsfully, leaving the puftules on the body and extremities nearly in the fame ftate they were at the commencement of the fever, which fhews it did not originate from the matter of the puftules being absorbed into the fyftem.

2d. The doctrine of the abforption of variolous pus from the puftules into the blood, after it has been depofited in them for eight days, is contrary to the common courfe and order of nature, as it occurs in other cutaneous eruptions; more especially in fuch as have been thrown out from the circulating mafs, by means of previous fever, and may ftrictly be called critical.

3d. In all thofe cafes where the fecondary fever occurs, and no diarrhoea intervenes, nor early evacuations fubftituted to carry off the excefs of contagious fluids; but, on the contrary, where a practice has been adopted, every way calculated to promote not only the fwelling of the head, face, and fauces, but the general tumefaction

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of the body. In thefe circumstances, it is not easy to conceive how abforption of the pus from the puftules can take place; the whole ferics of veffels, fanguinary and lymphatic, being confiderably dif tended, and of confequence the fkin kept in a itate of inflammation, all which effects must concur in preventing an absorption.

We apprehend no abforption can take place where the veffels in general are full and diftended, fome degree of inanition of the veffels being neceffary to promote the abforption of our fluids, either in réfpect to a general plenitude, or when they are depofited in any particular part; the experience of practitioners demonitrates this.

4th. To what has been advanced upon this argument, we shall fubjoin another confideration, taken from the condition of the pus in the puftules at this period, which renders its abforption still more improbable.

The tenacity and confitence of the variolous pus at that period when the fecondary fever commences, renders it improbable that it can be received within the mouths of the abforbents. It will appear obvious to every one who has attended to this circumftance, that from the formation of pus in the puftules, but especially for two days before their complete maturation, that there is, more or less, a daily exfudation of the thinner parts of the pus from the puftules; this is evident from their change of colour, and the gritty roughness that is to be felt on their apices; it is likewife demonftrated from the morbid effluvia being more difcernible at this period, than in any of the former stages; and that at this time infection is more readily communicated than at any other. We may likewife judge of this fact from the aptitude of the puftules on the face to form into dry and folid crufts. If, therefore, there is a tranfudation of the thinner parts of the pus from the puftules, what remains will be left in fuch a state of vifcidity as will render it incapable of being absorbed.'

The author next inquires whether the retained perspirable matter has any influence in the production of the fecondary fever, as is commonly imagined. He obferves, that when the far greater part of the furface of the body is covered with maturated puftules, it may be confidered by fome as giving a check to the fecretion of infenfible perfpiration; but if this is the true caufe of the fecondary fever,' fays he, it must have ' operated in producing this effect long before the eleventh day.' He contends that if a numerous eruption of puftules prevents a discharge of the perfpirable matter, it must produce this effect foon after the eruption is completed; the consequence of which will be, that, instead of an abatement of fever, which more or less takes place upon the eruption being completed, there must, from an accumulation of perspirable matter retained in the fyftem, be a conftantly progreffive increase of fever feveral days before the eleventh, which feldom or never happens. The opinion that a retention of perspirable matter is the cause of the fecondary fever, our author farther invalidates by obferving 5

that,

that, though the body is covered with variolous puftules, it does not appear that thefe altogether interrupt infenfible perfpiration; as the peculiar foetor which always accompanies the fmall-pox, especially the worst kinds, plainly contradict the exiftence of any fuch effect.

Dr. Walker next endeavours to point out the apparent origin of the fecondary fever, in a confiftency with his theory of the difeafe. His opinion is, that the fecondary fever being always connected with an extensive affimilation and a numerous crop of fmall-pox, it is occafioned by an excess of contagious fluids ftill remaining in the fyftem, and supporting a conftant irritation. Other arguments are advanced by our author in confirmation of this doctrine; but we have already extended the prefent article to an unusual length,

In three fubfequent chapters the author treats respectively of the theory and prevention of pits, of ulcerations in confequence of fmall-pox, and of advantages arifing from the preceding mode of treating the worst kinds of the disease. Much practical and ufeful obfervation occurs in the profecution of thefe fubjects; and in an appendix, reprefenting the prefent ftate of the finall pox, the author, from a view of the caufes of its frequency and mortality, proposes fome, means of ftill farther reducing the number of deaths. Of this we fhall only fay that his political as well as his medical obfervations are entitled to particular at tention.

We cannot conclude our account of this interesting work without acknowledging, in justice to the author, that we have perufed it with great fatisfaction. Falfe hypothefes in physic have often been known to be fupported by plaufible arguments; but the fyftem produced by Dr. Walker is certainly recommended by a peculiar affemblage of just and strong confiderations. It is difficult to fay whether his theory be more indebted for its origin to ingenuity, or to a multiplicity of concurring facts and practical obfervations with which it is powerfully maintained, He has unquestionably examined the validity of his own doctrine with equal learning, candour, and judgment; and nothing feems wanting to its perfect establishment, but that the method of cure which he recommends may prove as fuccessful with other practitioners as it has evidently done with himself. The best effects may be expected from a treatment enforced with so much useful obfervation.

ART.

ART. XI. Falfe Appearances; a Comedy. Altered from the French, and performed at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. By the Right Hon. General Conway. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. London, 1789.

WHEN ladies and gentlemen act comedies they fhould

doubtlefs be written on purpose for them, and they fhould be perfect in their kind. Falfe Appearances, tranflated from the Dehors Trompeurs of M. Biffy, has certainly no faults, But we are told in its original ftate, however, abounding in a refined turn of wit, and by no means deficient in attic falt, it was fuppofed to want fome of the Cayenne humour which makes the neceffary feafoning for an English audience. We confefs the wit is too much refined for our coarse conceptions, and the falt is too judiciously applied to be any where predominant. To fuit it ftill better to the upper regions, an abbé is added; but though, in the hands of Mr. John Bannister, he may be made a very comical fellow, he affords very little amusement in the closet. After all, the characters are natural, the incidents fuch as might be expected in common life, the moral perfpicuous, and adapted to the comic mufe, the dialogue chafte, and the catastrophe defirable. But if Horace's idea of ut pictura poefis be juft, this is not all we expect, or rather not all the critic will admit in dramatic performances. In pictures where the painter is left to his own fancy for the choice of his fubject and figures, we expect him to represent nature to the greatest advantage. We allow a regular caft of features, a sweetness of countenance, and a degree of expreffion we never fee affembled in nature, and which perhaps, were we to fee it, might be lefs pleafing than what we expect by its reprefentation. Thus in comedy we admit a brilliancy of dialogue, a ftrength and variety of character we seldom expect should meet under fimilar circumftances. And however we may fancy that with this latitude, it will not be difficult at any time to make a good play; a little reflection will teach us how much artifice and contrivance must be neceffary to cover the delufion under thefe difadvantages. It has been faid the French plays have ever been dull for want of variety of character; but we would rather impute it to an affected refinement of tafte, or a too great severity of criticism. Whatever be the true cafe, we may juítly confider False Appearances as a model of modern French comedy, viz. a too close representation of the dull fcenes of life among the fuperior claffes. Thus, though we allow there is nothing to cenfure, we shall in vain attempt to find any thing to praise.

ART.

ART. XII. Antiquities of Great-Britain, illuftrated in Views of Monafteries, Castles, and Churches, now exifting. Engraved from Drawings made by Thomas Hearne. Printed by James Phillips, Lombard-Street, publifhed by T. Hearne and W. Byrne. Long Folio. Vol. I. confifting of Thirteen Numbers, at fos. 6d. per Number. London, 1786,

IT

T must give pleasure to every lover of the arts to see the progrefs they make, and the encouragement they receive. We hope that encouragement will not in the end destroy what it means to fofter. It is in the power of artifts, and only in their power, to prevent this evil. True to their art, they fhould never facrifice it to bad taste, or immediate profit. In whatever style they excel, their productions in that style should aim at pleafing the real judge, and not the vulgar and unknowing eye, In reviewing a work of the kind now before us, these reflections naturally occurred; for there is certainly great danger when works of art become a confiderable object of trade (which is now the cafe) that the artist will think of what will fell, more than of what should fell.

With refpect to the production now under review, we hope we may congratulate Meffrs. Hearne and Byrne on the fuccefs of their united labours, as their work is highly deferving of public patronage. Something of this kind had been attempted by Hollar; and, as far as exactnefs in the forms, and neatness of execution go, he deserved praise; but he wanted taste, and many other requifites; he could copy nature, but knew not to catch her, if we may be allowed the expreffion, in her most proper and pleafing attitudes; his fore-grounds are always heavy, and in every refpect defpicable; none of his views can be faid to form a picture. Mr. Hearne, on the contrary, adds to truth of delineation the merit of giving a pleafing effect to his views. By choofing what we term the proper attitude of his subject, and by a scientific diftribution of light and fhade, his views in general appear like compofitions, where the parts had been selected and arranged by a judicious painter. By his choice of the proper attitude he has attained another excellence, which is not only to give the form, but the character of the object. Whoever examines his representation of the castle of Edinburgh in this view, will find that he has given it, by this choice of attitude, that rugged and abrupt appearance which feems to breathe defiance, which is the diftinctive character of the object, and which, in all the views of it we had before feen, we could not difcern.

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