Fabouring under plague, were attacked, and died pretty nearly at the same time. On the first alarm the frictions were employed by the rest of the family, and all escaped, although they had commu. nicated freely with the unfortunate victims of the disease. A French cutler, who had the same number of children, had married his eldest daughter to a person who took the plague of the next door neighbour, as did likewise the second daughter of the family. The two sickened about the same time, and these also were fatal cases; but the remainder of the family, who had had recourse to the oil frictions as soon as the nature of the attacks was ascertained, escaped, without excepting the wife of the young man, who was then in the middle of her pregnancy, and who attended her husband during the few hours he survived the attack. A Maltése with a large family took a sick brother into his house, not suspecting that he laboured under the plague, and paid him unhesitatingly every affectionate attention. The instant this came to the knowledge of Mr. Iliff, apothecary to the forces, to whom the Maltese in question had formerly been a servant, the oil frictions were sent in and employed. The infected individual died, but the whole of the family escaped. It is needless to cite any other cases, although many similar ones might be adduced. The confi. dence of the Government of Malta in the efficacy of these frictions was at length so great, that a shed was erected at each of the barriers of Valetta, for the purpose of administering them to the guards stationed there, and to the market people and others whose avocations kept them abroad.

Alexis, the Piedmontese, who travelled every where in search of secrets, has published a variety of receipts for plague, into the composition of several of which storax enters. The writer was solicitous to make a trial of this substance, which unluckily was not to be found at Malta, either in the concrete state in which it is called storax calamita, or in its liquid state. It was certainly, as the event proved, deserving such an essay, and was susceptible of various modifications in its use. What has been sanctioned by a long experience deserves credit, unless there be incontrovertible evidence to prove that the notion originally entertained of its efficacy was founded in error. A Turk, whose knowledge of the subject was by no means limited, distributed among his friends at Valetta lumps of a black substance resembling shoemaker's wax, which he had brought with him from Constantinople, and in the composition of which storax was the principal ingredient. These were either to be carried on a stick, and smelt to from time to time, or kept in the hand and constantly moulded, to the end, no doubt, that a portion of the substance might adhere to the fingers.

It is with this latter substance that, the fire-eaters, as they term themselves, anoint the tongue and fauces to protect them from the effect of caloric.

They were sought after with avidity. Now, it is to be observed that both the Seraglio cakes, and a particular description of beads of a great price in Turkey, are of a similar composition. It is, therefore, to be presumed, that those who brought them into use had something more in view than to supply an ornament in the case of the former; and in that of the latter, an object of pastime, in which light the generality of the Turks, who are in the constant habit of twirling them about with the fingers, regard beads.

Common tar, a bituminous substance which may be considered as in some degree analogous to storax, although it does not possess its peculiar fragrance, was employed by a Greek whose very hazardous task it was to bury the dead. With this substance he kept his hands and arms anointed. He was pointed out to the writer by Mr. Thomas, garrison surgeon, and acting superintend. ant of health, as having officiated with impunity in this way during the whole of the time that the plague raged; while the greater part of those who were similarly employed had been swept off by the contagion. In this instance it would appear, that the pores of the parts exposed to contact with the dead bodies were sheathed by the tar, so as to prevent the absorption of the plague matter; but in an old work entitled "The English Housewife," described by Beloe in his Anecdotes of Literature and Scarce Books, another application is made of that substance as a preservative against plague. It is recommended "to smell to a nosegay made of the tasselled end of a ship-rope," that is, of a tarred rope. Here something is implied of a specific quality of the tar, as a plague preventative; and this application of it agrees with that of the storax as employed by the Turks.-Phil. Mag.

Mr. HUME's improved Method of muking Antimonium Tartar. Two parts of black sulphuret of antimony in fine powder, and one part of nitrate of potash, are to be mixed, and added to two parts of sulphuric acid, previously mixed with eight parts of water, and suffered to cool. By a due application of heat a proper oxide of antimony will be formed, which, when thoroughly washed, is to be boiled, while yet moist, with two parts of supertartrate of potash and a proper quantity of water. The solution is then to be filtrated, evaporated, and treated after the usual manner for Crystallization.

Although I succeeded by other methods, peculiarly my own, to prepare this very important medicine, yet, upon the whole, I am disposed to prefer the formula which I now lay before you, more particularly as it is sanctioned with the decided approbation of those whom I wished to serve and consult.

I have here adopted the nomenclature of the College, which, after all, is as correct and convenient as any other that has been proposed for this article. I profess, indeed, to be an advocate for many of the arbitrary names, especially for such bodies as are

beyond

beyond a binary composition; and, where the ingredients enter, as in emetic tartar, alum, Rochelle salt, &c. in definite propor tions, the rule is perfectly admissible; I should propose, there. fore, to retain both these preparations of tartar, at least under their present titles, viz, antimonium tartarisatum and soda tar tarisata.-Phil. Mag.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS

IN THE 1

DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF PHYSIC, SURGERY, AND MEDICAL PHILOSOPHY.

The Physiognomical System of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim founded on an Anatomical and Physiological Examination of the Nervous System in general, and of the Brain in particular; and indicating the Dispositions and Manifes tations of the Mind. By J. G. SPURZHEIM, M.D.-Large 8vo. pp. 550, with plates. Baldwin and Co.

FEW

NEW theories have had greater difficulties to contend against than Dr. Gall's. Its entire novelty has disgusted many of the emeriti, who did not wish to begin learning at so late a period of life; whilst the boldness of some of the conclusions has staggered many who seemed open to conviction. As the subject still remains in a sort of litigation, we shall only offer the general outlines of the whole, remarking some particulars on which the advocates of the new system seem most strongly to insist.

A preface explains to us that the anatomical part must only be considered as an epitome of a work not yet completed. It will be unnecessary for us to dwell upon this, as very little more is contained in the present volume than what has already been given in the Numbers of our Journal, to which we lately referred our readers. An apology is made for the introduction of new words. We are ready to admit that a new science, and such is the present, may require new words, and also that it is better to reduce terms to as great an uniformity as possible. In this manner Linnæus, the father of modern physics, availed himself of every term in common use, and never scrupled to coin new ones when he found it necessary.

"The English language (says the preface) presents very few single words which express my conceptions of the peculiar facul

ties