ART. XII. A Differtation on the Antiquity of the Earth. Read at the Royal Society, 12th May, 1785. By the Rev. James Douglafs, F. A.S. 4to. 5s. boards. Nicol. London, 1785. ΑΝ N excavation which was made in the yard of Mr. James. Beft, for the foundation of a storehouse, has ferved alfo as the foundation of this performance. The labourers, at the depth of twelve feet, difcovered the bones of a very large animal. By the pofition of the bones, and the fragments that were preferved, they appeared to have belonged to one entire animated substance. These bones were de prived of their animal falt; and fome, especially the jaw, were permeated with a lapidefcent matter. As their fize greatly exceeded those of our common domeftic animals, they were ignorantly supposed to belong to an elephant, and afcribed to one of thofe which were tranfported into this country by the Emperor Claudius. Remarking the difference in the ftructure and fize of the teeth, and the proportion of the other bones, Mr. Douglafs decided, without hefitation, that these animal remains belonged to the hippopotamus. But, to remove all doubt with regard to a difcovery of fuch importance, he compared the foffil molares with those of the recent ones in the jaw of the above animal, in the museum at Leicester-Houfe, and the confirmation was manifeft. It is extremely improbable that these hippopotamic remains were depofited there by the general deluge. When we confider the great diftance of the Medway from the Nile, and that we have no authority from fcripture to conclude that any extraordinary convulfion in nature had impelled animals from their native region to countries fo remote, we have no reafon for inferring that the deluge was the caufe of this phenomenon. It is more natural to infer, with our author, that the hippopotamus was the inhabitant of this ifland when in a ftate of climature to have admitted of its exiftence. From this phenomenon, Mr. Douglass endeavours to establish the following pofitions: That this ifland has been under a warmer influence of climature than at this prefent era. That the animal called the hippopotamus, the inhabitant of the continent of Africa, must have been depofited on the strand of the river Medway by waters, feparable from that epoch recorded in holy writ, which fubmerged the world in forty days." $ That That the earth was once endued with a power of tranfmuting bodies into ftony or hard fubftances, which it feems no longer to poffefs; or that, by the undoubted teftimony of thefe petrified animal bones, they must have been interred much anterior to any written record, from fome extraordinary convulfion of the globe." The reader will immediately difcern, that the firft and fecond of thefe pofitions are fuggefted by the celebrated Buffon, in his difcourfe Sur les Epoques de la Nature. After having attempted to eftablish and illuftrate them, Mr. Douglafs, in an appendix, endeavours to reconcile the two great philofophers, Mofes and Buffon; which having attempted in vain, he very candidly gives the preference to the latter, by modeftly renouncing the doctrine of the general deluge, As this is a novelty from a clergyman of the Church of England, we fhall extract it for the edification of the reader: I do not hold myself fo literally bound, by the ftrict affertion of Mofes, as to fuppofe that all the earth was effectually covered by this great eruption of the waters; though, from fuch a caufe as I have here reprefented, doubtless an univerfal flood might have prevailed, and have been lifted up over the whole earth. The Almighty may have willed that this great lawgiver, the leader of an ignorant and inquifitive multitude, fhould frame his difcourfe to them in fuch terms as were beft adapted to untutored minds. The end was accomplished; the true and only God was adored; and a religious veneration for his omnipotency inftilled into their minds. That mind must be bounded indeed which cannot perceive the folemn truths of nature, concealed under the influence of apparent forcery and witchcraft, prevalent in former ages, and fo natural to be received by all denominations of men, who are fenfible of their feeble and dependent existence. These opinions of our forefathers are no obftacles to the liberal and serious inquirers after truth. We should not, therefore, difcard the whole for a part; and, because it may flatter the whim of fome fuperficial moderns to militate against the Mofaical records, we fhould not affert other doctrines, in defiance to reafon and facred teftimony. If therefore we be inclined to say that a deluge was univerfal, this deluge may not have prevailed to that degree of devastation as to have fubmerged all the nations of the world; our new-difcovered iflands may have been feparated from main lands, and the inhabitants preferved upon them at that period. Noah may have been forewarned by a conception of this approaching event; and whether by the direct infpiration of God, or his own fagacious prefage of fome approaching convulfion on the face of the globe, he may have conftructed a fecure retreat from the inundation of the waters; his pofterity may have recorded an event which more particularly related to that quarter of the world, from whence letters and civil fociety first originated. Thus much I am induced to depart from the exact letter of facred writ to recal the erring genius of the age to the true and great tenet of their philofophical relearches, and their religious obligations.' "To "To depart from the letter of facred writ in order to recal "the erring genius of the age to the true and great tenet of their religious obligations," is a new way of converting infidels, and reminds us of the parliamentary generals during the civil wars in the last century, who raised forces against their fovereign in his name and by his authority. The author of this Differtation appears to be fond of literary fame; but, if we may judge from what he has hitherto written, both in philofophy and theology, he has a very great pleafure before him, that of rifing from being a difciple to be a master. His style is harfh, obfcure, affected, and fometimes unintelligible. ART. XIII. A Treatise on the Struma, or Scrofula, commonly called the King's Evil; in which the common Opinion of its being a Hereditary Difeafe is proved to be erroneous; more rational Caufes are affigned; and a fuccessful Method of Treatment is recommended. By Thomas White, Surgeon to the London Difpenfary. The Second Edition. 8vo. 2s. 6d. sewed. Murray. London, 1787. MR. White's Treatife originally contained much anxious investigation refpecting the nature and cure of the fcrofula; but, in the prefent edition, it comes into the world with great improvements. The author is ftill inclined to the opinion that the fcrofula is not a hereditary difcafe; and he endeavours to fupport this doctrine with plaufible arguments. For our own part, we think this diforder is, in many cafes, hereditary; but that it is likewife often contracted in early childhood, without any taint derived from either of the parents. The latter is the general caufe to which Mr. White reftricts the production of the fcrofula; and fo far we are ready to agree with him, that the disease would not only be infinitely lefs frequent, but far less obftinate, if the judicious and falutary means which he propofes, both for its prevention and cure, were adopted at an early ftage, and profecuted with diligence. As the disease which conftitutes the fubject of this treatise is of great importance, and appears in a variety of fhapes, we fhall extract a few of the author's obfervations on the method of treatment in particular circumftances. Almost all the firft fymptoms of this disease, whether internal of the mefentery, bronchia, lungs, and liver; or external, fuch as fwellings of the lips, fide of the face, under the chin, and round the the neck; or the different symptoms ufually confidered as ftrumous, viz. roughness of the fkin, eruptions of the back part of the head, and different parts of the body, redness and swelling of the eyelids, and eyes; I fay, all thefe different fymptoms are generally accompanied with an inflammatory diathefis, and, by an early attention, may be remedied with very little difficulty. The inflammation, however, has feldom been fo great as to require bleeding; but I have never hesitated to take away blood where there has appeared the leaft neceffity. The medicines that I have found efficacious in removing the fymptoms here enumerated, are the mercurius dulcis fexies fub. This medicine seems to have a peculiar quality in removing obstructions of the lymphatic glands. We ought to avoid giving it in fuch a quantity as to render it a powerful evacuant, either by the inteftines, or any other way; I have ufually given it in fmall doses at night going to bed. By that means it remains longer in the intestinal canal, a greater quantity is taken into the habit, and the patient is lefs fufceptible of cold, than when taken in the day time; nor will it preclude any ufual exercife, or employment, the following day. The firft, and perhaps the fecond dofe, may prove purgative, which is in general a falutary effect; but afterwards the fame quantity will feldom do more than is fufficient to keep the body open; and fhould it fail of answering that purpofe, I have ufually recommended fome gentle purgative every third or fourth morning, according to circumftances. If there fhould be a prevailing acidity, a few grains of the fal fodæ, magnefia, or fome teftaceous powder, may be added to the medicine. By this fimple method, moft of the symptoms before mentioned, will, in a fhort time, disappear; but, if the tumours should continue hard, and retain their figure without dividing into smaller ones, we may derive fome benefit from external applications, particularly the fteam of warm water. I have ufed a variety of medicated herbs with fuccefs; but am inclined to believe that the advantage was principally derived from the warm fteam, which has this additional circumftance in its favour, of not being the leaft offenfive. At other times, I have ftimulated the part affected by electricity, infulating the patient, and drawing fparks from the tumour, until a flight degree of inflammation was excited. After the application of the team, or the ufe of the electrical machine, I have fometimes rubbed a little of the unguentum mercuriale into the tumour and neighbouring parts, or applied the omplaftrum faponaceum, or mercuriale cum ammoniaco, over the fwelling. This will mott frequently remove those obftructions; but, fuppofing the tumours fhould be difpofed to fuppuration, we have nothing to apprehend in habits of this kind; they will fuppurate kindly, and, in moft inftances, will not only heal without much trouble, but, by proper care, leave little or no cicatrix behind. To the eruptions of the head may be applied a little unguentum fatur pinum, album camphoratum, or the ceratum album. The roughness of the fkin, which is often followed by general eruptions, will alfo commonly require fome external application. Lotions of the aqua vegeto-mineralis, aqua calcis, folutions of fal, tartar. or mercurius corrofivus fublimat. may be made ufe of: this laft laft will feldom fail to check the progrefs of the complaint, and dry the fores; and, in the quantity of ten or twelve grains to a quart of warm water, the use of it will not be productive of any pain. If the eruption fhould ulcerate, and require any unctuous application to prevent the adhelion of the linen, the ointment before mentioned may be applied; the belt remedy will be warm bathing, and chiefly that with falt water. I have occafionally recommended thofe medicines that promote the motion of the fluids in the fmaller vessels, viz. vinum antimoniale, tartarum emeticum, decoctum lufitanicum, decoctum lignorum, or farfaparilla; and have fometimes derived advantage from artificial drains: but this kind of eruption generally happens in the winter feafon, and often continues until the warm weather comes on. If that does not prove a remedy, it is generally very troublesome to remove. Affections of the eyelid may be eafily remedied, if early attended to; when there is an increafed fecretion of mucous, we should make ufe of fome aftringent lotion, as the aqua calcis fimplicis, aqua vegetomineralis, folutions of alumen, or vitriolum album; and use fome unctuous application at night, to prevent the adhefion of the eyelids during fleep. The faturnine ointment very well anfwers the purpofe. This, with a proper attention to regimen, and the internal remedies here recommended, will generally be found to answer every expectation; but, if fuffered to go on for a length of time, or in people much advanced in life, they often prove very troublesome. Blisters laid upon the temples after the application of leeches, and the tinct. thebaica dropt into the eye, are fometimes very fervice. able and in delicate, and very irritable habits, the cortex, and the general clafs of tonic medicines, will be found very useful. cure of the tinea, or fcald head, is often troublesome. By giving fmall doses of calomel, and applying to the head the mercurius præcipitatus albus, with the unguentum faturninum, I have fucceeded better than by any other means.' The Mr. White appears to have been at no fmall pains in collecting information relative to this popular difeafe; and at the fame time that he difcovers a fyftematical knowledge of his fubject, he writes with fuch rational confi dence, mixed with juft difcrimination, as evince him to have drawn his obfervations from the moft fatisfactory refource. ART. XIV, Poems; imitated from the Perfian. By J. Champion, Efq. 4to. 38. fewed. Cadell. London, 1787. THE HE first poem in this collection is called "The Tears of The tears of Samarcand, her mournful tale, Soon |