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Article. Some of the more fingular phenomena in the present experiments are, the great acceleration of the pulfe, while the heat of the body is fcarce fenfibly increafed ;-and the coagulation of the white of an egg, contained in a tin veffel, or in its own fhell, in a heat of 224 degrees; while fome of the fame fubftance put into a kind of cup formed of the membrane that lines the infide of the fhell, and expofed to the fame degree of heat during two hours, continued perfectly fluid. Toward the clofe of the Article, the Author modeftly propofes fome conjectures, with a view to explain thefe and other remarkable phenomena prefented in thefe experiments. The most probable of these hypothefes, relating particularly to the laft-mentioned fact, is founded on a confideration of the different conducting powers of different bodies with respect to fire. The albumen ovi is coagulated in tin, but is not affected when contained in the film: because tin is a more powerful conductor of fire from air, or robs this medium of its heat more readily than the film is enabled to do t. Article 47. Further Experiments and Obfervations in an heated Room. By Charles Blagden, M. D. F. R. S.

In these new experiments the heat of the room was raised to 240, and fometimes to 260 degrees; that is, 28 and 48 degrees above the temperature of boiling water. These exceffive heats were born during a confiderable time, with little inconvenience, by the gentlemen who expofed themselves to them, both naked, and with their cloaths on; nor was the heat of Dr. Fordyce's body at all increased, though the velocity of his pulfe was, in one inftance, more than doubled. In the fame heated air which he breathed, eggs were roafted quite hard, and a beef steak was dreffed in twenty minutes. We ftill think, however, that fome deductions are to be made from the refifting power of the human body, in confequence of the largenefs of its mafs, and the motion of its cooler circulating fluids, fucceffively arriving at the furface; as we fuggefted in our account of the former experiments, above referred to.

The effect of evaporation, in preventing certain bodies, and particularly fluids, from receiving a degree of heat equal to that of the air, is fhewn by fome of thefe experiments to be very confiderable. In the great hears abovementioned, pure water, expofed to them in an earthen veffel during an hour and half,

The Author of a late publication, just come to hand, alluding to thefe experiments, affures the Gentleman, who profecuted them, that it was not the life that was in the albumen, that refifted its coagulation.'-We do not however meet even with the word, life; much lefs with any allufion to the life, in the white of an egg; in any part of the Author's account of his experiments.

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acquired only a heat of 140 degrees; and afterwards continued ftationary above an hour at a degree much below the boiling point: but when its power of evaporating was checked by dropping a small quantity of oil on its furface, it boiled very brifkly. Further, a faturated folution of fea falt acquired a heat of 230 degrees, and was, confequently, brought into brifk ebullition, on covering its furface likewife with a lamina of oil.

Having fully afcertained the safety of exposing the human body to these extraordinary degrees of heat, the Author expreffes his expectations that the heated room may, in certain cases, become a very useful inftrument in the hands of a physician; efpecially after the requifite experiments have been made to direct its medical application with a fufficient degree of certainty. Article 31. Obfervations on the State of Population in Manchester, and other adjacent Places, concluded. By Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. S.

Article 42. Obfervations on the Difference between the Duration of Human Life in Towns, and in Country Parifbes and Villages. By the Rev. Richard Price, D. D. F. R. S.

The obfervations contained in the firft of thefe two Articles are founded on an accurate furvey, completed in the year 1774, of the townships of Manchester and Salford; and a fubfequent enumeration, equally exact and comprehenfive, of the whole parish of Manchefter, containing thirty-one townships, and 42,937 inhabitants.

The most striking obfervation that occurs among the many curious and important facts here related, is the great difparity between the healthinefs of a large and populous town, and that of the country immediately furrounding it. In the latter it ap-' pears that only 1 in 56 of the inhabitants dies annually: whereas in Manchester the yearly mortality is no lefs than double this quantity, or 1 in 28. This almoft incredible but well afcertained difference, the Author obferves, muft afford matter of aftonishment even to the phyfician and philofopher, when they reflect that the inhabitants, of both live in the fame climate, carry on the fame manufactures, and are chiefly supplied with provifions from the fame market.'

Their furprize, continues the Author, will give place to concern and regret, when they observe the havoc produced in every large town by luxury, irregularity, and intemperance; the numbers that fall annual victims to the contagious diftempers, which never ceafe to prevail; and the pernicious influence of confinement, uncleanliness, and foul air, on the duration of life .

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There are, fays Dr, Percival, at this time in Manchester, no lefs than 193 licensed houses for retailing fpirituous and other li

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"It is not air, but floats a nauseous mafs

"Of all obfcene, corrupt, offenfive things," The fecond of thefe Articles contains feveral judicious remarks relative to the facts and obfervations given in the preceding paper; particularly with refpect to the remarkable difparity above noticed, between the rates of mortality in town and country. But we should do injuftice to the Author's calculations and reafonings, by any attempt to abridge them.

It will be fufficient briefly to fpecify the contents of the five remaining Articles of this volume. These are, Article 22, in wherein Sir Robert Barker gives an account of the process by which ice is artificially produced at Calcutta and other places in the East Indies; where the thermometer has never been known to defcend fo low as the freezing point.-In Article 24, Mr. John Whitehurst defcribes and delineates a machine lately conftructed by him, at the feat of Philip Egerton, Efq; at Oulton in Cheshire, for the purpose of raifing water, by its momentum.-Article 38 contains a general account, communicated by Dr. Priestley, of his late experiments on the different kinds of air difcovered by him; and particularly of his discoveries relating to atmospherical, and pure, or dephlogiflicated, air. The full account which we have already given of his late valuable publication on thefe fubjects renders an analyfis of this Article unneceflary. The 40th Article contains fome obfervations on the natural and commercial hiftory of myrrh, made in Abyffinnia, in the year 1771, by James Bruce, Efq;-and in the 41ft, and last Article, Mr. Strange defcribes a curious giant's causeway, or group of angular columns, lately difcovered in the Euganean hills, near Padua.'

quors, and 64 in the other townships of the parish. At Birming ham, the number of public houses is ftill greater than at Manchefter. A very ingenious friend of mine at that place has computed, that the quantity of malt confumed there in the public houfes, requires for its growth a compass of land which would be fufficient for the fupport of 20,coo men.'

ART. VII. An Effay on the Uterine Hemorrbage, which precedes the Delivery of the full grown Fatus, &c. By Edward Rigby. 8vo. 2 s. 6 d. Johnson. 1775.

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N uterine hæmorrhage, occurring in the laft month of pregnancy, is one of thofe perplexing cafes in which the furgeon feems only to have a choice of difficulties before hin. This choice, too, is of the last importance to his patient; in relation to whom he ftands, to use Pliny's expreffion, in the character of Vita Necifq Imperator-Arbiter of Life and Death. Sometimes, through a diftruft of the powers of nature, and an apprehenfion that the hæmorrhage may otherwise foon become

fatal

fatal to his patient, he is tempted to have immediate and too early recourfe to art; and thereby, perhaps unnecessarily, expofes her to the pain, hazards, or inconveniences, which may attend a forcible extraction of the fætus. At other times, by procraftinating, and placing too great a confidence in the efforts of Nature, he often has the misfortune to fee his patient fink under a discharge which, he may afterwards poffibly reflect, he had it in his power to reftrain or ftop, had he proceeded to an immediate delivery.

There are few who practife this branch of the furgeon's art, who have not found themfelves greatly diftreffed how to proceed under thefe embarraffing circumstances; with refpect to which, different writers have given different and fometimes oppofite directions: nor have any of them offered any determinate or fatisfactory criteria, by which the furgeon may be able to afcertain, in particular cafes, whether it is moft fafe and eligible, to wait, and palliate, and leave to Nature the task of ftopping the discharge, by expelling the child, in her own good time or whether it is more advifable at once to have recourse to art, and to ftop the hemorrhage by a speedy turning and extraction of the child. In this pamphlet Mr. Rigby attempts to folve this important problem; his folution of which is founded on a due confideration and difcrimination of the different caufes which produce this hæmorrhage about the time of delivery.

On a fubject of this nature it cannot be expected that we fhould enter into particulars. We fhall obferve however, in general, that the Author founds his rules for the conduct of the furgeon in thefe difficult cafes, on a feemingly very proper diftinction between thofe hæmorrhages which proceed from accidental caufes, and in which the placenta is fixed at the bottom or fides of the uterus; and thofe more formidable cafes, in which the flooding is unavoidable, in confequence of the placenta's being attached near or over the os uteri. In the last of thefe cafes, where no hopes can be entertained of stopping or reftraining the hæmorrhage, by means of medicines; the operator fhould proceed to remove the caufe of the diforder, by a Speedy turning and extraction of the child: whereas, in the firft cafe, he may, in general, with propriety leave nature to do her own work; as there will be good reafon to suppose, on account of the favourable fituation of the placenta, that the hæmorrhage may be stopped by the means of proper medicines, cool air, the puncture of the membranes, &c.

It appears from what we have faid above, that a knowledge of the real fituation of the placenta is the leading circumstance which must direct the furgeon in thefe cafes. The Author therefore lays down fome rules by which this knowledge may

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be obtained; and others by which the precife time for attempting artificial delivery may be afcertained: fo that the operator may have before him, in a cafe hitherto fubject to doubt and uncertainty, fufficient data to enable him to determine with refpect to his conduct. A confiderable number of cafes is likewife added, which illuftrate the Author's doctrine, and feem fully to prove the juftice of his reafonings; which appear to be worthy the confideration of every practitioner who is interefted in the fubject to which they relate.

ART. VIII. Sermons by the late Rev. Charles Peters, M. A. Rector of St. Mabyn's, Cornwall. Published from his MSS. by his Nephew Jon. Peters, M. A. Vicar of St. Clements, near Truro, Cornwall. 8vo. 5 s. 3 d. Boards. Bathurst. 1776.

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ROM the great number of fermons preached throughout England it is, to be hoped fome real benefit accrues to mankind; but in too many parts of the country, we fear, the clergy, them felves, are culpable, in not paying fufficient attention either to the compofition or the delivery of their public difcourfes. A fermon, too often, confifts of mere declamation and harangue, or philofophical speculation, or incoherent rant, -or is, in fome other refpect, of a nature ill fuited to the generality of hearers: having little tendency to imprefs their hearts, or influence their lives. Yet, amidft, the glaring errors and defects which fometimes appear in this part of our public offices of religion, we doubt not but, on the whole, effential good is effected. Men are, perhaps, prevented from growing worse, if not rendered better. In many inftances, we hope, our pulpit difcourfes are of a truly edifying and useful kind:-and among these we must rank the fermons which now pafs under our review.-Mr. Peters, their Author, is already known to the world as a man of learning, ingenuity, and piety, by his critical differtation on the Book of Job. The Editor informs us that the prefent publication is in confequence of the request of the deceafed, who defired that thefe Sermons might appear, as specimens of his manner of preaching to a country congregation.

The fermons are nineteen in number, fome divided into two parts, and one into three. The fubjects are as follows: The' Duty and Advantage of knowing and understanding the Holy i Scriptures; The Doctrine of a Mediator, and Jefus Chrift the only true Mediator; The great Blefling of taking on us our Saviour's Yoke; The Difficulty of changing vicious Habits; Joy among the holy Angels over a finner that repenteth; The Love of God; The Love of our Neighbour; An Explication of Matth. xii. 36, 37, concerning idle Words; God's Omni-,

• See Review, vol. iv. p. 401.

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