A Dialogue between Dr. Johnfon and Dr. Goldsmith in the Shades, Lord Mountmorres's Impartial Reflections on equalizing the Duties 3r2 The Crifis; or, immediate Concerns of the British Empire, Captain Oakes's Narrative of the Treatment of the English by Tip- 319, 400 Poems upon feveral Occafions, with Tranflations, by John Milton. With Notes and other Illuftrations, by Thomas Warton, Fellow · Cavallo's Hiftory and Practice of Aerostation, Account of the Qualities and Uses of Tar and Coal Varnish, Earl of Stair's Claims of the Public on the Minister, stated, Answer to the Reply to the fuppofed Treasury Pamphlet, White's (Jofeph) Sermons at Bampton's Lecture, fecond Edition, Sonnets and Poems; with a Verfification of the Six Bards of Offian, Dr. Fowler's Medical Reports of the Effects of Tobacco, ibid. nances of Great Britain, Beaumarchais' La Folle Journée ou Marriage de Figaro, Macnally's Fashionable Levities, Bofwell's Letter to the People of Scotland, Craufurd's Effay on the actual Refources for re-establishing Taylor's propofed Reformation in Parliament confidered, A Short View of the Proposals for a final Adjustment of the Com- Report of the Lords of the Committee of Council appointed for the Confideration of all Matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plan- Box's Plans for reducing the extraordinary Expences of the Nation, and gradually paying off the National Debt, Confiderations on the Advantages of an improved Syftem of Fi The Reporter; or the Subftance of the Debate in Houfe of Com- Dawes's Deformity of the Doctrine of Libels, &c. ibid. Humphries's Poem addressed to the Armies of the United States of THE CRITICAL REVIEW. For JANUARY, 1785. Obfervations on the Animal Oeconomy, and on the Caufes and Cure of Difeafes. By John Gardiner, M. D. Prefident of the Royal College of Phyficians, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 8vo. 65. Longman. A Uthors have different objects in view, when they publish either their fentiments or observations. The young are impelled by a defire of fame; the elder are pleased with affuming the oracular dignity, and claiming the attention due to age, rank, or character. The diffident, in a modeft form, propose their doubts and difficulties, in hopes of inftruction; the vain and the confident to filence impertinent pretenders, by a display of their own amazing acquifitions. But thefe, and the va rious other caufes which are either flightly hinted at, or oftentatiously explained, by different writers, feem to have had little effect on our author, whofe rank, as prefident of a refpectable college, leads us to form confiderable expectations. The little novelty in fome parts of his work, the obfcure and imperfect explanations in others, are neither confiftent with the ufual ambition of an author, nor worthy of Dr. Gardiner's character and fituation. If he thinks his observations generally new, we lament the limited extent of his knowlege; if he has aimed at rendering them highly useful, we regret his difappointment. In his preface, the prefident feems to think, that one caufe of the flow progrefs of knowlege arifes from a luxuriancy of fancy, and a liveliness of imagination, which induces authors to build fyftems on fuperficial and unstable foundations.' Indeed, from various expreffions, misleading the inexperienced ftudent,' ' acute, but falfe manner of reasoning,' theoretical difqui fitions of novelty and ingenuity,' he feems to aim his shafts at the prefent profeffor of the practice of phyfic. Is it not otherwife ftrange that, in difcuffions on the living principle, and in condemning the conduct of former nofologifts, he should not have once mentioned Dr. Cullen, except as the author of VOL. LIX. Jan. 1785. fome 6 B fome experiments on the cold produced by evaporation? It is much more fo, if it be found that he had scarcely confidered the profeffor's works on thefe fubjects. His theory of fevers, and his remarks on the arrangement of the bilious remittents, are ftriking proofs of Dr. Gardiner's inattention, either to the Firft Lines, or the Synopfis Nofologiæ. But it is not our business to ascertain the respective property of each author: we must give an account of the contents, and our opinion of the execution of the work before us; but, as we fhall have occafion to mention our author's mistakes, we could not avoid this inftance of his want of candour. Dr. Gardiner introduces this volume with fome remarks on the vital principle, and the organs by which it is conveyed. In the relation of facts, he is generally exact; but his reasoning is generally defective; and through the whole, the living principle, the principle of life, and life itself, are fo frequently confounded, that the plainest subject is obfcured. From the living principle,' he tells us, in one paffage, diffufed through the folids and fluids, that principle of life, which is coeval with the animalcula in femine, arifes. But, though as many exceptions may be made to this fentence as it contains words, yet, in another place our author tells us, that the action of the heart is the first vital motion; and that heat, which is infeparable from animal life, is not found in an egg, previous to incubation, or foon loft. In this part, we have not observed a fingle new fact, or any remark, which we can transcribe, with a view either to the entertainment or advantage of the reader. The obfervations on Dr. Crawford's Theory of Animal Heat have been again and again printed; and our author's own fyftem is fo imperfect, as fcarcely to deferve the name. In fact, it confifts chiefly of fome of the circumftances which influence the heat of animals, and refers the whole to the living principle. The intelligent reader will recollect various authors, who have already made equal advances; and, in most of them, he will find the feveral facts more perfectly and advantageously detailed. Dr. Gardiner's language is rendered very obfcure by the frequent ufe of the term ftimulus. We understand the word when applied to food, heat, aromatics, and fome kind of medicine; but, when applied to opium, and to cold, we expected a nice diftinction, and began to apprehend a poifon concealed under the apparently whole fome aliment; to fear, from this enemy to theoretical difquifions, of novelty and ingenuity, fomething which resembled a direct and an indirect stimulus. But, after wandering in uncertainty, without the fmalleft glimmering of a meaning, through two-thirds of his nervous phyfiology, we find that ftimulus is only a change effected |