are now fo generally known and acknowleged, that any attempt to illuftrate them may probably be deemed fuperfluous; yet the laudable defign for remedying the defective ftate of the Severn naviga→ tion, has met with much oppofition from many inhabitants of Shrewfbury, Glocefter, &c. under the ill-founded notion, that a number of land-owners would be injured by floods, occafioned by the adjacent locks and wears. The objections raised against the plan for rendering the Severn navigable [for, in its prefent ftate, it can scarcely be called a navigable* river] are here ftated and answered, as we apprehend, in a very full and irrefragable manner; and the great advantages that will naturally refult from the projected improvement, are rendered fo manifeft, that (as far as we can pretend to judge) conviction muft follow an impartial perufal of the pamphlet. But there are minds, every avenue to which may be stopped by invincible prejudices, or, what may prove equally infurmountable, by mistaken notions of felf-interest. We cannot close this article, without laying before our Readers the following curious account of the extent of the feveral canal navigations which have, within these last 50 years, been made in this country, through various parts of it, which never before enjoyed the benefits of water-conveyance: a conveyance by which one horfe will draw as much weight as forty can draw upon land: The Duke of Bridgewater's Canal The Canal from the Trent to the Merfey, now called the The Canal to the Severn, called the Staffordshire and Wor Miles. 27 100 46 37 87 22 17 The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, The Thames and Severn Canal with the Stroud, The Erwash Canal, Stourbridge, Dudley, Droitwich, &c. IMPEY'S CAUSE. 100 37 12 18' Art. 30. A Refutation of a Pamphlet, entitled, "The Anfwer of Philip Francis, Efq. to the Charges exhibited against him, Gene. ral Clavering, and Col. Monfon, by Sir E. Impey, when at the Bar of the Houfe of Commons ;" to which is added, a Fac Simile Copy of the Petition of Nundcomar, burnt as a Libel, by the Common Hangman, in confequence of a Motion of Mr. The Author obferves, That the communication with Bristol is ftill very imperfect, on account of the defective ftate of the Severn navigation, which has never, in any respect, been improved, but remains in its natural ftate, in many places fo fhallow, that in all dry feafons, veffels are long ftopped and detained, and trade and commerce thereby much obstructed,-to the great injury of the ma nufacturer, the merchant, and the public in general.' Francis. Francis; with the Proceedings relative to it, in Council at Calcutta. 8vo. Is. 6d. Stockdale! 1788. In the Review for March, we noticed the pamphlet afcribed to Mr. Francis; and of which the prefent tract is given as a refutation. As we must not pretend to enter into the particulars of this difpute, we fhall only obferve, in general terms, that the publication before us is well written; and that the Author, in common with all who appear on that fide of the queftion, is very fevere on Mr. Francis. POLITICA L. Art. 31. A Political Index to the Hiftories of Great Britain and Ireland: or, a complete Register of the Hereditary Honours, Public Offices, and Perfons in Office, from the earlieft Periods to the prefent Time. By Robert Beatfon Efq. The fecond Edition, corrected and much enlarged. 2 Vols. 8vo. 155. Boards. Robinfons. 1788. Our Readers will find a circumftantial account of the first edition of Captain Beatfon's very ufeful work, in our 75th vol. p. 64. It is now offered to the public confiderably increafed in fize, and enriched with new articles which feemed wanting in the former. In his preface, the Author acknowledges the polite and liberal reception which he met with from feveral diftinguished persons, when he lately vifited London for the purpofe of augmenting his compilation. Public and private repofitories were opened to him, by which means he was enabled to trace the defcent of many ancient baronies to different noble families beyond the limits of his former information. Befide increafing and correcting the articles in the former edition, many new ones are now added; the principal of which are, An alphabetical lift of the peerage of the three kingdoms;-a lift of the Speakers of the House of Commons from the reign of Henry II.—A litt of the emperors, kings, and potentates of the prefent ftates of Europe from the earlieft records, and an account of their respective families. A Supplement, containing an account of the duty and office of the Paymaster-general of the Land-forces, of the Treafurer of the Navy, and of the following officers of the Exchequer, viz. auditor, clerk of the pells, the tellers, the chamberlains, tally cutter, ufher, paymafters of Exchequer bills; of the bufinefs tranfacted, and the profits arifing from each of them. It cannot be expected that we should give a detail of the feveral additions in the old lifts; they are, however, confiderable; and we may without hesitation affure our Readers that in this work they will find almost every information which they may have occafion to look for, refpecting the peerage, and the public offices of the three kingdoms; and with many other particulars, the knowlege of which must greatly contribute to the elucidation of our British and Irish hiftories. Art. 32. Obfervations relative to the Taxes upon Windows or Lights. A Commutation of thefe Taxes being alio fuggefted, and a Tax affeffed from the internal Capacioufnefs, or Tonnage, of Houfes pointed pointed out as a more eligible Mode of Taxation. To which are added, Obfervations on the Shop-tax, and the Discontent caused by it. Short Obfervations on the late Act relative to Hawkers and Pedlars. A Hint for the Improvement of the Metropolis. By John Lewis de Lolme, Advocate, LL. D, 4to. 35. Richardfon, &c. 1788. From the fize and appearance of this publication, and the nature of the fubjects announced in the title-page, we expected to find a ferious investigation, but were furprised to meet with no more than a jeu d'efprit; for as fuch only can we confider the arguments here offered, when we view them as coming from a perfon of abilities fo respectable as thofe of M. de Lolme. He feems, however, to have been very well fatisfied with this jeu d'efprit himself; and like a noted orator in the Houfe of Commons, he has run on to a great length, turning and re-turning the playful images fuggefted by his fancy, pleased to think that his hearers will be at least diverted, if not much inftructed by it. He fays, that he feriously propofes that a tax on the tonnage of houfes fhould be fubftituted in lieu of the window tax, &c. and he thinks it much more eligible than those which he reprehends. We, however, can fcarcely think him serious at all, in regard to this matter. "I will divert myfelf," he seems to fay, and you may be diverted with me, if you please." On the fhop-tax and the pedlars bill he appears to mean to be at times a little ferious; but in all his best arguments he has been anticipated by others. The improvement propofed for the city of London is, to remove the cattle-market from Smithfield to fome place in the fields near St. Pancras. This idea has occurred to many; and it is fo obviously proper, that we think it cannot fail, at fome future time, to be carried into effect. His hint to provide water for the poor, thirsty, tortured cattle, fhews his humanity, and ought certainly to be adopted and put in practice-the fooner the better: and if a fubfcription fhould be deemed neceffary, in order to accomplish this benevolent fcheme, we defire that this article may be confidered as our promiffory note for five guineas. MEDICAL. Art. 33. Surgical Tracts; containing a Treatife on Ulcers of the Legs, together with Hints on a fuccefsfel Method of treating some fcrophulous Tumours, the Mammary Abfcefs, and fore Nipples. The fecond Edition, revised, enlarged, and defended. To which are now added, Obfervations on the more common Disorders of the Eye, and on Gangrene. By Michael Underwood, M. D. 8vo. 4s. 3d. Boards. Mathews. 1788. The first edition of Dr. Underwood's furgical publications was noticed in the 70th volume of our Review, p. 139. We find, from this fecond impreffion of his useful tracts, that the method of treating ulcers on the legs, which he fo ftrongly recommended, has been found by experience to have been fuccessful in a variety of cafes. In the treatife on the eyes, Dr. Underwood ftrenuously infifts on powerfully ftimulating applications; in inflammations of the tunica conjun&iva, and eye-lids, he prefers liniments to liquid collyria; his liniments are unguent, cærul. fort, and cerat, alb. āā, p. x. or where a greater greater ftimulus is required, Mercur. corrofiv. rubr. zij. unguent. alb. and el. olivar. ãā. 3 fs. or what he thinks moft efficacious, a kind of unguent. citrinum, prepared with fresh butter and camphor: he recommends also a liniment made of extract of lead and olive oil. These are furely violent applications to fo tender and fenfible a part as the eye: if experience warrants their ufe, the furgeon ought to be peculiarly cautious in their application, having conftantly before him the maxim that medicamentum heroicum in manu imperiti eft tanquam gladius in manu furiofi. With respect to gangrenes, the Author, with much judgment, enforces the use of emollient and relaxing fomentations, poultices, or ointments externally; and, after the inflammatory symptoms have abated, bark and other tonics, with opium, internally. We approve, on the whole, Dr. Underwood's improvements in the practice of furgery, as delivered in thefe tracts; yet we muft acknowlege that his directions can only be followed by the prudent and skilful, and that in unexperienced hands his method of cure may not always be attended with the good confequences which the Author has in view by his valuable publications. Art. 34. The Elements of Medical Jurifprudence. To which are addded, Directions for preferving the public Health. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Becket. 1788. In most of the univerfities on the continent the profeffors read a course of lectures on medicina forenfis, as it is called, or, in fome places, Jurifprudentia medica. The fubject of the courfe is the confideration of thofe cafes, in which the evidence, teftimony, or opinion of physicians may be required in courts of judicature. The profeffors fometimes publish their clafs books, which are little more than the fyllabus of their courfe. One of thefe, published at Geneva in 1767, our Author (Dr. Samuel Farr) fays, was the foundation of the prefent work. Pregnancy is the object of his firft enquiry; he defcribes its diagnoftic fymptoms, and fhews the various methods that may be used in order to discover when it is concealed, or detect when it is feigned. Parturition, the natural confequence of pregnancy, is next treated in an ample manner. Divorces, or rather thofe diforders and infirmities in either fex, which conftitute natural grounds for a divorce, are the subject of the third chapter. In moft cafes indeed the law does not refer to natural reafons, yet as no other concern the medical perfon, and as they are proper to be known, the Author has judiciously advanced what is neceffary on the fubject, fo as to enable a phyfician to form a decided opinion, fhould fuch cafes be referred to his examination. Rapes are cafes that frequently occur in practice, and none occur which require more circumfpection and judgment. The figns of a rape having been committed, or attempted, are fometimes extremely obfcure, and in general not to be depended on without the additional evidence of corroborating proofs. The Author has enumerated the principal symptoms, and given directions for afcertaining how far they are to be depended on, in order to determine the fact. The murder of infants is amply treated by Dr. Farr. These cafes are fometimes attended with much difficulty; the Doctor has, how ever, given as clear and diftinct a view of the fubject, as, from the uncertainty of the figns, could be expected. He then proceeds to the confideration of murder in general: this is a wide field, and takes. up the greater part of the work. After general directions for the examination of a dead body, he proceeds to confider the different kinds of murder, or the different means by which it may be committed, viz poifons, wounds, bruifes, drowning, and ftrangulation. The three first of these are separately treated, but the Author offers nothing on the two last. The next chapter, on infanity, is fhort, and only enumerates the diagnostics of that dreadful calamity. There are various cafes which induce men to feign diforders to which the human body is fubject, and by fuch fictions impofe on a court of judicature. Thefe impoftors can only be detected by the fagacity and skill of an able phyfician. The rules which Dr. Farr gives in this refpect are few. As these impofitions may be various, no determined directions can indeed be given. The means of detection must be the refult of the phyfician's own reflections on each particular cafe; much however will depend on a thorough knowledge of concomitant fymptoms. Dr. Farr concludes, with recommending to the notice of thofe in authority fome judicious remarks on the means of preferving the public health. The utility of a work of this kind is felf-evident; and we wish that the prefent had been more extenfive. We cannot finish this article better than in the Author's words at the conclufion of his preface: Life and death are objects too important to be fported with in the manner which they fometimes are: nor fhould the valuable connexions of our fellow-citizens be ever facrificed to the ignorance of the faculty, the caprice of a court, or the artifices of revenge and difappointment.' DRAMATIC. Art. 35. The Ton; or Follies of Fashion. A Comedy. As it was acted at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. By Lady Wallace. 8vo. Is. 6d. Hookham. 1788. To lafh the follies and vices of the day, was the object of this Comedy; and when that task was undertaken by a Lady, who lives in a sphere that gives her opportunities of feeing what the intended to reprefent, the Public might reasonably expect a piece composed of wit, humour, and genteel dialogue. It feems, however, that they were disappointed. From the judgment pronounced at the theatre, the fair Authorefs, by her publication, appeals to the reader in his clofet; but, of a play which has been rejected, it cannot be deemed neceffary to give a regular analysis; and in the prefent cafe it would be difficult. Lady Wallace is candid enough to acknowlege her want of skill in the mechanifm of dramatic writing, stage effect, and the neceffity which there is for conftant action. This confeffion proceeds from candour of mind. Moral fentences and fentimental talk will not conftitute a comedy, which profeffes to be an imitation of life and manners, and fhould therefore prefent the feveral per fonages |