tually carries off those humours, but is also poffeffed of an aftringent quality, which renders it specific in the dyfentery. The operation of the vomit being finished, a mild anodyne fhould be prescribed, which may allay the commotion excited by vomiting, and remove that irritation which might aggravate the symptoms of the disease. Next day a dose of rhubarb fhould be given, and the anodyne repeated when going to rest.

But when the prime via are cleared, it is improper to perfift in the ufe of purging medicines. The principal intention to be then purfued is, to temper the acrimony of the humours, to lubricate the inteftines, and endeavour to restore them to their ufual tone; and this is chiefly to be accomplished by mucilaginous food, drink, and medicines. The irritation of the humours, which are too plentifully secreted in the course of the disease, is generally more than fufficient to stimulate the inteftines, and thereby occafions violent purging; but when the acrimony is tempered by large quantities of mild liquids, they still have fo much effect as to promote abundance of ftools yet, if that should not happen, mild purgatives combined with anodynes, fhould be prescribed.

But the cure hath often been more speedily accomplished, by giving the bark, joined with opium, in the following form:

R Decocti corticis Peruviani, unciam. Aqua fontana, libram. Coque ad medias & cola.

Decoli præfcripti, uncias duas. Tin&ura thebaica, gultas viginti quinque. F. hauftus octava quaque bora fumendus. When the purging was by this means restrained, a small quan. tity of the powder of bark was added; and when the tone of the inteftines was more established, the quantity of the powder was gradually increased, and the opium entirely laid afide.

But the direction of the bark in this disease, requires much accuracy and attention; for if it is prefcribed too early in fubftance, or without the opiate, it irritates the bowels, and increases the purging: and though I have often used it with advantage, yet having had lefs opportunity of proving its efficacy in the dysentery than in the remitting fever, I cannot therefore recommend it with the fame confidence as in that disease.

If the fick complain of fournefs in the ftomach, four spoonfulls of the chalk julep fhould be given, when that complaint is urgent, and after every loofe ftool; or the following draught may be prefcribed:

R Aque

R Aqua cinnamomi fimplicis, fefquiunciam. Pulveris e cbelis cancrorum, drachmam. Sacchari albiffimi, fernpulum M.

• When stronger aftringents are required, finall doses of ipecacuan, tinctura Helvetii, tin&tura faturnina, Armenian bole, pulvis ftypticus, pulvis teftaceus ceratus, and other medicines of that clafs may be given, joined with mucilage of gum tragacanth, gum arabic, diafcordium, theriac, or mithridate.

'Yet without a careful attention to the diet of the fick, the operation of every medicine will be lefs effectual; great caution is therefore neceffary in this refpect, through every stage of the disease, but especially when the appetite returns, as happens in the convalefcent state.'

The two remaining chapters are employed on the rheumatifm and puerperal fever; but as they contain nothing worthy either of approbation or much cenfure, we fhall here conclude our remarks on this work, which has already drawn us beyond the ordinary bounds of a Review.-Had it been calculated for the faculty only, few ftrictures would have been fufficient to explode it; but as the tranflation of the prefcriptions, and gloffary, fhew it to be intended for more extenfive influence, it was neceffary to obviate, by a stricter examination, the danger which might accrue to the public, from adopting the method of practice here recommended, fo totally contradicted by the univerfal experience of the most celebrated physicians.

III. Review of the Characters of the principal Nations in Europe. Two Vels. 8vo. Pr. 8s. 6d. in boards. Cadell. Concluded.

WE E have already given the reader an account of the first volume of this work; and fhall therefore proceed to lay before him an analyfis of the fecond, which contains only. the characters of the Germans and the Dutch.

The first obfervation worthy of notice that occurs in our reviewer's account of the Germans, is that the pacification of Westphalia is, with regard to that country, like the Revolution in England, the grand epocha from whence they date the final fettlement of their conftitution. He then justly remarks, that they have of late years made a very confpicuous figure in the republic of letters, though the French, whose vanity is certainly too great for their merit, and who would willingly confine all genius to themfelves, have affirmed E e 2

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it to be impoffible for a German to be a wit. In pastoral and epic poetry, they have produced compofitions of prime merit. The names of a Brocks, a Kleift, a Klopftock, and a Gefner, are fufficient to rescue them from the imputation of a defect of genius; and the great excellence of their works is fully evinced by the translations of them into other languages. The force and energy of their performance in profe is univerfally allowed; and in particular, the emphatical diction of their prayers and fermons. Sonnets, indeed, madrigals, and epigrams, Germany has hitherto been unfuccefsful in; but these compofitions contribute very little to a great reputation. If they have not diftinguished themselves in the drama, this should be afcribed to the preference given to the French language in almost all the courts of Germany, where the French theatre is univerfally received. It feems furprifing that our reviewer, after having done juftice to the Germans with respect to their fuccefsful cultivation of literature, fhould take no notice of their philofophers, when Leibnitz and Wolfius may rank with Newton, Descartes, and the most celebrated of the moderns; and they have, in the important branch of chemistry, surpassed all other nations. It appears no lefs extraordinary, that he fhould fay nothing of their fuccefs in mufick, when it is well known that Germany has produced many celebrated compofers.

Whatever the difference of opinion may be concerning the intellectual endowments of the Germans, their moral qualities have never been called in queftion. Their benevolence, friendliness, and hofpitality, are well known; and their candour and fincerity are almoft proverbial. Their manners are plain, fimple, and little altered from what they were ages ago; and, though they have adopted many foreign cuftoms, they have always had an eye to propriety in their imitations. Tho' lovers of ftate, their princes indulge in the most friendly and frequent intercourfe, which is not in the leaft obftructed by the ceremonial to be adjusted between them. This is the more extraordinary, as the German princes value themselves above all others upon their noble birth; and a rage of splendour prevails in all their courts, from thofe whofe heads are dignified with the title of majesty, to fuch as have affumed the title of highnels, the lowest that is used to any kind of fovereign in this land of kings and princes. Even the minute businets and forms of a court, which in England and France are looked upon as tedious and fulfome, are, on the contrary, a most pleafing occupation in Germany, where every petty fovereign is charmed with the follicitude and exactness, with which his

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attendants perform the various parts affigned them in the little sphere both he and they have to act in. They are no less ingenious in contriving thofe fpecies of recreations, which confift in fhew and pageantry, of which there is a greater variety in Germany, than all the reft of Europe.

Our author next obferves, that strangers and visitors meet with a more polite and friendly reception in Germany than in any other country, which reflects the higher honour upon the German princes and nobles, as they are with reafon accused of valuing themselves on their condition and quality above thofe of all other nations. So far is this prejudice carried in Germany, that if a perfon of princely birth marries a woman inferior in rank to a countefs, he gives her his left hand at the nuptial ceremony, and the emperor muft interpofe to enable their posterity to fucceed to their honours and estates; nor can this be done without formally creating her a princess of the empire; otherwife the match remains difgraceful, and the wife is not allowed to bear even the husband's name.

In the course of this Review, we are told, that the Saxon men furpass all the other Germans in valour and activity, and that the Saxon women are accounted the first in the empire both for beauty and politenefs. The author adds, that the Auftrian men and women are equally remarkable for their want of fhining qualities, and reprefents Auftria as the Boeotia of Germany. He then takes notice of the improvement which the Germans received from the great number of French refugees who fettled in that empire, the fprightliness of whom, blending with the folidity of the natives, contributed to make them a much more engaging people than they were before.

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Moft of the German gentlemen are foldiers of fortune, i. e. hunters after preferment. It is, therefore, no wonder if they eagerly watch, and readily feize every opportunity of bettering their condition. This no individuals can stand a fairer chance of doing, as they are not difficult to pleafe, and are willing to accept of any offer, provided the employment be genteel. Hence it is, that the German armies are fo full of perfons of birth; and that the loweft military offices have often been gladly embraced, as the fole means of fubfiftence and fupport, by many whofe merit has, in procefs of time, raifed them to the highest dignities. The German princes generally chufe their favourites on account of fome trifling qualification, fuch as dexterity in horfemaufhip, the ufe of arms, or fome other accomplishment of that ftamp, or even of an inferior kind, fuch as chefs, cards, or dice. Thus, by playing fkilfully at chefs, one Kamp infinuated himself into the good graces of Frederick I. king of Pruffia.

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The next obfervation is, that the vice of drinking to excess is almost universal amongst all ranks and degrees of men in Germany, where even the literati, who, in other countries, are profeft votaries of fobriety, cannot resist the torrent of example. Here our author takes notice of the fuperftitious turn of the Germans, amongst whom, till within this century, there were many, in other refpects, no contemptible scholars, who entered deep into cabaliftical speculations. Some seriously studied judicial aftrology; others firmly believed the existence of genii, as well as the frequency of apparitions. Of late years a very extraordinary opinion was broached, and learnedly maintained by fome of the remaining members of those credulous fraternities, which was, that the dead fometimes came out of their graves to fuck the blood of the living. This ridiculous notion, which was poffibly occafioned by the disorder called the incubus, or night-mare, found its way into the neighbouring countries, and it is almost incredible what a number of elaborate differtations it gave rise to.

Amongst other inftances of fuperftition in the Germans, our author mentions the extraordinary devotion to the hoft in the dominions of the house of Auftria, which is the more fervent, as the princes of that family are thought by their fubjects to owe their temporal aggrandifement to their piety in this refpect; many inftances of which are related with great applaufe, cfpecially that of Rodolphus I. who attained to the imperial dignity. Concerning this prince, there goes a tradition, that whilft count of Hapfburg only, meeting with a priest on foot, who was carrying the viaticum to a rich person, he alighted and made him mount. It is added, that the prieft, prophetically inspired, predicted to him as a reward of this pious action, his future grandeur, and that of his defcendants. This ftory is often in the mouth of the devout well-wishers to the Auftrian line; and pictures of it are frequent both in places of worship and private dwellings. The example of this emperor has often been followed by several of his pofterity, as well as by other Romish fovereigns, to the great edification of their people. The fuperftitious turn of the Germans is farther evinced by the miraculous images and relicks of the most extraordinary kind so common in that country, fuch as the remains of the three kings at Cologne, and that rare affemblage of facred curiofities at Aix la Chapelle, which, at certain periods, draws so vaft a concourse of pil. grims from the remoteft parts of Germany; to fay nothing of the wonderful confecration of the cathedral of that city, to affift at which, faints rofe from their tombs according to accounts reputed authentic by multitudes; nor of the fword of

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