even luxury be justly charged with these dreadful consequences, if taken in the sense in which we apply this term, to the diet and habits of mankind.

"Still we cannot but apprehend that the motions of material systems are principally dependent upon material forces, and therefore, that the principal agents in these wonderful phenomena, may be rendered the objects of our senses. If so, is it not possible to avoid them? Can the evils of social life be escaped only by renouncing its advantages and by returning to barbarism? This question is certainly the most important that can be proposed to human wisdom. I will not venture to assert, that it may be answered in the affirmative. But my senses and my understanding have utterly deceived me, if a very great improvement may not be made in the condition of man, and particularly in the treatment of some of the diseases, which have been hitherto the most intractable, by a greater attention to the composition of his diet, and especially by avoiding the application of deleterious and poisonous matter, daily introduced into the system, perhaps in many ways, but principally, and most abundantly, under the attractive and unsuspected form of WATER.

"Waters are divided, by chemical writers, into two great classes, the oeconomical and the medicinal. The former (it is with these only that we have any concern in this place) being such as are commonly applied to domestic purposes, have been supposed to contain nothing more than very minute quantities of well known salts. As these salts, when taken internally in moderate quantities, produce no bad effects on the body, they are deemed, and it would seem very properly, to be nearly inert and wholly inoffensive in the very diluted condition in which they are thus received. Such being the doctrine of chemists, the most eminent in their art, it is not at all surprising, that physicians have, in general, entertained little or no apprehensions from the indiscriminate use of the oeconomical waters; and that, whatever may be the suspicions of a few of the most judicious, their apprehensions have been too vague and too little supported by experiment, to have had any influence whatever upon the practice of the profession or the habits of the public.

"In the numerous experiments which I made on a great variety of common waters, with the view of determining whether, having been in contact with lead, they contained any of the metal in solution, I could not but perceive this general account of their contents to be very imperfect, and felt no small degree of astonishment at the negligence with which the subject had been treated. But though convinced that many waters possess metallic impregnations, which elude detection by the ordinary methods of examination, I felt only a vague apprehension, that this might render them not entirely salubrious: still less had I the smallest suspicion that any matter might be extracted from them of a deleterious nature. The following circumstance incited me to attempt a more full and laborious investigation of the properties of common water, which

has

has convinced me, that it is to be reckoned amongst the substances which have the most direct and powerful influence on the animal economy, both in health and in disease.

"A lady was occasionally afflicted with very severe pains of the stomach, when she lived at a particular house, which had repeatedly left her upon changing her residence. Unable to account for this circumstance, she requested me to examine the water used by the family. It was well tasted, but it had been observed to make the teeth dark. I used the methods I have described in another place for the detection of metallic matter, but to no purpose. Not being able to divest myself of the suspicion, that some noxious substance must be contained in this water, I evaporated a small portion of it to dryness and tasted the residuum. Now I observed that, though it hardly impressed the tongue with any other taste than the bitterness of the deliquescent salts, there was a peculiarly disagrecable sense of constriction excited in the fauces, which remained there fixed for a long time. The impression was clearly metallic. Though my mind revolted at the suspicion, I thought I perceived a strong resemblance between this impression and that excited by arsenical salts. I washed out the deliquescent matter, and put the remainder, mixed with a little charcoal powder, between plates of copper, which I exposed to a red heat. The cop per received a white stain by this process. A little arsenic was exposed to the same treatment between similar plates. No difference could be observed between these stains in each experiment, unless that the impression made by the residuum of the water, was the more distinct of the two. Thus was a great degree of probability added to the suspicions I had previously entertained.

"Amazed at a result, so strange and unexpected, a croud of reflections could not but rush upon my mind. What! is it possible that human beings can be daily swallowing the most virulent of poisons, without suspicion and almost without complaint? Those who have resided at this place have not been singularly unhealthy, and some have arrived at the ordinary period of old age. The fact then cannot be solitary. Is not this the very dæmon, which, for so many ages, has tortured mankind; and which, usurping the sensorlum, has corrupted, under a thousand forms, both the mind and body the evil spirit, which has augmented the wauts of mail, while it has diminished his enjoyments? which has exasperated the passions, inflamed the appetites, benumbed the senses, and enfeebled the understanding? which has converted his fine form into a storehouse of diseases, has blasted the flower of his off-pring, and has brought even the strongest of his name to an untimely grave." The following is extracted from the second part of the work: "Under this form, we call the disease Scrophula; a form universally acknowledged as a common precursor and parent of pulmonary consumption. As puberty advances, the activity of the absorbent vessels diminishes with the utility which gave birth to it. We are now presented with an appearance demonstrating almost to

the

the eye, that this disease is the consequence of excessive stimulation. Young people are observed to grow with extraordinary rapidity, and upon reaching their full stature, the pulmonary symptoms appear. In these cases, every body remarks that such subjects have overgrown their strength.

"At puberty this morbid activity becomes concentrated, as it were, to a point. All the organs have attained perfection, and all the actions are directed to the purposes of conservation. The morbid activity becomes confined to the excretory organs, of which the lungs is the principal. Through these is the stimulating matter perpetually eliminated; but being as constantly renewed, the viscus becomes injured by excessive action, and the vital powers sink under the perpetual irritation and constant exhaustion.

"If after a certain age, the system becomes less subject to consumption, it is because the excreting organs are less active, and the mobility of the system is greatly impaired. Under these cir cumstances, large parts of the system are apt to become torpid or paralytic. Therefore if, after the consumptive period, the vital powers begin to give way, the forms of disease incline to dropsical swellings, congestions in the bowels, leucorrhaa, hæmorrhoids, asthma, palsy, &c. The colour and countenance alter, inclining more and more to that which is termed melancholic. Thus, the consumptive systems must in some respects be deemed the most perfect, since they perish from the excess of their own actions.、 In the chronic diseases of more advanced periods, the powers themselves become impaired, and are in the end destroyed.”

Some cases are added of various success, but sufficient, in our Author's opinion, to sanction his theory of the causes of these dis

eases.

Even Cancer, Dr. Lambe cannot help considering as deriving its origin from the same source as other constitutional diseases. Among other arguments the following passage contains a group of them condensed :

"It has fallen in my own way often to meet with cancer and consumption in different members of the same family. Cancer and gout are united, not uncommonly, in the same subject.

"Mr. Howard has insisted too on the affinity between cancer and leprosy. That between cancer and elephantiasis has been observed many ages ago by Galen. On the latter disease he has made a remark, which may be transferred to the former with strict justice, supposing this affinity to be real. He presumes the elephantiasis to be the joint effect of climate and diet. Hence, he observes, that it is common in Alexandria, but in Germany and Mysia it is rarely met with. Among the milk-drinking Scythians (yaxaxTomóræes Éxúdais) it is almost unknown. These Schytians lived in about the same latitudes as the Germans and Mysians, and therefore, the efficacy of their diet is the more striking."

Some cases are annexed to show the efficacy of distilled water in this disease, and also in gout, in which our author finds sufficient authority

authority to support him in the theory that this disease arises. from morbific matter. Of the nature of the matter his opinion is of course different from former writers.

"Whilst, therefore, I contend for the existence of a morbific. matter in gout, I see no reason for supposing it to be at all pecuhar to gouty subjects, or any other than the same septic poison, which I believe to lay the foundation of other constitutional dis-. eases. And the relief received from the paroxysms I presume to be due, not to the inflammation of the feet, but to the changes induced by the process of fever."

These opinions, as in former instances, are illustrated with cases and this part of the work concludes with some lively reflections, which it is impossible not to peruse without admiring the happy talent which our author possesses in writing.

The experimental part of the work consists of: 1st. An analysis of arsenicated manganese; 2d. Of the properties of the ashes of animal matter; and, 3dly, Of water. Our author does not pretend

But

to have discovered arsenic in either animal matter or water. he found so many of the same properties, or rather of the same phenomena, resulting from his experiments on them, and on arsenicated manganese, as to satisfy him of the existence of arsenic in those other substances.

Having given as candid an account as we can of this work; we are aware that most of our medical readers may be contented with those suggestions which have arisen in their own minds during the perusal of our extracts. But we wish them to be considered, as they really are, very imperfect, without a full view of the other numerous arguments and illustrations produced in the work. Having therefore perused the whole, we shall take the liberty to offer our opinion, which we do with some reluctance, because we cannot doubt the good intentions or industry of the author.

And, first, we cannot clearly understand if these diseases arise from the impurity of common water, why man in his more civilised state, or other animals as they become domesticated, should be more afflicted with them. Man, in his residence in this great, town, is certainly not a water-drinker; and our author admits that the precipitation by fermentation somewhat improves, though it does not entirely destroy the bad properties of that fluid. As to the other animals, they fare for the most part better when under our care than in a state of nature, as we are careful to procure many of them the water which is found most agrecable to their divestive organs.

We give our author every credit for the sympathy with which he speaks of our common nature: "If, says he, the origin of the sufferings of mankind cannot be discovered in the operation of the matters which are applied to the human frame; it is to be feared that the condition of the race must be considered as utterly hope-. less." Melancholy as this consideration may be, we are at a loss to know what remedy our author would propose; for if it is prov

ed

ed, that not only water, but animal and consequently vegetable substances, contain essentially arsenical matter (page 257), and if this matter is the sceptic principle, the foundation of all these. chronic diseases, as long as we eat and drink, we must submit to eat and drink arsenic. Nor can we easily understand how we are to escape by butter-milk and potatoes, which are recommended as the source of health and beauty, on the grave authority of Doctor Adam Smith. But we hope our condition is not quite so bad ; even admitting that arsenic may be found so universally diffused, and admitting, what no one will deny, that arsenic is poison. It is asked, (p. 154) can that which is a poison in a state of concentration, be made innocent by dilution? For our own parts, we should answer, Yes. Nor do we recollect such a position being doubted till now.

We shall conclude with a few general remarks for our author's future consideration, should this work arrive at a second edition. We conceive too little regard has been paid to climate and too much to water. Though men live pretty much the same in most climates, yet scrofula is only known in the colder and more uncertain regions. Whatever analogy there may be between cancer and leprosy, it is certain that one of them is a disease of cold and the other of warm climates: The observation of Galen, which we have quoted above, refers much more to climate than diet. The climate of Egypt has always been famous for elephantiasis, though we have no reason to suppose that the diet has been materially different in Mysia and Germany, where the disease is rarely met with. The milk-drinking Scythians inhabited a still colder climate, and probably owe their exemption to that, more than to their diet. We are told indeed, that "these Scythians lived in about the same climate as the Germans and Mysians, the efficacy of their diet is therefore the more striking." We conceive that our author's qualifying about, is pretty equivalent to the difference of rarely met with in one instance, and almost unknown in the other.

After all, we must admit that the work before us shows extensive reading, great memory, much candour to those from whom the author differs, and is adorned with a style that would not disgrace the author of the sublime and beautiful.

Commentaries он the Treatment of Scirrhi and Cancers, from the earliest Period to the present, for the purpose of pointing out and establishing a specific for those Diseases on rational and scientific Principles. By WILLIAM THOMAS, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, 8vo. pp. 47.

"NOVELTY, says our author, seems to be the great excitement in the present medical pursuits, and the hope of discovering new resources, more desirable than in those already known."

Feeble as these hopes have hitherto proved, we cannot encourage any thing that would lessen so laudable a pursuit. Mr. Thomas is of a different opinion, and though he admits that " no one