die of his original disorder, in spite even of the ocular proof which he had of haying been completely relieved from it. This hallucination of ideas gained ground, until in a few days he became abfolutely outrageous; it was then found neceffary, for the fatisfaction and security of those who lived in the fame house with him, to have recourse to painful measures of coercion; although, for the most part, heappeared absent and melancholy, taking no notice of external objects, but dwelling folely on the unfortunate nature of his disease, even after it had ceased to exist.This cafe seems to contradict the idea of a pathologist of esteemed authority, who ventures boldly to affert, that in all instances of madness, fome change has taken place in the organization of the brain, and particularly that there always exifts an effufion in its ventricles. True it is, that we cannot abfolutely deny that no such circumstance took place in the instance alluded to, yet we have every reafon to incline us to the contrary opinion; for it is not easy to imagine that the mere efforts of the mind, brooding over any particular malady or misfortune, should, in so short a time, be capable of producing an important alteration in the structure, or a ferous accumulation in the cavities, of the brain. An effusion in the ventricles is perhaps more frequently the consequence than the occafion of mental alienation; that it does not always produce a derangement of the reasoning faculty, is demonstrated by the disease of hydrocephalus, which, although arifing from an effufion of ferum in the ventricles, produces only a dulness, or total abolition, of the sentient principle, not that aberration of the senses that characterises genuine infanity, in which complaint the percipient powers are at times exalted rather than depressed, although always erroneoufly directed, and, in many inftances, even to an imaginary object. Notwithstanding all the ingenious reafonings and observations of physiologifts, it is beyond all doubt, that fome latent power exitts in the complicated and myfterious organ of thought, which guides its healthy, and is disturbed in its morbid actions; although this power has hitherto evaded, and will perhaps for ever continue to evade, the most elaborate and penetrating research. Two cafes have recently occurred with in the sphere of the Reporter's observation, of hydrocephalus fucceeded by dumbness. The first was that of a boy of fifteen years of age; the disease was very far advanced, and every symptom diagnostic of it obvis ously existed, and in such a degree, that his life was for several days despaired of; he, however, contrary to reasonable apprehension, gradually recovered; but it was observed upon his recovery, that he was incapable of urtering any articulate found. When the faculty of understanding returned, he answered the questions that were put to him, in writing, and frequently in a very affecting manner lamented his inability of utterance. The figns which he made seemed to express that he felt as if his tongue was bound down in his mouth; and it was found necessary to preclude his access to any cutting instrument, as it evidently was his wish, whenever he faw a pair of fciffars, or a knife, to operate upon himself. As this idea seemed to engross his mind, the medical attendant, merely with a view to humour his deire, made, with a pair of scissars, a very flight wound in the frenum of the tongue. Instantly after this frivolous operation, the patient expressed his thanks in terms the most diftinctly articulate and enthusiastic, and he from that moment has continued to speak as well as before his disease. This fact, the accurate statement of which will bear a rigid fcrutiny, may rank among the most striking instances upon record of the almost omnipotent influence of the imagination over the organs, the feelings, and the faculties of the body. The other hydrocephalic case was that of a child between two and three years of age, in which the disease was not fo accurately marked as in the preceding; the infant previously to the attack spoke extremely well, but, whilst the complaint has been gradually leaving it, which is nearly a month, it has not uttered a fingle word; the power of articulation, however, has within these few days been again awakened by the stimulating operation of the electric fluid. In one of the cases of paralysis alluded to in the prefixed catalogue, it was remarkable that the pulfe in the paralyfed arm, which was totally deftitute of the powers of sensation and voluntary motion, was uncommonly strong, full, and regular, whereas in the other, which was not at all affected by palsy, the circulation was remarkably feeble, indistinct, and inter mittent. One of the patients was afflicted with menorrhagia, at 52 years of age, after a five years ceffation of the regular menfes ; it was attended with an extreme relaxation of body and depreffion of spirits, both of which, however, have been confiderably relieved by bark and fteel, and the Aill ftill more infallible and effectual corroborants, exercise, cold-bathing, and country air. These physical restorers of an enfeebled and exhausted frame are, in general, with more propriety prescribed, merely because they can in general be more conveniently had recourse to, than those moral remedies that are still more powerful and permahent in their medicinal operation. to A residence, for inftance, even in a great and polluted city, which affords objects of interest and motives to exertion, ought be recommended, especially to an hypochondriacal or nervous patient, in preference to the most highly oxygenated fituation of the country, where there is not any thing sufficient to rouse the sluggishness, or to fill the vacuity of the mind. Intellectual man, like the terrestrial planet which he inhabits, is destined to be in perpetual motion: nor is it sufficient for him to move merely upon his own axis; a frequent communication with beings on the fame level with himself, is almost as neceffary to the health, as to the enjoyment of his exiftence. The circle of fociety, in the centre of which a person is placed, may be regarded as the atmosphere of his mind; and to one whose understanding has been improved to any confiderable degree of refinement or extent, the mental atmosphere by which he is furrounded, is of incalculably more importance to the vigour and proper condition even of his body, than almost any variety in the modification or proportion of those material ingredients with which his lungs are fupplied from the external air. Ideas are to the mind, what air is to the lungs, or what food is to the stomach; and in each of these instances the neceffary quantity of aliment increases in an exact proportion to the tone and capacity of the organ that requires it. Hence it may, in a great measure, be explained why men of the most extraordimary and splendid talents are found particolarly apt, in order to appease the gnawings of intellectual hunger, to have recourse to the fugitive and fatal folace of artificial exhilaration. Nervous diseases, from their daily increafing prevalence, deserve at the present time a more than ordinary degree of attention, especially from the medical practitioner. Nothing, furely, can furpafs the abfurdity and inhumanity with which patients of this class are in general treated by friends, nurses, and physicians. These perions too frequently ast upon the idea that fuch complaints are entirely dependant upon the power of the will; a notion which, in paradoxical extravagance, MONTHLY MAG. No. 91. scarcely yields to the doctrine of a modern By indirect and imperceptible means gradually and infenfibly feduced, but never the attention may, in many instances, be can be abruptly forced, from any habitual topic of painful contemplation. If, with a rude and violent hand, you tear the mind from a subject to which it has long and closely attached itself, you are almott fure to occafion an irreparable laceration of its structure. In addition to and confirmation of these the wounds of the mind; to allure the * Note. See the last number of Hygeia, by Dr. Beddoes. This well-instructed and accomplished writer never fails to throw, not light merely, but splendour, upon every fubject which he treats. Much is it to be lamented, that profesional neceffary, in forme measure, to irradiate the X VARIETIES, 1 ! D VARIETIES, LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL; R. WITTMAN, of the Royal Artillery, who accompanied Brigadier General Koehler's Military Miffion from Constantinople into Syria and Egypt, and who acted occasionally as Physician to the Grand Vizier, and had the medical care of the miffion, is preparing to publish an account of his interefting Travels in Turkey, Syria, and Egypt, including a Meteorological Journal, and Remarks and Observations on the Plague, and on the other Diseases of those Countries, accompanied with plates. Mr. AIKIN's Tranflation of DENON's grand work relative to Egypt, will be published early in September. The plates will be fac-fimiles of the originals, and, for the accommodation of various classes of purchasers, a quarto edition, in two volumes, and an octavo edition, in THREE volumes, will be published at the fame time. Dr. PRIESTLEY intends to print immediately two confiderable works, viz. a Continuation of his Ecclefiaftical History till the present time: and Notes on all the Books of Scripture. Profeffor PORSON has nearly ready, a Supplement to the Notes and Preface of his first edition of the Hecuba of Euripides, which addition will render it the fame as that lately printed at Cambridge. Dr. CROMBIE, Of Highgate, has nearly ready for publication a work entitled the Etymology and Syntax of the English Language explained and illustrated, in one octavo volume. As early as poffible in the year 1803 will be published, the History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey, by the late OWEN MANNING, B. A. Vicar of Godelming, and Rector of Pepperharrow, in the faid county. The part which had received Mr. Manning's finishing hand, will make one volume in folio, and will be illuftrated with a map formed from the Domefday Survey. This part will be put to the press immediately, and will be publish. ed as foon as possible, at the price of three guineas for the copies on fmall paper, and four guineas for those on large paper. His other collections, it is supposed, will be comprized in another volume, and be ready to follow the former in the course of the year 1804. A new edition in quarto of the Georgics is announced for publication, by SAMUEL HOPKINSON, B. D. late Fellow of Clare, hall, with copious English Notes, and Dryden's Tranflation fubjoined, in the fame manner as Dr. Samuel Clarke's Latin Verfion is printed under the Original of Homer. Dr. ROBERT TOWNSON, Author of Travels through Hungary, of the Philosophy of Mineralogy, and of Tracts and Observations in Natural History and Phyfiology, has undertaken to write the County History of Yorkshire; a work never yet attempted, and which, from the extent and variety of its fubject, cannot fail to prove interesting and useful. It will be comprized in three quarto volumes, illuftrated by maps and engravings, and the price will be fix guineas. The Rev. Mr. BINGLEY, F. L. S. (of St. Peter's College, Cambridge) known as the author of a Tour in North Wales, has in the press a work on natural hiftory, under the very appropriate title of "Animal Biography." It is to be comprized in three volumes octavo, and, though arranged systematically, is in all respects popular, confifting entirely of anecdotes and facts on the manners and economy of the whole animal creation.As an introduction to a fashionable study, this work will fill a place long unoccupied. Mr. Bingley's volumes will take in all the material and authentic anecdotes re corded by natural historians and travellers during the last two centuries, including Le Vaillant, Buffon, Pennant, Sonnini, Shaw, Bruce, Church, Cook, Marchand, Park, Thunberg, &c. &c. The number of volumes of travels, &c. that have been confulted, has been nearly a thousand. The author of "Evenings at Home" has finished a small work entitled the WOODLAND CompanION; or, a Description of British Trees, with fome Ac count of their Uses. It will be illustrated with twenty eight copper-plates. Mr. THOMAS FENWICK, collieryviewer, of Dipton, near Newcastle, is printing a second edition of his "Effays on Practical Mechanics." He has been induced to add fome "Observations on the Power of Horses, and on the ThreshingMachine," in order to render the work more extensively useful. The Rev. JOSHUA LARWOOD, Chaplain in the Navy, author of "Errátics," &c. &c. is preparing for speedy publication a copious work, entitled " Nautical. Anecdotes." It is avowedly a compila tion, but the accuracy and experience of this writer on naval topics are promising recommendations of his performance. A work is in the press, entitled "The Strolling Player; or, Life and Adventures of William Templeton;" and it will contain a variety of novel incidents and observations relative to the stage and its votaries. Mr.T. F. DIBDIN, of Gloucefler, A.B. late of St. John's College, Oxon, has just completed a small Bibliographical Work, in crown octavo, embracing the most rare and valuable editions of the Greek and Roman Claffics; being, in part, a tabulated Arrangement from Dr. Harwood's View, &c. on a new plan, with Notes philological and illustrative, from Maittaire, De Bure, Dictionnaire Bibliogra. phique, &c. and references to the celecrated Catalogues of Thead, Askew, Beauclerk, Croft, Pinelli, and the modern catalogues of eminent booksellers. This work is intended as a classical VADE MECUM; and, exclufively of bibliographical anecdotes and criticisms, may be confidered as representing the prices of rare books from frequent references to modern sales and catalogues. Should the author meet with fuccess in this small work (which he confiders but as an epitome); he propoles publishing a large work, in quarto, which will comprehend a variety of important matter from Meerman, Maittaire, Le Long, Panzen, and the authorities above adduced. Dr. GORDON has presented a Memorial to the Common Council of London, ftating his having discovered the art of making Flour from a fubstance that grows in great abundance in this country, so as to fupply the demand at one fourth of the average price of wheaten flour; and he afflerts, that it is equally nutritious and palatable, and will retain its quality for feveral years. Mr. R. JAMESON has a very curious article in Mr. Nicholson's Journal for Auguft, on Granite, which he attempts to demonftrate is the oldest of all the primi tive rocks that were formed when the earth was in its chaotic state, or covered to a great height with water, and before organization had commenced, "Granite (be lays) is composed of feltspar, quartz, and mica; and, though not to rich in metals and their ores, as the primitive rocks of newer formation, it nevertheless contains fome red and brown iron-ore, bismuth, cobalt, blende, galena, and several ores of copper, but it abounds more with tin than with any other metal." Befides the Description of the Gallery of the Louvre, which is preparing in English by Dr. GRIFFITH and Mrs. CosWAY, another on a much larger scale will be performed by order of the French Government in the French language. An indelible ink is prepared by Mr.T. SHELDRAKE, in the Strand, from a folution of afphaltum in spirit of turpentine, to which is to be added so much of the solution of amber as will give it a due confistence, and the finest lamp black to give it colour, The addition of a small quantity of drying oil will increase the difficulty of obliteration. The following theory has lately been advanced, to account for the cause, why a large quantity of falt prevents putrefaction, and a small quantity hastens it. Three things seem neceffary for the decomposition of an animal substance, viz. contact with the atmospheric air, a moderate degree of heat, and moisture. According to Gren, falt acts by abstracting the moisture, and guarding the substance from the contact of oxygen. To a different cause the feptic property of salt must be referred. The destruction of muscular irritability appears to be a chief cause of accelerating putrefaction, which has been afcertained in cases of persons killed by the electric-shock, by violent exercise, or by any thing that destroys the irritability of the mufcular fibre. Now it has been found by experiment, that the compounds of foda and potash defstroy irritability. When a large quantity of falt is applied to an animal substance, it acts by removing air and moisture; and without these the muscular fibre cannot be destroyed. On the other hand, when a small quantity of falt only is applied, it is infufficient either to exclude the air, or abstract the moisture: the property, therefore, that it poffeffes of destroying irritability acts in conjunction with the other causes, and accelerates the putrefactive process much more than any of them feparately. This theory, fo much connected with domeftic economy, deserves the particular attention of the chemist. Dr. YOUNG has, in a letter to Mr. Nicholfon, answered Mr. Gough's Effay on the Theory of Compound Sounds. "I am not (fays Dr. Young) folicitous for the application of the term compound by coalefcence to the human voice; but Mr. Gough can scarcely form to himself a diftinct conception of it very different from mine. A mixture of imperfect unifons would inevitably be accompanied by the production of beats; and, if he affert that the X 2 the imperfection is too small to produce this effect, I will request him to assign any reasonable limit to its magnitude, and, by producing the note long enough, I will shew that a beat must neceffarily ensue. Perhaps a wish to retain the Newtonian theory of the law of the undula. tions may have led him into these fuper-, fluous refinements." See the article LEARNED SOCIETIES, P. 154. Mr. F. WALKER has just published a Table, by which the variation of rate in a Time-piece, as indicated by the changes in the arc of vibration, may be readily found, with the affistance of the rules of addition and fubtraction. Mr. J. CUTHBERTSON, of Polandstreet, has examined Volta's experiments, which he calls fundamental, and upon which his theory of Galvanism rests, and, after various trials, he has found, that only one out of the three fucceeds. M. D'OHSSON is publishing the Biography of all the Sultans of Constantinople. This work he draws from original materials, which his long refidence in that capital, and his perfect knowledge of the Turkish language, were able to afford him. The life of each Sultan will be accompanied by his portrait, copied from the original portraits, which are carefully kept in the Seraglio of the Grand Seignior, LABORDE's Voyage Pittoresque in Spain will confift of four volumes. The first volume will contain his entrance into Spain in the neighbourhood of Barreges, and the most remarkable parts of the Spanish Pyrenees, together with picturesque views of Montferrat, Barcelona, the antiquities of Tarragona and Saguntum, the environs of Valencia, Alicant, Carthagena, and the kingdom of Murcia. The second voJume will comprehend the kingdom of Grenada, Cordova, Seville, and the remainder of Andalusia. The third volume will contain the northern Provinces of Spain; the aqueduct of Segvia, the ruins of Oxama, of Clunia, of Numantia; the Gothic buildings of Burgos, of Leon, of Valladolid; views of Asturias, of Arragon, of Galicia, and Bifcaya. - The fourth volume will be devoted to views of Madrid, and of the royal palaces or country feats in its neighbourhood, the gardens and marbles of St. Ildefonfe, the charming views of Aranjuez, and the riches of the Escurial. BONAPARTE proposes a prize medal of 3000 franks for the best experiments which shall be made every year upon the Galvanic fluid; and also the sum of 60,000 franks to fuch perfons as shall promote electricity and Galvanism, in the same degree as Franklin and Volta have advanced those sciences. Foreigners of all nations may be competitors. The following is a method used in France for cleaning musty casks:-Fresh cow-dung, diluted with water, in which four parts of falt, and one of common alum, are diffolved; must be boiled together, and poured hot into the barrel, which must be bunged, and well fhaken. This operation must be performed several times, taking care to rinse the cask out every time with clean water. Dr. PARKE, of Philadelphia, has perfectly cured two perfons of pulmonary confumptions, by means of a falivation. At Kiel there is an institution for the deaf and dumb, at which the electric pile of Volta has been applied as a remedy for deafness. Those who have been in any degree recovered, are observed to hear the letter a the sooneft, then e, and last of all i. Of the consonants, is that which they first hear. At present no permanent good effects have been produced. The following process is made use of for dying wool in the greafe of a permanent blue colour, from the darkest to the lightest tint :- Take four ounces of the best indigo, reduce it to a very fine powder, and twelve pounds of wool in the greafe; put the whole into a copper large enough to contain all the wool to be dyed. A's foon as the requifite colour is obtained, the wool must be washed and dried. The Ifquor remaining may be again used to produce lighter blues. M. FAVIEUX afferts, that the colour is as beautiful and permanent as the finest blue produced by woad, and that by this method it lofes less in weight, than if it were previoufly scoured. About the end of last April, fome workmen, who were employed in trenching a piece of ground belonging to the Petrini family, and a imall diftance from Rome, discovered the skeleton of an animal, which attracted their attention by the immenfe fize of its bones. A bone of the leg, which they measured, was two feet and four inches in circumference. They also found leveral teeth, fix inches long, and very much refembling those found in Siberia, and on the banks of the Ohio, in America. By the carelesiness of the workmen, this choice fragment of natural history was very near being entirely demolished; a part of it also, on expofure to the air, almost immediately diffolved into ashes. It is supposed that this skeleton belonged to one of those species of immenfe animals, such as the Mammoth, |
