Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

cult qualities; and substances as void of virtue as the relics of faints, were canonifed likewife by fuperftition with an equal degree of abfurdity. In fuch a fituation it is not surprising that the knowledge of the materia medica fhould long have remained in a ftate of great im, erfection. For what progress could be expected in the cultivation of a science in which accident paffed for established obfervation, and fanciful opinion anticipated rational inquiry? When we view the materia medica as it exists in pharmaceutical writers, it resembles an immenfe magazine, where weeds and herbs, where noxious and falutary, where valuable and infignificant fubftances are blended in indifcriminate confufion. The later difpenfatories, it must be owned, have rejected many ufelefs materials, but as yet the reformation is certainly very far from being complete. We may fafely affirm, however, that a greater attempt towards fuch a reformation is made in the work which we are now reviewing, than in any preceding book on the subject. The indefatigable author, who feems to have spared no pains in his researches, has not only extracted whatever was useful from former writers, but has alfo fupplied us with many obfervations from his own experience.

This work confifts of eighty-two lectures, of which the eleven first are preliminary, treating of fome obfervations on the invention of remedies, the fate of the materia medica, an account of the operation of medicines on the body, an inquiry into the caufes of many errors concerning fimples, an explication of the claffes into which he has diftributed the fimples, and directions for studying the materia medica, with the characters of fome writers on the fubject. We shall prefent our readers with an extract from the lecture on the operation of medicines, as it contains feveral ingenious remarks.

Our bodies confifting of folids and fluids, the action of medicines must be either on the one or the other immediately, or in both together, by altering their quantities or qualities: but that every fuch change or alteration can be accounted for, from the folidity, figure, and motion of the parts of the medicine, cannot be afferted.

The changes produced by medicines are either the natural effect of their phyfical powers, or the confequence of the im-preflion made by them on the fenfitive faculty, that is of the fenfation they excite. When a medicine for inftance acts on the blood in the veffels, the fame way it does on it when let out, heat and motion continuing the fame, fuch action may be called phyfical, or mechanical, or chemical; and such are the effects of the diluting, attenuating, incraffating, condenfing. fweetening, &c. inedicines on the fluids; and of re

laxing,

laxing, contracting, lubricating exafperating, corroding, &c. fubftances on the folids. But when the change produced is owing entirely or chiefly to the mechanism of the living body, and is the confequence of the ftimulus excited by the medicine, which can make no alteration on a dead or paralytic body, or on any animal void of life, fuch effect cannot be called mechanical fo properly. Thus à medicine which by thinning the fæces, and lubricating the inteftines, evacuates by ftool, purges more mechanically than fuch cathartics as operate by irritation only. Manna purges more mechanically than elaterium or the like.

• The immediate impulfe or action of any medicine on the part to which it is applied, may be alfo called the mechanic effect of that medicine, together with the force applying it t but the confequences of thefe are the effect of the fenfation it causes, or the ftimulus given the fenfible fibres by the mecha nism of the body animated. As in bleeding the mechanical effect of the lancet, moved with a proper force in a right direction, is only a fmall and clean wound, but the confequent pain, hæmorrhage, &c. flow from the structure of the body: fo fuppofe one unaccustomed to tobacco puts a little of it into his nofe, all the mechanical action of this is only a little friction, and perhaps fome of its effluvia infinuated into the membrana pituitaria; but the confequences, as fneezing, a plentiful difcharge of mucus, and fometimes giddinefs, fickness, vomiting, flow from the prefent circumftances of the nervous system or animal economy, but cannot be called physical or mechanical; fince no fuch fymptoms would have followed, had the perfon been a common fnuffer of tobacco.

The great Creator of all has so framed and qualified our curioufly-wrought machine, that when any thing hurtful or irritating is formed in it, or applied to it, fuch motions, contractions, or convulfions are excited, as may most effectually expel it or blunt its acrimony. Hence we fee that fevers and fpafms, natural or artificial, prove often the best cures in the worst of diftempers.

• These mechanical or quafi mechanical operations of medicines I call their primary, and the confequences the fecondary virtues; which ought to be carefully diftinguished. I obferve,

That a medicine applied to one part of the body has often very different effect from what it has when applied to another: or different parts may be very differently affected by the fame fimple. Sugar is fweet in the mouth, but irritates the nofe. Cold water is a good drink, but bad clyfter. Opium bites the nose, but not the ftomach. Antimonial emetics irritate the

M 2

the flomach, but not the mouth, &c. Yea, the effects even of the fofteft titillation, of unufual though gentle motion of the body, of fudden impreffions on the mind, violent paffions, of natural antipathies, &c. often exceed the action of the ftrongest medicines. Thus ftroaking only the upper lip with a feather commonly causes fneezing, that is a sudden convulfion of many strong mufcles; as tickling the throat with it will make one vomit. The confequences of turning round quick and for a long time, of going to fea, of fudden anger, &c. are commonly known. The fmell of musk occafions fits in fome; the fight of a cat proves fudorific to others; and so on. No wonder then that a very flight ftimulus in fome more more noble and fenfible parts fhould either cure or cause difeafes. N. B. Virus vipera.

• And fuch is the structure and peculiar fenfation of the stomach, that many substances, which no other way appear acrid, affect it fo as to caufe convulfions, deliriums, palfies, blindnefs, lethargies, and death itself, if not foon enough expelled; fuch as hyofciamus, cynogloffum, cicuta aquatica, &c. I know these symptoms are attributed to their effects on the blood, or on the fpirits, or the origin of the nerves in the brain by their narcotic quality; but fince by repeated experiments it appears that fuch symptoms (I do not reckon death a fymptom) have appeared before the narcotic was gone out of the ftomach, or was diffolved in it, yea even before it had any obfervable effect on the ftomach itself; and alfo fo foon as the narcotic was vomited up, all the fymptoms disappeared. I neither fee how the blood, animal fpirits, or brain could be vitiated, nor, if they were, how a vomit fhould fo foon re cover them. N. B. A delirium following an anodyne clyfter, and death another. But to proceed, I obferve,

That habit or cuftomary ufe dininifhes commonly, and fometimes almoft quite deftroys, the ftrength of fome very powerful medicines, yea virulent narcotics; while natural or accidental averfions turn otherwife wholesome aliments into a kind of poisons, i. e. what nature cannot concoct, and with great difficulty expels. Every body knows the effect of finoaking tobacco, when one begins to use it, and how agreeable cuftom makes it. A few grains of opium will poifon, one who never took it before; but ufe, in time, will render drachms fafe. Lobsters, crabs, oyfters, eggs, are delicious food with many; while fome cannot taste one or more of them without vomiting. Yea, what may be very agreeable and wholesome to a perfon at one time, may be hateful and hurtful to him at another. I like cabbage very well now, but remember when the fmell of one was hateful, and difpofed me to vomit. Be

fore

THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of March, 1771.

ARTICLE I.

The Loves of Medea and Jason. A Poem, in Three Books: Tranflated from the Greek of Apollonius Rhodius's Argonautics, by the rev. J. Ekins, M. A. late Fellow of King's-College, Cambridge, and Rector of Quainton, Bucks. 410. 35. 6d. T. Payne.

EFORE we enter into the merits of this tranflation, fome

BEFORE

account of the original author cannot fail of being acceptable to our readers. What we have to advance on this fubjec, is collected from Mr. Ekins's Introduction to the present work, and from the Prolegomena to Höezlinus's edition of Apollonius, published at Leyden in the year 1641.

Apollonius was a native of Alexandria, and born in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, near three hundred years before Chrift. Some are of opinion, that he' was diftinguished by the appellation of Rhodius, because he had formerly taught rhetoric at Rhodes; others, becaufe Rhoda was his mother's name. He appears, however, to have been the scholar, if not the rival, of Callimachus. At his return from Rhodes to Alexandria, he was appointed by Ptolemy Euergetes to fucceed Eratofthenes in the care of the public library; and, at his death, was buried in the fame tomb with his poetical mafter.

We are far from joining with the learned tranflator, who feems to think, that regard for the hiftory of the Argonauts requires an apology. The account of their expedition is the firft dawn of profane hiftory on the European fide of the Hel lefpont. If we confider the marvellous relations which purfued the first adventurers on their return from America; if we VOL. XXXI. March, 1771. obferve,

N

obferve, that it is difficult now to vifit any place not known before, without giving the world an opportunity to replenish itself with wonders, we fhall have little reafon to be furprised that the first attempt at navigation is clouded with fables. We cannot wonder that antiquity had their Cyclops, fince later times have their Patagons. The Argonautic expedition is properly the first æra of the actions of men. The fpace beyond it, is filled with gods, giants, and Titans. To disentangle the hiftory of Jafon's voyage from the fables with which fo many ages have united it, is, at this day, utterly impoffible; but it is highly probable, that the manners afcribed to the different nations, by Apollonius, are fuch as in thofe barbarous ages were really to be found.

Mr. Ekins obferves, that though ranked by the ancient critics among the principal of the Greek heroic poets, Apollonius is an author at prefent little known, but by those beautiful extracts from his works in the judicious and elegant collection from the Greek poets, lately made for the use of Eton School.

Here is a compliment to the fchool, at which the tranflator received his education, thrust in with a fufficient degree of violence; and we fincerely think ourselves juftified in afferting, that the fame of the Alexandrian bard has been hitherto little diffused by this boasted selection, of which we never heard till now, nor have met with any one whofe curiofity it has at all awakened. The truth is, that Apollonius Rhodius, like others who have been mistakenly ranked in the second class of antient writers, is ftudied but little in proportion to thofe who have been allowed a place among the first. With the ftory of the Argonautic expedition, together with the Loves of Jason and Medea, the mafs of readers were well acquainted, from the Epiftles and Metamorphofes of Ovid, or the Epic of Valerius Flaccus. Curiofity, therefore, as to the argument of the poem, had been completely gratified.; nor have the few editions of it hitherto published, been executed in such a manner as to facilitate the progrefs of the reader through four books, which confift of above five thousand seven hundred and eighty lines.

There is, however, one circumftance, which, beyond all others, may entitle Apollonius to a share of the public notice. For this advantage he is indebted to Virgil, who has borrowed from him that part of the Æneid which was moft applauded even by the Romans themselves. Nor did he adopt from our author the model only on which his fourth book is formed, but also many particular beauties which are transplanted thro' the reft with an unfparing hand. Among thefe, the Pugilatus between Dares and Entellus, in his fifth book, deserves to be

« AnteriorContinuar »