Before we proceed to the characteristics of each particular pulfe, it may not be amifs to take notice of a capital mistake in the 19th page of this work, where the Author begins his general divifion. The firft fpecies of pulfe, fays he, fhall be called, the pulfe with too much fenfibility, a pulse of irritation, nervous, convulfive, CRITICAL. This pulfe indicates no critical fecretion, which is demonftrated by experience.' For critical therefore we must read uncritical. This blunder is the more likely to caufe confufion in the Reader, becaufe in the title of the next chapter, we find uncritical inftead of critical, which error is also copied into the table of contents.

The general critical pulse, or that which precedes critical evacuations, without determining the particular emuntory, is dilated, developed, foftened, extended, equal. The revolution,

fays our Author, which is called coction, or the preparation of the humours that are to form the matter of the critical excretion, is then performing, but the organ by which the excretion is to be made is not determined."

The fuperior pulfe indicates the diforder of the organs fitųated above the diaphragma; it precedés the critical excretions of thofe organs. This kind of pulfe has its particular and diftin&t criteria, at least when it is undoubtedly the fuperior. It is always remarkable by a precipitate reduplication in the pulfations of the arteries. This reduplication, which effentially conftitutes it, appears to be nothing in reality but one pulfation divided into two times or pulfations: it is liable to intervals from time to time; these intervals are longer or fhorter, more or lefs frequent, according to the nature or degree of the disease.'

The fimple pectoral pulfe indicates the critical excretion from the lungs; its characteristics are thefe: it is foft, full, dilated; its pulfations are equal; there may be in each a kind of undulation, that is, the dilatation of the artery is performed at two times; but with an eafy foftness and gentle force of ofcillation,

which forbid to confound this kind of pulfe with the others." Here we confefs ourselves at a loss how to discover the difference between this fimple pectoral and the general critical pulse above defcribed. The one is ditated, developed, foftened, equal, extended the other, foft, full, dilated, equal. If, in this chapter, Mr. Bor deu has no juft accufation against his tranflator, we are of opinion that no finger but his own will be able to diftinguish one pulfe from the other. In juftice however to Mr. Bordeu, we muft obferve, that in the hiftories of cafes, which he fubjoins, by way of illuftration, to his description of the fimple pectoral, the pulse was conftantly reduplicated with fuppleness; so that we are apt to fufpect that our Tranflator, in the words there may be, has misunderstood his Author.

The fimple guttural pulfe, or that which indicates fimply the excretions of the glands of the throat, is developed, ftrong, with a reduplication in each ftroke, lefs full, and oftentimes more frequent than the pectoral pulfe: it feems to be intermediate between the pectoral and the nafal.

The fimple nafal pulfe is commonly the forerunner of a bleeding at the nofe: it is reduplicated as well as the guttural pulfe, but it is more full, more hard, it has much more force and celerity. This is the dicrotus of Solano. We cannot poffibly dif mifs this pulfe without tranfcribing Obfervation XX. A young man, of a robuft conftitution, appearing to be pretty near his ufual good state of health, defired me to feel his pulfe; having found it to be an abfolutely nafal one, I told him that if he had been in a ftate of illness, I fhould believe him on the point of having a bleeding at the nofe: he anfwered me with an air of aftonishment, that he had bled at the nose the evening before, and that very day.' Was not this an Irifh pulfe, by its prediction? From the cafes (which are here called obfervations) it appears, that the term rebounding particularly diftinguishes this palfe.

We come now to the 2d divifion of fimple critical pulses, viz. the inferior, or that which precedes any critical evacuation below the diaphragm. Its principal characteristic is to be irregular.' Query, does the word irregular regard pulfe or charac teriftic? If we allow the natural conftruction, we must refer it to the latter; but the Tranflator thus explains himself that is to fay, that the pulfations are unequal among themselves, and have unequal intervals. Thefe intervals are fometimes fo confiderable that they form real intermittences, according to the fpecies of the inferior pulfe, and according as this fpecies is more or lefs declared. We feel alfo pretty often, a kind of faliency in the artery, which ferves greatly to characterize the inferior pulfe. This pulfe is never as much developed, as fupple, as equal, as the fuperior pulfe,' It were to be wifhed that the Tranflator

Translator had expreffed himself with more grammatical pro priety.

The fimple fomachal pulfe is the leaft developed of all the critical pulfes, it is lefs unequal than all the other kinds of inferior pulfes; the artery feems to ftiffen and to quiver under the finger; it is often pretty falient, the pulfations are frequent, and with intervals pretty equal."

We cannot proceed to the next fimple pulfe without taking notice of the word ftomach instead of belly or inteftines in the title of Chap. XI. This cannot be a typographical blunder. The nature or ftate of the critical inteftinal pulfe is as follows: it is hard, much more developed, than that which indicates vomiting; its pulfations are pretty ftrong, as it were rounded, and especially unequal, as well in their force, as in their intervals, which is a thing very difficult to diftinguish, fince it happens almost always, that after two or three pulfations pretty equal and high, there appears two or three which are lefs developed, never quick, more clofe, and as it were fubentrant; hence refults a kind of faliency or explosion (did he mean to write expansion?) of the artery, or lefs regular; to the irregularities of this pulfe are joined frequently very remarkable intermittances (why not intermiffions?) It is never ås full nor as developped (conftantly with a double p) as the fuperior pulfe: it has not neceffarily any fixed order in its intermittances; it is, on the contrary, by its diforder (inftead of irregularity) that it makes itfelf diftinguishable.'

The fimple pulfe of the matrix is commonly raised to a higher degree, more developed than in a natural ftate, its pulsations are unequal; it is accompanied with reboundings, but to fay the truth, lefs conftant, lefs frequent, or, at least, lefs remarkable than the nafal pulfe, yet fufficiently perceivable.'

By the hepatic pulfe, our Author means that which portends a jaundice. This pulfe, he informs us, is evidently inferior: after the ftomachal, there is no critical pulfe fo concentrated; it has neither hardness nor fiiffness, it is unequal, and said inequality confifts in this, that two or three pulfations unequal in themfelves, fucceed to two or three pulfations perfectly equal, and which often feem natural. It is lefs ftrong, lefs alert than that of the matrix; is also lefs brifk, lefs irregular than the inteftinal, and not rebounding.'

The fimple hemorrhoidal pulfe is thus diftinguished. To three or four pulfations fomewhat concentrated, brifk, renitent, and almoft equal, fucceed two or three pulfations fomewhat dilated, as it were rounded and lefs equal; the three or four following pulfations are rebounding; but thefe different púlfations have this in common, that we feel in them a kind of tremor pretty

3.

conftant,

conftant, and that they are more frequent and close than in the other kinds of inferior pulfes.'

The vefical pulse, or that which portends a critical discharge of urine, when it is thoroughly critical, is found to have a great relation with the inteftinal pulfe, 'tis known that its pulfations are unequal; but it appears that in the very inequality there is a fort of regularity which the intestinal pulfe has not: the urinary pulfe has many pulfations effer the one than the other, and which proceed diminishing till they are lost in a manner under the finger; it is in the fame order that they return from time to time; the pulfations that are performed during these intervals are more developed, pretty equal, and fomewhat falient.'

We come laftly to the pulfe which indicates a critical sweat. When the pulfe is full, fupple, developed, ftrong, and that to its modifications there is joined an inequality, in which fome pulfations rife above the ordinary pulfations, and rife gradually until the laft, which makes itself distinguished by a dilation, and at the fame time a fupplenefs more marked than in the other pulfations, we must always expect a critical fweat.'

Thus far our Author, with regard to what he calls the imple pulfes. The remainder of his work treats of thefe pulfes combined with each other. With what difficulty they are to be comprehended may be easily fuppofed by what we have already tranfcribed. Whatever may be the opinion of phyficians in general concerning the reality of the Author's fyftem, it were certainly unjuft to fuppofe it merely the produce of an inventive genius, especially when we find, by the cafes annexed to his defcription of each particular pulfe, that his prognoftics, founded on this theory, were generally verified by the event. Either there is more truth in thefe obfervations than is generally fuppofed, or the hiftories of cafes by which they are illustrated are fictitious. We muft obferve, however, that the Author is extremely deficient for want of an accurate explanation of his terms, without which a work of this nature is in a great measure unintelligible. As to the translation, we must say, that it is very far from being elegant.

* By MrGland

B.

Phyfiological Reveries., 4to. IS. Becket and De Hondt.

HE Author of this pamphlet has in fome degree prevented criticism by the title of his performance, and by his advertence, that we are to receive his reflections rather as crude beginnings of ideas, than as clear and authenticated conceptions.'

But

But that crude beginnings of ideas, and obfcure conceptions, deferve little attention from the public, cannot be doubted: neverthelefs, as the fubjects propofed, viz. refpiration, falivary fecretion, and fevers, are in themselves important, we fhall briefly lay this Author's Reveries before our Readers.

With regard to the first of these subjects, he chufes to imagine, that animals breathe not only by the lungs, but by every pore on the furface of the body, which thus, as he expreffes it, becomes one great pneumatic engine.' In fupport of this opinion, he urges the general fimplicity of nature, whofe character is that of performing her work by the feweft inftruments poffible for, according to his hypothefes, there will be no need of inhaling ducts on the furface of the body; inhalation and exhalation being performed by the fame pores. But this proves nothing with regard to their admiffion of air, which is the fole point in queftion. As to the general fimplicity of nature, it is the ftrongeft argument which the Author could poffibly have advanced against his own reverie, Naturalifts have difcovered that infects breathe through pores on the external furface of their bodies, poris lateralibus refpirantia; but for this there is an evident neceffity, because they are not provided with Jungs.

Our Author's idea concerning the falivary fecretion is, that its principal use in the animal oeconomy is to repair and nourish the body, for which purpose he thinks it better adapted than the crude aliment received into the ftomach,

That the faliva is a neceffary ingredient in the formation of chyle is evident; that the wafte of blood, by the various fecretions from it, is conftantly fupplied by chyle poured into the left fubclavian, is alfo univerfally known; nor is it less certain, that from the blood are made the various fecretions in the animal body. The faliva therefore is fecreted from the blood, which blood, according to our Author, is again formed of the faliva. Who does not perceive the abfurdity of this circle? Can the Author be ignorant of the very inconfiderable quantity of the faliva compared with the other fecretions from the blood? which faliva he nevertheless imagines to be the principal ingredient in the formation of that blood. In fhort we cannot help obferving, that this fecond (no less than the first) reverie, fhews the Author to be no very great adept in phyfiology.

As to his third reverie, if it is any thing at all, it is patholo¬ gical, and not phyfiological, as the Author has thought fit to call it. Here he vents his indignation against the ignorance of those who mistake a fever for a difeafe; who fuppofe that any man, fince the creation of the world, ever died of a fever; who be lieve that fevers are not always fymptomatical.

That