of his Thefis at Edinburgh, he made an attempt publicly to open the carotid artery in a patient at the infirmary; which, after the first incifion had been made, was prevented by the patient's fainting, from being then accomplished, and was entirely fet afide the next day by the interference of the managers of the infirmary. We leave our readers to make their own comments on this extraordinary narration. Another remarkable paffage in this Introduction is the author's claim of " having been the firft in Scotland who publickly contended, that the lymphatic veins must be a fyftem of abforbents." To this he was led, not by any experiments, but by a train of reafoning, which, now that the doctrine is generally received, appears fufficiently obvious. In confirmation of his claim, Dr. Butter gives an extract from a letter of a Mr. Beveridge, deceased, dated in the year 1758, who mentions having heard the fame doctrines with thofe contained in Dr. Munro's Treatife on the Lymphatics, delivered by Dr. Butter fome years before.

In the first chapter of the work itself, an improved method of opening the temporal artery is defcribed, together with an apparatus for dreffing the wound, illuftrated with figures. This was invented and made public by the author twenty-five years ago. The effential part of the operation, is the first laying bare the artery by a tranfverfe incifion through the integuments, and then opening it with a narrow pointed lancet, in the fame manner as a vein in common bleeding; and the effential part of the after-treatment, is to apply fuch a compreffion only on the orifice, as may prevent a hæmorrhage, but not fo prefs together the fides of the artery, as to obliterate its cavity. The idea is ingenious, but we believe will often fail in both its parts, in the execution.

The fecond chapter contains Medical Cafes fuccefsfully treated. Of this, the firft fection is allotted to thofe in which arteriotomy was employed. The cafes are of opthalmy headach, hemicrania, amaurofis, and fever. In fome, the quantity of blood either defignedly or accidentally taken away was very large; and to that circumftance, rather than the particular veffel from whence it was drawn, many will attribute the principal effect.

The next fection relates to cafes in which the Extract of Hemlock was employed. In thefe, the difeafes were alfo of the head and eyes.

In the third fection are fome cafes not reducible to either of the former heads.

A fhort chapter next enfues, in which obfervations are given upon the diseases occurring in the preceding cafes,

We apprehend that neither the cafes nor obfervations will convey much information to a practitioner of common experience and reflexion,

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The

The concluding chapter contains Strictures on the ufual Operations for the Cataract, and a new one propofed. Of this propofed operation it is enough to fay, that the author confeffes it has never been tried on a living fubject. Why he should think it of importance to deliver this juvenile production untouched to the public" we do not readily conceive.

ART. VI. Pradical Obfervations on the Human Teeth. By R. Wooffendale, Surgeon Dentist, Liverpool. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Johnfon. 1783.

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ERE we to judge from the number of publications on this fubject, we certainly fhould not conclude with this writer, that whatever relates to the teeth is little generally known and understood; but, it feems, none of thefe works, according to Mr. Wooffendale's opinion, can render the art any material advantage.' We wish this publication may prove more fuccessful in inftructing mankind; but we cannot say we greatly expect it; fince artifts will probably have as good an opinion of their own skill, as of this writer's; and patients are chiefly taught this leffon in it, that it is abfolutely neceffary to have frequent recourfe to a dentift. It is, indeed, wonderful to reflect on the new neceffities which mankind are continually finding out for themselves. Who would have thought, a century ago, that it would have become neceflary for a dentist to examine the teeth every month, at leaft, from fix to twelve years of age?' Either nature must have grown very careless in her operations; or our habits of life must have deviated moft widely from her intentions; or, laftly, we must have become much more folicitous about every trifling circumftance of external appearance, which is undoubtedly the cafe.

The chief novelty in this publication, is the author's opinion concerning the effects of the fmall-pox on the teeth, to which he attributes certain indentures and yellow marks on the enamel of the teeth, frequently met with. This he fuppofes to happen to those who have that difeafe in infancy, when the teeth are ftill hid beneath the gums in a foft pulpy ftate. Without giving any reafons for this improbable fuppofition, he is fo confident of the fact, that he thinks perfons may be known to have had the fmall-pox by these marks, though neither they nor their friends remember their having had the disorder. If this remark be compared with the following affertion, I have frequently feen thefe marks on both the first and second set of teeth, which causes me to fufpect fuch children have had the small-pox twice,it will probably convince every one but himself, that his notion of the caufe of thefe marks is altogether chimerical. And, indeed, he immediately afterwards adds, that he has feen thefe marks in feveral people who have been known to

have had the fmall-pox after the fecond fet of teeth were all out of the gums, when he does not believe it poffible for that disease to affect the enamel. Yet, ftrange to tell! he does not feem confcious that this fact overthrows his hypothefis.

Mr. Wooffendale appears to be a fkilful and intelligent man in his profeffion; and there are fome obfervations in his book that may be attended to with advantage; but as he every where takes care to inculcate the neceffity of employing a dentist, his cuftomers may probably think it needlefs to confult both himself and his book.

ART. VII. Eight Sermons preached before the University of Oxford, in the Year 1783; at the Lecture founded by the Rev. John Bampton, M. A. late Canon of Salisbury. By John Cobb, D. D. Fellow of St. John's College. Oxford printed. 8vo. 3 s. 6 d. fewed. Sold in London by Rivington.

S Dr. Cobb hath given us a kind of fyllabus under the

A title of each difcourfe, we fhall improve the hint by laying

before our readers these fhort compendiums, in order to affift them in forming a judgment of the publication.

Sermon I. An inquiry after happiness. Matt. vi. 21.—Tranquillity in life not to be maintained without prudence; nor without the perfuafion of the being and providence of God; nor without religion. Rational happiness not found in riches, honour, pleafure, nor in contemplation; only to be found in confcioufnefs, yet not complete without the hope of immortality.

II. Natural religion. 1 Cor. i. 19.-Rational fyftematic religion incompetent to the purposes of the inquiry: Philofophy, or rational fyftems, being abftrufe and fpeculative, and alfo uncertain and various. Prudence the only rational religion, truly fo called. Competent, as fuch, in itself, to a moral Agent:-But man is a tranfgreffor; and this religion is not adapted to fuch a character.

III. The gospel. Matt. xi. 28.- -The gofpel an act of grace; and the religion of finners. The Chriftian religion not delivered in a fyftem; does not add to the law of reafon, nor furperfede the rational law; yet not justly defined as the restoration of natural religion. The argument of its internal evidence limited in its application.-Chrift the author of new methods of fanctification.

IV. Repentance. Luke xiv. 24.-Repentance requifite to the reception of Chriflian truth: for the ftate of the mind of the natural man bars it against the reception of truth.-The duty of repentance not abfolute. The mortification of evil propenfity implies, not a feparation from all falfe notion; but denial of conceit; and this not in one act, but habitual. What is faid of fenfual prejudice to be applied to intellectual conceit; and, in like manner, to the conceit of moral excellence-Reformation effected gradually.

V. Faith. Gal. ii. 20.-Faith, a duty peculiar to revelation; but moral qualities rendered doubtful by the words that exprefs them. What was Abraham's faith ?-What was Jacob's -What the confeffion required by Chrift ?-Faith lies in affent, but is not bounded

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bounded therein: affent is the faith of the convert, but the faith of the Chriftian is conformity.

VI. Profeffional Faith. 2 Pet. iii. 18.Faith fpeculative and profeffional. Affent the first act of fuch faith. The gospel delivered in parables. All faith originates in repentance. Degrees of profeffional faith. Knowledge neceffary. Christian knowledge has for its objects, the neceffary articles of confeffion, and a clear conception of the precepts. Difficulties arife in the purfuit; because allegories are difficult to explain and apply; many difcourfes of our Lord defignedly obfcure; fome doctrines adapted to apoftolic times. Difficulties alfo from the language of the facred writers, and from the nature of prophecy. But the greateft obftruction to Chriftian knowledge arifeth from foolish and unlearned queftions. Judicious knowledge not found but with modefty; efpecially in the prefent ftate of con

fellion.

VII. Practical Faith. James i. 22.—— -Faith a practical virtue, properly fo called. The afcetic's life injudicious. Chriftian morality not to be learned from fyftems: laid down in the precepts of fobriety, righteousness and godliness.

VIII. The Chriftian's privileges. Matt. vi. 24.--Profeffional and practical faith not judiciously feparated.-The Chriftian's qualifica tions truly excellent.-The ftate of men taken into the church in primitive and modern times different: this calls for a different mode of inftitution. The Chriftian's privileges are free inquiry, wifdom, prudence, fettled judgment, peace.

There are fome things in the above compendium which may have an odd appearance; and perhaps feem unintelligible; as when it is faid, Prudence is the only rational religion,' or when we are told that, Repentance is requifite to the reception of Chriftian truth;' whereas it is commonly thought, and furely with justice, that the tendency of Chriftian truth is to bring men to repentance. It may be fuppofed that the writer explains himself more fully in the difcourfes themselves; poffibly, however, he has not quite done himself juftice in his table of

contents.

The reader will perceive that these fermons are rather of the preceptive, than of the declamatory kind; and that they difcover the Author's attention and learning. The two fuft and the laft appeared to us the beft. But we must acknowledge ourfelves to have been a little disappointed, and fomewhat inclined to afk, whether the account of repentance is a clear and perfect one; or, whether that of faith, so needful to happiness, is not tao fpeculative and perplexed? and, indeed, whether there is not on the whole, an abftrufe and intricate manner of reprefenting fubjects, which, under the guidance of fcripture, are not in themselves very difficult, as one might indeed fuppofe would be the cafe in what is effential to duty and felicity? We fometimes thought it was the Author's purpose covertly to plead for and defend certain principles reputed orthodox, while the prin

ciples themselves are kept much out of fight: yet on this we cannot determine. We obferve that in one of the difcourfes Dr. Cobb mentions forms of confeffion, and fays, These are wifely required, as things are now conftituted, that religious communities and national churches may be established on a general uniformity of fentiment:' at the fame time he adds, the doctrines defined in these confeffions are rather conclufions from the word of God, than the important doctrines of religion;' and farther, when men of learning and leisure have made such doctrines objects of difquifition, no two of them, perhaps, have framed their notions with an exact uniformity.' Again, in the laft fermon, we find him very properly cenfuring those who have placed the whole duty of a Chriftian in receiving a particular fyftem as the object of their firm attachment. This their fyftem,' he fays, exclufively of all others, they have diftinguifhed with the appellation of Chriftian Doctrine, and fubmiffion to it, with the honourable appellation of Faith.' Here our Author makes charitable and honourable conceffions, while he feems to allow no authoritative rule of faith but the fcriptures but we are something at a lofs to comprehend his meaning, fince he at the fame time speaks of the requirement of confeffions in national churches, as wife and judicious.

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On the whole, there are many useful, and fome excellent paffages in these difcourfes; although the writer is not always fo perfpicuous as might be wifhed: when particular points are confidered, they probably mean, little more than what is generally acknowledged, though the expreffion may have an appearance of fomewhat more deep and recondite.

ART. VIII. A Free and Candid Review, of a Tract, intitled, "Obfervations on the Commerce of the American States," shewing the pernicious Confequences, both to Great Britain, and to the British Sugar flands, of the Sytems recommended in that Tract. 8vo. 2 s. Lowndes. 1784.

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HEN we perufed Lord Sheffield's pamphlet refpe&ing the American Trade *, there was a plaufibility in the reprefentations and affurances conveyed in it, that appeared to refult from mature information. Nevertheless, feveral antagonifts have fince started up to oppofe the policy recommended by his lordship, of inforcing the navigation laws in the intercourse to be carried on betwixt our Weft-India Iflands and the new formed American States; and ftrongly denying the af furances of Canada and Nova Scotia ever being able to fupply our fugar iflands with the grain and lumber formerly procured from thofe more fouthern provinces, now detached from our go

vernment.

* See Review, Vol. LXIX. p. 377.

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