They are illuftrated with two plates; in the first of which the Author gives a sketch of his electrical apparatus, the whole of which is infulated. The machinery delineated in the fecond requires more explanation than the Author has given.

Article 39. Improvements in Electricity: By John Ingen-housz, F. R. S. &c.

From this Paper it appears, that the Author of it was the inventor of those electrical machines, in which a round plate or difk of glass is employed inftead of a globe or cylinder. He afterwards conceived the idea of fubftituting, in the room of the glafs plate, a disk of pasteboard, thoroughly imbibed with copal or amber varnish. He accordingly contrived a piece of machinery, in which three fuch difks, of four feet in diameter each, were whirled round, and rubbed with hares-fkin; The electricity excited was so ftrong, that he took sparks between one and two feet long from the front surface of the first disk, by bringing his knuckle to it. On applying an infulated conductor to it, he procured fparks about four or five inches long; and which were fo ftrong, that he did not chufe to receive many of them. It is to be obferved, that the conductor was adapted only to receive the electricity furnished by the front difk. Thefe plates were kept in good order in a heated room; but foon loft their power in a cold room, where they probably attracted moifture from the air. Article 34. On fome new Methods of fufpending Magnetical Needles: By John Ingen-houfz, F. R. S.

In this Article Dr. Ingen-houfz defcribes fome very ingenious methods of fufpending magnetical needles; particularly with a view of moderating the too great quivering or horizontal motion to which they are liable. The principal part of the contrivance confifts in placing the needle in water, oil, or fome other transparent fluid, and connecting with it cork, or other bodies of lefs fpecific gravity; fo that it may nearly swim in the fluid.

MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.

Article 23. An Account of an Apparatus applied to the Equatorial Inftrument, for correcting the Errors arifing from the Refraction in Altitude: By Mr. Peter Dolland, Optician.

This ingenious method of correcting the refraction confifts in the applying two lenfes, placed close to each other, before the object glafs of the telescope; one of them convex, and the other concave; and both ground on spheres of the fame radius: fo that the refraction of the one will be exactly deftroyed by that of the other; and when their centres and that of the object glass coincide with each other, the image of the object formed in the telescope will not fuffer any change in its pofition. But if one of them be made to flide over the other, in the direction

of a vertical arch, fo as to separate its centré from that of the other lens; the image will change its altitude in the telescope. The quantity of refraction thus qccafioned will be proportional to the space through which the lens has been made to move: fo that the moveable lens may be fo fet, by means of a scale of equal parts, before any particular obfervation, as to occafion a refraction contrary and equal to that of the atmosphere, in any given altitude. Thus, the concave lens being moved downwards, its refraction will correct that of the atmosphere upwards; and the ftar will appear in the telescope, as if no refraction had taken place.

Article 27. The Defcription of two new Micrometers: By Mr. Ramfden, Optician.

These two inftruments cannot be intelligibly explained without the affiftance of the plates which accompany this article. It will be fufficient for us to obferve, that the, firft is a catoptric micrometer; made by dividing the fmall fpeculum of a reflecting telescope, of Caffegrain's conftruction, into two equal parts, by a plane across its centre; fo as to obtain two diftin& images, by feparating the two halves of the mirror, and inclining them equally in contrary directions.

The other micrometer is founded on the principle of refrace tion. Here one of the eye glaffes is divided into two equal parts, in the fame manner as the fmall fpeculum above mentioned, which are likewife moved in contrary directions. A great advantage is derived from this micrometer's being placed in the conjugate focus of the firft eye glass: for when a micrometer is applied at the object glafs, or between that glafs and its focus, the diftinctnefs of the image muft inevitably be impaired the imperfections of the glafs being magnified by the whole power of the telescope. In the prefent pofition, the image being confiderably magnified before it arrives at the micrometer; any imperfection in its glafs will be magnified only by the other eye glaffes.

Article 25. On the Variation of the Temperature of boiling Water: By Sir George Shuckburgh, Baronet, F.R S. &c.

It was well known, even by Fahrenheit, that the heat of boiling water was increafed in proportion to the increased weight or preffure of the atmosphere, and vice verfa. He accordingly propofed to determine the weight of the atmosphere by means of a thermometer alone. Mr. De Luc's recent and accurate obfervations on this fubject are likewife well known. The Author of this Article communicates a series of obfervations made by himself, with a thermometer excellently adapted to this inquiry, and fo fitted up as to enable him to obferve the height of the mercury to within one-fiftieth of a degree. From one of the tables given in the Article, we shall only select an example

ample of the loweft and of the greatest height that he obferved.

On the fummit of Snowdon in Carnarvonshire, when the barometer ftood at Inch. 26,498, the boiling point was found by obfervation to be 207° 07. At the Adelphi Wharf, 3 feet above high water, on Dec. 26, 1778, the barometer standing at Inch. 30,957 (the height being reduced to the temperature of 50°) the boiling point was obferved to be 214° 96.

It may be proper to remark, that the laft-mentioned barometrical obfervation is noticed by the Author, as indicating the greateft height of the barometer that he has ever known; and, as far as he has been able to collect, the highest point that it has ever been seen to ftand at, in any country where observations have been made and recorded, fince the first invention of that curious and useful inftrument.

The titles of the remaining Articles under this class areArt. 30. Sitodium in Cifum et Macrocarpon, Ufufque Fructuum qui exinde nafcuntur, defcripta a Carolo Petro Thunberg, M. D.Art. 31. A Second Paper concerning fome Barometrical Meafures in the Mines of the Hartz: By Mr. John Andrew De Luc, F. R. S.-Art. 33. An Examination of various Ores in the Museum of Dr. William Hunter: By George Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S. and Mr. Stanefby Alchorne.-Art. 35. Abftract of a Regifter of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1778: By Thomas Barker, Efq;Art. 36. Extract of a Meteorological Journal for the Year 1778, kept at Bristol, by Samuel Farr, M. D.-and Art. 38. Extract of two Meteorological Journals of the Weather, obferved at Nain, in 57° North Latitude, and at Okak, in 57 30 North Latitude, both on the Coaft of Labradore: Communicated by M. De La Trobe.

The Mathematical Articles in our next.

ART. XIV. Biographical Memoirs of Medicine in Great Britain, from the Revival of Literature to the Time of Harvey: By John Aikin, Surgeon. 8vo. 4 s. fewed. Johnfon. 1780.

IN

N our Review for March 1776, we gave a fhort account of Mr. Aikin's Addrefs to the Public; containing a specimen of a work which he had projected, on the subject of Medical Biography; and requefting the affiftance of thofe who might be poffeffed of fcarce and valuable materials, proper for an undertaking of that kind.

In the Preface to his prefent work, he informs us, that the affiftances which he had flattered himself with the hope of obtaining, have fallen very fhort of his expectations; that he foon

perceived,

perceived, that of all the materials for information, printed books were alone what he had any chance of procuring: a circumftance which reduced his plan to the compass of a comparatively modern period;-and further, that, after the most extenfive enquiries, many of the publications, he had lifts of were no where to be found; and a few, though known to exit, were locked up in libraries, the rules of which did not allow of their being lent for perufal, on any intereft or security whatever.

The Author justly thought, however, that the materials which he had collected, after a diligent fearch continued for fome years, were too valuable to be thrown away; and that his work was not likely to be improved by more delay of publication. He has therefore published the prefent volume; on a prefumption, that a tolerable idea may be formed of the ftate of medicine and its practitioners, during a confiderable portion of time, from the Memoirs he has been enabled to compile.

The work contains accounts of the lives and writings of fiftyfive perfons;-beginning with Richardus Anglicus, who flourifhed about the year 1230, and ending with Harvey and Gliffon; the laft of whom died in 1677.-A few specimens from the work cannot be unacceptable to our Readers in general. Those whofe curiofity is more particularly directed towards the fubject, will not fail to confult the performance itself.

In the Memoirs relating to the life of Andrew Borde, or, as he ftyled himself in Latin, Andreas Perforatus, the Author obferves, that the reputation he acquired among his cotemporaries [he died in 1549] must be confidered as a symptom of the remaining barbarifm in the manners of the times. This phyfician to Henry VIII, in the first of his medical works, entitled the Breviarie of Health, commences his Prologue, addreffed to his brother phyficians, in this ridiculous ftyle:" Egregious Doctors and Masters of the eximious and arcane fcience of phyfic, of your urbanity exasperate not yourselves against me for making this little volume."-In this work the Author treats of the diseases of the mind as well as of the body. Mr. Aikin gives the following paffages, as fpecimens of his manner:

"The 174 Chapter doth fhewe of an Infirmitie named Hereos. "HEREOS is the Greeke worde. In Latin it is named Amor. In English it is named Love-ficke, and women may have this fickenes as well as the men. Young perfons be much troubled with this impediment.

"The Caufe of this Infirmitie.

"This infirmitie doth come of amours, which is à fervent love for to have carnal copulation with the party that is loved; & it cannot be obteyned, fome be fo foolish that they be ra vifhed of their wittes.

"A Rea

"A Remedy.

"First, I do advertise every perfon not to set to the hart that another doth set to the hele, let no man fet his love fo far, but that he may withdraw it betime, and mufe not, but use mirth and merry company, and be wyfe and not folifh."

For the Satyriafis, he recommends a more effectual remedy, which one cannot help wifhing he had had influence enough over his royal patient to make him adopt it:-the leaping into a great veffel of cold water, and applying nettles to the offending part.

In another work, entitled "Compendyous Regimente, or Dictary of Health, made in Mount Pyllor," he mentions most of the roots, herbs and fruits, in common ufe at this day; notwithstanding the prevailing notion of the low ftate of gardening among us at that period; and fpeaking of "wylde beafte's fleshe," he most devoutly declares his high relifh for venifon.. ." I have gone," fays he, "rounde about Chryftendome, and overthwarte Chryftendome, and a thoufand or two and more myles oute of Chryftendome, yet there is not fo muche pleasure for harte and hynde, bucke and doe, and for roobucke and doe, as is in Englande; and although the fleshe be difprayfed in phyficke, I praye God to fende me parte of the flefhe to eat, phyficke notwithstanding."

He

In the first mentioned work he profeffes much learning; giving the names of difeafes in Arabic, Greek, and Latin. derives the word gonorrhea from Gomorrha :-but that we may not give the Reader an erroneous idea of the age in which he wrote, it may be proper juft to obferve, that he lived in the days. of a Linacre and a Caius.

The state of surgery in the time of Henry VIII. and the deplorable condition of military practice, may be collected from the following relation, taken from a work of Thomas Gale, educated under Richard Ferris, afterwards Serjeant Surgeon to Queen Elizabeth.

"I remember," fays he, "when I was in the wars, at Muttrel, in the time of that moft famous prince, King Henry VIII. there was a great rabblement there, that took upon them to be furgeons. Some were fow-gelders, and fome horse-gelders, with tinkers and coblers. This noble fect did fuch great cures, that they got them felves a perpetual name; for like as Theffalus's fect were called Theffalions, fo was this noble rabblement, for their notorious cures, called dog-leaches; for in two dreffings they did commonly make their cures whole and found for ever, fo that they neither felt heat nor cold, nor no manner of pain after. But when the Duke of Norfolk, who was then General, understood how the people did die, and that of fmall wounds, he fent for me, and certain other furgeons, command