to practise arts by which, with honest industry, they may, in independence and honour, earn a fubfiftence for themselves."*

The ufual procefs of blafting rocks with gunpowder is, after drilling a hole, and charging it with powder, to introduce a wire or fmall rod, to preserve a communication with the fuzee, and then to ram up the remainder of the hole with stone pulverized by the operation of ramming it; after which the wire is withdrawn and the priming introduced. Instead of this tedious operation, which is often attended with danger, the blasting may be effected by introducing a straw filled with fine gunpowder, and then filling the hole with fand.

Experiment: Mr. JESSOP caufed a hole, one and a half inch in diameter, and twelve inches deep, to be bored in a knotty piece of oak, twenty inches in diameter; he charged it with three inches of powder, and upon it was laid four inches of fand, which split the wood, with great violence, into fix pieces. Month. Mag.

From the account which has been publifhed of M. GAY LUSSAC'S fecond aërial excurfion, at Paris, we are informed that he afcended 21,600 feet above the level of the fea; that at the height to which he attained, the magnetic power underwent no variation. The chemical properties of the air, its weight excepted, remained the fame, and the heat of the atmosphere diminished, as he afcended, very nearly in an arithmetical progreffion. Ibid.

* When in Edinburgh, I attended fome lectures on Chemistry, which were given by Dr. Moyfe, (a blind Philofopher, who formerly delivered lectures in this city on natural philosophy,) in aid of an establishment for blind perfons.—Such an establishment might be easily formed in every large city; and many, now, helpless beings, might thereby be enabled to affist themselves and families, inftead of being a complete burden upon their friends or the public. It is not long fince I witnessed the industry of a blind man, who was bufily engaged in fawing wood, which his wife lifted for him to his horse, and when cut, threw it into the cellar. Editor.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

AUTIONS to young perfons, concerning health, in a public lecture, delivered at the clofe of the Medical Course, in the chapel, at Cambridge, Nov. 20, 1804; containing the general doctrine of chronic diseases: fhewing the evil tendency of the use of tobacco upon young perfons; more efpecially the pernicious effects of smoking cigarrs; with obfervations on the use of ardent and vinous fpirits in general. By Benjamin Waterhouse, M. D. Profeffor of the Theory and Practice of Phyfic, and Teacher of Natural History in the Univerfity of Cambridge, 1805, W. Hilliard.-8vo. pp. 32.

THIS lecture was delivered to the students of the University of Cambridge, for the best of purposes, that of calling their attention to the important, though much neglected, confequences of disease, excited by a variety of fources, either alone, or in combination. The influence of thefe fources, in producing dyfpepfia "the grand inlet to all chronic diforders" is well depicted, and, we should hope, would have that proper effect on the perfons to whom the lecture is addreffed, which its benevolent author intended it to produce.

It appears to us, however, that the worthy Profeffor has extended his arguments too far, in oppofing fo generally, the use of tobacco. They are, no doubt, very juft, as applied to its use at fo early a period, as that, at which it is fo commonly taken up; or in the extreme degree to which fome of the more advanced flaves to the custom, have fometimes carried it; but we muft not oppofe the use of any thing, from the abuse to which it may be liable;-as there is nothing fo innocent in itself, which might not in like manner be reprobated. We do not however profefs to be an advocate for the custom, although we occafionally indulge in it; for we are well convinced it may be omitted with advantage, as, at best an useless habit: and we fincerely unite with the author in wifhing, that his well-meant en

deavour to oppofe its ufe in the younger part of the community, may prove fuccessful; for we fear, among the more advanced it will be confidered, (as tea was formerly,) a flow poison, which, in moderation, may be fafely perfevered in, to the utmost limits of life.

A TREATISE on Fractures, Luxations, and other affections of the bones, by P. J. Default, furgeon in chief to the Hotel-Dieu of Paris, wherein his opinions and practice, in fuch cases, are stated and exemplified. Edited by Xav. Bichat; with plates. Tranflated from the French, by Charles Caldwell, M. D. with notes, and an appendix containing several late improvements in furgery. Philadelphia. Fry and Kammerer, 1805. 8vo. pp. 413.

To thofe, who are acquainted with the justly acquired celebri ty of Default as a furgeon, this work most prove highly acceptable. The many valuable improvements he has introduced. both in the theory and practice of luxations and fractures, cannot but give it a juft claim to the particular attention of every furgical practitioner throughout the United States.

In the preface to this treatise, the tranflator states, that he "is far from affirming, that he has in no inftance deviated from the meaning of his original. To hazard an affertion like this, would be affuming to himself more than is consistent with modesty, or, perhaps, with truth. He trufts, however, that fuch deviations are very rare, that if they do occur they are but flight in themselves, and never connected with facts or principles of practical importance. He can, at least, very confidently declare, that they have never been the offspring of carelessnefs or design."—Whilst we give every credit to the intentions of the tranflator, we however think it a duty to point out an error, which has escaped him, and which we muft confider of fome confiderable "practical importance," inafmuch as it appears to us to be the very oppofite of the original text. The part we allude to, is at page 33 of the tranflation, which we are

informed in a note, "is fo obfcure in the original, that a tranflation of it would be fcarcely intelligible. Instead of a mere tranflation, therefore, I (the tranflator) have given rather a comment on what I believe to be its true meaning." But, left we should miftate the idea we entertain, it may be proper to give the original, and the tranflation itself.*

From the view of the text, and the tranflation, below, it appears to us that the words "De ferrer très-peu la troisieme bande" implies just the reverfe of the tranflation, " by drawing the third roller a little tighter than ufual:"-From the whole of the description previously given of the application of this third roller, it evidently appears, that by drawing it tighter than usual, its very indication will be destroyed; for, by fo doing the elbow must be raised, and thus carry with it the humerus and the portion of fractured clavicle connected with it; which of course prevents that clofe union of the fractured extremities, which the whole of Default's bandage is fo admirably adapted to fecure. The meaning appears to be, that the third roller is to be very little tightened, (très-peu). Its action is that of a mere fling to fupport the elbow, but not to raife it. But this must inevitably follow, if the translation is purfued.

*« XLI. Le Bandage varie peu dans les cas infiniment rares, comme le remar que Hippocrate, de la fallie du fragment externe fur l'interne, deux grandes indications reftent toujours a remplir: porter le bras en arrière et en dehors. Il fuffit, pour ne pas le deriger en haut, 1o de ne pas élever le coude dans l'application de l'appareil; 2° de ferrer très peu la troisieme bande."

Œuvres Chirurgicales, &c. Tom. 1, p. 85.

cc 42. In those cafes (which, as Hippocrates remarks, very rarely occur where the external fragment projects over the internal one (12), the bandage must be somewhat varied, although the two principal indications, of drawing the shoulder backward and outward, must still, as in other cafes, be fulfilled. The only additional circumstance, therefore, neceffary to be attended to here, is, not to clevate the shoulder, by pushing it upwards. This may be easily avoided, Ift, by omitting to raise the elbow, when applying the bandage; 2dly, by drawing the third roller a little tighter than usual."

The parenthefis does not occur in Default's treatise, and, the numbering will be found wrong, owing to the commencement of the Memoir (II.) being confidered as the first section whereas the first section of Default is the second of the tranflator. Editor.

Not having time to compare the tranflation generally with the original, we muft omit any thing further on this head, and proceed to make a few observations on another part of the preface, to which we cannot give an unqualified affent.

"Several French practitioners," fays the tranflator, "in projecting improvements on the forms of apparatus of Default, have evidently rendered them more complex, more expensive, and therefore more difficult to be conftructed or procured, without adding in the smallest degree to the efficacy of their action. This is particularly the cafe with respect to Boyer, in his attempt to substitute a new apparatus for a fractured clavicle, in place of that invented by Default. The latter, can be constructed in a very few minutes, by the furgeon or one of his affiftants, without any expenfe, whereas the former must be made by a workman employed for the purpose, and is neceffarily attended with both coft and delay. Nor is it always practicable, particularly in the country, to procure a workman capable of making this apparatus. But this is not all. On Default's plan, the fame apparatus for a fractured clavicle will fit, and may be applied to, perfons of different fizes and figures; whereas, on the plan of Boyer, each patient must have an apparatus conftructed particularly for himfelf. No practitioner, therefore, can hefitate a moment in deciding to which of these two forms of apparatus the preference is due."

However much we are difpofed to admire the improvement, which Default's bandage for a fractured clavicle evinces, yet, with deference to the Editor, we cannot but confefs, that, in our judgment, Boyer has at least equalled him. Having taken the pains to fee them both fairly applied at the fame time to two different perfons, we are compelled to give the preference to that of Boyer, both from the facility of its application, and from its not requiring fuch frequent re-applications; as it is lefs liable to displacement by the motions of the patient. To the objection, that, on Boyer's plan, " each patient must have an apparatus conftructed particularly for him

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