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known, the fecret was divulged, and all fecurity at an end; but by the improvement made by Mr. Marshall, the letters or figures allowing an almoft infinite variety of changes, the owner may, in one minute, alter the fecret in fuch a manner that even the maker would be as unlikely to open it, as he would be of gaining the higheft prize in a lottery, by the chance of a fingle ticket; thus this kind of efcutcheon is infinitely more fecure than any hitherto in ufe, especially as the alteration of the letters may be made every day for years, without recurring to their first state, and as the owner may, at one time, chufe to truft a friend or a domestic with the fecret,' fo that they might have recourse to his valuables, &c. he may alfo, at another time, wish to exclude them from that privilege, which this contrivance renders very easy to be done. As this improvement relates only to the efcutcheon, it is obvious that every attempt to pick the lock it covers, or to open it by means of falfe keys, is prevented; a circumftance of no small importance, when locks of a curious conftruction, and with a number of fine wards are made use of.'

Next follows an abftract of the proceedings of the Society, from which we can extract nothing particularly interesting, and the ufual lifts of the members, &c. The volume is concluded by a lift of the premiums offered in the present year.

Among the premiums, we perceive an encouragement for the propagation of the red willow, fometimes called the upland willow. It is certainly, in many refpects, an useful plant; but it also tends to chear the fandy waftes, as it flousifhes in dry fandy grounds, and its cultivation will contribute to cover them with mould, fo as to make them fit for better purposes.

We cannot enlarge on the different fubjects, for which the Society have offered premiums; but would only hint that, with refpect to rhubarb, their good intentions may be fruf trated, if they do not limit the age at which the root of the plant fhould be taken up. We fufpect that, at three or four years, it may be apparently good, yet not nearly equal in its properties to the Ruffian rhubarb; and it is most probable, that the Society confine their remarks to the obvious properties only. It certainly is not at its greatest perfection, under eight years, and probably not under twelve. We particularly men, tion this circumftance, because we perceive an eagerness to ufe it much earlier; and the character of the remedy will of course fuffer by this precipitate conduct.

We fhall only add, that the Society confines its views of improvement of waste lands to thofe which have been hitherto useless,' and we fhall conclude with wishing them all the fuccefs which their benevolent defigns deserve.

The

The Adventures of Six Princesses of Babylon. 4to. ‘35. Buckland.

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'HE age of allegory is now paft, for it approaches too nearly to pofitive precept; and we wish to be allured into virtue, and cheated into health. The luxuriance of Hawkesworth, and the energy of Johnson, for some time fupported it; but their labours, in this mode of inftruction, are, we believe, lefs popular than any other parts of their lucubra tions. These objections are not intended to depreciate the pleafing performance before us, but to animate the exertions of the author in a more fuccessful line. There is much fancy in the defcriptions, and much wholefome inftruction from the events: the wonders of fairy land, calculated to engage the imagination, are employed to fix the leffons more firmly on the heart. If there be a fault in the moral, it is, that the heroines are too often relieved from the diftrefs, induced by their own misconduct, by fupernatural affiftance, without any ef forts of their own. The great leffon to be inculcated on young minds, on the contrary, is, that though they have fuffered from diftrefs, yet that they do not deferve affistance, till they have amended the fault and rectified their conduct.

A king and queen, driven from their dominions, are obliged to feek shelter in a lonely defert; but the queen, fitting one day on the fea pore, fees a benevolent fairy, who tells her that the will be restored to her throne by the virtues of her daughters. Thefe young ladies are, however, to be educated by the fairy, who adorns their minds with every valuable quality; and, after a proper education, the addreffes them in the following words.

You have now lived, my dear children, several years in this folitude, infenfible of the great designs for which you were brought hither. But, before I proceed farther on this fubject, it is necessary to inform you, that the fate of your parents is fo ftrongly connected and bound up in yours, that is in your power, by your fortitude, and virtue, to restore them again to empire and dominion, or, by your mutability and vice, to bring them with fhame and mifery to the grave.-Know then, that there are fix wonders lie hid in nature, ordained as a trial of your conftancy; they are attended with innumerable perils, but when once poffeffed, and kept among you, will render you more powerful than the most abfolute monarch.

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The firft, (faid fhe, addreffing the eldeft princefs) is the Distaff of Industry; an inestimable treasure! for, by apply ing one end of it to your right hand, you are inftantly put in po

poffeffion of the thing you defire. This, (continued fhe) Miranda, is allotted for your purfuit.

The next, (faid the) Floriffa, must be your care: a Bottle of Water, taken from the River of Good-nature, no less valuable than the Distaff, being endowed with the power of reconciling all differences; one draught uniting the most bitter enemies and it has alfo this peculiar quality, that, when once attained, it can never be exhaufted, fince the more it is ufed, the more it continues to increase.

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The Spear of Truth is the next, and poffeffes even fuperior virtues to the former, having the power of overcoming all evil enchantment. Provided you keep the ftraight road, you need not fear any thing; but, fhould you once turn afide, the dangers are fo numerous as to require the greatest experience and fortitude to furmount. Be this your purfuit, Clementina.

The Mantle of Meeknefs is the fourth, which confers a degree of immortality on the poffeffor: fhe who is fortunate enough to obtain it, immediately becomes beautiful as an angel, and, though fhe fhould live to the most extreme age, will till continue to wear the full bloom of youth on her countenance. May your best endeavours, my dear Bonnetta, not be wanting to acquire fo great an ornament!

The fifth (faid fhe) is the Magnet of True Generofity: whofoever is poffeffed of it, is endowed with the power of transferring that pleasure they poffefs to another, which, at the fame time, increafes it in themfelves. This, my dear Orinda, is the reward held up to you.

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Laft of all comes the White Wand of Contentment (not lefs defirable than the reft), poffeffing the pleafing power of rendering the moft difagrecable objects in nature agreeable. Let it be your care, Matilda, to return with this invaluable treafure.'

Their Adventures are the fubjects of the work; and, with the affiftance of benevolent fairies, the fix heroines fur. mount every difficulty, and conquer the impediments which the bafer paffions fcatter in their path. They procure these rarities, and each adventurer brings home a gentle knight,' to whom he is afterwards married. The father and mother are alfo reftored to their kingdom.

We shall not enlarge on the particular Adventures, or anticipate the public curiofity by any extracts. The young read ers who perufe this work with attention, will be amply repaid both by its entertainment and instruction.

Ob.

Obfervations on the Typhus, or Low Contagious Fever. By D. Campbell, M. D. 8vo. 25, Johnson.

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UR author very clearly and accurately defcribes a variety of the Typhus, which is frequently called the nervous fever, and perhaps deferves this title better than that which he has affigned to it. It is diftinguished from the other varieties, they are fcarcely fpecies, by a confiderable affection of the nervous system, by a cause operating unfeen, and producing an irritation, or the effects which frequently follow from a flight but conftant ftimulus. In this ftate Dr. Campbell recommends opium in confiderable dofes: he recommends it, however, in a rational manner; and we are perfuaded, from what we have ourselves feen, that it may be rendered ufeful. He refers to the practice at Edinburgh, not the wild visionary. fcheme of Brown and his young adherents, but one we fuppofe of the late amiable and benevolent Dr Gregory. We fhall mention the foundation of this plan, for the information of our author, who feems to have received no very fatisfactory account of it. In the decline of the nervous fever, the symptoms of irritation of course increased; and, though opiates were occafionally employed during the progrefs of the disease, yet their full force were referved for this period. When the more violent delirium had fubfided, and the fubfultus tendinum had grown into pretty general convulfions, laudanum was frequently employed both by Dr. Gregory and Dr. Cullen. It was precifely directed, as Dr. Campbell defigns, to produce a fedative effect, or rather, to avoid infignificant cavils, leffen irritation and its confequences. In this way, we are well informed that many desperate cafes have been relieved; but those who are converfant with fevers and their periods, will learn to distrust the effects of any medicine ufed about the crifis, when the power of the remedy cannot be easily separated from the efforts of nature. It must, at the fame time, be allowed, that the remedy was well directed, and promifed to be useful.

The appearances, which indicate the ufe of opium, are feen in the following short and faithful account of our attentive author:

After the fymptoms of the first attack, fuch as laffitude, fhivering, pains in the back, limbs and head, the patient takes to his bed; his nights are paffed without fleep; or if he falls into a short flumber, he awakes difturbed by fome unpleasant dream; he starts up, and wants to get out of bed; he is continually turning and changing his pofture; complains much of pain, or confufion in his head; of noife in his ears, and thirst. His tongue is either dry and hard, or covered with a thick, difagreeable brown fur. His eyes begin to grow muddy, and

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affume a dull look. The pulfe is about 20 ftrokes in a minute, and fmail. The fkin dry, or bedewed with partial fweats, which produce no alleviation of the complaints. Thefe fymptoms continue, and grow more alarming; uneafy days fucceed to reftlefs nights; the patient is exhaufted by pains, and by watching; the inclination and ability to take nourishment diminishes; the delirium, which for a while only took place upon coming out of his flumbers, is now more conftant; and if fome means cannot be found to interrupt the progress of the difeafe, flight convulfions, total refufal of food, and infenfibility, are certain to enfue; which, with cold extremities and involuntary evacuations, close the scene.'

We shall next felect the mode of employing the remedy.

• With these confiderations in my mind, I began to exhibit this medicine. As it is when joined to camphor fo efficacious in producing a determination to the skin, and as this laft medicine has been looked upon as an useful one in these fevers, I first gave it in the following formula:

R. Opii pur. gr. i. ad gr. is.

Camphor. gr. x. ad gr. xv. f. bol. hora decubitus fumendus.

In this dofe, when the fymptoms were mild, or in the early stages of the diforder, it was attended with all the expected good effects; but when the disease had been fome time formed, and the symptoms more violent, it was not adequate to the purpose: I then augmented the quantity, and the formula which I now generally use is as follows:

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R. Tinct. Thebaic. gr. Ix. Julep e camphora une. iß. m. and fometimes with the addition of thirty or forty drops of antimonial wine when the tongue is particularly dry and hard, or the thirst confiderable.

Of this the patient took two thirds in the evening, and the remainder at the end of two hours, if fleep, or at least reft, did not enfue. There was in the acme of the disorder generally a neceffity for the whole quantity, but feldom any occafion for more. I have, however, in fome, though few inftances, found it neceffary to give twenty or thirty drops more of tinctura thebaica, at the end of other two hours. For it must be obferved, that unless the fedative effects of the opium be produced, that I never faw any good effects from this medicine By this I mean that it should be given in a quantity fufficient to induce fleep, or at leaft reft, eafe, and quietness, in oppofition to reftieffnefs and watchfulness: and until the patient ceafes to be fenfible of the head-ach, and pains in the limbs or other parts of the body; which is generally effected by the above dose. With respect to any farther quantity, it must be left to the difcretion of the practitioner, and refult from the neceflity of the cafe. From the return of head-ach and tendency to delirium, I have fometimes been obliged to repeat the

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