Suppofed to be written by the unhappy Poet DERMODY, in a Storm, while on Board a Ship in his Majefty's Service. "Lo! o'er the welkin, the tempestuous clouds View the drear tempeft, and the yawning deep, Among other recommendations of this little volume, an ardent and interefting fpirit of piety and love of virtue will delight every congehial mind. More warmly do we wish that thefe excellent feelings may remain untainted in the commerce of the world, than that the juvenile poet may acquire that additional finish to his ftyle which in truth is little wanted. ART. 18. Bonaparte; an Heroic Ballad; with a Sermon in its Belly, which that renowned Warrior and most reverend Theologian preached at bis Vifitation of the good People of Egypt; with Explanatory Notes. 8vo. Is. 6d. Hatchard. 1803. 48 PP. Though no name or defcription of the author appears in the titlepage of this Ballad, it has been, if we miftake not, advertised as the work of the ingenious editor of Salmagundi; and it bears a ftrong refemblance to the other productions of that facetious and public-fpirited writer. The character and features of his hero are indeed of rather too gloomy a caft for the pencil of burlesque; yet the unjust and atrocious acts of his life have been often accompanied by language and profeffions ludicrously extravagant. From thofe profeffions, the ftriking inftances of grofs and bafe hypocrify in his declaration to the people of Egypt are forcibly and humorously ftated by this author, But we rather felect the last stanza but one of the Ballad, as it relates more particularly to the Conful's threat of invading this kingdom. "XV. While the French fneak and quail, With a hodge-podge of praife that would make a dog fick; Without fear or fineffe, Speaks truth of the Conful in fpite of Old Nick, He, fierce as a Tartar, To give us no quarter, Y 2 His His cut-throats commands, fhould they once come across us ; And fwears he'll leap over Our channel to Dover: A pretty good ftride for a Pocket Coloffus !” By this short fpecimen, the reader will, we conceive, be induced to perufe the whole of this production; which is not lefs humorous in its ftyle, than it is patriotic in its effect and motive. ART. 19. John and Dame; or the Loyal Cottagers. By Mr. Pratt. Fourth Edition. 12mo. 24 PP. 4d. Alperne. 1803. The object and tendency of this little poem are, to fhow the univerfality of that public fpirit which animates the people of this country; fince, in a moft fequeftered fpot (Woodhurft, near St. Ives, Huntingdonshire) it fubfifts in the fulleft vigour. The ruftic couple, denominated " John and Dame," had been already delineated by Mr. Pratt, in his " Gleanings in England"." They are here defcribed as grown too old to work, and living in a little cottage of their own, refpected and vifited by all their neighbours. The integrity, loyalty, and patriotifm of thefe villagers are alfo painted by the author in terms generally interefting, but not wholly free from that affectation which is the principal blemish of his works. Even the little children of this village are faid to manifeft their indignation at the prefumptuous menaces of our enemy. The concluding stanzas of this poem are fpirited; and the whole merits praife, as infpired by the best motives, though not difplaying, in our opinion, fo much poetical talent as appears in fome of the former productions of this writer. ART. 20. Poems on different Subjects. By Ferdinand Weften, Efq. I 20. 118 pp. 4s. Mackay, High Street, Edinburgh. 1803. It is impoffible not to admire the grateful difpofition of this poet, who publicly thanks Eton College, and Dr. Goodall, for the claffic tatte with which they infpired him; but certainly with as little to be thankful for, as a writer can well poffefs. He is, however, juft as well as grateful, for he acknowledges to his tutor, in two very original lines, urg'd by thee to toil in claffic lore, Had I had will, I might have known much more." Neither Eton or Dr. Goodall, certainly, ever approved fuch verfification as this, or the following flanza. "Plutus to whom bends many a knee I nor require aught of thee, Nor yet thy power despise. If uninvited thou dost come, Thou shalt be welcome to my home, * See Brit, Crit. vol. xiv. p. 346; and vol. xviii. p. 165. 3 Rather Rather in a fuperior ftrain, but by no means fit to ftand in the compa- That I fhould nurfe my child, which foon as born Nor was I ere allowed to fee my girl. A year after her birth my husband died." But a worse misfortune feems to have remained, in being celebrated by fuch a poet. Mr. Wefton, who is probably young, and had the advantage of Collegiate Education, forms a fine contraft to Mr. H. K. White, of 17, who profeffes to have had no fuch initiation. ART. 21. A Touch on the Times; being a Collection of New Songs to Old Tunes, including fome few which have appeared in former Edi tions. By a Veteran in the Clafs of Political Sheet Scribblers. 56 pp. 15. Knott and Lloyd, Birmingham. 1803. 12mo. This Veteran, who, by the Frontifpiece, bears the name of John Freeth, is an author whom we recollect to have met before, as producing, what he ftyled, "the Annual Political Songfler." (Vol. v. p. 72) From the prefent book we learn a little more of his hiftory; namely, that he has been thirty-fix years in the ftation of a publican, which he calls a "hard fervice," and has now arrived at the age of feventy-two; when he feels himself more inclined, over his cheering cup, with a focial companion, to handle his pipe than his pen." The Frontispiece, however, gives him his pen and book, inftead of the cup and pipe. Mr. Freeth's talent for ballad-writing has, doubtless, been very ferviceable to him in his public ftation; and we fee, with pleasure, that he makes no pernicious ufe whatever of his lyric fkill. NOVEL. ART. 22. Lury Ofmond, a Story. 1803. 12mo. 35. 6d. Robinsons. This volume has one diftinction, and one claim at least to praise which does not often occur, namely, a fimple and unaffuming titlepage. It well enough exemplifies the danger of paying too much attention, in the earlier periods of life, to works of mere imagination. It is, however, too dear at three and fixpence. MEDICINE. MEDICINE. ART. 23. Obfervations on Diarrhea and Dyfentery, as thofe Difeafes appeared in the British Army during the Campaign in Egypt, in 1801; to which are prefixed, a Defcription of the Climate of Egypt, and a Sketch of the Medical Hiftory of the Campaign. By Henry Dewar, late Affiftant-Surgeon to the 30th or Cambridgeshire Regiment of Foot. 8vo. 161 pp. 45. Murray. 1803. : Accounts drawn up by accurate obfervers of diseases attacking European armies fent to foreign climates, are always acceptable to the medical world. Concerning thofe to which they are liable in the Eaft and Weft Indies, we poflefs ample information, furnished by various phyficians and furgeons attached to the British forces employed in those parts of the globe. As moft of the difeafes experienced in thefe latitudes originate from the exceffive heat which reigns there, it will readily be conceived that in Egypt, where the temperature is at leaft equal to that of the tropical regions, a fimilar fet of diforders must arife; befides others peculiar and endemic in that part of Africa: and this is proved to be the fact, by the obfervations made by the phyficians attached to the French army, and by the medical gentlemen attached to our own, during the last war. As the author of the prefent volume did not follow the main body of the army in its marches to Cairo, his obfervations are, for the moft part, limited to the difeafes which fhowed themselves in the 30th and 89th regiments; although he offers fome sketch of the general flate of health during the whole of that memorable campaign, collected (we fuppofe) from fubfequent converfation with his medical brethren. He has alfo extracted fome obfervations relative to the difeafes of the French army, from Defgenettes's Hift. medicale de l'Armée d'Orient. The plague appeared in both armies; but in confequence of a frict attention to cleanlinefs, and the feparation of the infected from those in health, but few in the British army fell victims to it. The ophthalmia (of which an account has been given in fome late numbers of our Review) proved a fource of much greater affliction, numbers of men being rendered unfit for fervice by it; and of these many remained ever afterwards totally blind. Some were killed by a coup de foleil, when they unguardedly left their heads uncovered, though but for a little time, under the rays of the fun. A few inftances of typhus occurred, and at one time catarrhal fevers; but the reigning difeafes were diarrhoea and dysentery. Among the existing caufes of diarrhoea, he mentions the drinking of cold water in immoderate quantities (to allay the unquenchable thirft excited by the excetfive heat of this climate*) as a frequent exciting cause of diarrhoea. "The foldiers in the From the thermometrical obfervations, published in Monf. Def genettes's account, it appears, that at Cairo, Fahrenheit's thermometer, placed in the fhade, fometimes rofe to 100 and upwards, at noon, in June the French army were cautioned, in public orders, against a free use of cold water, especially after fatigue; and it was recommended before drinking, to rince the mouth, and dip the hands in the water. The Egyptians, dreading fluxes and other bad confequences from excess in this particular, often reftrain their inclination to drink when thirty. When they go to refresh themselves in the river, they drink only fmall quantities of the water, taking it up in the palm of the hand, and often content themselves with taking it repeatedly in their mouths, without fwallowing it." A copious draught of cold water, quickly taken after extraordinary heat and fatigue in this climate, produces a moft excruciating pain in the ftomach; and inftances of death have been known to take place within a fhort time, from this caufe. After giving an account of the fymptoms, caufes, and treatment of diarrhoea, the author proceeds to the confideration of dyfentery; one of the moft frequent and moft haraffing diforders of hot climates. Among the exciting caufes, he admits a fpecific contagion, by which it is often. propagated from one individual to another. Yet if we understand him rightly, he thinks that it is generally produced by the fame caufes as diarrhoea, and that it is for the most part to be regarded as only an aggravated degree of the laft mentioned diforder. On this point we entertain a different opinion. Among other remedial measures against the dyfentery, he particularly infifts upon the application of "four or five folds of fine flannel, or a large piece of thick fleecy hofiery over the abdomen, and over this a flannel bandage, bound rather tight and in a uniform manner, from the groin nearly to the arm- pits, and back again. This mode of applying, or rather of confining, a certain degree of heat over that part of the body which is the feat of the difeafe, is to be perfifted in as long as the difeafe continues. When begun early and well attended to, not neglecting the ufual collateral means, it feldom fails to effect a cure. In whatever ftage it is begun, with the exception of the very laft, it produces a fpeedy amelioration of the fymptons, and cures many dyfenteries that would otherwise be hopelefs." This meafure he was induced to refort to, from having heard, that it was recommended by Dr. Whyte, a physician who had refided at Conftantinople. It was noticed, we believe, in a tract on dyfentery,, published feveral years ago by a phyfician who had been in the WeltIndies; but we cannot, at this moment, recollect his name. In oppo-fition to Dr. Pringle, this author deems venefection feldom neceffary in dyfentery; and a practice which has recently been fuggested, of applying cold water to the belly, and of directing the patient to drink cold water in this complaint, is, in his opinion, attended with much hazard. In other refpects, his treatment of dy fenteric patients accords with that of the beft modern practitioners. As the main obfervations in this volume relate to diseases which are prevalent not only in Egypt, June and July; and that on the 5th of September, when the inftrument was luck in the fand near the ruins of Thebes, at mid-day, it rofe to 154, and in the fhade to 100. On the 14th, at the isle of Phile above Syene, it rofe in the fand to above 154, and in the fhade to 1081. but |