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pulse; tongue covered with brown parched scales, the skin dry and possessing a peculiarly biting heat, (the calor mordax ;) anxiety, restlessness, and delirium. The invasion of this disease, is known by symptoms analogous to those which announce fever in general, such as pain in the back, head, limbs, yawning, nausea, &c.

"2d. In other cases one of the two affections which constituted the disease, acquired the ascendant, and maintained a complete mastery from the invasion to the termination, though even in these cases, the affections became more equipoised after the space of eight or ten days.

"If the lungs more particularly were the seat of the disease, there was always more or less of the inflammatory diathesis, discoverable by a frequent and somewhat chorded pulse, tongue covered with a white (afterwards dark) fur, and great pain in the chest, particularly on inspiration.

"If the typhoid tendency preponderated, the symptoms were in time modified by the ruling affection, such as great prostration of strength, and strong disposition to putrescency, evidenced by a frequent soft pulse, foul black tongue and lips, fetid breath and excretions generally, greater apathy of all the senses, particularly of the hearing, &c.

"In every case, however, the following were the pathognomomic or essential symp toms, painful respiration, with dry and painful cough, full frequent pulse, biting heat and dryness of the skin, anxiety and restlessness.

"In the true and legitimate form of this disease, that is, where it is difficult to discern the predominancy of either affection, and where the system sustains a sort of equilibrium of morbid action, I have found the following the most successful treatment:When called early, I commenced by the administration of a common emetic, succeeded when necessary, by the usual cathartic of Calomel and Pulvis purgans. The cure of the disease was then prosecuted by the internal use of the Aristilochia serpentaria and Polygala senega in strong infusion, a tablespoonful every two hours; and where there existed considerable obstruction in the chest, it was alternated with the antimonial solution. Externally, large and repeated blisters to the chest, early in the disease, with frequent ablutions of tepid vinegar and

water.

"Where there was great tendency to putrescency, the wine whey also, and the mineral acids, with occasional potions of yeast and cold water, were employed with advantage; and where the inflammatory symptoms on the other hand, ran high, recourse was had to the diaphoretic and aperient combinations of calomel and antimony, with great benefit, and in some very few instances, sparing venesection was found useful in the earliest stage of the disease."

The Remittent fever of infants was occasionally observed.

Pertussis has been common among chil

dren; but in general it was of so mild a form that medical aid was seldom solicited. In some cases, however, it has been of a more serious nature, and has even proved fatal.

A case of hydrothorax, connecte dwith anasarca of the lower extremities, and occuring in a man of rather plethoric habit of body, was cured by repeated venesections, occasional purgatives, the free use of supertartrite of potash, and a light cooling diet; followed up by a weak infusion of Columbo and Virginia snake root, as soon as the excitement was sufficiently reduced.

An infusion of Secale cornutum, or Ergot of the French, was given with success in two cases of amenorrhoea. It was used in the proportion of one drachm to six ounces of water, a table-spoonful three or four times a day. In one of the cases, it constantly occasioned considerable nausea, with some pain in the hypogastric region. The results of some trials which the Reporter is making with this substance as an emenagogue, will shortly be made public.

The New-York Bills of Mortality for the month of May, report 218 deaths; from

Abscess, 1; Apoplexy, 3; Asthma, 1; Burned, 2; Cancer, 3; Casualty, 3; Catarrh, 1; Child-bed, 1; Cholera Morbus, 1; Consumption, 37; Convulsions, 1; Diarrhoa, 1; Dropsy, 8; Dropsy in the Head, 7; Dropsy in the Chest, 7; Drowned, 11; Epilepsy, 1; Erysipelas, 1; Fever, Puerphous, 28; Hæmoptysis, 1; Hæmorrhage, peral, 1; Fever, Remittent, 2; Fever, Ty1; Hives, 1; Hooping Cough, 4; Infanticide, 1; Inflammation of the Chest, 18; Inflammation of the Stomach, 1; Inflammation of the Bowels, 1 Inflammation of the Liver, 1; Inflammation of the Bladder, 1; Intemperance, 1; Jaundice, 1; Marasmus, 3; Nervous Disease, 1; Old Age, 4; Pneumonia Typhodes, 1; Rheumatism, 1; Scrophula, 2; Small Pox, 1; Spasms, 1; Stillborn, 15; Stranguary, 1; Suicide, 1; Syphilis, 4; Tabes Mesenterica, 4; Unknown, 3; Worms, 3.-Total 218.

Of this number there died 40 of and under the age of 1 year; 9 between 1 and 2 years; 15 between 2 and 5; 8 between 5 and 10; 12 between 10 and 20; 33 between 20 and 30; 28 between, 30 and 40; 32 between 40 and 50; 22 between 50 and 60; 10 between 60 and 70; 7 between 70 and 80; 2 between 80 and 90.

JACOB DYCKMAN, M. D. New-York, May 31st, 1818.

ERRATA.

Page 162, col. 1, line 12 from top, in a few copies, for array, read, call his, and line 14, for call up, read, array, the transposition and error occurred in correcting the press.

Page 200, col. 1, line 10, from bottom, read, his opinion of the conduct of, &c.

of the vessel, which oppressed the machinery and Page 214, col. 2, read, occasioned a reaction caused a vibration, &c. The sentence is mutilated in a very few copies.

THE

AMERICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE

AND

CRITICAL REVIEW.

No. IV......VOL. III.

AUGUST, 1818.

ART. 1. Demetrius, the Hero of the Don. An Epic Poem. By ALEXIS EUSTA 12mo. pp. 234. Boston. Monro and Francis. 1818.

PHIEVE.

(Continued from page 206.)

NO fairy tale is mine: no special powers, No spirits I invoke that love to dwell Above the earthly sphere: I speak of deeds By human means achieved, with only aid, Such wonted aid as Worth may claim of Hea

ven.

Mr. Eustaphieve's unskilfulness in the idiom of our language frequently betrays him into the use of ungrammatical or inelegant expressions. Of such the most common is the omission of the before a noun, or its improper insertion. His punctuation is also. in very many instances, most absurd." With only aid”—of what? of heaven? No: for heaven refers to worth. If not, there ought to have been a comna at claim. Perhaps he intended that heaven should refer both to worth and aid. Thus the sentence may be interpreted different ways-"I speak of deeds achieved by human means, with only the aid of Heaven; such aid as worth may clain of Heaven.-Or-With only such aid of Heaven as worth may .-Or-With only such aid as worth may claim of Heaven. It must be allowed, however, that generally his language is perspicuous. His invocation to the Deity

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The hoarded treasures safely lie! send forth
A ray of thy divine unerring light,
That, while it shows me the abode of truth,
I may, in accents loud and measur'd sound,
Call ancient heroes from the silent grave,
And rescue from oblivion's whelming shade
Their virtue, deeds of valour, just renown."

The direction of this invocation appears to us to be highly improper. Milton with great propriety might solicit such inspiration as guided Moses and Isaiah: his theme was theological. But at once to request the Deity to instruct or inspire a man in the execution of a work acknowledged to be altogether a fiction, is outrè and audacious. Prayers is never two syllables, more than tares. It cannot be so sounded; though hour, fire, and other words of one syllable, might. Hence it ought not to have the apostrophe. The note of admiration is used unnecessarily. This is a fault common with many. What is its use? He who can read with propriety needs it not and, to those who cannot understand what they read, it can be of no advantage. We have generally remarked that, where there is neither sublimity nor pathos, the destitution is supplied by abundant notes of admiration. We know a certain professor of the belles lettres who forbids its admission on any occasion.-We know not why the poet should request to be directed in devious (indirect or erroneous,} paths to knowledge. In asking for more

:

knowledge than was ever granted to mortals the poet has been vastly disappointed: the grants to him having been far less than to others. He would reach that temple of knowledge where "the hoarded treasures of many an age" lie safely. Whether this is knowledge possessed by the Omnipotent only, or mere mortal knowledge hid in a fane on the "proud height" of some vast hill, we should not have been able to ascertain, had not the author declared it "hid from mortal sight." Nor can we discover why, in this work of fiction, he wishes to have shown him "the abode of truth." Many years ago a man fell into a dock, in Boston, called Oliver's dock. The circumstance was noticed by the Rev. Dr. C―y, in his prayer, the succeeding Sunday." Thou knowest that thy servant fell during the past week-into-not into the-the deepnor was overwhelmed in-in the mighty waters but fell into-into-Oliver's dock," &c. One of the good doctor's parishioners, the next day, observed to him that he had made bungling work with the man who had fallen into the dock. "Yes, yes, 99 said he, "I wish I had let him alone; had let him stay there." This may be the case with our poet-his heroes are past sensibility and consequent suffering: they will for ever remain ignorant that their "just renown" is "rescued from oblivion's whelming shade." This seeming bull may, however, perhaps be reconciled to propriety, by supposing that the heroes were formerly renowned.

Next comes a dedication to the empetor of Russia.

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Oh that I could approach thee undisguis'd
And sing thy deeds confess'd! Impossible!
It is the future Poet's happy lot."

There are some verbs of the past tense which, particularly in the pulpit and on solemn occasions, are pronounced with one more syllable than are the same in common conversation and common reading: "Belov-ed brethren-bles-sed spirit," &c. but, with very few exceptions, both in poetry and prose, the ed ought not to make an additional syllable. It is, therefore, altogether unnecessary to use the apostrophe in such words as loved, reprieved, &c. The apostrophe would be as

proper in prose as in poetry.-In what respect is the emperor second in name to Alexander the Great? Does the author mean, that Persia and the eastern world subdued Alexander, as the grammatical construction declares; or that he subdued Persia?-The punctuation is, as before observed, often most incorrect. Why is a comma inserted after thou? It would compel us to read-Thou had feared, but never loved. A colon ought to succeed yore.-We cannot conceive it to be impossible!!! for a poet of the present age to sing "the deeds confessed" of Alexander; however difficult it might be for the author of Demetrius.

We have next a dedication to the empress, including a sub-dedication to the empress dowager, and about a score of admirable notes-thus!

throne

"And thou, sweet partner of his sceptred toil,
Who shar'st, most worthy thus to share, his
Imperial! Noble Christian! Pious queen!
Kind friend! Illustrious female! Spotless wife!
The widow's joy, the orphan's mother, pair'd
With that exalted One whose fruitful womb,
Thrice bless'd, bore Europe's Saviour to the
Thy Alexander! Thou Heaven promis'd fair
world,
To Glory's sons in whom the wise delight
And whom the virtuous imitate: whose zone
That girds thy nation's dignity, shines most
With modesty and grace, all feminine,
Far brighter than the jewels of the crown!
Is sole complaint of thy attending train.
Thou whom great ease to serve.

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Bestow thy gracious, all benignant look
On this thy humble poet's humble mite,
With boldness, sprung from overflowing heart,
Laid at thy feet!"

The poet after a profusion of compliments and eulogies, then proceeds to inform her majesty that this dedication was written while he was on his passage to America last autumn, in the North Sea;

"Borne on a crazy bark,
A prey to winds and waves, from peril toss'd
To peril, far beneath the northern sky,
Inclement, vext with blasts, and pouring down
A world of whelming snow and clashing hail!
His prop the rocking mast? [Curious question.]
What though his foothold be the slippery deck
Intense and firm,
Like some fixt monument, he stands, sustain'd
By one great glowing thought."

It is to be regretted that he did not transplant any such thoughts into his work.

Thou Heaven promis'd fair," &c. canment is the sentence commencing with: not be understood. In the same predica

oath.)"
* "Elizabeth means, promised of God, (upon

"Bestow thy gracious," &c. means itbestow thy look with boldness-or-my mite with boldness sprung from [an] overflowing heart?-We are surprised that our author, in the storm, did not stay in the cabin, or keep his birth.-The three pages of this dedication thus concludes: "Wilt thou accept

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eyes,

Teaches e'en love to spare, who, but for this,
Had long, ere now, transfix'd her tender heart,
Is lovely Selima, the monarch's joy,

The homage, stamp'd so deep with [the] seal of His pride and only child. That, on his left,
Truth?

Wilt thou, as lately on his lighter task,
On this his greater labour smile! [No question
here.] doubt
Would wrong thy generous soul. Thou wilt.....
Enough!

If the lady understands English, there can be no doubt of her frequent smiling. The bard now begins to feel the epic fire; and kindly informs his reader, what other wise he might never have suspected:

* Methinks, I feel within the force divipe!
My soul aspiring soars above the earth!
Obedient Time his mysteries unveils !
Past, present, future, in one picture glow!
And lo! a scene majestic greets the sight!"

The poet now plunges in medias res. We shall give the story as we proceed. As there is not a page, in which there is not much demanding correction or censure, to notice all such sentiments, words or passages, would extend a review to a volume. On some of them, however, we shall animadvert, en passant.

"Scarce yet the earliest ray had gilt the sky;
Scarce Fancy, swifter than the wings of time,
Had met the sun below earth's level pois'd,
And left the eye to linger in suspense;
Scarce yet had wak'ning nature left her couch,
And from her tresses shook the morning dew;
While light and shade maintain'd a dubious
strife;

Unusual bustle and commotion strange
Ran rapid through the streets of fair Kazan," &c.

After scarce we generally expect ere, when, or some similar word. It was scarcely daylight, and the morning dew was scarcely dissipated. At what time in the morning the bustle commenced the reader must discover for himself. No matter: there was a horrible commotion; for

"Thousands by thousands were impell'd along,
Until the earth beneath the burden groan'd;
The massy walls, that girt the city round,
Shook with the tempest laboring within.'

Without being immediately informed of the cause of this uproar, we are introduced to king Morna.

"His hoary locks
In floating rings their riper honours show.
He seems an aged oak, whose loftier head,
And larger boughs, in richer foliage clad,

Zorana nam'd, who, like some hardier plant,
Fearless of winter's blast, with prouder look
And bolder front, seems destin'd to repel
The shafts of love and frowns of adverse fate,
Is Selima's companion, bosom friend,
An orphan from illustrious parents sprung
And early to the royal care bequeath d.

The next person, to whom we are introduced, is a scoundrel of a prime minister, whose name is Orcan. This gentleman has the confidence of the monarch.Morna rises from his throne. A dead silence ensues as he is about to speak:

"There's not an ear but eagerly expands
To catch and treasure up each precious word."
He informs the multitude, that his troops,
under the command of Brono, are re-
turning from victorious war:

"From the embattled field and War's rude toils,
Back to the calm delights of wished-for home."

Wished is sufficient without for. The best writers avoid as much as possible such unnecessary use of words-To make up a hundred-to bind over as an apprentice-to return back-iet the door be shut to; &c.-At this information the mob rejoic'd; Selima dropt the tear of joy; and "The wily Orcan's sycophantic brow Conceal'd dark secrets rushing to his face."

The sun was now up; and

"The gilded domes, and spires, that tower'd high, Caught the descending brightness, and convey'd To humbler roofs."

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Tower'd should no more be made two syllables than sour'd, flower'd, roar'd, &c, The spires, we suppose, conveyed brightness to humbler roofs, as the moon conveys to us a portion of the sun's rays. The army is seen at a distance. At length it arrives.

"'Tis he! 'tis they!' resounds from mouth to mouth." [Q. ear?]

"'Tis they" was never English, though formerly used for such. The officers and soldiers appear, with

"Polish'd helmets, where the sun, surpris'd, Views its reflected form; the waving plumes,

The richest tribute of the feather d world, Which cheated fancy deems a living flight." Mercury had wings on his feet: but we know not how the most wayward fancy could suspect that men should fly with wings on the top of the head. With Brono, the chief, come two youthful strangers: so fair that the ladies are cautioned not to look of them.

"Oh turn not! Listen to my warning voice! Mistrust, thou gentle Selima, the Power Which has, till now, forborne t' invade thy peace!

Love cannot wait for ever." [No note of admiration here.]

The name of one of these gallant officers is Trouvor; that of the other Osmond. They are both what the Kentuckians call heart-smashers: for the ladies are at once

overcome:

"Sensations new, Mingled, confus'd, invade their breasts; they pine With wishes that they dare not scan; with fear They tremble, sigh with pain, with pleasure

blush;

Pant for relief, yet dread to be reliev'd; Seeking for hope, they gain despair; and, bent Tescape, they but pursue their certain fate."

This is falling in love by wholesale. At first sight to pine, sigh, blush, pant, dread, seek and despair, is a very expeditious mode of doing business; and saves the bard a world of trouble in describing the various changes in the progress of this master passion. Brono approaches to kneel before the king. This the mo narch prevents and presents him a precious chain. Brono declares he has only done his duty; and that this gift is, therefore, a gratuitous bounty. He extols the two stranger knights, and recommends them to royal favour. The knights are led by the monarch to the ladies. Selima gives a wreath of laurel to Trouvor:

"But oh!-her treacherous tongue will not supply

One single word to give the action grace.
With down-cast eyes in vain she calls to aid
The various thoughts with which her fancy
teem'd:

The rebels fly and heed not her distress."

What is one word but a single word? The last of the above quoted lines savours much of poetry. We wish it had more companions. Zorana is offended because the more favourite knight seems pleased with Selima, and Selima with him. She gives a wreath to Osmond in a very cold manner: but he, not much given to love, takes it as coldly. All now go to a feast, and spend the day in revelry.

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This monster of no sex, and yet of both Partaking,

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Now like some subtle spirit works his way
Through the impervious barriers of defence
Encompassing the various states; or through
The far less penetrable magic walls

That guard the inmost seat of human thoughts:
And now, a giant swoln, he with one step
Bestrides the world," &c.

"It onward to the Palace speeds, nor stops Until, by no obstruction check'd,

It Orcan's chamber gains. ** They both Sleepless, in private converse pass the night, And part not till the first faint gleam of morn."

The critics have long since condemned the introduction, as actors, of such per sonages. A short personification is often beautiful. Of this monster Mr. Eustaphieve says, it works his way"-a "smile plays on her lips-and-“ it onward moves. Such puerility was probably mistaken by him for genius, or for a beauty; the beast being one of no sex yet of both." Thus concludes the first of the seven cantos of the poem.

The second canto opens with the morning of the succeeding day: when the two knights visit Brono, the military chief; who makes a long harangue consisting of five pages, on the subjects of peace and war; the question, which should be preferred, being about to be decided by the monarch. He inveighs against Orcan, who is in favour of peace, and whom he suspects to be in league with the enemy, whose chief is Mamay; in whose character the poet seems to intend a pic ture of Bonaparte. He deplores the influence exercised by Orcan over the king, whose character he highly exalts; but declares that the government is in the hands of Orcan.

"When the virtuous reign The wicked often govern. Morna, void of guile, Himself the mirror where he views mankind, Follows delusive light; not real light, But that which is reflected by his own: And thinks all honest, who, by copying him With ease may so appear.'

The meaning is evident, in the declaration that when the virtuous reign the wicked often govern: but the words might be transposed with equal propriety :

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