inftance of the danger of meddling with what we do not understand. For instance, in p. 70, Ulex Europæus (common furze) is tranflated quickfet. In the fame page, Tamarix Gallica (common tamarifk) is most curioully converted into the WestIndian fruit called tamarinds. In p. 180, we have magnolium, inftead of magnolia. P. 181. "Here grows the ftately Scilla hyacinthoides, the native foil of which is not yet known." Does this mean that the native foil was not known till now, or that the plant got into this place by accident, from fome garden? Be that as it may, the epithet stately is oddly applied to a plant which never exceeds a few inches in height. In p. 194, helianthus tuberofus (Jerufalem artichoke) is called Spanish potatoes. In p. 313, Panicum Italicum, a fpecies of millet, is called Italian pannicle, inftead of pannick. But, in PP. 357 and 390, the fame fpecies of panicum is unfortunately converted into fennel, a plant with which it has not the smallest affinity. Thefe are a few fpecimens of the tranflator's botanical miftakes. In the animal and mineral kingdoms, we are forry to fay, he has not been more fortunate. Thus, in p. 92, we have "Crystals of Titan crystals;" meaning, we prefume, crystals of Titanium, or Titanite. In p. 105, we read of "a large piece of emerald fet in the ore;" meaning, probably, the matrix. At p. 348, we have mountain cryftal for rock cryf tal. felf At p. 198, the ruivo (red gurnard) which the author himvery properly tells us is the trigla cuculus, is by the translator changed into a roach, to which fith it has not the smallest refemblance. Other faults, of a different though lefs important kind, also occur. "M. Le Sage's excellent mufeum of mineralogy, which the government have purchased, and placed at the mint, excels in arra རུ་ment every public museum I know." P. 27, The tranflator, in a note, fays: "The author is here mistaken; it was collected for government by M. Le Sage, who had a falary for that purpose." We have pretty good authority for believing, that the author's account of this tranfaction is right. We are quite certain that the name is wrong. It fhould be M. Sage. M. Le Sage is a different perfon. "The clocks hang very low in front of the church, or of the tower, perhaps they are hung fo low that they may more certainly twang twang in the ears of the faithful, for indeed they make a moft infufferable noife.", P. 77. Surely for clocks we should here read bells. The German word for bells (glicken) probably led to the mistake. "The pronunciation of the Portugueze is a full, deep, guttural tone, while that of the Spaniards is a light, blowing lifp; the former confifting of long, elegant, high-founding words, the latter of short, broken, chattering founds." P. 131. In the errata, we are told to " tranfpofe the words Portugueze and Spaniards, former and latter." That the words Portugueze and Spaniards fhould be tranfpofed is very obvious; but it is equally fo that the words former and latter should remain as they now are, "Here are fome forts of figs, and thofe very excellent, that fall to the ground unmatured, unlefs punctured by the gnats. To further this, another otherwife wholly ufelefs variety of fig-tree is grown, wherein these infects, which are larvæ of an ichneumon, abound.” P. 448. How this is expreffed in the original, we know not; but we cannot conceive that the author (who is really a naturalift) can commit fo enormous a blunder as to confound the larvæ of an ichneumon with gnats. In p. 373, after telling us of the difficulty of conveying the grapes to the prefs, the tranflator fays "this process is performed by treading," meaning undoubtedly the process of preffing the grapes, not of conveying them, as the arrangement of the fentence implies. "In thefe parts, we met with the elm-leaved fumach tree, both wild and cultivated, of which probably the former had run wild.” P. 386. In order to make fenfe of this, we muft, inftead of former, read latter. That the tranflator's ftyle is very confused will appear from feveral of these paffages; fhould more proofs be wanting, they may be found in the ftory of the landlady at p. 65, or that of the Conde de Obidos at p. 419. Our account will show, at the fame time, that the work has many merits, and probably that it deferves a better tranflation. A good map of Portugal is alfo much wanted. ART. ART. IX. Obfervations on the Cow-Pox. By John Coakley Lettfom, M. et LL. D. &c. 4to. 88 pp. Nichols and Son, Red-Lion Paffage, Fleet-Street. 1801. ALTHOUGH the number of publications on the Cow Pox is confiderable, and coming from perfons living in different and very diftant parts of the country, may be fuppofed fufficiently to have diffused the knowledge of the facts, yet we are not forry to find the attention of the public kept alive, by having the fubject brought before them from other quarters, and under different points of view. The idea of fuperfeding the ravages of the fmall-pox, and in time, perhaps, of totally annihilating it, by the introduction of a difeafe in fome refpe&ts fimilar, but infinitely milder, taken from a cow, seems fo extraordinary as fully to juftify the caution with which it has been received, and the incredulity of fome of the moft enlightened and judicious of the community, as to the reality of the fact. We know nothing in the whole range of medical history that can be compared with it. It required therefore, and ftill requires, that the utmost attention be paid to every thing relating to the progrefs of the difeafe; that the experiments with it be multiplied, and the results of them registered, and that they may continue to be published for many years to come; particularly that the perfons who were early infected with the cow-pox fhould be again and again fubjected to the infection of the small-pox, either by repeated inoculations, or by being taken among perfons infected with that difeafe; which, by confirming and establishing still more strongly the knowledge of the falutary powers of the cow-pox, will remove the doubt or prejudice of the sceptical and incredulous concerning it. The intention of Dr. Letifom, in thefe obfervations, is to give an historical account of the discovery and introduction of the cow-pox; a defcription of the difeafe, and a concentrated view of the arguments and facts, by which the value of the difcovery has been fupported. To thefe he has added the refult of his own obfervations, and of his inquiries among other practitioners, whose names had not yet appeared before the public; which together make a valuable addition to the facts on which the preference of vaccine over variolous inoculation is fupported. The introduction of inoculation of the small-pox into Europe was hailed, and deferved'y, as one of the most falutary K k ERIT. CRIT. VOL. XVIII, NOV. 1801. events : events recorded in the annals of the world; as mitigating the ferocity of a difesfe, the most fatal, as well as difgufting and loathfome, that ever afflicted mankind. But though it was foon difcovered, and established by the teftimony of innumerable and incontrovertible facts, that the perfons who received the fmall-pox by inoculation were rarely, indeed fcarcely ever, affected with the confluent fpecies of the difeafe, and confequently that they ran little rifk of lofing their lives, or of being fearred and feamed in the dreadful manner, that perfons frequently were who received the infection by the breath or effluvia; yet, as the inoculated finall-pox was fometimes formidable, and in one out of three or four hundred subjects terminated fatally, many perfons, even among the upper ranks of the community, were deterred from having recourfe to the practice; not daring to inflict a difeafe upon their offspring that 'might prove fatal and as joined to this, a certain apparatus or preparation, both diætetic and medicinal, was thought to be neceffary, in order to enfure fuccefs to fmall-pox inoculation, and the procefs was attended with trouble and expence, two thirds at leaft of the poor, who form the great mass of the community, totally rejected it. As the caufes that deterred fo large a portion of the people from adopting the practice of inoculation were not likely to be removed, the hope that had been entertained, that the fmall-pox might in time be totally exterminated by it, had vanifhed, and it even began to be perceived, that though inoculation was beneficial to the perfons who fubmitted themfelves or their families to the operation, yet from the careless manner in which it was practifed it became even highly injurious to the public. For the mild form under which the inoculated difeafe generally appeared, encouraging the patients to go abroad, and mix with the people, the difeafe which, though harmlefs to them, was ftill infectious, was more generally and more conftantly diffused and propagated, than it ever had been before the practice of inoculation was introduced. This is proved by recurring to the bills of mortality, by which it appears that more perfons had died of the fmall-pox, within the last thirty years, ending in the year 1795, which was the space of time in which inoculation was most generally practifed, than had died of the difcafe in the fame fpace of time, prior to its introduction into the country. "Out of every thousand deaths in the bills of mortality (fee p. 36 of Dr. Heberden's obfervations, noticed in our laft Review) the number attributed to the finall-pox during the first thirty years in the eighteenth century, before inoculation could yet have had any effect upon them, amounted to feventy-four. During an equal number of 'years at the end of the century, they amounted to ninety-five out of 5 cach each thoufand. So that, as far as we are enabled to judge from hence, they would have appeared to have increased in a proportion of above five to four." This general diffufion of the difeafe has been confidered as fo ferious an evil, that it has been fuggefted that fome legiflative regulations fhould be formed, obliging inoculated perfons to confine themfelves within their houfes, and in many places in the country this precaution is practised, though not enjoined by any law. But in London, and other populous places, where fuch a regulation is most required, it cannot be enforced without injury to the patients, who are frequently in want of the refreshment of cool air, which, in the greater part of their habitations,'cannot be procured. Here then the benefit that would be derived by the general introduction of cow-pox, instead of fmall-pox inoculation, is eminently obvious; as the cow-pox emits no noxious or infectious effluvia, and is only communicable by the actual application of the fluid contained in a veficle or puftule, to a part of the body where the cuticle, or outward fkin, is abraded. Perfons therefore living in the fame houfe, or lying in the fame bed, with patients under the cowpox, are in no danger of receiving the infection. This is an advantage of fuch magnitude and importance, as to call aloud on all true lovers of their country, moft ftrenuously to exert themselves in overcoming any prejudice that their neighbours or dependants may entertain against it, and in endeavouring to obtain its univerfal adoption. With this view, we apprehend, it was, that an inftitution for vaccine inoculation has been opened in Golden Square: but though we have the highest opinion of the benevolence of the managers, yet we cannot help obferving that, by taking a large and expenfive house, and forming an extended establishment, (an error common to almost all the modern charitable inftitutions in the metropolis) they are precluded from effecting this grand national object. It has been proved that the cow pox is a disease fo extremely mild, as fcarcely to fubject the perfons undergoing it to the fmallest degree of illness; that perfons of all ages, and in almoft every fituation, may be fafely inoculated with it; that it requires no previous preparation, and neither confinement nor medicine in the courfe of it. This, at leaf, is the general character of the complaint, the exceptions being fo few as not to deferve noticing, confequently the expence of inoculating even thousands of perfons must be infignificant. No bar therefore should be placed to prevent admiffion to the benefit of the inftitution; but all perfons applying fhould be inoculated indifcriminately, and without enquiry. By the regula |