rity, and adds, “That the fewer mixtures are admitted in colours termed native, and appertaining neither to the vegetable nor animal reign, the lefs they are fubject to change, where the rays of the fun do not penetrate." P. 189.

In regard to the fculptures of the Egyptians, which are more maily than graceful, whether we confider the buildings. of Egypt, the enormous fphynx, and the ftupendous flatue of Memnon, defcribed by Pococke, he contends, we think with justice, that in regard to ftatues, the failure of that race in accuracy of expreflion, and the graces of proportion, could not be imputed, as has been imagined, to their ignorance of anatomy, because a nation, immemorially accustomed to embalm their dead, must have advanced nearer to the knowledge of that fcience than any other of the Oriental nations. The Egyptians, therefore, by this cuftom of embalming, annihilated the principal obftacle to the ftudy of anatomy reigning in warm countries, where the fudden corruption of dead bodies infpires horror for researches of this nature, from the dread of death by the contagion of putrid infection. But, in truth, the ancient Egyptians, like the modern Copts, were an ill-favoured and ungraceful people; their women had few of the charms of the Grecian ladies, and the Egyptian fculptors, who know no other beauties than thofe of their own country, are not to be blamed for copying only the models conftantly before them. The facred edifices of Egypt were formed with grandeur and elevation, conformable to their lofty and exalted notions of the divinity; their other buildings, being raifed by ambitious and powerful princes, were intended to be indeftructible monuments of their power, and to eternize their glory.

With refpect to the progrefs made by the Afiatics in general, and the Egyptians in particular, in the fcience of chemiftry, M. de Pauw affirms their knowledge in that science to be greatly exaggerated. That the Thebais had furnaces, in which various kinds of chemical experiments were tried on metals and earths; and in which many curious compofitions of glafs and porcelain were fabricated, the precious remains of which are fometimes to be met with in the cabinets of the curious, he readily allows; and that alfo they understood the art of fixing colours on glafs, and of enamelling, p. 103. Allowing them this merit, however, he flatly denies them that boafted proficiency in the knowledge of the wonderful effect of fire granted them by Kircher, and other admirers of the Hermetic philofophy of Egypt. He contends, that all their knowledge in this way confifted on obfervations merely, like their aftronomy, and that this knowledge was never digefted into any regular theoretical fyftem, p. 312. Without adopting all the chime

B 2

ras

ras of the author of the Edipus Ægyptiacus, we are still inclined to think, that the race who made Vulcan, or elementary fire, their first and most ancient deity, poffeffed deeper knowledge of its properties than is here granted them by M. Pauw ; or Mofes (an inftance frequently cited) who was profoundly fkilled in the wifdom of Egypt, could never have rendered potable the golden calf, adored by the infatuated Ifraelites.

Having gone through thefe fubjects, as alluding to the Egyp tians, the author compares their progrefs in elegant fcience, with that of the other Oriental nations, particularly the Chinese, whofe ftyle of fculpture, if copied from Egypt, would affuredly fhow us their various and complicated mythology, and all the monftrous combinations that marked the facred animals of Egypt. But nothing of this kind is to be traced either on the walls of their edifices, or on their ftatues. Thofe ftatues indeed are fometimes gigantic, like thofe of Egypt; but their edifices are built of materials that, fo far from being indeftructible, must of neceffity tend rapidly to decay. Their paintings, too, like those of all the nations of Southern Afia, are beautiful with respect to the vivid colours which they difplay; but in regard to defign, whether figures or landfcapes, are the mereft daubings that can be conceived., China, he infifts, poffeffes no real chemifts, although he allows that they, as well as many other Oriental nations, had the knowledge of fire-arms very early. Their vaft manufactories of pottery and porcelaine ware, may indeed, by inconfiderate judges, be brought as proof of their advance in the chemical art; and yet he contends that they afford no proofs at all of it, "for it is impoffible to conceive any thing more fimple than their manner of preparing them. The red fpecies alone, which is extracted from a kind of copperas, is produced by means of two crucibles; for all the other colours, like the azure, require nothing more than to be torrified, or calcined in common furnaces." P. 333.

Having taken this comprehenfive furvey of the former part of this ingenious work, becaufe we deemed it most curious and interefling to our readers, we must be very brief with respect to its two remaining divifions, which engrofs the fecond volume. They contain ftrictures, first on the architecture; fecondly on the religion; and, thirdly, on the government of the two nations. The firft of thefe differtations might weil have been fpared, for whofoever has feen the drawing or picture of a Chinese pagoda, and Pococke's, or Norden's defigns of the ftu pendous edifices of Egypt, muft be convinced, without the affected difplay of our author's talents for architectural difcuffion, that the flyle of their buildings is effentially and fundamentally different; the one being light, airy, and abounding with gaudy

deco

decorations; the other diftinguished by a feature of ponderous magnificence, fublime in elevation, and folemn as the mylterious rites anciently celebrated in them.

The fecond of thefe differtations, difcuffing the religions of the two countries, contains indeed fome curious facts and learned obfervations, but is in many parts, and indeed unavoidably, from the intimate combination of phyfics and philofophy with the theology of the east, a repetition of what occurs in the first volume; fince even the civil inftitutions of Afiatic countries have, for the most part, a religious reference and connection, from the ftrict attention necellary to be paid by legiflators and priests, to the prefervation of health in climates. where, as in Egypt, a burning fun and ftagnant lakes scatter around the feeds of peftilence and death. Hence their innumerable ablutions; hence their anxious efforts to avoid perfonal defilement, by a thousand ceremonious obfervances, that to us appear unnecellary and ridiculous; hence probably the purifying flames that perpetually blaze on their altars; and the profufion of incenfe, the quinteffence of the most coftly gums, wafted from the cenfers of officiating priests, not lefs verfed in medical, than theological fcience. The refult of this differtation alfo is, that no people could ever resemble each other lefs, in religious rites, than the Indians and Chinefe.

Still lefs, however, did they refemble each other in point of government; the laws of China being the laws of their Tartar ancestors, while the genius, habits, and commerce of the people, are of a stamp totally different.

Such are the philofophical investigations of M. de Pauw, on a fubject which, among judges of Afiatic literature and manners, has long fince ceafed to be debated; yet his book may still be read with advantage and pleasure by those who, in the acutenefs of his remarks, may be inclined to forget the vanity and defultory volatility of the writer. The tranflator, Captain Thompfon, who before published a tranflation of the fame author's Differtations on the Greeks, has been, in general, faithful to his original; but both editions would have been more valuable, had proper references been made, at the bottom of the page, to the various authors cited in the text. In books of remote enquiry, and efpecially on difputable points, thofe references are indifpenfable, and the omiffion of them will ever be confidered as the effect either of unpardonable negligence, or fuperficial investigation.

ART.

ART. IV. An Account of the Experiment made at the Defire of the Lords Comm ffioners of the Admiralty, on board the Union hofpital Ship, to determine the Effect of the nitrous Acid in defroying Contagion, and the Safety with which it may be employed. In a Letter addreffed to the Right Honourable Earl Spencer, &c. &c. &c. By James Carmichael Smyth, M. D. F. R. S. Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians, and Phyfician Extraordinary to his Majefly. Publifhed with the Approbation of the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty. 8vo. 75 PP. 1s. 6d. Johnfon. 1796.

AT the defire of the Admiralty, the Doctor made a further trial of the method he had ufed for deftroying contagion at the hofpital at Winchefter, in the year 1780*. A fever, faid to be of an infectious nature, had, for fome time, prevailed in the Ruffian fleet. It does not appear that the mortality had been confiderable, but it was thought to be increafing, and fome of the nurfes and attendants had caught the infection. The care of carrying on the procefs recommended by the Doctor was entrusted to Meflrs. Menzies and Baffan, furgeons, and the publication before us confifts principally of the reports they made of the fuccefs of the experiments. The principal trials were made on board the Union hofpital fhip, to which the fick from the fleet were generally fent. The procefs confifts in fumigating the veffel, with the vapour arising from a mixture of the concentrated vitriolic acid, and nitre. The immediate effect was an alteration in the air of the wards, which, from being extremely offenfive, became very pleafant and agreeable to refpire. The operation was directed to be performed twice in the day. The fick were thought to recover fooner, and the patients who were afterwards brought into the hofpital, are faid to have had the disease in a milder manner than the former. Not more than two or three perfons were thought to have taken the infection from communicating with the fick, after the fumigation had commenced. Several of the Ruffian fhips that had been infected, were fumigated with advantage, as we learn from the teftimony of the commanding officer, which is here publifhed. A more particular account, however, of the rife and nature of the fever, of the flate of the hofpital, and of the methods of treating the patients, feems neceffary to be given, before we can allow the deduction which the author draws, that

See British Critic for the month of February laft.

the

the power of the nitrous vapour in deftroying contagion, is eftablished by thefe experiments, as fome of the veffels got clear of the infection, at the fame time, where the fumigation was not ufed."I waited," Mr. Menzies fays, p. 42, "on Cap tain Chechagoff and Captain Sinavan, and found that their veffels were not yet cleared of their ftores, fo that I could not go on with either. Indeed the Ratvezan was pretty healthy, her commander, Captain Chechagoff, being very attentive to every means of puritying his veffel by ventilation and cleanlinefs, and by destroying the fhubs (fkins worn by the sailors) as far as he poffibly could."

Two circumstances are diftinctly established by thefe experiments. That the vapour of nitre elicited by this procefs, is perfectly fafe; and that it manifeftly corrects foul air. As the process is eafy, and may be performed in any part of a fhip, without hazard from fire, it cannot fail to be advantageoufly practifed, in veffels crowded with feamen, in long voyages, and in rainy and tempeftuous weather, where it may be difficult to ventilate and purify the interior parts of thips. Subjoined are two letters from Mr. Keir, the celebrated chymift, who fpeaks of the procefs in high terms of approbation: This teftimony is the more valuable, as fome writers had fufpected the vapour to be extremely noxious. This opinion arofe, Mr. Keir fays, from their confounding the red vapour arifing from nitre, when iron or any other metal is mixed with it, which is highly phlogistigated and noxious. But the vapour arifing in this procefs, which must not be performed in an iron veffel, or the mixture ftirred with a metal fpatula (Dr. S. recommends a glafs one) is white, and is a highly dephlogiftigated or oxygenated nitrous vapour. Although the account, as we mentioned before, is not fufficiently detailed to enable us to determine with certainty, that the nitrous vapour will destroy the infectious matter which occafions fever, yet it manifefts fufficiently falutary properties, to juftify our recommending trials with it, to be made in hofpitals, whenever dangerous fevers prevail, particularly in lying-inn hofpitals infected with the puerperal fever, and, indeed, in private families, fimilarly circumftanced. The materials are cheap, the process eafy, and the vapour falutary. Some benefit will certainly arife, though not, perhaps, to the full extent that the benevolence of the author may have led him to expect.

ART.