cal Society, feconded by Government, continue their efforts to alleviate the horrors of this difgufting and deftructive plague.— The particular diforder mentioned in the title of this piece is called by the author Muguet or Millet. It has been mentioned, fays he, by very few writers, and has been defcribed by none with any fatisfactory degree of accuracy or precifion. Its fymptoms are fmall, white, hard pimples, which appear on the lips of children, on the tongue, in the pharynx, and which are fometimes found in the cefophagus: deglutition becomes difficult and even impoffible: a diarrhoea enfues: the face grows pale; and fpots or pimples of a violet colour, appear on the body, which are a certain indication of approaching death. New Obfervations concerning Medical Electricity. By M. MAUDUYT.-This is a continuation of the author's account of his application of electricity to medical purposes. It contains an enumeration of the cafes in which relief was obtained by Thefe cafes were paralytical and rheumatic complaints, weakness in particular parts, deafnefs, diforders in the eyes, Sic.

it.

Refearches and Obfervations concerning various Medical, Chirurgical, and Anatomical Subjects. By M. VICQ D'AZYR.The learned and ingenious academician has here collected, under different, titles, feveral obfervations, communicated to the Society by its correfpondents, and feveral that he had himself prefented to it. The objects of these obfervations are accurately reprefented in nine plates, which contain fixty figures, explained in a table annexed to them. Concretions, which are found in all the parts both of human and animal bodies-Diforders in the bones-Aneurifmal tumours cured by compreffion, and other objects, equally interefting, are the fubjects of the curious and inftructive obfervations contained in this piece.

MEDICAL CHEMISTRY furnishes a few fhort articles-MACQUER'S Reflexions on the Magnefia of Epfom falt, which contain nothing new- An Analytical Examination of the Root called by the Dutch Colombo, and by the English Columbé; by M. JossE.-Obfervations on the Mixture of Quinquina with Tartar Emetic; by M. CORNETTE.-This laft article offers to practitioners a remedy in the treatment of obftinate intermitting fevers, whofe efficacy deferves examination. From the experiments made, with this mixture, by M. CORNETTE, it appears evident, that the emetic, mixed in a certain proportion with the quinquina, whether in powder or decoction, is entirely decompounded, and may therefore be thus adminiftered, without any fort of danger, to patients, according to the exigence of the cafe, and the views of the phyfician. The dofe our academician recommends, is 12 or 15 grains in a pint of decoction, and

20 or 24 grains to an ounce of quinquina in powder, incorporated with fyrup, to form an electuary.

Of the two laft articles in the hiftorical part of this volume, one contains Refearches and Experiments relative to the Organ of Hearing, and the Propagation of Sounds. By M. PESOLLE.Defigned to prove, against the opinion generally received, that the Euftachian tube does not at all contribute to the perception of founds, but only ferves to tranfmit to the organ of hearing an aqueous air that is proper for lubricating it. The other is a feries of curious and interefting Reflexions on two kinds of Quinquina, newly discovered in the environs of Santa Fe, in South America. Here we have the fum and result of the report made by Meffieurs Daubenton, Macquer, Bucquet, De Juffieu, and Cornette, who were appointed to examine the discovery in queftion. This piece is adapted to excite diffidence and fufpicion with refpect to the Peruvian bark that is fold in the shops. The feveral kinds of bark are fo different in their ftrength and efficacy, that it is no wonder we fee fevers often refifting this excellent remedy. M. de la Condamine, who was upon the spot where the tree fourishes moft *, described three kinds of quinquina, the red and yellow, which are the most efteemed, and the white, which is not efteemed at all. M. de Juffieu, who was alfo upon the spot, and examined the tree and its bark with a botanical and medical eye, admitted a larger divifion of kinds, which he, nevertheless, reduced to two principal ones. Under the first he comprehends the red, yellow, and knotty quinquina, which have all fmooth, purplish, almoft inodorous flowers, and a bitter bark, more or less coloured. Under the fecond be comprehends four fpecies of white quinquinas, which are all diftinguished from the former, by having rough, red, ftrong fmelling leaves, hairy within, fruits longer in fize, and the exterior bark whitish. In two of these the bark, when recent, has, though in an inferior degree, a febrifuge quality, which it foon loses. In the two others, whofe flowers exhale the finest odour, the bark is infipid, and without the leaft efficacy. As the red bark was become very fearce, the difcovery of two kinds of quinquina at Santa Fé, in 4 degrees of northern latitude, is a matter of great importance. The firft, which refembles the red quinquina in its leaves, is pronounced by our examiners to have all the excellent qualities which recommend this remedy, fuch as odour, bitterness, ftipticity, a facility of being diffolved in the different menftrua, and the abundance and exact combination of its mucilaginous and refinous principles. The fecond is rejected, on account of its resemblance to the white quinquina. The difcovery of the quinquina tree

*Cajanum, near Loxa, in Peru.

at

at Santa-Fé, will not only procure a greater abundance of this precious bark, but also render its tranfportation more expeditious and eafy, by a river, whose mouth is near the harbour of Carthagena.

MEMOIR S.

The Second Part of this volume begins, as ufual, with obfervations on the conftitution of the atmosphere, and the temperature of the feasons-historical accounts of epidemical difeafes, and medical topography; and there are feveral pieces, relative to thefe objects, that well deferve the perufal of medical practitioners. But we fall proceed to the memoirs that concern objects lefs local, and confequently more generally interefting.

PRACTICAL MEDICINE.

I. A Memoir concerning certain Expeditious, Eafy, and Effica cious Methods of remedying the unhappy Accidents, with which the Small Pox, and Meafles of a Malignant fort, are frequently attended. By M. de LASSONE.-The great efficacy of milk, ufed as drink, in the dangerous diarrhoea that fometimes accompanies the eruption of the fmall-pox, and in the bilous evacuations that are frequently obferved to follow that of the measles, is here ascertained by repeated and moft fuccefsful trials made by M. de LASSONE, on patients of the first rank. He cured in this manner the Princess Adelaide of France, and her two royal fifters, who were feized with the fmall-pox, in confequence of their attendance on their father, the late King of France, who died of that diforder. The cow's milk was mixed with a ptifan made of parsley roots. The prefent Queen of France was cured of a diarrhoea, and other dangerous symptoms, that accompanied the epidemical meafles with which fhe was feized fome years ago, by the fame plain and falutary remedy.-Our academician commends greatly the use of rofe water in the small pox, to prevent the eruption from hurting the eyes.

II Mem. Concerning Fat in the Human Body, its Nature, its Properties, its Effects, its vicious Qualities, and the Disorders it may occafion. By M. LORRY.-This learned and important memoir, which does honour to the known abilities of its celebrated author, contains above fixty pages, filled with very curious researches.

III Mem. Experiments made by Meffrs. DE JUSSIEU, DE LA LOUETTE, &c. Commiffaries named by the Royal Society of Medicine, to afcertain the Properties and Effects of the Root of the Dentaria (Tooth-wort, fhall we tranflate it-or Pellitory-or what?) in the Treatment of the Itch.-The Society had proposed,

• This ptifan is made by pouring two pounds of boiling water upon two ounces of parfley-root, wathed and fliced, or cut fmall..

in 1778, the following prize-fubject-To point out the best method of curing expeditiously and effectually the itch, contracted by communication, as frequently happens in work houses, hospitals, and priJons. The remedy indicated in the piece that obtained the prize, was a particular preparation of the root of the plant, called by the French Dentellaire, and by different botanifts Dentellaria Rondeletii-Lepidium Dentellaria dictum-and by Linnæus Plumbaga. The remedy is not new; but the manner of adminiftering it, and its remarkable fuccefs, are entirely fo. The plant, as defcribed by Garidel, has produced, on fome, good effects, and the moft pernicious effects on others; it is, indeed, of a very hot, pungent, and cauftic nature, and has been known to take off the skin when used in friction. But in this it refembles many other remedies, which are only dangerous, because the precife manner of confining their operation to a certain degree of activity, has not been found out. M. Sumeire, author of the differtation on this fubject, which was crowned by the Society, and a phyfician of note in Provence, acknowledges candidly, that the method he proposes of ufing this plant was learnt from an empyric, who applied it, with the greateft fuccefs, in Provence, forty years ago. He obferves that, fince that time, it has been always ufed and found effectual; and in the memoir now before us, the Commiffaries of the Academy bear ample teftimony to its efficacy, after repeated experiments. The method of ufing it is, to pound in a marble mortar three handfuls of the root in queftion, to which fome add a small handful of falt on the pounded root must be poured a pound, at least, of boiling olive oil: the whole must be fhaken for three or four minutes, and then put into a piece of linen: when the oil has paffed through the linen, the root must be preffed pretty strongly, and only a part of it left in the linen, which is to be tied in the form of a knot. This knot is to be dipped in the hot oil, and with it the whole furface of the body is to be rubbed. The firft rubbing fometimes brings forth all the itch that lay concealed under the fkin, and produces difagreeable fenfations to the patient; but the fecond removes them, and the fourth ufually completes the cure. The friction must be repeated every twelve hours, and always with the oil very hot.

ÍV Mem. Concerning a new Manner of preparing Acid Soaps; together with an Inquiry into their Ufe in Medicine. By M. CORNETTE. The trials made by this ingenious physician with the acid foap of olive oil, feem hitherto rather to promife than to perform.

V Mem. Concerning an Internal Hydrocephalus, or Dropfy in the Ventricles of the Brain. By M. ODIER.-A very interefting and excellent piece, which deferves a place on the fame

shelf

fhelf with Profeffor Whyte's defcription of this dangerous difor der, and the judicious remarks of Meffrs. Fothergill and Watfor on the fame fubject, which are inferted in the ivth volume of the Medical Obfervations and Inquiries.

VI Mem. Concerning the Vapour Baths of Ruffia, confidered as Means of preferving Health, or curing feveral Disorders. By Dr. ANT. RIBEIRO SANCHES, Firft Phyfician to the Emprefs of Ruffia, &c.-This laborious academician declares, that he does not write with a view to inftruct phyficians, or to difplay medical and philofophical knowledge, but only to give useful information to perfons in the country, who are deprived of the medical fuccours that are cafily found in cities. His great object is to prove, that the Ruffian baths are more commodious and ufeful, both for preferving health and healing many diforders, than thofe of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the modern Turks; and, whatever may have been his intention, he fhews both extenfive erudition and medical knowledge, in treating his fubject. The fubject itself leads him into circumftantial accounts of the Grecian and Roman Gymnafia, the ancient baths, the German ftoves, the conftruction of the Ruffian baths, the method of ufing them, the diforders in which vapour baths are falutary, and the cafes in which they are pernicious, and many other difcuffions, that will prove entertaining to every curious reader, and inftructive even to many phyficians.

VII Mem. Concerning the Miliary Fever, which reigned in feveral Parts of Normandy. By M. VARNIER.

VIII Mem. Reflexions on a confiderable Aneurism of the Axillary Artery, followed by a Fracture of the Ribs. By M. DE

HORNE.

IX Mem. Refearches and Obfervations concerning an Effential Epilepfy, or the Morbus Sacer of Hippocrates. By. M. SAILLANT.-By an effential epilepfy, M. Saillant means, that with the germ or principle of which the patient is born. He obferves, that fince Hippocrates (to whom, on the testimony of Foefius, he attributes the work concerning the Morbus Sacer), phyficians have faid little or nothing of this fpecies of the diforder in queftion, but have confined their refearches to the accidental epilepfy. He therefore propofes to fupply this defect; and he feems, indeed, to have ftudied this terrible diforder in all its forms, branches, fymptoms, and caufes, with uncommon affiduity and attention.

There are THREE MEMOIRS relative to cattle, and the epidemical, or (as the French call them by a new term) epizootical difeifes that fometimes reign in the paftures. The memoir in which the Abbé TESSIER fhews the inconveniences that attend the defective conftruction of flables, points out the rules for constructing