Blane's observations were found to accord very accurately with those of the French General Monnet, who had resided for some years at Flushing, and seems to have been a man of good sense and information; and we must also remark that the facts, connected with the Walcheren fever, strongly sanction the opinions maintained by Dr. Bancroft jun. in his elaborate work on Yellow Fever. The weekly and monthly returns, inserted by Sir Gilbert, are curious documents relative to the numbers of sick and of deaths among the British troops employed in this illfated expedition. Mr. Chevalier details a case of Ovarian Dropsy, which was remarkable for immense bulk; the abdomen of the patient having measured 63 inches in circumference, and contained at least 17 gallons of fluid. The only evil experienced from it was the great inconvenience arising from the excessive weight which she had to carry, and its removal was attempted by gra-. dually drawing off the water. Inflammation of the sac was, however, brought on, and death followed. The next paper contains the history of a difficult Parturition, by Dr. Merriman, which may be considered as a sequel to those of Mr. Park in the last volume. A woman fell in labour with twins, the birth of which was obstructed by a tumour similar to those that were formerly described; one of them was delivered by having the head opened, and the other by the efforts of nature: but the mother died shortly afterward, of peritonitis. Dr.. Merriman admits that all tumours which contain a fluid should be evacuated according to Mr. Park's plan; and he proceeds to inquire what steps should be taken when the tumour contains a solid substance, which is sometimes known to be the case: he then advises the removal of it by excision. Mr. Parkinson gives a short notice of a Case of diseased Appendix Vermiformis; in which the part was found to be ulcerated, had discharged its contents in the cavity of the abdomen, and occasioned an inflammation of the neighbouring viscera. Mr. Henry Earle relates the case of diseased Testicle in a child, in whom several parts of the body were attacked with a complaint of the fungus kind, which terminated fatally. The paper is accompanied by an appendix by Mr. Lawrence, who relates four cases in which fungous tumours appeared in different parts of the same subject, and, like the preceding, ended in death. A second paper by Mr. Chevalier describes an improved Method of tying diseased Tonsils. His improvement consists in the mode of passing the ligature, and of securing it when placed. A spear-pointed hook, connected with a double ligature, is passed through the base of the tumour, which is then divided, and and one thread is tied about the upper, and the other about the under, part of the tonsil. For the mechanical method of securing the ligature, we must refer to the memoir. Dr. Farre presents us with an interesting paper on Cynanche Laryngea, a variety of sore throat which has always been confounded with croup, but which appears to be sufficiently distinct from that disease. It commences by painful deglutition, and with the usual appearances of cynanche tonsillaris; the respiration, however, suddenly becomes extremely oppressed, and the voice nearly inaudible. Two cases are related, in the second of which Mr. Cooper performed the operation of bronchotomy: but, although it gave temporary relief to the patient's sufferings, the disease ended fatally. On dissection, it appeared in both cases that the complaint was scated in the pharynx and larynx, and had proved mortal by closing up the glottis. The cesophagus and trachea were comparatively little affected. Although, therefore, the disease may literally be called cynanche pharyngea, yet obvious reasons may be assigned for preferring the term employed by Dr. Farre. In the latter part of the volume, the author offers some farther remarks on the subject in a second paper, in which he enters more at large on the distinction between cynanche laryngea and cynanche trachealis; the former consisting of an inflammation of the whole length of the trachea, and the latter being seated principally in the larynx. Dr. Yelloly next furnishes a long History of a Case of Anæsthesia, many of the particulars of which are very curious. The disease consists of a loss of sensation in the upper and lower extremities, independently of paralysis; and we are informed that the hands up to the wrists, and the feet, half way up the leg, are perfectly insensible to any species of injury, as cutting, pinching, scratching, or burning.' This loss of sensation does not appear to have diminished the voluntary power over the affected limbs, nor was their contractility in any degree impaired. Another paper from Mr. Chevalier gives an Account of a Case of Spontaneous Extravasation within the Theca Vertebralis, which soon terminated fatally. In Observations on Diabetes Insipidus, by Dr. Bostock, of Liverpool, the author details what appears to be an unequivocal case of this rare disease, and gives a minute account of the analysis of the urine. He subjoins some pathological observations respecting the connection between diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus, and relates some facts to prove the gradual transition from the one species to the other. Dr. Merriman's remarks on the propriety of inducing premature Labour, in Women with distorted Pelvis, are very judicious and valuable. It is much to be regretted that a practice, which seems so clearly necessary for the preservation of life, should have been regarded as immoral, and have been assailed with all the force of prejudice. Like many other points in medicine, it is a choice between two evils; and when its advantages and disadvantages have been fairly estimated, it may become not merely allowable, but an imperious duty, to perform the operation. Dr. Bostock communicates a second paper, containing some Experiments on the Bark of the Coccoloba Uvifera, the object of which was to compare an extract procured from this bark with the kind usually employed. He finds that, although the substances are considerably similar, they differ in so many particulars as to prove that they are not obtained from the same plant. Dr. Bree has met with another case of what he considers to be Splenitis; which, like the one related in the former volume, he subdued principally by a long and persevering course of purgatives. The next paper is by Mr.Charles Bell, and contains an accurate Account of the Muscles of the Ureters, and their Effects in the irritable States of the Bladder; and we have afterward the History of a Case in which a Calculus was voided from a Tumour in the Groin, by Mr. Chevalier. A very interesting communication next ensues, from Dr. Berzelius of Sweden, on Animal Fluids. The essay contains nearly 80 pages, embracing a very wide field of observation and experiment, and may be considered as a summary of all the author's multiplied researches on these subjects. He begins with an analysis of blood, each of the constituents of which are separately examined, and an account is given of the effect of different re-agents on them; he then proceeds to the different secretions, bile, saliva, mucus, serous fluids, and the humours of the eye; then some of the excretions, as the perspiration and the urine; and he concludes by an examination of the properties and constituents of milk. We should be unable to detail even a part of the numerous facts and opinions which are brought forwards in this paper. A long discussion occurs respecting the nature of the colouring matter of the blood, the quantity of iron which it contains, and the state in which it exists there; and the presence of the lactic acid is announced, as forming a frequent constituent of the serous fluids. author coincides with Dr. Bostock in supposing that no gelatine is contained in the blood; and, in general, it may be observed that his experiments agree very nearly with those of Drs. Marcet and Bostock, which have been related in the former volumes of these Transactions. The Another Another case is reported, by Mr. Langstaff, of Fungus Hamatodes, or of one of those fungous affections which attacked various parts of the body, both internal and external, and at length produced death. Also, an interesting History of a severe Affection of the Organs of Respiration, with the Appearances on Dissection, and Remarks, by Dr. Wilson Philip, of Worcester; and a curious Account of a new Mode of Treatment in chronic Rheumatism, and especially in Sciatica, communicated by Dr. Marcet. The latter case is drawn up by the patient himself; who, after having suffered from his disorder during several years, and having found no permanent relief from any application, at length removed it by sweating in body-cloaths,' on the Newmarket plan. Some Remarks on the Use of Nitrat of Silver, for the Detection of minute Portions of Arsenic, by Dr. Marcet. An objection to the accuracy of this test (which was proposed in a paper by Dr. Roget in the second volume of these Transactions) having been suggested, Dr. Marcet recommends a modification of the process, by which any doubts respecting it may be removed. The volume concludes with a minutely related account of a Case of remitting Ophthalmia, which occurred to the author, Dr. Curry, and which was effectually relieved by a full dose of opium given previously, to the exacerbation; - opium taken after the fit had commenced was of no service. The brief account which we have given of the contents of this volume will enable our readers to form some judgment respecting its merit, and must, we think, have proved to them that its value is at least equal to that of its predecessors. We have, however, one charge to bring against the Society, viz. the extremely inaccurate manner in which the work is printed; some of the errors being of such a nature as materially to affect the sense of the passage, and to leave it doubtful what was the word intended by the writer. ART. IX. A Grammar of the English Language: containing a complete Summary of its Rules, with an Elucidation of the general Principles of elegant and correct Diction, accompanied with Critical and explanatory Notes, Questions for Examination, and appropriate Exercises. By John Grant, A.M. 12mo. 6s. bound. Sherwood and Co. 1813. GRAMMARS of the English language abound, and yet we have few that are good. That which Wallis of Oxford composed, and which Bowyer reprinted in 1765, is one of the best but, being written in Latin, it is less adapted for the use of schools than for that of grown gentlemen. Wallis had taken the the right course to understand English: he learned the AngloSaxon and the Low-Dutch, the first of which is a parental and the second a fraternal language to our own. By the analogy of other similar Gothic dialects, he could trace the structure of this, and knew the difference between an exception and a regular inflection but many grammarians do not, and class as anomalous such plurals as feet, teeth, geese, lice, mice, which are remains of a Gothic rule. -- About the year 1750, Farro, about the year 1760, Fleming, and about the year 1770, Greenwood,-was the popular grammarian: but in 1775 the Grammar of Bishop Lowth, like Aaron's rod, had swallowed up all its competitors. Three grammars have since excited considerable attention; that of Coote, published about 1790, which professes to adopt the discoveries of Horne Tooke; that of Lindley Murray, published about 1795, which imitates the method of Wallis; and that of Dr. Alexander Crombie, published about 1800, which displays. metaphysical more than glossological learning. Murray's Grammar has been deservedly the most successful as a popular manual; and it is with this especially that the present author must expect a dangerous comparison. Both these writers treat first of orthography: but Mr. Murray's analysis of the letters, and theory of the division of syllables, appear to us preferable to those of Mr. Grant. Both omit to treat of those words which are differently spelled by different authors; yet a most important province, of the grammarian is to favour the prevalence of the better usage, where any opposition of authority exists. For instance: words derived from Latin supines are sometimes spelled by scholars with an but more generally with a c: such as offense, expense, defense; offence, expence, defence. Why do not the professed lawyers of language tell us the rule of court? The fact is that they correct their very grammars by the printer's dictionary, which they should qualify themselves to edit, and which they should criticize courageously. ول Messrs. Murray and Grant both devote their second part, or chapter, to etymology; or the formation of words one from another. Mr. Murray reckons nine, while Mr. Grant makes ten, parts of speech; the participle being honoured by him with a separate and independent existence. Neither of these gentlemen appears to us to have determined from observation the number of the parts of speech, but each seems quietly to have copied some old list in some old Latin grammar. The parts of speech are not metaphysical categories, growing out of universal Grammar, or the theory of language in general; they are mere technical subdivisions, growing out of the structure of a parti |