1 1 1 They have numerous flocks of theep, by which they are supplied with plenty of wool. They have a good breed of horfes, but not very large; and prodigious herds of swine. Towards the fouth, bordering on the electorate of Brandenburg, the foil is sandy; and in other places there are heaths, with some moors and fens. The country produces no vines, and scarcely affords any mines or minerals: (though] in the neighbourhood of Newstadt they have some iron ore, and an allum mine not far from Eldena.' As to its state of cultivation, Dr. N. fays, he has heard fome of the most sensible gentlemen in this country complain, that agriculture is not studied here as a science, nor brought to any certain rules and maxims. Most of the farmers [like too many elsewhere] blindly follow the examples of others, and abide by old customs, which are often pernicious; or, at best, it is not till after repeated damages and loffes, that any of them are brought to learn a true method of farming, to know what is to be done, and what avoided.'-In this letter we meet with many very judicious economical observations relating to agriculture, manufactures, &c. for which we must refer to the book. The next letter treats of the geography, inhabitants, religion, customs, produce, constitution, and government of Mecklenburg.- The inhabitants are chiefly of Saxon extraction: and their language a dialect of Lower Saxony, partaking both of Dutch and High German. -The people are divided into peafants, burghers, clergy, and nobility. The peasants are in a state of villanage, or adfcripti gleba. The burghers are pofsessed of certain privileges, whereby they are united with the nobility, and depend immediately on the fovereign. The clergy have also their particular immunities, and are governed by fix fuperintendants, or [as they may be called] bishops. The nobility are poffefsfed of great privileges, which, after many long contests with the dukes, have been at length definitively settled, so lately as in the year 1755. The inhabitants are mostly all Protestants of the confeffion of Augsburg, which was early received throughout this duchy. • They are very zealous in their religion, and remarkably watchful against any innovation in the established worship.' The customs and manners of the Mecklenburghers are much the fame as those of the other natives of Germany. They are patient, docile, fincere, and hofpitable; but, like most northern nations, too much addicted to jollity and good cheer. Their virtues, however, far over-balance their failings. The peafants are laborious, and make very good foldiers. Among the burghers some few acquire confiderable fortunes by trade, and others are confpicuous in the polite arts. The nobility have produced great numbers of brave officers and able Statef men, 1 men, several of whom have diftinguished themselves in foreign fervice.' This country being seated on the Baltic, and remarkable for its fertility, one might naturally imagine its trade and manufactures to be in a flourishing condition, but the inhabitants, by a kind of fatality, have been very neglectful in making a proper use of the materials of trade, and in applying themselves to arts and manufactures.' -Their wool, flax, hemp, hides, &c. [were, at least, till very lately) mostly sent abroad unmanufactured; and even the greater part of their corn, the staple of the land, is also exported, which enhances the price to the inhabitants:'-as, indeed, an unlimited exportation of that absolutely necessary staff of life always must do. The duchy of Mecklenburg is a limited government, of which the duke is the head, and the provincial states the members. The nobility form the first state; and the commons or burghers, represented by the deputies of the towns, are the fecond. And the duke's power is so far abridged, that in the enacting of laws he is obliged to confult with the states. After leaving, with regret, the court of Strelitz, Dr. Nugent visited that of Schwerin, where (he says) he was received with all that affability and condescension with which their ferene highnesses the duke and duchess, so well know how to temper their princely dignity. -His account of this court, and description of the duke's elegant retirement at Ludewig's-Luft, [or Lewis's delight] are very entertaining and picturesque: but our Jimits will only permit us to add, that the gardens of this place infinitely furpassed our Author's expectation; and are properly (he says) what the inhabitants of the eastern country called by the name of Paradise, viz. a large space of ground, adorned with all forts of trees, both of fruits and of foreft; partly cultivated like our gardens, for shades and walks, with streams and fountains, and a variety of plants usual in the climate; and partly inclosed, like our parks, for harbouring game, as well as for the pleasure of riding and walking. The duke himself planned the whole, taking nature for his pattern, and striving to imitate her in her amiable fimplicity, and all her beautiful irregularities: [which, doubtless] fill the mind with a more refined sense of delight, than the most curious contrivances of art.' Those, however, who make pleasure their chief study, would, probably, reckon even this a most uncouth place; for here are no balls, no assemblies, no cards, or gaming of any fort; the duke [it feems] being quite averse to all such amusements:'and, though he is sensible that the stage, under proper regu lations, might be rendered instructive, and perhaps conducive to good morals, yet experience [he alledges] has always fhewn its its consequences to be quite the reverse.' It may, however, be not impertinent to ask, in what manner the experiment has been made? The foregoing extracts may, probably, be deemed sufficient to evince this Writer's diligence in making remarks upon the feveral places and persons visited in the course of his tour; but how he happened to mis-call his work,- Travels through Germany,'-we cannot imagine, as he really penetrated no farther into that extensive country, than the duchy of Mecklenburg; from whence, too, he returned, as well as went thither, by way of Hamburg. MONTHLY P. CATALOGUE, For JUNE, 1768. MEDICAL. Art. 9. The Gout. Extraordinary Cafes in the Head, Stomach, and Extremities; with Physical and Chirurgical Remarks and Obfervations on the various Stages of the Disorder-the Rheumatism-the Disease commonly called the Scurvy-the Nature and Formation of external and internal Chalk-Stones and Confiderations proving the Gout the immediate Parent of Jaundice, Dropsy, and Stone. With an accurate Account of, and Difference between, Obstructions in the Kidneys or Ureters, and the Paroxyfm in the Back and Loins, occafioning the Loss of muscular Action in the lower Limbs. To which is prefixed an Essay, pointing out the progressive Symptoms and Effects, and the Reasons why the Gout was not heretofore regularly treated and cured. By Richard Ingram, Manmidwife, late Surgeon to the First or Royal Regiment of Dragoons, and now on the Staff. 8vo. 3s. 6d. Vaillant. 1767. W E learn from this publication, that Mr. Richard Ingram was the author of the following news-paper advertisement: viz. A gentleman of very extensive practice, has discovered a regular method of treating and curing the gout in all its stages, which has not once failed of fuccess in upwards of four hundred cases. Any persons by fending an account of their age, habit of body, how long they have been aff cled, at what times and in what manner the fit usually attacks them, may have a certain remedy gratis, and if the cafe requires it, will be perfonally attended. As the doctor is induced to this publication by the love he bears to mankind, he does not chuse to advertise his name; for it is a known fact, that when any one of the faculty adopts a new theory or method of practice, envy or ignorance always terms it quackery. • Letters directed to Z. K. to be left at the bar of Grays-Inn coffeehouse, Fullwood's-rents, Holbourn, will be attentively confidered, and the next day answered.' Mr. Ingram further informs us; that it was the prophetic opinion of the ablest writer, and most eminent physician, England ever boafted: * Dr. Sydenham. who : who himself fell a martyr to this terrible disease, that the caufe would be suddenly ascertained and the cure performed by the most simple method. We live to see a completion of his opinion: nor shall i hefitate a moment (if properly called on) to make known the cause, and to defend my treatment of this painful disorder before the royal college of phyficians.' In another place, Mr. Ingram says, I no longer hesitate to declare I have a preparation that immediately strikes at the cause of the gout; but even this must be varied in quantity and form, according to the age, conftitution, and habit of body: nor will this always alone do, unless the concomitant complaints are carefully attended to.' He that hath faith and the gout, let him apply to Mr. Ingram. D. Art. 10. A Treatise upon the Formation of the human Species, the Diforders incident to Procreation, &c. with the most approved and efficacious Methods of Cure. By James Fleming, Hospital Surgeon and Man-midwife. 12mo. Is. 6d. D. Davis. Mr. James Fleming, hospital-furgeon and man-midwife, or whoever the respectable personage is who has chofen to take upon him that name and those titles, must excuse our passing over in filence the four first sections of his work, in which he treats of the formation of the human species, and other incidental matters, in such a manner as shews, to ufe his own words, that he does not attempt to write for the melioration of manners.' We cannot however refift the temptation of gratifying our medical readers with a few short specimens of his approved and efficacious methods of cure, announced in the title page, especially as we shall at the fame time have a fair opportunity of introducing to their acquaintance a fet of diseases and medicines which are probably new to them. In the fifth section, treating of the fluor albus, if this disorder, says he, be occafioned by a distillation of the brain, let the patient take syrup of betony, &c. and purge with pillococh-half a drachm of aurice Alexandrinæ going to bed will also be useful-when the disorder arises from the liver, and there is at the same time a repreffion of the stomach, emetics, he tells us, are eligible, and they may be composed of 3 drachms of the elect. of diaaru. Some physicians, he adds, also prescribe the dieurical method [they mit be very learned physicians indeed who are acquainted with this fame method) with phosolinum, opium, &c. the proper pills for purgation, he fays, are pillulæ eumariæ and pillulæ indæ ; and speaks too of pillulæ indatæ, one of which is to be taken hebdomedally. He recommends like vife in this disorder diamoci dulcis, fædita agragrative, diagalinga, tyoch de careble, epithimum & erithimum, spiciecum & melhantum But, learned Sir, where are all these choice drugs and precious compounds to be got? We never heard of their names before. But our author's chirurgical, or external treatment of the womb, is as extraordinary as his internal administrations. He gives us a for mula for certain trochisks, which being prepared, says he, 'cast them. on the coals, and smother the womb therewith'-Moft inhuman and unnatural advice this molt furely, Mr. Fleming!-and yet we find our unfeeling hospital surgeon again repeating it at page 130. He treats that viscus with more lenity afterwards, when, speaking of the procidentia uteri, he says, ' if th re be an inflammation, it (the uterus) mult In not be thruft up, but frightened in, by placing a red hot iron before it, cators. But it is high time to be serious. In justice to the public, we cannot avoid ftigmatizing this work for the impurities contained in one part of it, as well as for the confummate ignorance in language and every branch of medicine, betrayed in the other part. From certain internal marks, and particularly from a very observable inequality in the composition, we are led to suppose, not that a fingle foi-disant James Fleming wrote, borrowed, pilfered, did into English, if it may be so called, and patched the whole together; but rather that it is the work of two or three hands, whose names their employer has chofen to concentrate into that of J. F. and to melt their heterogeneous, and perhaps not very reputable employments, into the appropriate titles of Hofpital Surgeon and Man-midwite. We have it not in our power to do adequate justice to this exertion of the talents of the worthies concerned in this production. All we can do is to characterize it as a most shameful impofition on the public. Art. 11. On the B-y. Disadvantages which attend the Inoculation of Children in early Infancy. By Thomas Percival, &c. 8vo. 6d. Johnfon and Co. Dr. Percival, in the little essay before us, fets in a ftrong light the arguments against the practice of inoculation during early infancy. There is one argument however in favour of early inoculation, which we with the Doctor had taken more fully into confideration; it is this : -the danger there is of receiving the accidental infection, by waiting for the most eligible age. Dr. Maty, who has published an essay on the advantages of very early inoculation *, is sensible that much good has been done by inoculation, and at the fame time feels the weight of the following objection; that the practice of inoculation, though béneficial to individuals, is detrimental to the community, by the propagation and increase of the natural fmall-pox.'-The most compleat answer to this objection, the • Med. Obferv. and Inquiries, vol. 3d. art. 23. p. 287. Doctor |