If, in confequence of the criticifms impartiality has obliged us to make upon this novel, the author fhould feel difpofed to afk us, Who will write a better? we boldly anfwer her, Yourfelf; when no longer difpofed to facrifice excellence to quantity, and lengthen out a story for the fake of filling an additional volume.

The Morbid Anatomy of fome of the most important Parts of the Human Body. By Matthew Baillie, M. D. F. R. S. Fellaw of the Royal College of Phyficians, and Phyfician of St. George's Hofpital. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Johnfon. 1793. ACCURATE ftatements of the morbid appearances ob

ferved in diffections, have hitherto been a great defideratum in medical libraries; and every encouragement is therefore due to gentlemen who communicate the refult of their experience in this retpect. As to the plan of this publication, we fhall relate the intentions of the author in his own words:

In the prefent work we propose to give no cafes; but fimply an account of the morbid changes of ftructure which take place in the thoracic and abdominal vifcera, in the organs of generation in both fexes, and in the brain. This will be done according to a local arrangement, very much in the fame manner as if we were defcribing natural firucture, and will be accompanied with obfervations upon morbid actions which may occafionally arife. My fituation has given me more than the ordinary opportunities of examining morbid ftructurc. Dr. Hunter's collection contains a very large number of preparations exhibiting morbid appearances, which I can have recourfe to at any time for examination. Being phyfican to a large hofpital, and engaged in teaching anatomy, I have alfo very frequent opportunities of examining difeafes in dead bodes. What this work will contain will be principally an account of what I have feen myfelf; but I fhall alfo take advantage of what has been obferved by others. This work is intended to compre hend an account of the most common, as well as many of the very rare appearances of difcafe in the vital and more important parts of the human body. It is evident from the nature of this work, that it must be progreffive: fome appearances of difeafe will be observed in future, with which we are at prefent totally unacquainted, and others which we know very little of now, will afterwards be known perfectly,'

We shall extract fome paffages relating to fuch morbid appearances as may be confidered as unufual. Treating of the difeafes of the pericardium, he obferves,

I once had an opportunity of feeing two or three fcrofulous

7

tumours,

tumours, growing within the cavity of the pericardium, one of which was nearly as large as a walnut. They confifted of a white foft matter, fomewhat refembling curd, or new cheefe. The pericardium is a very unufual part of the body to be attacked by fcrofula, and therefore this must be a very rare appearance of disease. The tumours had probably been flow in their progrefs, as in fcrofula generally, and this difeafe could not have been gueffed at in the living body.

I have twice found (and it has been feen much oftener by an anatomift* of the best authority) the pericardium fo changed as to refemble a common ox's bladder, in fome degree dried, or like a common pericardium which had been for fome time expofed to the air.

Cafes have occurred, although very rarely, in which a large quantity of blood has been accumulated in the cavity of the pericardium, but where no rupture could be difcovered after the most diligent fearch, either in the heart itself, or in any of its veffels.'

It also happens, although I believe very rarely, that a heart is fo imperfectly formed as to allow of life being continued for fome length of time in a very uncomfortable state, but to be ultimately the caufe of death. There are two cafes of this fort described by the late Dr. Hunter, and there is one fpecimen of this malformation preferved in his collection. The malformation preferved in the collection, confifts in the right ventricle of the heart being extremely fmall, and the pulmonary artery being very fmall alfo which arifes from it. At its origin from the right ventricle it is completely impervious. The ductus arteriofus is open, but forms likewife a fmall canal, and terminates in the left branch of the pulmonary artery. The right auricle is larger than its natural fize, probably from the frequent accumulation of blood in it; and the communication between the two auricles, by means of the foramen ovale, is much larger than ufual. The child in whom this malformation was found, had its fkin of a very dark colour, had very laborious refpiration, and violent action of the heart. It lived only thirteen days.

In another cafe related by Dr. Hunter, the pulmonary artery was very fmall, efpecially at its origin, and there was a deficiency in the feptum cordis, at the bafis of the heart, large enough to allow a fmall thumb to pass through it. The perfon in whom this malformation of the heart was found, lived about thirteen years. He never had a fresh complexion, but it was always dark, or tending to black. He was often feized with fits, efpecially when there was any hurry upon his fpirits, or there had been any brifk mction of his body.

It is obvious that in thefe deviations from the natural structure,

Mr. Hunter.'

too

too fmall a quantity of blood muft pafs through the lungs to receive the benefit of refpiration, and this will be more or less according to the degree of the deviation. The blood will from this caufe be of a dark colour, as it is well known that it receives the florid hue from the influence of the air upon it in the lungs. Hence the colour of the skin muft be neceffarily fallow or dark, and this will be increased when the blood is more than ufual accumulated in the viens. It is natural to think that in fuch structures of the heart, the circulation will be carried on with much more difficulty when it is excited beyond its usual standard. This may even be increased to fuch a degree that the circulation must for a short time be fufpended altogether. It was from this caufe, probably, that fits occafionally were produced, as related in one of the cafes.'

• It fometimes happens, although I believe rarely, that a portion of the pleura is converted into bone. This confifts of a thin plate, and fometimes extends over a pretty broad surface of the pleura. In all the cafes which I have seen, the bony matter seemed to me to be exactly like ordinary bone. I have never feen it form a thick irregular knob, but always a thin plate.'

The lungs are fometimes, although I believe very rarely, formed into pretty large cells, fo as to refemble fomewhat the lungs of an amphibious animal. These cells, in the only inftance which I have feen of this disease, were most of them of the size of a common garden pea, and fome few were fo large as to be able to contain a fmall goofeberry. They were furrounded by a fine transparent capsule, and were so numerous as to occupy more than one half of the portion of the lung which I faw. The only fpecimen of this fort of difeafe which I am acquainted with, is in the poffeffion of Mr. Cruikshank; and the perfon in whom it was found, had been very long fubject to difficulty of breathing.'

Speaking of the diseases of the ftomach, he observes,

A part of the stomach is occafionally formed into a pouch by mechanical means, although very rarely. I have seen one instance of a pouch being fo formed, in which five halfpence had been lodged. The coats of the ftomach were thinner at that part, but were not inflamed or ulcerated. The halfpence had remained for fome confiderable time, forming a pouch by their preffure, but had not irritated the ftomach in fuch a manner as to produce inflammation or ulceration.'

Under the article ovaria, the author mentions their converfion into a fatty fubftance, mixed with teeth and hair; a cir cumftance which, however extraordinary, is fully afcertained to have happened in feveral instances. Dr. Baillie alfo men

tions a fimilar tumour, taken from a man's ftomach, and preferved in the collection of the celebrated Ruysch.

As to the plan of this work, we are forry to remark, that we think Dr. Baillie has done wrong in departing from the footsteps of Morgagni. Dr. Baillie gives a general history of the morbid changes taking place in the body; Morgagni relates particular inftances, and after having detailed the fymptoms which immediately preceded the death of a patient, prefents us with the appearances exhibited on diffection. By thus pointing out and afcertaining the connexion between certain fymptoms, and certain deviations from natural structure, he affords the most effectual affistance to the phyfician, and enables him to judge of the real ftate of the morbid body, previous to death. It is not our intention, however, to reprefent this work as void of merit and utility. The ftyle is perfpicuous and agreeable, the matter important,, and well arranged; and the whole work deferves the attentive perufal of every medical ftudent..

A Liberal Verfion of the P/alms into Modern Language, according to the Liturgy Tranflation; with copious Notes and Illuftrations, partly original, and partly felected from the best Commentators: calculated to render the Book of Pfalms intelligible to every Capacity. By William Robert Wake. 2 Vols. 12mo. 125. Boards. Robinfons. 1793.

EVERY well meant attempt to explain the language of

Scripture, is certainly intitled to candour; and though Mr. Wake, in the publication before us, fhould not have equalled the expectations of the few, he probably will give fatisfaction to the many. The latter being indeed his principal defign, he may, in general, be deemed to have accomplished his purpose.

To the title, however, of a liberal verfion, we confess, we have fome objection; not only as it feems to imply a licence to depart from the original, but also as every fuch departure muft proceed either from omitting, or adding to the sense of the author; or from a fubftitution of fomething in its ftead. If, therefore, in the prefent inftance, Mr. Wake had styled his work a Paraphraftic Explanation of the Pfalms, in modern Language, according to the Liturgical Verfion; we think he would have more pertinently described his work: efpecially, as we do not find that he, at all, hath confulted the Hebrew. The XXIXth Pfalm is annexed, with its argument and notes, as a competent fpecimen of what is performed. PSALM XXIX.

This Pfalm feems to have been compofed by David after an extraordinary

pro

ordinary ftorm of thunder, lightning, and rain; whence it is bable God had fo difcomfited his enemies, (2 Samuel viii.) and put their forces into fuch diforder, that he eafily obtained the victory over them. Therefore he here exhorts them to fubmit themfelves to that glorious majefty, from whom the tempeft proceeded. As there are many Pfalms which point to a great victory, obtained with this circumftance of remarkable thunder, it is more reafonable to believe that they were all made upon the fame occafion, than that each had a feparate one.

Offer unto the Lord, O ye mighty, offer the most precious of your flock unto the Lord!. own that to the Lord belongs adoration and power!

2. Render to the Lord the homage due to his divine dignity; adore the Lord with his own facred worship!

3. It is the Lord that commands the waters: it is the glorious God that creates the thunder.

4. It is the Lord that governs the fea; the voice of the Lord is mighty in its operation: the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

5. The voice of the Lord rends the cedar trees: the Lord rends even the cedars of Lebanon.

6. He difperfes them like a herd of calves: Lebanon also and Sirion, with the swiftness of a young unicorn.

7. The voice of the Lord flashes forth the lightning; the voice of the Lord fhakes the wildernefs: the Lord fhakes even the wildernefs of Cades.

8. The voice of the Lord forces the timorous doe into labour,

and

4. The voice of the Lord fignifies thunder: which in those days was efteemed to atteft the divine prefence, as to Joshua in the first conqueft of Canaan, to Samuel gainst the Philiftines, 1 Sam. xii. 15, and to David against the fame enemies: it was alfo the ordinary mode of communicating the divine decrees, which therefore were ftyled the daughters of thunder; and lastly, it was the awful ceremony which accompanied the delivery of the law from mount Sinai. These opinions and doctrines of the Jews, induced fome of the pagan nations to imagine that they adored the clouds and a deity which refided in them.

5. This may be an allegorical defcription of the conqueft over the Syrians, who lived near Libanus, or Lebanon: Pfalm xcii 2. civ. 16. and 2 Samuel viii.

6. Sirion was a high mountain on the other fide of the river Jordan, near the country of the Ammonites, known aifo by the names of Hermon and Shenir: Deuteronomy iii. 9. If by Lebanon we are to understand allegorically the Syrians, by Sirion may be meant the Ammonites; and in this view, it is not improbable that the calf and the unicorn were either borne in the standards of thefe peopie, or were the hieroglyphicks ufed to denote them.

7. Cades was part of that wilderness through which the Ifraelites paffed, in their way to Canaan: Numbers xiii. 26. Thunder fhook thofe wide, extensive deferts, as well as Lebanon and Sirion, mountains of Judea.

8. Ariftotle, Plutarch, and Piny, mention abortion to be fometimes caused among cattle by thunder. Whatever terrifies to any degree, may occafion.

pre