Art. 1.

ART. XI.

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

POSITI

OSITIONES PHYSICA, quas, annuo labore, in fcholis, &c. Propofitions in Phyfics, or a Syllabus of a Courfe of Lectures in Natural Philofophy, delivered by J. H. VAN SWINDEN, Profeffor of Philofophy, Mathematics, and Aftronomy, in the Academical School, Amfterdam; Member of feveral Literary and Philofophical Societies. Vol. I. 8vo. Hardewyk. 1786.

The ingenious Profeffor was induced to publish this laborious work, which he had drawn up for his own ufe, from having experienced the inconveniences arifing from the want of a text book in natural philofophy, in which each branch of this extenfive fcience is explained with fufficient minutenefs, and the late difcoveries inferted in their proper order with refpect to the whole, fo as to constitute a regular and complete fyftem of phyfics. In moft of the works now publifhed as elements of natural philofophy, the eafier and more entertaining parts are copiously dif cuffed, but the more difficult, yet equally important, are fcarcely attended to; and mathematical inveftigation, though effentially requifite in philofophical inquiries, is by many entirely neglected, or defignedly omitted.

Books of this kind, though not without their utility to perfons who have not time or opportunity to cultivate mathematical ftudies, are by no means fufficient to form the philofopher. Experiment is indeed the standard by which every philofophical theory must be tried; but in many branches of phyfics, experiments will afford little inftruction to the fpectator, unless he be able to comprehend mathematical reafoning, and thus to difcern the reality of thofe principles, which experiments ferve only to confirm and elucidate.

Of the prefent work, only the first volume is yet published; but from the Author's plan, and this fpecimen of its execution, we are perfuaded that it will contain the heads of a very complete courfe of phyfics. It is preceded by two introductions; the one mathematical, containing a felection of theorems with which the ftudent ought to be well acquainted; and the other philofophical, relating to the ftudy of phyfics in general, the objects and extent of this fcience, and the method and rules of philofophizing.

The fyftem is divided into twelve books, of which, the firft treats of the general properties of matter; the fecond, of the Jaws of motion; the third, of ftatics and mechanics; the fourth, of hydroftatics; the fifth, of mathematical dynamics, or the laws according to which folid bodies act upon each other by percuffion and collifion; the fixth, of hydronamics, or hydraulics.

Thefe

These fix books contain the elements of general phyfics, which relate to the properties of matter, and are founded chiefly on mathematical principles. From thefe our Author proceeds to particulars, and in the feventh book treats of air, and aeriform fluids; in the eighth, of fire and electricity; in the ninth, of light; in the tenth, of phyfical dynamics. Under this last head, he confiders the various kinds of attraction, the cohefion and elafticity of different bodies, and the powers of the magnet, &c. In the eleventh book he inquires into the elements of bodies, and in the twelfth, concludes his courfe with meteorology, which, he obferves, is the most difficult branch of phyfics, and cannot be explained, or even comprehended by the ftudent, till he is well verfed in the fubjects of the preceding books.

The Profeffor has diftributed his propofitions into three claffes, diftinguished by the fize of the letter in which they are printed. The first clafs comprehends thofe principles, which are neceffary to all who would acquire a clear and well-founded knowledge of natural philofophy; thefe conftitute the text of his public lectures. The fecond contains propofitions of a more difficult kind, calculated only for those who wish to cultivate a more particular acquaintance with phyfics. The third clafs confifts of fuch as are propofed for the further inveftigation of perfons who have made a confiderable progrefs in thefe ftudies. This and the fecond clafs are defigned only for private lectures.

After each propofition, the Profeffor refers to those authors by whom it is demonftrated and explained; and thefe references are the more valuable, as they extend to the best papers concerning phyfics that have been published in periodical works, and in the Tranfactions of moft of the focieties and academies of Europe; fo that this work may ferve as a general philofophical index, or common-place book: from the propofitions themselves, the reader may learn the principles which have been established, and, by the references annexed, he is directed to thofe writers by whom they have been proved and illuftrated.

Such is the plan and defign of this laborious work; which, though not calculated for the many, may be highly ufeful to academical ftudents, and to those whofe office it is to inftruct youth in this noble science.

Art. 2. Erfarungben von innem, &c. i. e. Obfervations on the interior and exterior Structure of Mountains. By Fr. M. H. DE TREBRA. Folio. 244 pages, and 8 coloured Plates. Deffau and Leipzig. 1785.-This work is fplendid and inftructive. It contains a great variety of excellent obfervations, relative to a branch of natural hiftory, which is yet, perhaps, but in the dawn of its progress toward perfection.

Art. 3. Anfangs-Gründe der, &c. i. e. Elements of Chemistry, confidered in its Relation and Application to the ufeful Arts. By

M. G.

M. G. AD. SUCKOW. 8vo. 545 pages. Leipzig. 1785.This work is defigned to enable artifts and tradesmen to conduc their operations upon fcientific and folid principles, and to preferve them from the errors that fo frequently arife from unenlightened practice. All attempts to render the fciences applicable to the ufes and wants of life are truly commendable, and a work of this nature, fo well executed as the prefent, ought to be tranflated into all languages.

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For FEBRUARY, 1787.

MATHEMATICS.

Art. 12. The compendious Measurer; being a brief, yet comprehenfive Treatife on Menfuration and practical Geometry. With an Introduction to Decimal and Duodecimal Arithmetic; adapted to the Ufe of Schools and Practice. By Charles Hutton, LL. D. F. R. S. &c. 8vo. 3s. bound. Robinfons. 1786.

OST of our mathematical readers are, we prefume, acquainted

M with the treatife on menfuration formerly publifhed by Dr.

Hutton. The prefent performance is unlike that comprehenfive work, both in manner and matter. We have here a compendium of practical menfuration, accommodated to the use of the artist, or the ftudent, who wishes to acquire a knowledge of the practice, without the theory, of menfuration: our Author has in a small compafs brought together the most useful rules and precepts; arranged them in a convenient order, and delivered them in plain and familiar language; on these accounts they are well fuited for the purpose intended, and the better to illuftrate the rules, examples, with the work at full length, are fubjoined to each, exclufive of others that are left with the anfwers only, in order to exercife the learner, and render numerical calculations familiar to him.

To the work itself are prefixed two introductory treatifes, one explaining the operations in decimal and duodecimal arithmetic, the other containing a number of geometrical definitions and conftructions, especially fuch as are more immediately neceffary for the practical measurer. These are neat and concife; and the fame may be faid of the arithmetical rules; yet the answers to fome of the arithmetical queftions, owing, probably, to typographical errors, are faulty, of which an inftance occurs in page 39, where the fourth root of 2 is faid to be 1.259921, which ought to be 1.189207; the number 1.259921 is the third root of 2; this mistake is evidently owing to inadvertency, for 1.189207 occurs as the fourth root of 2 at p. 48.

The definitions of the conic fections are inferted at the beginning of the chapter which is allotted to the confideration of thefe figures and the folids generated by them. Thefe, like the geometrical definitions in the introduction, are in general neat and concife; we think nevertheless that the words equal to the lower one' in the definition of an hyperbola, might have been omitted. The folids gene

rated

rated by the conic fections require each a feparate rule for finding their contents; fuch multiplicity of rules is a vaft burden to the learner's memory: in order, however, to remedy this inconvenience, Dr. H. has given a few rules that are applicable to every conic fection; for instance, the 2d rule for finding the folidity of an elliptical spindle, will ferve for any folid generated by the revolution of any conic fection; the fame may be faid of the rule for finding the folidity of a fruftum, or fegment of an elliptical fpindle,-circumftances which render the menfuration of thefe bodies extremely fimple, and which, independent of other excellencies to be met with in this compendium, are a fufficient recommendation of it to the practical measurer.

Art. 13. An Introduction and Notes on Mr. Bird's Method of dividing aftronomical Inftruments. To which is added, a Vocabulary of English and French technical Terms. By W. Ludlam, late Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. 4to. 2s. Sewel. 1786. When Mr. Bird wrote his treatife on dividing aftronomical inftruments, he only laid down fuch practical rules as might be useful to workmen; for he was, by the order of the Commiffioners of longitude, profeffedly writing, not to mathematicians, but to inftrument makers. Mr. Ludlam, whofe mathematical knowledge intitles him to a diftinguished place among the profeffors of that fcience, was, with others, employed by the commiffioners to infpect Mr. Bird's method of dividing. Mr. L. at that time, took notes of every particular that feemed wanting to render Mr. Bird's treatife complete, and to explain the principles on which the method is founded. These rotes are the fubftance of the prefent performance.

The reason why they make their public appearance fo long after they were firft written, is, to preferve a clear knowledge of the old way, in which the best inftruments in every obfervatory in Europe were divided, until the new method, lately published by the Royal Society, which is different both in principle and practice from any other hitherto propofed, fhall be generally ufed, and its fuperior excellence proved by experience.

The Public is in fome measure indebted for this useful work to Alex. Aubert, Efq. at whofe defire, and at whofe expence (as the ingenious Author informs us in the Preface), it is publifhed.

The Vocabulary will be found of fingular ufe to English readers of French books on the fubject of practical mechanics, fince the technical words and phrafes occurring in them are not in the common dictionaries of the language.

Art. 14. The Univerfal Calculator; or the Merchant's, Tradefman's, and Family's Afiftant. Being an entire new and complete Set of Tables, adapted for Dealers in every Branch of Trade by Wholefale or Retail. Svo. 4s. bound. Dilly. 1786. Works of this kind can only be ufeful when they are accurately computed; we difcover no errors in this, which we have examined in feveral places; and we therefore conclude, that it may be accurate throughout the whole. The tables fhew the amount or value of any

See an ample account of this work in Review, vol. xxxviii. p. 260, and vol. xl. p. 95.

number

number or quantity of goods, from 1 to 10,000, at all prices, from a farthing to 30 fhillings each. There are alfo tables which fhew the price of the parts of the whole, with others of feveral kinds relative to brokerage, commiffion, exchange, falaries, &c. &c.

ANTIQUITIES.

Art. 15. Hiftorical, Monumental, and Genealogical Collections, relative to the County of Gloucefter. Printed from the original Papers of the late Ralph Bigland, Efq. Garter Principal King of Arms. No. I. Folio. zs. 6d. Wilkie. 1786.

Mr. Bigland, about 30 years before his death, made a collection of monumental infcriptions, with a view to obtain certain information relative to the pedigree of families. This work, which was left. unfinished by the father, is now completed and published by Mr. Richard Bigland, his fon. To the curious in monumental infcriptions, and church-yard records, this performance will afford entertainment, and may be accepted as a fupplement to Mr. Rudder's General History of Gloucestershire,' which we noticed in our Review, vol. lxiii. p. 10.

MEDICA L.

Art. 16. A Treatise on the Influence of the Moon in Fevers. By Francis Balfour, M. D. 8vo. Is. 6d. Printed at Calcutta. Edinburgh reprinted, and fold by Robinfons, London, 1786. Experience and obfervation form the bafis of medical practice, and unfupported by thefe, the moft fpecious theory avails but little. The prefent performance is purely the refult of obfervations made in the courfe of fourteen years extenfive practice, confirming the following propofitions relative to fevers:

I. That, in Bengal, fevers of every denomination are, in a remarkable manner, connected with, and affected by the revolutions of the moon.

II. That, in Bengal, a conftant and particular attention to the revolutions of the moon is of the greatest importance in the cure and prevention of fevers.

III. That the influence of the moon in fevers prevails in a fimilar manner, in every inhabited part of the globe, and, confequently, that a fimilar attention to it, is a matter of general importance in the practice of medicine.

IV. That the whole dorine of the crifis of fevers may be readily explained from the premifes eftablished refpecting the influence of the moon in thefe diforders, at the full and change.'

It is impoffible, by any abftract, to lay before our readers the feveral facts on which the Author establishes these principles: his long practice in a country, where bilious fevers are very frequent, furnished him with feveral cafes, which were uniformly affected by the moon's revolutions; the intermittent bilious fever, for example, whether it appeared under the form of a quotidian or tertian, or what is more rare, under that of a quartan, was invariably obferved to make its firft attack on one of the three days which immediately precede or follow the full or new moon. Dr. Balfour has

obferved alfo, that the full and new moon are no lefs remarkable for inducing the first attack than for eccafioning a relapfe; and he afferts, that, in fome cafes, he is able to prognofticate the return of