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kinds, effays of fmaller fize and note, are fcattered over the country with an unsparing hand.

But we may well fuppofe, that a book, which treats on fuch a variety of fubjects, and which contains the centurial account of every fcience, will be in many refpects fuperficial; and, that one author is not equal to the attempt. Mr. Millar feems fully fenfible of this, and difcovers a folicitude, which fhows, that modeft worth may be united with fine abilities. We honour his frankness, when, in his apology for the book, he says:

"It is probable, that one of the first reflections made by most readers of the following pages, will be, that the plan is too extenfive to be executed by any individual; and that it was peculiarly prefumptuous in one of comparatively fmall reading, and who could not obtain accefs to ample libraries, to undertake fuch a work. The author feels the juftness and weight of this reflection; and is fenfible, that to prefent a full and fatisfactory view of any one of the departments embraced by this Retrofpect, would be a task beyond his powers; would afford abun dant employment for a mind much more mature, active and enlightened than his."

A question naturally occurs, why then fhould a man undertake it? Ought we not to feel confcious of our ability to perform a thing, before we attempt it?

The author gives an anfwer to this interrogation, which, if not quite fatisfactory, nevertheless interefts us in his behalf. They who read the whole will not have their expectations fruftrated, if they have not raised them beyond what he promises; and we think he has done as much, as we can expect from any individual in the fame number of pages; or, in other words, that there is as complete a mass of information collected, without making a difcrimination between what he has taken from others, and what is peculiarly his own.

We have no hesitation in faying, that whoever attentively reads this work may be well acquainted with the improvements in fcience and literature, which have been made during the laft century.

In these two volumes, which are only One Part of the Four, which the author defigned, there is a view of Science, Arts, and

Lettres. In this part he divides the chapters into fections. Under the head of mechanical philofophy, which is the fubject of the first chapter, he treats of Electricity, Magnetifm and Galvanifm, &c. It is neceffary to connect the additional note,* with the letter, as we fhall find a more particular account of the late improvements in this fafhionable fcience. The next is Chemical Philofophy, which difplays not only a judicious ar rangement, but a luminous view of the fubject. The third is Natural History; and the fourth Medicine. This is one of the very beft chapters in the book. A confiderable extract may be acceptable to our readers, in which we fhall fee a graceful cafe in compofition, and which must be acknowledged as one of our author's excellencies, and has hitherto rendered him confpicuous among the best writers of his profeffion.

"Peftilential difeafes are supposed to have greatly abated in frequency and malignity in the course of the eighteenth century. This obfervation, however, must be understood to be chiefly restricted to those parts of the world, which, during that period, have been making rapid progrefs in civilization, intelligence and refinement. In many parts of Afia and Africa, and in European Turkey, it is probable, that little abatement of the ravages of such diseases has actually taken place. The degraded state of man in most of the Mahometan countries; the poverty, filth and wretchednefs, which opprefs the lower claffes of people in their crowded cities, and the inattention to cleanliness and ventilation, even in the houses of the most opulent, aided by the influence of their doctrine of fatalifm, feem to leave them little profpect of emerging from their prefent condition into one more refpectable, and exempt from malignant diseases. The contraft of health and disease, in the Chriftian and Mahometan world, while it affords to the pious mind a fatisfactory confirmation of his faith, furnishes also, to the philofopher and physician, an inftructive leffon, in regard to the comparative influence of the refpective principles and inftitutions of Chriftianity and Mahometanism.

"The comparative mildness and infrequency of peftilential diseases in Christian Europe, during the late century, are probably owing to a combination of many caufes. Much may be safely ascribed to improvements in the cleanliness and ventilation of houses, in diet, in apparel, in habits, cuftoms, and all the modes of life. Cities, which are ufually the great nurseries of peftilence, are now lefs crowded than in former ages. The comforts, decencies, and elegancies of life, from a variety of caufes, are now enjoyed by a greater portion of the community, and in a much higher degree, than in preceding times. To the fame caufes, also, may be ascribed the almoft entire banishment of that loathfome disease, the Leprofy, from the civilized * See page 446.

world, which has been in a great measure effected in the course of the last age.

"The frequent and mortal prevalence of the peftilential disease, called Yellow Fever, in the cities, and in fome parts of the country, in the United States, for the last ten years, forms a memorable event in the medical history of this country, during the century which is the subject of this Retrospect. The malignity and ravages of this epidemic impressed the public mind with the deepest apprehensions, and undoubtedly gave a new impulfe and vigour to medical investigation. The origin of this disease has been warmly contested in the United States, in the Weft-Indies, and in Europe. While many maintain that it is produced by the exhalations of putrefaction, whether fuch putrefaction be found in the filth of cities, of marshy grounds, or of veffels on the water'; others, on the contrary, affert, that it is always produced by contagion emitted from the fick labouring under the disease, and fucceffively propagated from one person to another. The latter opinion feems to be faft lofing ground among the better informed part of the medical profeffion, and of the public; while the evidence in fupport of the former is accumulated, and rendered more luminous and irresistible, by the occurrences of every epidemic feason.

(To be continued.)

MONTHLY CATALOGUE

OF

New Publications in the United States, for March, 1804.

NEW WORKS.

Difcourfes to Young Perfons, by the late Rev. JOHN CLARKE, D. D. minister of the First Church in Boston, I vol. 12mo. HALL and HILLER-Bofton.

Thefe Sermons, which are now first published, were in the course of his ministry, delivered by their author to his congregation. They are directed to a variety of practical and very important fubjects; and in point of compofition, they are no way derogatory to the acknowledged learning and talents of that worthy preacher.

The Conflitutionalist; addreffed to men of all parties in the United States; by an AMERICAN. Pamph. 8vo.-H. MAXWELLPhiladelphia.

Abridgment of the Laws of Pennsylvania, being a complete Digest of all such Acts of Assembly as concern the Commonwealth at large, by COLLISON READ, Efq. Volume II.-H. MAXWELL.Philadelphia.

The public are respectfully informed, that in addition to the general laws of the ftate, the prefent volume contains a complete digeft of all the

acts now in force for the relief of infolvent debtors,

NEW EDITIONS.

A Commercial Didionary, containing the present state of Mercantile Law, Practice and Cuflom; by JOSHUA MONTEFIORE, Author of Commercial Precedents," &c. The first American edition, with very confiderable additions relative to the Laws, Ufages and Pradice of the United States. 3 vols. 8vo. J. HUMPHREYS.-Philadelphia.

In the preface, we are presented with the following account, and just observations on this valuable work. "The author has selected his materials from the enactments of the legislature, and the reporters and commercial writers of the most acknowledged authority. He has freely availed himself of the voluminous Library of the lawyer, and the assistance of mercantile men; together with that great mass of information, which the increased commerce of this country has produced during the last twenty years of the eighteenth cen tury, and which has never yet been presented to the public in such a systematic form, as reduces the general result of this combined intelligence into moderate compass, and adapting it to the use of the counting-bouse, as well as to the library of the Statesman and Scholar.

"His arrangement he conceives to be the best calculated for perspicuous communication and practice; the form of a Dictionary suggested itself as calculated to the end proposed; this mode has also the additional ad. vantage of enabling him to treat more copiously on subjects of greater comparative interest. Hence it may perhaps be found, that the important heads of Bankruptcy, Bills of Exchange, Customs, Excise, Exports, Imports, Insurance, Law of Nations, Navigation, Plantations, and Shipping, are an incorporation of complete systems; for the length of which the compiler knows he needs no apology to his professional, and he trusts his commercial readers will not require any."

We may add, that these volumes will not only prove, in the highest degree, useful to the merchant and trader, but will be found a very interesting cyclopedia of economical and important information to every gen tleman.

Letters on the Elementary Principles of Education, by ELIZABETH HAMILTON, author of "Memoirs of Modern Philofophers," &c. 2 vols. 12mo. B. JOHNSON.-Philadelphia.

Village Sermons, or plain and fhort Difcourfes on the principal doctrines of the Gofpel, intended for the use of families, Sunday fchools, or companies affembled for religious inftruction in Country Villages; by GEORGE BURDER. 2 vols, 12mo. W. W. WOODWARD.-Philadelphia.

Philofophical and Critical Enquiries concerning Chriflianity, tranflated from the French of C. BONNET. I vol. 12mo. W. W. WOODWARD.-Philadelphia.

Univerfal Hiflory, ancient and modern, from the earliest records of time to the general peace of 1801, by WILLIAM MAVOR, Vicar of Hurley and Chaplain to the Earl of Dumphries. 25 vols. 12mo.-S. F. BRADFORD-Philadelphia.

We learn, that only the fix first volumes of this work are at present ready for fale. The American Gazetteer, exhibiting a full account of the Civil Divifions, Rivers, Harbours, Indian Tribes, &c. of the American Continent, alfo of the Weft India, and other appendant Islands ; and a particular defcription of Louifiana, compiled from the best authorities, by J. MORSE, D.D. A. A. S. S. H. S. author of the American Univerfal Geography ;"-illustrated with maps, -Second Edition, revifed, correlled, and enlarged; I vol. 8vo. THOMAS & ANDREWS-Bolon.

J

Poems; viz. the Spleen, the Grotto, &c. by MATTHEW GREEN.1 vol. 12mo. H. SPRAGUE and others-Bofton.

The Temple of Nature; or the Origin of Society; a Poem, with Philofophical Notes; by ERASMUS DARWIN, M. D. I vol. 8vo.-T. & J. SWORDS.-New-York.

This is the fecond American impreflion of that pleafing and popular work, which, but a little more than three months ago, first arrived to this country.

The Review; or, the Waggs of Windfor; a Drama by G. COLMAN.-D. LONGWORTH.-New-York.

The Domeftic Encyclopedia; or, a Dictionary of Facts and Useful Knowledge; comprehending a concife view of the latest Discoveries, Inventions, and Improvements, chiefly applicable to Rural and Domestic Economy; together with descriptions of the moft interefting objects of Nature and Art, the hiftory of Men and Animals, in a state of Health or Difeafe; and practical hints respecting the Arts and Manufactures, both familiar and commercial.—Illustrated with numerous Engravings and Cuts.-By A. F. M. WILLICH, M. D. Author of the Lectures on Diet and Regimen, &c. &c.-First American edition. With additions, applicable to the prefent fituation of the United States; by JAMES MEASE, M. D.-T. & J. SWORDS-New-York.

LITERARY ADVERTISEMENTS.

THE lively zeal, which prevails among the Bookfellers of Philadelphia, for rivaling thofe of London in their beauty and excellence of printing, deferves our grateful attention and praise. They have lately produced feveral fpecimens of workmanship, which strongly evince their ability for accomplishing their worthy defign. It is to be earnestly hoped, that their example may become widely influential, and tend to enliven a fimilar emulation in the profeffors of other arts.

H. MAXWELL and T. S. MANNING will publish, in the course of the prefent month, the first volume of the works of Shakespeare. This edition they attempt under the patronage of subscribers; and they propofe it, as the most complete and elegant, that has ever yet been undertaken in America. It will be copied from

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