Have mind upon the foftness of thy sex. Enter King. Gufman, I come to afk thy prefence. This way, with purpofe, as it seems, to enter To this we may add the fpeech of Antonio, which concludes the Tragedy. Having ftabbed his fifter, "to vindicate," as the glory of his race," he cries out, the inftant the he fays, is dead, She hears me not, fhe never will hear me more. [Exeunt omnes. We should not have wafted a single page on the most worthJefs production, we think, that ever came before us in our critical capacity, had it not been for the circumftances of the times, which have given a degree of confequence to whatever drops from these pfeudo-philofophers. Mr. Godwin, be it remembered, "has fet himself up for a legiflator, a reformer, a destroyer of antient prejudices, a builder of new fyftems, and a guide through the darkness of the world, by a new light;' it becomes a duty therefore to examine into the nature of his pretenfions; and, though it be a nauseous one, we have never thrunk from it. We recollect, with honeft pride, that we were among the foremost to point out the folly, arrogance, atrocity, and abfolute infanity*, of his Political Justice and, while his befotted worshippers were diftantly founding the fackbut and dulcimer before a fancied image of gold, we ventured to approach the idol, and inform them what it really was-a dwarfish and infignificant mass of miry clay mixed up with blood! : Since this, Mr. Godwin has turned his thoughts to the belles lettres, and given criticifms on fome of our most admired writers! How well he was qualified for fuch a work, his Antonio fufficiently fhows. Devoid of tafte, of grammar, of common fenfe; languid, uninterefting, and unartful, we believe it will decide the fituation which Mr. Godwin muft In his felf-working ploughs, immortal mortals, &c, &c. See Brit. Crit. vol. i. p. 307, &c. hence. henceforth be content to enjoy on the literary bench. That it will be a very inferior one, we cannot doubt; and the reader, who fhall have the amazing patience to wade through the prefent publication, will juftify our decifion. If the ridicule and contempt which drove Antonio from the ftage, and must purfuc him to the closet, should teach Mr. Godwin humility, and his followers moderation, no flight benefit will be derived to the world, and to the caufe of peace and good order in general. For ourselves, we have long been fick of Mr. Godwin's multifarious productions; fick of his politics and of his novels; his criticisms and his plays: fince whatever may be their oftenfible purport, their uniform object is to afford this most ignorant and conceited fophift additional opportunities of degrading virtue and exalting vice; of ridiculing the long-established opinions which come in aid of the laws; of depriving the maxims of morality of their ancient fanction; of tearing from the wretched their deareft confolation; and of removing from the great mass of mankind every focial bond, and every falutary restriction and all this under the equally mad and wicked pretext of forwarding the PERFECTIBILITY OF THE HUMAN SPECIES!!! : ART. IV. An Effuy on the Malignant Peftilential Fever, in troduced into the Weft-India Islands from Boullam, on the Coaft of Guinea, as it appeared in 1793, 1794, 1795, and 1796; interfperfed with Obfervations and Fucts, tending to prove that the Epidemic exifting at Philadelphia, New York, c. was the fame Fever introduced by Infection imported from The Weft-India Islands: and illuftrated by Evidences founded on the State of thofe Islands, and the Information of the most eminent Practitioners refiding on them. By C. Chisholm, M. D. and Infpector General of the Ordnance Medical Department in the West-Indies, The Second Edition, much enlarged. In Two Volumes. 8vo. 16s. Mawman. 1801. THE first edition of this work was published in the year 1795, and noticed, with commendation, in our Review for Auguft, in the fame year*. Since that time, the author has had numerous opportunities of feeing still further, and appre ciating the value of the method he had recommended in treating the malignant peftilential fever; he has also extended his See Brit, Crit, vol, vi. p. 133. inquiries inquiries into the manner in which the disease was first introduced into Grenada; thence into other of the Weft-India Iflands; and, finally, to the continent of America. The refult of his obfervations confirm him in the opinion he had originally entertained, that the disease was tranfported from Boullam on the coaft of Guinea, by one of the fhips belonging to the Bulama affociation; and, that the intimate commerce fubfifting between Grenada and the other iflands, and with the continent of America, thofe parts became at length infected. The opinion, however, that the difeafe was imported and diffeminated in the manner the author mentions, as well as the idea he entertains of the fuperior efficacy, and almost infallibility, of the mercurial treatment in the cure of it, when pushed to a very high degree, have been vigorously affailed by Drs. Jackfon, Trotter, and other practitioners. That it was not imported, is evident they fay, as its appearance was known to be fynchronous, in places lying at too great distance from each other to have given time for its being received in that way; and the mercurial treatment has failed fo often as to have fallen into difgrace, after having been received with confidence. The writer of this article has feen a very intelligent perfon from Jamaica, not in the practice of phyfic, who fays, that fuch was the zeal for giving mercury in the malignant or yellow fever, that perfons affected with the common remittent of the coun-' try, which would have yielded to the fimpleft treatment, were often declared, on the very firft view of them, to be infected with the yellow fever, and put upon a severe mercurial course. That fome lives had been loft, he believed, by that practice, and other perfons who recovered from the fever, left in a state of debility from the mercury, from which they recovered with difficulty, and not until after a long time, frequently with their teeth fpoiled, and fometimes many of them loft. Though we would not attribute much weight to this extra-medical opinion, which may be the refult of prejudice, from feeing an accidental cafe or two of the kind defcribed, we are yet led to think the queftion, as to the pre-eminence of the mercurial treatment, cannot be confidered as completely decided; and that the effects of it fhould be examined, coolly and difpaffionately, before fuch decifion be finally made. That the author of this work has not kept his mind in the temperate and unimpaffioned ftate, neceflary for examining a queftion of so much importance, the following paffages, taken from the Dedication, evinces. "With a view," he fays, " to place the subject in a ftill more clear light, I have extended the work very confiderably; and endeavoured, by new facts and reasoning, resulting from the confideration of them, to to imprefs the neceffity which exifts for decifion, difpoffimate examina tion, and unwearied attention in the purfuit of the mercurial mode of treatment," &c. One would have thought, that those who were not converts to the mercurial treatment, would have been invited to fee and examine before they determined; but decifion in its favour is, it feems, to precede a difpaflionate examination. But the author adds, "It would have been with heart-felt fatisfaction, could I have stated to you, that the Weft-India navy and armies, fince the publication of my Effay, had benefitted by the practice recommended in that work. As a British fubject, and as a friend to humanity, I moft fincerely regret that they have not. But what has been the caufe? Not the inefficacy of the mercurial treatment-alas! no-but the baneful operation of determinate prejudice-the bias of unjuftifiable authority-the imbecility of weak or inexperienced minds, dreading the adoption. of meafures which, although neceffary for the prefervation of the unhappy fick placed under their charge, militated againft the opinions of misplaced and overweening power." To this criminal mifconduct, on the part of his brother labourers, and of the medical boards here, the author attributes the lofs of more than twelve thousand of our countrymen, who perifhed, he fays, in the fhort fpace of two years. But how is this to be reconciled with what the author fays in the paffage immediately preceding the last quotation? "The mercurial treatment has been proved, by the almost universal fuffrage of medical gentlemen who have practifed in this peftilential fcourge within the tropics, to be the most efficacious." If almost all the phyficians were convinced of the fuperior efficacy of the mercurial treatment, they doubtless adopted it; and if they adopted it, how can the patients be faid to have died from its being rejected? Without vouching for the propriety of the conduct of the medical boards here, in their choice of phylicians who were fent to the West Indies, we may at the least be certain, that no orders were given fettering their conduct, or enjoining them to reject any mode of practice that was found to be fuccefsful; or, if fuch orders had been given, they would have been treated with deferved contempt. Equally illiberal, we are forry to ob'ferve, are the author's reflections on the conduct of fuch of his medical brethren, as have not coincided in opinion with him on the origin of the fever. "The oppofition," he fays, "which I have had, and still have, to contend with, in my endeavors to imprefs the truth of my fentiments Dd BRIT, CRIT, VOL. XVII, A PRIL, 1801, on on the public mind, relative to the origin and caufe of the propagation of the peftilential infection, which has characterised the late direful epidemic; and to the mode of treatment, which I, as well as every unprejudiced practitioner in the Weft-India Islands, have found the only fuccessful one, has proceeded from the agents of the Bulama affociation in the first inftance, and from the medical staff of the armies acting in the Weft-Indies, fubfequent to the year 1795." Pref. p. 14. In both he attributes this oppofition, as he calls it, to the moft unworthy motives. But we have faid enough to show, that whatever ingenuity the author may have, and he certainly evinces talents of a fuperior kind, his mind is too much warped to allow the decifion of thefe queftions to reft entirely upon his judgment. C. Dr. Chisholm's fituation, as Infpe&tor-General of the Ordnance Medical Department in the Weft-Indies, requiring his perfonal attendance in the feveral islands, he seems to have employed himself in obtaining a knowledge of their natural as well as political hiftories. Of these places, he has given fhort topographical sketches, which are apparently faithful, certainly ingenious and entertaining. Our readers may not be displeased at feeing, as a fpecimen of the execution of this part, the following account of St. Chriftopher's. "The atmosphere of this beautiful ifland has been, from its first fettlement as an European colony in 1625, as much famed for its falubrity, as the manners of its inhabitants have been for their urbanity; and the diftinguishing appellation "ile douce" (Du Tertre, tom. ii. p. 6) is as applicable to both now as it was in 1640. Having been tre mother colony of the Welt-India fettlements, a character was impreffed on it by the French and English gentlemen who conducted the original adventurers, which it ftill retains. About the middle of the last century, the manners of the different French colonies, gave rife to a proverbial diftinction highly honourable to the inhabitants of St. Christopher's. It was remarked, that "la nobleffe étoit à Saint Chrif tophe, les bourgeois à la Guadaloupe, les foldats à la Martinique, et les pavians à la Grenade." (Hift. Gen. des Voyages, tom. lix. p. 229). The general afpect of the island is extremely beautiful. Mount Mifery, Occupying the body of the island in the north-weft, gradually declines into fmaller hills, and is at length loft in the plain of Balleterre in the fou h. Between the foot of this mountain and the fea, a narrow gently inclining plain, every where environs it, whofe fertility is only equalled by its delightful diftribution, and its uncommon falubrity. Mount Mifery, 3711 feet in perpendicular height, is a volcanic mountain finely variegated by wood, patture, and huge granite cliffs, one of which grotefquely difpofed on the fummit, and forming one fide of the most perfect crater I have met with in the Weft-India islands, gave rife, M. Rochefort fays, to the name St. Chriftopher's. (Hift. Nat. et Morale des Hes Ant. p. 30). The fouthern extremity of the island is a peninfula of barren ridges, connected with the main land by a low ifthmus, |