teffence of beef, mutton, veal, venison, partridge, plum-pudding, and cuftard.'

The obfervations made by the author refpecting this controverfy are not more decifive than thofe which are advanced in the fubfequent chapter, relative to the state of the fovereign in the primitive Anglo-Saxon government; where he appears to give a just delineation of the original conftitution of Enggland, and fupplies, by his judicious remarks, the imperfect evidence of history. He evinces it to be a limited monarchy, and not in a high degree aristocratical: but where, from the urgency of particular junctures, it was natural, and even neceffary, that fome extraordinary inftances should occur of the exertion of the prerogative.-In a future Review we shall conclude our account of this work, which increases in interest, as it defcends to later periods of our history.

FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. (Continued from p. 298.)

HE abbé Haüy, whom we have already mentioned, as a great fupport of those mineralogical fyftems which are founded on the forms of the cryftals, and the author of an elaborate effay towards the theory of the ftructure of crystals, applied to many genera of crystalline bodies, has, within a few weeks, read a very fcientific memoir on the adamantine spar, to the Royal Academy of Sciences. As the fubject was mentioned in our last month's Intelligence, we prefer the refuming it at prefent, while recent in the minds of our readers, to any farther delay. He defcribes the figure, and the properties of this fpar it is of a grey, fometimes of a black colour, and many pieces of it are mixed with glimmer. Its crystal is a regular prifm of fix fides, one of whofe angles is frequently fuperfeded by a triangular furface. The black part affects the magnetic needle, and when put in communication with an excited conductor, from the fame part, fparks may be freely drawn from it. The form of this fubftance, he finds, fupports the theory which he has explained in his Effay; and the measure of the angles is precifely the fame with thofe of the rhombus in the molecule of martial vitriol. It is for the chemift to determine, fays he, whether this refemblance in form is purely accidental; or whether it depends on the relation of the ele mentary principles of each body.' The abbé had obferved, in his effay, that, if laming applied to a rhomboidal nucleus decreafed towards the two lower fides, by a fingle range of molecules, and, at the fame time, on the fuperior angle, according to the fame law, there would refult a regular prifm of fix fides, resembling, in its exterior form, the calcareous fpar, but whose structure would be very different. This ftructure was then fup

pofed

pofed only a poffible one, and we now find it actually exifting in the adamantine fpar. This obfervation, adds the abbe, is not the only one of this kind, which has realized, by actual discoveries, the refults of the theory of cryftallization. The effects. of this fpar on the magnetic needle certainly fhow, that its connection with iron, and confequently with martial vitriol, is not only in the form of its cryftal.

The defcription of this fubftance is nearly connected with a difcovery of father Scipio Breiflak, communicated to the abbé Fortis. This gentleman was examining the valley fituated at the bottom of the mountain of Segni, the plain famous for the deftruction of the army of Marius by that of Sylla. He there found a piece of volcanic tufa. He fet little value, he tells the abbé, on this detached piece, but looking into the cavities of the mountain, he perceived a black volcanic fand, attracted by the magnet; and afterwards, in a place called Rofcillo, he difcovered large veins of very good puzzolane, with black garnets, and glimmer of the fame colour in lamina: in fhort, he found himself in a volcanic country, which appeared to be connected with the volcanos in the mountains of Tufculum. On trying the influence of the pieces of tufa, which he collected, on the magnetic needle, he perceived they had fome effect on it; but the firit piece, which he found, acted on it with as much power as a load-ftone would have done. This tufa was of a grey or brownish colour, heavy, large grained, porous, holding little fragments of mica, lava, and calcareous earth. It fmelled fomewhat like clay: its form, perhaps from accident, was fpheroidical. If to find this tufa magnetical in fo great a degree was remarkable, it was no lefs fo, that, when broken, though the pieces preferved their power over the needle, they did not affect each other, when freely fufpended; and they would not, in any degree, attract the fmallet particle of iron not magnetic. The author feems to have repeated his experiments with care, and adds fome ingenious reflections on the caufe of this polarity: it must, he thinks, arite from the iron in the tufa, either in confequence of a stroke of lightning, or of its lying long in one pofition. There is one remarkable fact that must be added, viz. that father Jerome Fonda found the iron, the bricks, and ftones ftruck by lightning from the dome of a church at Rome, had a degree of polarity; but this fact will not greatly affift our author, for thefe bodies attracted iron alfo. We would strongly recommend the obfervations of father Breiflak to the attention of philofophers: they may be feen more at large in the Nuovo Giornale Encyclopedico.

Thefe facts relating to magnetifm and electricity naturally bring to our recollection the paffages of M. Crell's Letter on the latter fubject, which we mentioned in our laft. We want no particular introduction; for, in this author's familiar communications, the tranfitions are as rapid as in Pindaric poetry.

When

When we electrify different bodies, fays he, of every kind, they difplay fome fingular phænomena: fome fhine, not only during the operation, but, if held in the hand, continue the phofphorefcent. Thefe are chalk; calcareous and fluor fpar, which fhine with a pale yellow light: lime, with a green light; Iceland fpar, with a violet. Secondly, others, as the heavy fpar, fhine, during the operation, with a yellow light; but fhow no phofphorefence afterwards. Thirdly, fome others, as particular kinds of gneifs, and the Carlsbad fprudelstein, do not fine, during the electrifation, but have afterwards a pale phosphoric light. Fourthly, others give, during electrifation, light of different colours: fugar of milk, nitre, and vitriolated tartar, look yellow; mineral alkali, camphor. and borax, violet; vitriol of copper, blue; tale of Venice, the colour of an apple; Rochelle falt, red, &c. but this light, particularly that of fugar of milk, camphor, and that variety of felenite called glacies mariæ, is fo ftrong, that it is fufficient to enable any one to read a book, printed on a tolerably large letter. Fifthly, other bodies, as afphaltus, coals, am bergris, affa foetida, dragon's blood, and calcareous stone, give no light at all.' Thefe are facts of fome curiofity, but not detailed with fufficient minutenefs to enable us to draw any deductions from them: we know that almost every body is phofphorefcent, after being placed in a strong fun, and immediately brought into a dark room: if this happens from their abforbing phlogiston, it is at leaft probable that the electric machine may fupply the fame principle. The colour of the light muft depend on the fpecific gravity of the bodies, or fome peculiar refractive power of their furfaces.

Electricity has powerful and immediate effects only on one tribe of vegetables, viz. the irritable ones. We know how much has been attributed to the power of this fluid on the fenfitive plant; but M, Ingenhouz, well known in England, firft fuggefted, that it acted only mechanically, like any other impulle. Experiments were made in France, to examine this opinion; and the mimofa pudica was the vegetable chofen for the enquiry. When very gently touched with sticks of wax, tubes of glafs, and metallic rods, it thewed no fign of fenfibility, whether the rods were sharp or rounded. When touched by the fame rods more roughly, it appeared to be fenfible in every experiment, The fame bodies, gently electrified, made the leaves yield flowly; when electrified more strongly, the leaves were ftruck down. As from every electrified body the fluid iffues in a ftream, and as the effects were in propor tion to the quantity of fluid accumulated in the bodies, these experiments feem to eftabiifh M. Ingenhouz' opinion.

On animal bodies, both our neighbours on the continent and ourfelves expect great effects from electricity. Many treatises have been lately published, in France, on medical electricity; but we have found no opportunity of enlarging on them, and

have not anxiously fought for one, fince we have feldom feen any eager friend to it, who has not difcovered, in his writings, an imagination too active to be ranked among the more fober enquirers after truth; and its recommenders have feldom, if ever, been found among those who were well able to judge between the effects of the remedy, and the natural efforts of the conftitution.

In our account of Spalanzani's Differtations we had reafon to admire the powerful effects and furprifing properties of the garic juice. We have now to relate fomething more remarkable on the fame fubject: we mention it on the authority of M. Crell, to whom the experiments were reported by M. Brugnatelli of Pavia. The last of thefe gentlemen discovered, that the gastric juice of fome birds had fo great a power as to diffolve flints. He prepared four little cylinders of wood, perforated with fmall holes into one he put very pure rock cryftal, of a very regular figure, which weighed thirty-fix grains; into the fecond, a piece of agate of a cubical figure, which weighed thirty grains; into the third, fifteen grains of pieces of calcareous flone; and into the fourth fome small shells, weighing eighteen grains. The firft and the last he gave to two turkies; the fecond and third to common fowls. After ten days the birds were killed. The rock cryftal was become opake the planes were corroded, and, as it were, rounded; it had loft in weight fourteen grains. The agate had lost its angles, and fourteen grains. The calcareous tone had disappeared, apparently becaufe the pieces had been partly diffolved, and become fmall enough to pafs through the holes. The fhells were corroded, and had lost ten grains. The gastric juice of ruminating animals, as goats, lambs, oxen, and sheep, made no change either on metals or ftones. Thefe experiments, we think, are very remarkable, particularly the folution of the rock cryftal, which is known to be fo difobedient almoft to every menftruum, and fo refractory in fire.

The power of the gaftric juice, in restoring fweetnefs to pu trified meat, is fo remarkable, that we were not surprised to find, that it had been employed in fome ill-conditioned ulcers, and with fuccefs. It was firit ufed about two years fince, by M. Jurine, at Geneva, and foon afterwards by fome Italian furgeons. When we were treating on this fubject, it is not probable that we should have forgotten it, if we had not been reminded of it, by the late volume of the Medical Commentaries. The application was recommended to M. Jurine, by M. Sennebier; and by the abbé Spalanzani, in confequence of M. Sennebier's information to the Italian furgeons. The fame gentlemen published the refult of the experiments, in the twenty-fixth and twenty-feventh volumes of the Journal de Phyfique, and afterwards in a separate work. The gastric juice of ruminating animals is most commonly employed. In oxen,

it

it is found in the first stomach: the remains of the food are feparated by filtering. It is kept in bottles, and gently heated when ufed. The fore is washed with it, and lint laid on the fore wetted with the fame juice. The pains are, at firft, much increased; but, after two or three dreffings, they are felt no more: the acute lancinating pains foon ceafe; the appearance of the matter is amended, and its fœtor difappears. It feems neceffary to keep the juice in a cold place, and to have it, as often as poffible, fresh. The animal fhould be kept from food fome hours before it is killed.

It appears, from the experiment before us, that the gaftric juice of carnivorous animals is more efficacious than that of granivorous; and indeed it is neceffary that its antifeptic powers fhould be greater. Siphilitic, and fcrophulous fores, gangrenes, cancers, contufions, and tumors, have been greatly benefited by it. The gastric juice of ruminating animals feems to have removed pains, and lymphatic tumors: that of carnivorous animals foftened venereal fwellings, indurations of the inguinal glands, and callofities of almost every kind. Internally, it relieved fickness, vomiting, weak ftomachs, and fe- . vers arifing from the ftomach. It had fome effect alfo on intermittents. We fear its powers may be raised too high; and at all events, the delicacy of many people's ftomachs will prevent their using the remedy, if they know its fource. In weak relaxed ftomachs an ounce has been taken every twenty four hours. We shall probably refume M. Sennebier's work in another Number: at prefent we must conclude our obfervations on the difcoveries relating to the animal economy.

In our review of Mr. Hunter's works, we mentioned his fufpicions, that the veficulæ feminales were not appropriated to the reception of the femen, with the reafons on which these fufpicions were founded. Mr. Chaptal, profeffor of chemistry in Languedoc, coincides with Mr. Hunter, and has examined the fubject at fome length. Many animals have no veftige of this organ, and in many of those which have the veficles, there is, he finds, no communication between them and the vas deferens. Where there is a communication, the two canals pass along together, and unite at very acute angles, only towards their extremity. When the vas deferens is preffed, no regurgitation takes place; and when the vesicles are preffed, the fluid which they contain appears to be poured out from their fubftance; and the fluid of the teftes and veficles is allowed to be of very different kinds; yet in thofe animals where the veficles are found, in their general structure, their form, and fituation, they are fo much like those in man, that the analogy may be readily allowed even by the fcrupulous enquirer. The author, however, purfued the examination farther: he made many diffections, with this view, and discovered in more than one human fubject, that there was no communication between the

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