Hence perhaps the winter of 1783-4, was more fevere than any that had happened for many years. The cause of this univerfal fog is not yet afcertained. Whether it was adventitious to this earth, and merely a fmoke, proceeding from the confumption by fire of fome of thofe great burning balls or globes which we happen to meet with in our rapid courfe round the fun, and which are fometimes feen to kindle and be destroyed in paffing our atmosphere, and whose smoke might be attracted and retained by our earth; or whether it was the vast quantity of smoke, long continuing to iffue during the fummer from Hecla in Iceland, and that other volcano which arose out of the fea near that island, which fmoke might be spread by various winds over the northern part of the world, is yet uncertain. It seems however worth the inquiry, whether other hard winters, recorded in hiftory, were preceeded by fimilar permanent and widely extended fummer fogs. Because, if found to be fo, men might from fuch fogs conjecture the probability of a fucceeding hard winter, and of the damage to be expected by the breaking up of frozen rivers in the fpring; and take fuch measures as are poffible and practicable, to fecure themselves and effects from the mischiefs that attended the laft.' "A Short Account of an Excurfion through the Subterraneous Cavern at Paris. By Mr. Thomas White, Member of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh, in a Letter to his Father. Read Feb. 9, 1785. This very spacious and curious, and almost miraculous cavern, is formed by the quarries from whence the ftones were dug that built the oldest part of the city of Paris. As Paris was enlarged, the fuburbs were infenfibly built on the ancient quarries, fo that it would not require a very violent fhock to throw back the stones to the place from whence they have with fo much difficulty been raised. A Defcription of a new Inftrument for measuring the fpecific Gravity of Bodies. By Mr. William Nicholson, in a Letter to Mr. J. U. Magellan, F. R. S. &c. Read May 4, 1785. It appears that Mr. Nicholfon has made fome fmall improvements on the hydrometer. Memoirs of the late Dr. Bell, by James Currie, M. D. addreffed to the Prefident and Members of the Literary and Philofophical Society of Manchefter. Read March 23, 1785.' This is a very pleafing and excellent fpecimen of biographical writing. Dr. Currie unites delicacy and refpect to the memory of Dr. Bell, with a faithful defcription of the imperfections as well as the excellencies of his character. The qualities of Dr. Bell's mind required a state of action. He was eminently fitted for fituations of difficulty or danger; and had his lot been cait differently, the enthusiasm of his fpirit, and the ftrength of his faculties, might have enrolled his name in the lift of thofe which go down to future ages with honour and applause. It was his mif fortune, fortune, that his fituation did not always prefent objects of fufficient importance to excite his attention, and call forth his faculties; and that, like many other men of genius, he was often unable to originate thofe literary exertions, which fometimes bring fame, and which generally bring happiness. His fpirits indeed were not equal. He was often lively, cheerful, and familiar, and fometimes grave, inattentive and referved. Circumftances, which it would be painful and improper to relate, contributed to throw fome degree of gloom over his latter days. But he was naturally fubject, at times, to thofe ebbings of the mind, as an admired writer expreffes himself, which generally accompany great fenfibility; a ftate, from which the tranfition is fometimes more easy to levity and mirth, than to the fober exercifes of reason. 'It is common to expect, even in the more minute parts of the conduct of men of allowed fuperiority of talents, fome marks of intention and defign, by which fuch fuperiority might be indicated. But this is, I think, an error. The characteristic of genius is fimplicity. A lofty fpirit fubmits, with difficulty, to reftraint or difguife; and the higher emotions of the mind are feldom compatible with a nice attention to little things. It is, however, to be lamented, that men of great endowments are often deficient in that felf-command, which fhould give regularity to conduct, and steadiness to exertion. But let us not too haftily condemn them. The powers of genius impose the severest task on the judgment. The imagination, in which they refide, muft always be ftrong; the fenfibility by which they are attended, must often be wayward. To reftrain, to excite, and to direct, the exertions of a mind fo conftituted, according to the dictates of reason, must frequently produce a most painful warefare: and, if to fucceed in fuch contests be not always given to the ftrong, let the weak rejoice, that they are seldom called to the encounter. Years and experience would, moft probably, have remedied, in a great measure, the defects in Dr. Bell's character; and, as he became more fully known, it may be prefumed, that he would have acquired a degree of reputation fuited to his great integrity and abili ties. Yet it cannot be denied, that a temper fo open, and a conduct fo little affected by the opinions or prejudices of others, were not perfectly calculated for success in a world, in which the most honeft heart must often be veiled, and the loftiest spirit must sometimes bend.' A Tranflation of Dr. Bell's Thefis, de Phyfiologia Plantarum. By James Currie, M. D. Read March 30, 1785." Dr. Bell directs his attention to the internal ftructure of plants; and from various analogies concludes that plants live, and fufpects that they feel. • Some Obfervations on the Phænomena which take place between oil and water, in a Letter to Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. S. and S. A. &c. By Martin Wall, M. D. Prelector of Chemistry, in the University of Oxford. Read November 17, 1784.' Becaufe certain bodies fhew no difpofition to form a chemical union, they have been faid to poffefs ENG. REV. Vol. VI, Feb. 1786, a repulfive G a repulfive faculty with refpect to each other. To fay, that a principle of repulfion has no existence in nature, Dr. Wall thinks, would be to prefumtuous but he is inclined to believe, that the fpecies of attraction, which conftitutes chemical affinity, is not counteracted by any principle of repulfion in thofe cafes, where no affinity appears to take place, and that the apparent repulfion depends upon a perfectly different caufe. In order to illuftrate this, he gives one example; the immifcibility of oil with water. What, in this cafe is called repulfion, he thinks, is perhaps, only a cafe of that kind which is called elective attraction, if he may be allowed to adopt that expreffion; that is, that the particles of water attract those of water, and the particles of oil thofe of oil, more ftrongly than oil attracts water. Facts and Queries relative to Attraction and Repulfion. By Thomas Percival, M. D. To the Literary and Philofophical Society. Manchester, December 5, 1784'. To these queries Dr. Wall of Oxford replies in a Letter, which was read before the Society, January 12, 1785. 'On the voluntary Power which the Mind is able to exercife over bodily Senfation. By Thomas Barnes, D. D. Read Nov. 3, 1784 This effay is not only very ingenious, but is full of confolation to mankind; and, as fuch, of high importance. It tends alfo, collaterally, to defend and illuftrate the truth and divine origin of the Chriftian religion, and, in general, to juftify and maintain the caufe of virtue. Dr. Barnes, having illuftrated the ftrength and direct power of the mind over the body, fays, But, whatever judgment we may form upon this question, as to the direct and immediate power of the will over the perceptions of fenfe, its indirect and mediate influences cannot be difputed. Whenever we can divert the thoughts to the other fubjects, or excite paffions of different natures, both of which are certainly, in fome degree, in the power of the mind, we fo far leffen the pangs of corporeal pain. The mere diverfion of thought, by whatever means, is of great ufe. It is probable, that the mind cannot receive two perceptions at the fame inftant. Every moment, therefore, of fuch diverfion, is a paufe from fuffering. Or, if it be admitted that they may be ifochronous, yet the effect of the one, if of a different kind, will be to diminish the other. If, indeed, both the perceptions be of the fame nature; if, to the torture of bodily pain, be added the diftrefs of mental anguifh; the one, compounding itfelf with the other, will exceedingly increase the fenfibility. Compare the feelings of a perfon, fuffering under fome violent difeafe, from the confequences of his own guilt with thofe of another perfon, fuffering the fame affiction, for the testimony of a good confcience, in the caufe of liberty or virtue ! * When • When fenfation is acute, thought will not cafily be diverted. A ftronger gale of affection, or of paffion, will be necessary to turn it from its courfe. And we have already faid, that paffions of every kind, whilft they continue in their ftrength, are able to produce this effect. For the moment, there is little difference between joy and forrow, anger or fondnefs. The fudden coming in of a friend long unfeen, or an alarm for his fafety, if we faw him in the inftant of danger, will equally fufpend corporeal feeling. The tooth ach fhall fly away, at the prefence of the operator, or at the tidings of fome happy event. A man, in the paroxyfms of rage, fhall be as infenfible to wounds and pain, as the pious martyr at the stake. But let us pafs on beyond the moment of vehement excitation, and then, how great the difference! Among the paffions, we muft, first, diftinguish those which are of the longest continuance; because thefe will produce the longeft, and confequently the greateft, effects. Anger and fear are fhort-lived impulfes. And, when their violence is fpent, they induce languor and depreffion. Hence, though fenfation may be fufpended by them for a moment, it will foon return with double pungency. On the contrary, love, joy, and hope, are paffions which live longer in the human breaft; which leave behind them a firm and animating feeling; and which, therefore, may be expected to produce effects more lasting and important. Again, we may diftinguish thofe paffions, which center themselves in a narrower, from thofe which expand to a wider, circle--the felf. ish, from the generous and fublime. Thofe of the former clafs, after their first agitation, are fo far from blunting the fenfe of pain, that they irritate and increase it. Thus, fear and forrow turn the mind' inward upon itself, and aggravate all its painful fenfibilities. Anger, which partakes of the nature of fear and of grief, and is, like them, felfish, has the fame confequences. It makes the mind fore and irritable, and thus whets the edge of fuffering. Love and gratitude, on the other hand, center the heart on other objects; and, if those objects are great, and amiable, and worthy, infpire fublimity and ftrength. Thus, during their whole continuance, they render the mind lefs paffively the flave of bodily impression. What has not parental affection done, what has it not endured, for the fupport and defence of its offspring? How amazingly, how long, has it defied danger, and defpifed fuffering, in fuch a caufe! What has not the love of country voluntarily confented to endure! • The fublimest feelings which can govern the human heart, are thofe infpired by religion. For religion carries the foul beyond itfelf, and centers all its strongest affections upon our Creator, and a better world. If thefe be properly, that is, habitually felt, they will be most friendly to that felf-poffeffion, which braces the mind in all its best, and moft lafting energies. Thefe feelings are permanent in their nature, and large in their object. And how wonderful are often their effects! In that moit awful hour of diffolving nature, when the body is racked with expiring agonies, faith and hope have often prefented the most aftonishing fpectacles of fortitude, yea even of triumph! The mind, borne upwards towards its Maker, has been able to imile in pangs, and to exult in diffolution. G 2 • The • The moral influence of this fentiment is highly interefting and important to us all. It furnishes an argument in favour of virtue and religion, too confiderable to be paffed over in filence. For goodnefs not only infpires the pureft fatisfactions, both in the prefent mo. ment, and in future reflection, but it actually leffens the degree of bodily fuffering It not only increafes the mental enjoyment, but it diminishes corporeal pain. It not only adminifters the fweetest confolations under difeafe, but it renders the difeafe itself less afAlictive.' • A Narrative of the Sufferings of a Collier, who was confined more than feven Days, without Suftenance, and expofed to the Choke-damp, in a Coal-pit, not far from Manchefter; with Obfervations on the Effects of Famine; on the Means of alleviating them; and on the Action of Foul Air on the Human Body. By Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. S. and S. A." On Saturday the 4th of December, 1784, about eight o'clock in the morning, Thomas Travis, a collier, aged twenty-feven, defcended into the pit at Hurft, which is ninety yards in depth; and feveral other workmen were in readinefs to follow him. But foon after he had reached the bottom, the fides of the pit fell in, and he was cut off from all fupplies of the external air. The quantity of earth was fo large, that it required fix days to remove it: and, on Thursday, when the paffage was compleated, the foulnefs of the vapours prevented any one, for fome time, from venturing into the works. On Friday, feveral men entered the coal mine; but not finding Travis, they conjectured that he had attempted to dig his way into another pit, at no great diftance. They followed him by the traces of his working; and on Saturday afternoon, about four o'clock, he heard them, and implored their fpeedy afliftance. When they reached him, he was laid upon his belly, and raising his head, he looked at the men, and addreffed one of them by his name. But his eyes were fo fwoln and protruded, that they were fhocked with the appearance of them; and they prevailed upon him to fuffer a handkerchief to be tied round his head, affigning, as a reafon, that the light might prove dangerous and offenfive to him. Sal volatile was then held to his noftrils, and foon afterwards he complained of the handkerchief, and defired them to remove it. They complied with his request; but his eyes were then funk in their fockets, and he was unable to diflinguish the candle, though held directly before him. Nor did he ever afterwards perceive the leaft glimmering of light. He afked for fomething to drink; and was fupplied with water gruel, that had been previously provided, of which he took a table-fpoonful every ten or fifteen minutes. When the men firft difcovered him, his hands and feet were extremely cold, and no pulfe could be felt at the wrist. But after he had tafted the gruel, and fmelled at the fal volatile, the pulfation of the artery became fenfible, and grew ftronger when they had rubbed him, and covered him with blankets. He now complained of pain in his head and limbs, and faid, his back felt as if it had been broken. Two men lay by his fides, to communicate warmth to him; he put |