good conductors of electricity, insoluble | in water, and absorb oxygen. These general properties are possessed, in a variable degree, by the different metals; some of them being peculiarly malleable and ductile, while others are of a brittle nature. Some of them possess a powerful affinity for oxygen, while others can absorb it only under peculiar circumstances. The metals are seldom found in a state of purity, but are generally combined with oxygen, sulphur, the acids, or with other metals. When one metal is found mixed with another, the substance is called an alloy; when with non-metallic bodies, an ore. The process by which the metals are extracted from their ores varies according | to circumstances, and is known as washing, smelting, or amalgamating. Gold is the most valuable of all the metals, and is found most abundantly in Peru and Brazil, in South America; though it is also obtained in Siberia, Hungary, some parts of Africa, and in other places. This metal is rather more than nineteen times heavier than water; is the most ductile of all the metals, and at the same time possesses great tenacity, though not equal in this respect to some other metals. Its malleability is so great, that leaves of gold may be formed, having a thickness not greater than 1-282,000th parts of an inch in thickness. It may be melted at an intense heat, 3000° Fahrenheit; is not affected by exposure to the air, and has been preserved at a high temperature in a furnace for some months, without undergoing any perceptible change; it may, in fact, be kept in a fluid state for a great length of time, with out a decrease of weight, or the loss of any of its properties. A very intense temperature is required to volatilize it; but this effect has been produced. Gold will unite with oxygen, and it is easily converted into an oxide when acted upon by a powerful voltaic battery. It will also unite with one or two of the acids, and form salts. It may here be noticed, that when an earth, alkali, or metal unites with an acid, it forms a substance called, in chemical language, a salt. Gold is less hard than an alloy of gold and copper, and the ductility of the metal is destroyed by the admixture of either bismuth, antimony, or lead: a proportion of one nineteen-hundredth part is sufficient to produce this result. SILVER is a white and sonorous metal, and is found, in greater or less abundance, in almost all countries, and is so ductile that one grain may be drawn into a wire 400 feet in length. Its specific gravity is 10; it possesses great tenacity, melts at 1000° Fahrenheit, may be volatilized, combines with oxygen, and is the most brilliant of all the metals. It is generally alloyed with copper before it is employed in the manufactures, and its hardness is thus greatly increased. IRON is the most useful and most abundant of the metals, being found in all parts of the world; a circumstance which proves the goodness of the Creator, in providing for the comfort and wants of man. It is of a blueish-grey colour, is capable of receiving a brilliant polish, and, excepting tin, is the lightest of all metals; its specific gravity being 73. It is melted at a high temperature; but when heated to redness, two pieces of iron may, by repeated hammering, be perfectly united together. This process is called welding. Iron is brought into the market in three states. When first extracted from the ore, it is called cast-iron, and contains carbon and oxygen; but by hammering, it may be deprived of these substances, and is then called wrought-iron. If bars of wroughtiron and of charcoal be laid one upon another, and exposed for some time to a considerable temperature, the iron will absorb a portion of carbon, and be converted into steel; a substance which possesses some distinct and important properties. Iron, when united with a certain proportion o carbon, forms carbonate of iron, commonly known by the name of plumbago, or blacklead. When united with silica and alumina, it forms emery; and many useful substances are produced by its combinations with oxygen, sulphur, and other bodies. COPPER is an elastic, sonorous, ductile, and tenacious metal; melts at the temperature of 1450° Fahrenheit; has a specific gravity of 8; is malleable, and may be beaten into remarkably thin leaves; in which state it is termed Dutch metal. When combined with oxygen, it forms verdigris; and with sulphuric acid, Roman vitriol. Brass, a useful and well-known alloy, consists of copper and zinc; three parts of the former to two of the latter; bronze and bellmetal are composed of copper and tin. TIN is found in various parts of Europe and America; but that used in this country is chiefly obtained from the mines of Cornwall. It has a bright white colour, a strong and unpleasant taste; gives out a peculiar odour when rubbed, and has a specific gravity of 74. It is sufficiently malleable to be beaten into leaves one thousandth of an inch in thickness, is very flexible in its nature, and is distinguished from all other metals by the singular cracking noise which is produced when it is bent. It melts at 410°Fahrenheit, and is serviceable for the manufacture of many domestic utensils, though it is more commonly used to coat iron and copper articles. It alloys with other metals; but its most useful compound is with lead, forming pewter. TEMPERANCE. DR. FARRE, in answers to his examination by the Parliamentary Committee, stated that he has been forty-one years in medical practice, in different parts of the world. He now practises in London. Undoubtedly, says he, the gin-shop may be considered as the source of great destruction and demoralization to the poor. I view the gin-shop in every new neighbourhood with very great pain. The gin-shop, rising like a palace, absorbs the wealth, and the health, and the life of the labouring classes. I call them whited sepulchres, full of rottenness and dead men's bones. The following are the doctor's opinions on the medical use of alcohol :: In regulating the heart, the physician raust be able to force the circulation; and this forcing is done by diffusible stimulants, of which alcohol is one. The average quantity of fermented liquor (not distilled spirit) measuring it by wine, that medical men recommend when it is needed, is two glasses daily. I remember, says he, a patient, who was so recommended, telling me he found himself searching for the largest glasses in the house. I say two wineglasses of wine; which quantity warms the stomach into a gentle digestion, but is not felt in the way of excitement in the brain. I believe alcohol is wholly unnecessary to persons in health, and that in all cases it should be viewed as a medicine. The best medical rule that ever was given for the use of alcohol, in the form of wine, is given by Paul, when he says, "Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake." This does not necessarily mean the daily use of a little wine: the individual for whom it was prescribed was full of infirmity, and he might require it daily. I am not speaking of the healthy man; the healthy man requires only water, unless his exertion be inordinate. I think the habitual use of spirits, in any degree, pernicious. They should be used only as a medicine. I never prescribe them but as medicine; and I have been often prevented from prescribing them, when I thought them necessary in moderate quantities, for fear of the habit. I believe that the use of stimulants by women, especially of the lower classes, first given medicinally, has a great tendency to bring about habits of drinking. I call the habitual use of these diffusible stimuli, whether spirituous, ethereal, or opiate, with the exception of ammonia, medical dram-drinking; and although the occasional use of the diffusible stimuli be indispensable in medicine, yet if it degenerate into a habit, it inevitably leads on to that result which now engages the attention of the committee. The cholera was not only more fatal to drunkards generally, but fewer recovered under treatment by the diffusible stimulants of alcohol and opium than by a milder and more discreet treatment. Having been asked whether the addition of water merely, effects any change in the property of distilled spirit, he replied-It does not. Diluted spirit destroys as effectually, though more slowly, than the undiluted spirit; but there is an idea among drinkers that dilution renders it more safe, and I will give an illustration from a drinker: -The chairman of the most notorious drinking-club that, perhaps, ever existed in London, was a ruddy old man at eightyfour. His knuckles were radiant with gout, and his face was glowing with the acina rosacea of intemperance, venting itself at his protuberant and fiery red nose, which, though of a prodigious size, and perpetually distilling, was not quite so enormous a nose as the one described by Sennert, which "impeded vision and required lopping." He acknowledged that he had reformed for thirty years of his life; and you may judge what the habit had been by the reform; for his allowance consisted of one pint of brandy a-day, and six glasses of Madeira after dinner; and he maintained that it could not possibly injure him, because he always diluted it to the strength of white wine. This man was called by venders of liquor a decoy, one of the devil's decoys; and emphatically so called. I was curious to inquire how many of his companions (for it was a notorious club) were living. There was not one living; he had buried three sets of them. He presented an example of that constitution which bears high stimulation: and woe be to him who attempts to compeer with such an one! Being asked whether the stimulus produced by the use of spirits adds any strength to the body, Dr. Farre replied-As a forcing power, it gives, during the state of excitement, increased power; during the state diluting the liquor; thus rendering it less destructive. I recollect another large ginshop, where, on being called to attend, I questioned the publican on the same point, and he told me that the Home Secretary was only reconciled to the point, on his assuring him it was little better than strong grog; but the truth is, that the strong grog suffices for destruction, if enough of it be taken, and that enough is taken, we have too many melancholy of collapse, diminished power in an ex- | fore I succeeded, but afterwards I could never get her to leave it off." With respect to the extension of good fellowship to domestic life, perhaps heads of families are not aware of the mischief which they inconsiderately do, when, in the warmth of their feeling, they persuade their wives and their children to be partakers of their cups. I remember being called to a female, in the last stage of disorganization of body and demoralization of mind, and she was within a few days of inevitable death. After I had examined the case, and had acknowledged that nothing could be done, the husband took me on one side and said, " Sir, I regret to acknowledge that I am the unintentional cause of this woman's death." He added, "When I married her, she was as lovely and innocent a young woman as I ever beheld; but having been accustomed to a sea-life, and to take my grog with impunity, I persuaded her to On the subject of temptations to drunk-drink with me. Two years elapsed beenness, the doctor said-Drunkenness is the result of habit; the unhappy individual is beguiled into it, and it becomes a vicious Now, that unhappy woman perished, propensity, by the law of habit. If I were not because she loved the liquor, but beto illustrate to you how men are entrapped cause the habit of taking it was estainto drunkenness, I would take dealers in blished. The law of over-stimulants is fermented liquors, publicans, brewers, and this, that the circulation falls off in a distillers' servants, and travellers. These greater proportion than it was forced; men become drunkards in the way of then comes the collapse, or the depressed their business without intending it. It feeling, from the abstraction of the alis a part of their occupation to sell their cohol, and then the desire for renewing liquors, &c.; and therefore they take it the dose: but the further law of stimuby way of inducement. I have pretty lants is, that the dose must be increased uniformly found that the habit has arisen to produce the desired excitement, and from their occupation, rather than from thus a fatal habit is established, by which a vicious propensity; and they have been structures essential to life are disorganundone before they were aware of it. Iized; but long before the beautiful strucremember asking the head of a large gin- ture of the body is disorganized, the mind shop, what was the inducement to drink is demoralized, and the love of truth deamong the poor?" He said, "Good fel-stroyed. lowship;" and I asked him if he was cruel enough to give them proof-spirits? "Oh, no," he said, "we should burn their insides out; we make it comfortable for them." Thus, even the publicans show a mercy, perhaps a fraudulent mercy, in THE QUACK DOCTOR. If you do not know what a quack doctor is, it does not signify, nor would it, indeed, be of any evil consequence if you never should know all the days of your life; but as there is some danger that, at one time or other, you may fall into the hands of quack doctors, if you remain in ignorance of them, so I will, as well as I can, explain, what a quack doctor is, that you may be aware of your danger, and guard against him. A quack doctor, then, is one who undertakes, generally to cure diseases in a way that no other person can, by some particular medicine known only to himself. He prints handbills, and puts puffing accounts in the newspapers about the many and wonderful cures he has performed, and thus deceives people, easy of belief, by his vain boasting, persuading them that he is astonishingly learned and clever, while at the same time he is often miserably ignorant and unskilful. If there be one mark plainer than another by which you may discover a quack doctor from a talented physician or skilful surgeon it is this, that he often undertakes to cure diseases, totally different from each other, by the same means. Now this is so barefaced an imposture, that one would wonder where people could be found so simple as not to see through the cheat; yet so it is, such silly people are found, and that in great abundance. As it is my wish that you may not act so unwise a part as these people do, I will endeavour to make it quite plain to you, how very weak and wicked it is to undertake to cure opposite complaints with the same remedy. third is afflicted with inward inflamma- The impudence of quack doctors is unbearable. One professes to cure almost all the diseases that the body is liable to by a few bottles of a medicine that, in many cases, will do neither good nor harm; while another boastingly undertakes to do the same thing with a box of pills. This impudence and folly might be laughed at, if it did not do so much mischief as it does; but when a quack doctor persuades a poor afflicted being to depend on his uselesss, if not injurious stuff, instead of applying to a skilful professor of medicine or surgery, he is trifling with the life, and sacrificing the happiness of a fellow-creature. And here I would just notice that almost all the tinctures, elixirs, balms, and other wonderful quack medicines you read about, contain a large quantity of spirits or alcohol. Look back to Dr. Farre's evidence, which is on the pages before this article, and be assured that every word he there says about spirits is applicable to these poisonous compounds. If ever you should be afflicted with disease, at any period of your life, never go to a quack doctor: avoid him as you would plague, pestilence, and famine. Go to one whose days have been devoted to the acquirement of knowledge and skill as a doctor; let him have your money, and with God's blessing on his assistance, you may hope for a cure. Nay, if you have no money to give, do not be down-hearted on that account, for though quack doctors are not fond of giving their advice for nothing, many wise and kind-hearted surgeons and physicians do so continually. Suppose three boys wanted to do three things. One to warm his hands, another to fly his kite, and a third to quench his thirst, and I advised them by all means, to get a good fire as soon as they could, that | they might all do what they wanted to do. Now you may see, with half an eye, that though the good fire might do capitally to warm the hands of the one, it would not enable the other to fly his kite, nor the third to quench his thirst. Or, suppose that, instead of a good fire, I recommended them all to use a ball of packstring; why they would be no better off than before: for though one might certainly fly his kite with the packstring, the others could neither warm their hands with it, nor quench their thirst. Should I not, then, think you, deserve to I hate quack doctors, or rather I hate be censured for folly, instead of being praised their guilty practices; for I hold it a fearfor wisdom? and so ought every quack doc-ful thing to tamper with the afflicted tor in the land to be censured, who undertakes to cure opposite diseases with the same remedy. Let us suppose, again, that three persons are unwell. One is faint with want and weariness, a second has the rheumatism, a bodies of human beings. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and he who pretends to understand, and to relieve diseases when he knows that he is ignorant of them; yea, when he knows that he is living on the very life-blood of his fellow-creatures, has a dreadful account to give of his sinful career. But though it be, as I said before, a fearful thing to tamper and trifle with men's bodies, it is a still more fearful thing to tamper and trifle with their souls! And, there are thousands who set up as spiritual quack doctors in the world, ever ready to persuade people to take their advice instead of that of the faithful ministers of Christ, who plainly point out the diseases of our souls, and the proper remedies for our sins. Every one who lives in the world is liable to some particular bodily disease, more than to another, and it is the very same with the soul; we each of us have a besetting sin. These spiritual quacks often try to make people believe that the disease of sin is not so general, or not so dangerous as it really is. Some of these quacks are very ignorant, and others, very designing; be then upon your guard, "for they lie in Iwait to deceive." Sooner or later they will be found out in their evil practices. It is enough to sink us to the dust, to know that we are all affected with the leprosy of sin; but it is enough to raise us up with joy, to be assured that there is a great Physician, who cures all who apply to him. He has a fountain open for all uncleanness he heals every disease, and bids the bones that are broken to rejoice. These things he does without fee or reward, without money, and without price. ; This great Physician is the Redeemer of the world, even our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and now sits on the right hand of God, "able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." I cannot tell you half the wondrous cures he performs by his almighty power: not only "the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear;" but the very "dead are raised ;" and those who once looked forward to eternal death, he makes partakers of everlasting life. Have nothing to do with the quack doctors of the soul any more than with those of the body. The soul is of too great a value to be trusted in their hands. Go to the great Physician, as you have need of his assistance, for "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," 1 John i. 8, 9. LOVE OF GOD. THE great God could have enjoyed the glory of his justice in the everlasting punishment of unthankful man, and yet had glorious creatures enough, the blessed angels, to have been the everlasting partakers and admirers of his goodness; and if there had been yet an absolute necessity for visible intellectual creatures, to be the participants of his goodness and the active instruments of his glory, the same power that created men at first, could have created a new generation of men that might have supplied the defection of our first parents and their descendants. What, then, is the origin of all his goodness to poor sinful man, to purchase such a worthless creature at such an invaluable price as the blood of the Son of God? Nothing but love; free undeserved love; love that loved before it was sought; that loved when it was rejected: "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; but because the Lord loved you," Deut. vii. 7. He loved you, because he loved you. As Almighty God could not define himself by anything but himself, "I am that I am," Exod. iii. 14, so he can resolve his love into no other motive than his love he loved you because he loved you. And here is the spring, the fountain of this strange and unheard-of goodness of God in Christ; nothing but the free love of God; "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," &c., John iii. 16. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins," John iv. 10. And that very same love that was in the Father to send, was in the Son to come, and to die for us. It was he that loved and washed us with his own blood; washed us because he loved us. When we lay, like Ezekiel's wretched infant, polluted in our blood, Ezek. xvi. 5, 6, when no eye pitied us, then this love of God passed by us, and said unto us, Live; yea, said unto us, when we were in our blood, Live. And when that life was not to be acquired for us but by the death of the eternal Son of God, then to purchase that life for us he sold his own; and to wash us from the pollutions of our blood, freely spent and shed his own. This "the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge," Eph. iii. 19.-Sir M. Hale. was JOHN DAVIS, 56, Paternoster Row, London. Price d. each, or in Monthly Parts, containing Five Numbers in a Cover, 3d. W. Tyler, Printer, 4, Ivy Lane, St. Paul's. |