AND SOLD BY J. DEIGHTON, CAMBRIDGE; HANWELL AND 1806. W. Flint, Printer, Old Bailey. ART. I.-Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, for the Year 1805. Part I. 4to. 10s. 6d. Nicol. 1805. Art. 1. The Croonian Lecture on Muscular Motion. By Anth. Carlisle, F.R.S.'-Compulsatory oblations to the muse of science do neither in theory hold out the fairest promises, nor have in practice always effected the purposes of their institution. But as industry is to the full as often deficient as genius, we applaud every attempt to add another stimulus to the activity of philosophers. In this paper, Mr. Carlisle has collected with care, and arranged with perspi cuity, the various facts of which we are already in possession regarding the subject of his inquiries; and though the cause of the phenomena of muscular motion may long escape our researches, yet we cannot be too well acquainted with the organs and functions by which it is performed. Mr. Carlisle shews that the muscles by microscopic dissection are reducible to ultimate fibres, and he proceeds to make similar remarks upon the definite extent of vascularity, the reverse of which opinion he informs us prevails among anatomists. We apprehend Mr. Carlisle and his anatomists are only at variance about the meaning of a term, and that while the one thinks of infinite proper, the other alludes to infinite merely relative, the most popular meaning of the word, and most likely to suit the capacities of the bulk of anatomists, who may be allowed to understand muscles and entrails much better than metaphysics. Mr. Carlisle proceeds through a multitude of detached and apophthegmatical remarks to inform us, that Mr. John Hunter had some confused notions that the nerves have no office but to form the communication between the two sensible CRIT. REV. Vol. 6. September, 1805.. B portions of the body, the brain and spinal marrow, and the ultimate fibrils of nervous ramification. This doctrine Mr. C. adopts, though it seems hard to deny sensation to a part of the body so sensible of a wound as a nerve, if indeed that is the meaning of this passage, which the obscurity of Mr. C.'s style induces us to doubt. The next deduction, according to Mr. Carlisle, is, that animated matter may be connected with inanimate, that is, that the one may adhere to the other, which few will be disposed to question. But it will be hard to believe that tendons, horns, and many other parts of animal bodies, are inanimate. We see these, extremely sensible during disease, become insensible when well, and again lose all symptoms of life. Vitality cannot be given and taken in this manner. The fact is, that all disputes of this nature are fundamentally embar rassed for want of a proper definition of life. The latter part of this paper is occupied with facts and experiments, which, Mr. C. informs us, support and illustrate what he calls his argument. We know not whether this author be obscurely profound, or profoundly obscure, but if by argument is meant a connected train of reasoning, there is here nothing of argument. We observe indeed many sensible remarks, each of which would stand equally well in any part of the lecture. The experiments on the temperature of blood seem nearly the same as those formerly made. The experiment to prove the increase of volume of a contracting muscle, shews nothing. It is impossible to say if the same quantity of muscle were in the vessel, or not, during the contraction and relaxation. There seem strong reasons to think the quantity varied. This question, which we long ago, intended to determine, would be more fairly tried by immersing in a vessel of water a newly amputated limb, which might be readily made to contract by the galvanic influence, and the change of bulk would be estimated accurately by the help of a tube fitted to the side of the vessel, and turned up. We recommend this experiment to Mr. Carlisle's attention. There are some curious observations on crimping fish, which it appears become heavier both absolutely and specifically by that process. The paper concludes with some further observations on the contractibility of muscles, and a few general remarks. ་་་ ་་ Art. 2. Experiments for ascertaining how far Telescopes will enable us to determine very small Angles, and to distinguish the real from the spurious Diameters of celestial |