The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

Memorable Eventsin the _Life of a London Physician

One vol. pp. 276. Virtue Brothers,

When we say that the physician, whose expe-
riences are here recorded, is Dr. Dickson, the cele-
brated author of " Fallacies of the Faculty," the
great medical reformer and innovator, it is almost
superfluous to add that this work is full of interest
end full of common sense. It is earnest and
thoughtful, and eminently practical in the lessons
which it inculcates—lessons worthy of deep atten-
tion.
,The writer is, perhaps, a little too anxious to
enforce his own opinions, a little too reliant upon
the truths of his ow❑ philosophy, but it is a goad
fault. Earnestness is the secret of all success, and
we cannot expect that a man who has been bold
enough to believe, and to act in opposition to the
venerable traditions of his confraternity, will hesi
tate to stand by his opinions and claim the merit of
their origin when their truth has been admitted by
a large majority, and whe❑ others were found (as is
always the case) to share in a success which they
had no hand in achieving. In his younger days
Dr. Dickson tells us he was constantly assured that
the best school for study was the dissecting room,and
while he admits that this advice is admirable for the
acquisition of mechanical skill iu surgery,he ridicules
the idea of studying pathology in ouch a spot. " To
associate," he indignantly exclaims, "the word
pathos—sensibility, feeling—with the dissection of
bodies that by no possibility can feel at all, is a new
edition of /fleas a non lucendo." We will not fol-
low Dr. Dickson throughout his very clear and com-
prehensive explanation of his favourite theory—
the Chrono•thermai—a system founded upon the
fact of man being essentially a creature of habit
(periodici(y) and exquisitely susceptible to the fluc-
ivations of temperature. A resoluie foe, like many
of the more sensib e doctors of modern days, to
the old established system of purging and bleeding,
Dr. Dickson's object is to strengthen nature, and
.0 employ art only to assist in the progress of a
natural recovery. This teaching is best summed up
in the lines applied to him in a letter from one of
his admirers—

" To render with my precepts less
The sum of human wretchedness,
And strengthen man with his own mind."
In the hope that these very interesting pages may
conduce to that desirable result we very cordially
recommend the London Physician's reminiscences.

Man, or the Old and New Philosophy. By the Rev.
B. W. Savile, M.A. One vol., pp. 296. Hurst and
Blackett.

The distance intervening between the sublime
and the ridiculous is proverbially trifling. Mr.
Savile has endeavoured to combine both extremes,
and the result was so inevitable that is hardly ne-
cessary to particularise it. He has failed, emi-
nently failed, in attaining the sublime—he has suc-
ceeded entirely in ensuring the ridiculous! The
first chapter of his book is on the origin of man,
and gives a tolerably amusing enumeration of the
different theories of "development," theories admir-
ably summed up in a poem (quoted in this volume)
which appeared some time back in Blacktoood's
Magazine, entitled " Monboddo," and with which
our readers are no doubt familiar. The last chapter
relates to the "end of man," and is filled with a
collection of most ridiculous epitaphs, some
of which are well known to all the lovers
of such curiosities of literature. The main
interest of the book, in fact, consists in
well known quotations. In fact we may justly
quote, as a true comment on the author of this
work (and Mr. Savile is fond of such quotations),
Lord Russell's witty commentary upon an offending

leaker, " He has uttered many things that are
true, and many things that are new, but unfortu-
nately those which are true are not new, and those
which are new are nut true"---and so hue we found
It with Mr. Sdvile.

Life, Law, and Literature. Essays on various sub
jests. By W. G. I. Baxter, Esq., Barrister-at-
law. One vol. pp 230. Bell and Daldy.
These miscellaneous and very thoughtful Essays
have well deserved republication, and they are
worthy of an attentive perusal. They are, for the
most part, brief, and may serve to occupy a leisure
ten minutes in the perusal of one or other of them,
but they will not be dismissed from the thoughts
when the book is laid aside. Kindred spirits will feel
encouraged and benefitted by their brief but earnest
intercourse with Mr. Baxter. The subjects of his re-
marks are singularly varied, among them are essays
on " Poets" and " Poetry," and " Periodical Litera-
ture," on " Colonies and Commerce," on " Marriage
with a Deceased Wife's Sister," on " War not Un-
christian," " Legends and Language," " Our Duty
to Society," "How to Make a Lawyer," "Literal
Translations," " Dramatic Entertainments," " Hu-
mour in its relation to the Poet," and a multitude
of others of equally varied character. In some very
just remarks in the last-named article, it is truly
said, in reference to the poet's power of appreciation,
" in this world of good and bad, of mirth and tears,
the master-worker must have his eyes open, and
his soul must vibrate to ever pulse of humanity, or
he will be marred in delivering to men the reflex
of Themselves. A complete poet must have the
faculty of seeing everything with the eyes of every
class in the community to which he belongs; he
must see everything as they see it from their point
of view." In other words, he must have sympathy.
In the article on " Childhood," it is happily said,
"a real child is worth kidnapping, for, to say the
truth, they be rare." " Reading and Study" is the
subject of a very judicious article well worthy of
of attentive perusal.

M. GOUNOD, THE COMPOSER OF FAUST.—In
1851, some sacred music made by him was first
brought to hearing, and in London, at St. Martin's Hall,
under the presidency of Mr John Hullah ; and later in the
same year, Sapho, his firot opera, in Paris, owing to the
active and prescienE influence of a great artist. The recep-
tion of these works was in England damnation, in France

faint praise. Nothing daunted, the composer went on to
write choruses for Ulysse, a dreary classical play by the
taen much overrated M. Ponsard—a second opera, La
Nonne Sanglante, to one of the worst drams in being—
which opera, however, is rich in beautiful and characteristic
music—a third La Medecin Malgre lui, a quaint treatment
of MoHere's comedy ; and fourthly, this same inconvenient,
unauthorised, and truly indefensible Faust, which has been
bold enough to attack and to retain Germany, and to force
its way into twa of our English theatres at once—an opera
which, like other things that cannot be cured, must be en-
dured—an opera simply and st riously the only opera on the
legend waich, till now, has gained, or deserved to gain,
universal acceptance. To make the victory more signifi-
cant, it should be added that Faust was originally produced
at the third musical theatre in Paris, with only one good
chance in its favour—that, it is true, a very good one—a
Margaret in Madame Miolan-Carvalho, not to be surpassed
in exquisite musical skill, delicacy of feeling as an actress.
or depth of expression as an interpreter. What the per-
manent fate of M. Gounoi's opera may be in Eng;and it is
not for us to say. There is a caprice in publics totally ir-
respective of real merit or national consistency. With our
public, two of the best operas ever written, Cherubini's Les
deux Journees, and t.,,pontinee La Vestale, have no exis.
tence. The Germans care little for Handel—the k ranch
know nothing of him. Come what may, M. Gounod's
Faust exceeds every other former work on the subject.—
Dickens's " All the Year Round."

CAPTAINS GRANT AND SPEKEAT THE ETHNO•
LOGICAL SOClETY.—Yesterday evening an extra
meeting of the members of the Ethnological Society was
held at the United Service Institution, to hear from Captain
Grant an account of the ethnological peculiarities of the
native races of Central Africa. Mr. Lubbock presided, and
said he was glad to see Captain Grant and Captain Speke.
The numerous attendance showed that the society was
fully justified in holding an extra meeting to hear the paper
which Captain Grant would read. Captain Grant, who
met with a ♦ery cordial reception, then read his paper, which
was highly interesting. The line from Zanzibar to Gondi-
corra was overspread, generally speaking, with the negro
race. The chief exceptions were the Arabs and the
Mahoma. No general description of the features of the
negroes could be given, though the receding forehead, the
prominent muzzle, the bridgeless nose, and well-shaped
dark eyes were common to most of them. The cheek was
prominent, and the head was well set on the shoulders.
The trunk and limbs were symmetrically formed, and the
head was covered with coarse, wiry wool. The average
height was 6 feet 6or 7 inches. In dress or cleanliness
the natives were not particular. They had no idea of a
soul, and polygamy was the rule among them. The paper
met with a very favourable reception; and in answer to
questions from Mr. Crawfurd and others, Captains Grant
and Speke entered into a variety of explanations touching
the manners and customs of the naive races. Votes of
thanks Were given with much ordislity to both travellers, ,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

The following telegram bas been received at Mr.
Reuter's office from the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company, July 2:—