in natural history, an epithet synonymous with Testacea.

In medicine, all preparations of shells, and substances of the like kind, are called tinctures. Such are powders of crabs claws and eyes, pearl, &c. Dr Quincy and others suppose the virtue of all tinctuous medicines to be alike; that they seldom or never enter the lacteals, but that the chief of their action is in the first passages; in which, however,

(a) There are indeed many livings in the church of England, and probably in other churches, to which nothing in the church of Scotland can be compared in respect of emolument; but these rich benefices bear no proportion to the number of those which, in this age of unavoidable expense, cannot afford to the incumbents the means of decent subsistence as gentlemen. In the church of Scotland many livings amount to £1,200 each annually; and we have reason to hope, that when the present plan for augmenting the stipends of the clergy has been extended over Scotland, very few will be below £1,100; whilst in England the vicarages and small rectories, from which we have reason to believe that the incumbents reap not £80 a-year, greatly exceed in number all the livings in Scotland: Nay we doubt if there be not upwards of a thousand livings in England and Wales from which the rector or vicar derives not above £50 annually. ever, they are of great use in absorbing acidities. Hence they become of use in fevers, and especially in rectifying the many distempers in children, which generally owe their origin to such acidities.