XIV 
The Introduction to the Second V olume. 
is made ufe of by Dr. Willis, even in the Title Page of 
his Pharmaceutice Rationalis, printed at Oxford. I was 
told of a great Critic, who notwithftanding I think he was 
ote of the worft Speakers I ever heard, when Perfons of 
Learning and good Underftanding were commending the late 
Dr. Spratt, Bifhop of Rachefter, for his writing the fineft 
Language of any Author in the Engli/b Tongue, he faid, 
he was fo far from being of that Opinion, that the very 
Title Page of his celebrated Book of the Hiftory of the 
Royal Society was not good and Gramatical Englifot | 
think Olans Ruddeck makes it appear, that Women who 
feldom ot never ftudy Grammar, are the moft exact 
Speakers of any Mother Tongue, and I believe moft 
Grammars are made from the Languages themfelues as they 
were or are ufed in common Difcourfe. | will mention but 
one Paffage more of a very good Scholar and Phyfitian, 
who had a great “Averfionto_the late Dr. Radcliffe, and 
would one Day endeavour to perfuade me, that he could 
not cure a Difeafe, becaufe he had feen a Latin Prefcrip- 
tion of his, wherein Pilula was wrote with a double Il 
inftead of a fingle one. Ihave never obferv’d, that thofe 
Phyfitians who regarded the Latin Turns and Words of 
their Prefcriptions, more then the other material Things 
to be confider’d, were more Fortunate in their Cures of 
Difeafes then others, who took a fort of Lingua Franca 
the common Language known in Apothecaries Shops, ind 
which all other Profeffions ufe in their Affairs, as well as - 
Phyfitians. Neither have I feen any Effet of Gibberifh or | 
other Words ufed as Charms to cure or rather fright Difeafes, 
tho’ in ancient Times, and even now fome havea great Opi- 
hior of them from a Belief they have in an axiom berbis 
ver bis, 5 lapidibus, ineft magna vis. 
- There ate many other Things that are objected againf, 
fome Opinions I have taken up, | think upon good Grounds 
as that the great Pox, or Venereal Difeafe came from the 
Weft-Indies to Ewrope in the firft Ship from thence, againft 
‘which it is alledged, that it was known in all Times, and 
particularly, that the Elephantiafis or true Leprofy was the 
| fame 
