228 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



its successors (systematic medicine). These systems were developed 

 by distinguished teachers or writers, were usually mutually antagonis- 

 tic, and left but little impress of abiding value or truth upon internal 

 medicine. The chief of these medical systems were as follow : 

 In the seventeenth century: 



1. The mystical system of Van Helmont (1578-1644), in which such 

 factors as the fall of man, spirits, demons and witches figured as causes 

 of disease; this system was a sort of recasting of the doctrines of Para- 

 celsus. 



2. The Iatrochemical system, originated by Franciseus Sylvius 

 (1614—1672), attributed the phenomena of disease to chemical causes 

 (as excess of acid or of alkali) ; but the chemical ideas underlying the 

 system were crude and fantastic. 



3. The Iatrophysical (Iatromechanical or Iatromathematical) sys- 

 tem, originated by Sanctorius (1561-1635) or more especially by 

 Borelli (1608-1679), explained physiologic and pathologic processes 

 as brought about by the physical and mechanical activities of the body 

 structures, and employed precise methods for measuring those activities. 

 This system had considerable following, and while it may have con- 

 tributed to physiologic knowledge it was ineffective as a basis for thera- 

 peutics. 



4. The system of Thomas Sydenham (1624-1689), of England, 

 who largely followed Hippocrates. 



In the eighteenth century: 



5. The eclectic doctrines of Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738), of 

 Holland ; he was preeminently a clinician, and in his day was the most 

 celebrated practitioner of Europe. 



6. Animism, the spiritualistic system of Georg Ernest Stahl (1660 

 -1734). 



7. The system of Friedrich Hoffmann (1660-1742), based on the 

 mechanical and motor activities of the body. 



8. The system of William Cullen (1712-1790), based especially 

 on the nervous activities of the body. 



9. The " Old Vienna School," founded by Gerhard van Swieten 

 (1700-1772), and having Maximilian Stoll (1742-1787) as a distin- 

 guished adherent ; this school largely followed a humoral pathology, akin 

 to the doctrines of Hippocrates, Sydenham and Boerhaave. 



10. The doctrine of " infarctus," introduced by Johann Kampf 

 (published 1780), according to which diseases in general were due to 

 fecal impactions (or "infarcts") and therapeusis was based on rectal 

 irrigation. 



11. Vitalistic systems, based on the activities of the "vital force," 

 supported by Bordeu (1722-1776), Barthez (1734-1806) of the school 

 of Montpellier, Reil (1759-1813) of Germany, Bichat (1771-1802) 

 of France, and others. 



