[ »86 ] 



I have been aduated to do fo folely by the hope of exciting 

 others to enquire after truth. I do not exped that my arguments 

 will afibrd conviction to any firm believer of the eftablifhcd 

 opinions on this fnbjed ; the authority of one man is rarely 

 fufficient to overturn or even invalidate an opinion generally and 

 long received, efpecially when the nature of the fubjefl does 

 not admit of demonflrative proof. The united labours of Willis, 

 Baglivi, Hoffman and Cullen, were neceffary to reform the 

 humoral pathology of their predeccffors in regard to the difeafes 

 of adults ; the hypothefis of almoft all difeafes being produced 

 by morbific matter and various kinds of acrimony abounding 

 in the human fluids ceafes to be believed, nay is generally 

 denied. 



I CANNOT conclude without expreffing a hope that a well- 

 direded attention from phyficians of the prefent or fuccceding 

 age may ftrike out a more rational and fuccefsful fyftem of 

 pradicc than the prefent in regard to the difeafes of infancy. 



i 



