On the Neglect of the Bath Waters. 35 



or any particular mode of treatment, to the exclusion of all 

 others, an error into which the more superficial professors of the 

 healing art have at all times fallen. Accordingly, Gideon Har- 

 vey, in his very severe satire upon those of the seventeenth 

 century, has divided them into the following sects, according to 

 their peculiar and exclusive modes of treating diseases. 1. 

 Orareo-ferreo-medici, who cured all their patients with 

 preparations of iron. 2. Asinarii Doctores. The patients of 

 these asinine doctors were indiscriminately ordered to drink 

 asses' milk. 3. Jesuitici Doctores, who were equally ad- 

 dicted to Peruvian bark ; and he wittily adds, d capite ad cal- 

 cem defraudantes. 4. Aquarii-medici, whose patients were 

 all sent to drink mineral waters. 5. Lanii Doctores. These 

 had recourse to the lancet in every disease. 6. Stercorarii 

 Doctores. These were quite as positive in maintaining that 

 all diseases were to be expelled by means of purging medicines. 

 After which classification he emphatically says, " Hie autem 

 ars medica ad instar monstri sex pedibus incedere videtur." Had 

 he, however, lived in these days, he must have given the beast 

 another foot, to designate a sect of which he had no conception, 

 namely, Hvdrargyri Doctores, who attack all diseases with 

 one and the same mercurial weapon. Or he might rather have 

 regarded it as a monster with only one foot, of a blue colour ; a 

 true Gasteropode. 



A physician of great respectability, retired from practice, had 

 the curiosity, during the last autumn, to look over a file of pre- 

 scriptions in a chemist's shop. He examined thirty, of which 

 number twenty-eight consisted of blue pill ! 



Cau such things be, 

 And overcome us like a summer's cloud. 

 Without our special wonder .' 



I have the honour to be. Sir, &c. 



A Resident Physician in Bath. 

 To W. T. Brande, Esq. 



D 2 



