BURDIN’S COURSE OF MEDICAL STUDIES» 
dies, and of the phenomena exhibited by 
the different organs in health and dis- 
ease.- ‘This isa mode of communicating 
knowledge, which the French seem very 
fond of; there is scarccly any subject 
which has not furnished them with wn 
cours &F un’ dictionaire. Such collections 
have their use; they afford information 
and entertainment to most readers, and 
may give general notions to many, who 
have not opportunities to acquire all 
that knowledge which can only be ob- 
tained by more profound research and 
extensive enquiry. Dr. Burdin has ex- 
ecuted his design with great diligence, 
he has collected together a variety of inte- 
restingandimportantfacts, and condensed 
a vast body of information within the li- 
mits of three volumes. Althoughthiswork 
is said to be chiefly designed for medical 
students, the author, in a preliminary dis- 
course, enlarges his. ideas of its utility, 
and flatters himself that every intelligent 
petson, by reading his book, will render 
himself master of the subjects on which 
it treats. He hopes to banish quackery 
by a more general diffusion of medical 
knowledge, and in this opinion he is not 
singular. "Fhe grounds of such expec- 
tations may reasonably be doubted. In- 
stead of its being the means of putting 
an end to quackery, a superficial know- 
ledge of diseases, a smattering of medical 
Science, seems most likely to encourage 
it. To say that a person who has learnt 
that the body is composed of bones, mus- 
cles, and nerves, &c. is best qualified to 
take care of his own health, and restore 
it when deranged, is like saying that 
every soldier is duly qualified to repair 
his own firelock, if he happens to know 
that the barrel is made of iron, and the 
bullet is discharged by the sudden extri- 
eation of arelastic gas. Who purchase 
quack medicines?) Who take these me- 
dicines unnecessarily? Who are most 
frequently indisposed from imaginary 
complaints? Who neglect the precious 
moments for arresting the progress cf 
acute and dangerous diseases? ‘lhe rea- 
ders of Buchan’s Domestic Medicine, the 
family prescribers, and nostrum mongers. 
Quackery will continue aslong as knaves 
and fools remain to dupe and be duped, 
and this probably as long as men conti- 
nue “to wag their béards.”* One ad- 
vantage of these popular views of medical 
subjects may be, to prevent sensible per- 
sons from being imposed upon by the 
grimace and ease sapience of ignorant 
739 
practitioners, in the same way as a £e@- 
neral knowledge of the principles of law 
and justice, assisted by common sense 
may prevent imposition by crafty an 
pettiforging attornies. Many persons 
consider themselves the best qualified to 
judge of their disorders by their Senge 
tions, which is a very equivocal test, be- 
cause at the beginning of any disease the 
nervous system is generally affected, and 
false conceptions are produced in the 
mind. | ‘¢ Every man his own physician,” 
is an unfortunate adage for many hypo- 
chondriacs, and besides it is a satire upon 
the medical profession. 
Tris course of medical studies is di- 
vided into three parts:—the first com- 
prehends the organic structure of the 
body, the osteology, the muscular and 
nervous system, the senses, the function 
of digestion, circulation, and generation. 
The second part includes the history of 
-diseases ; and the third part is occupied 
with physiological disquisitions- on the 
vital functions, the action of the brain 
and nerves, &c. Ina work so very ge- 
neral as that of Dr. Burdin, which in- 
cludes such a variety of topics, some 
faults and imperfections are to be ex- 
pected, It would be tedious to enume- 
rate all those which have attracted out 
notice ; a few remarks may be sufficient 
to convey some notion of its defects, as 
well as its merits. The first volume con- 
tains many curious facts with regard to 
the anatomical structure of the lower 
animals, selected from the valuable lec- 
tures on comparative anatomy, by Cuvier 
and Dumerfl. In describing the mus- 
cles, the author has employed the no- 
menclature of Chaussier and Dumas, 
Many objections may be started to the 
adoption of these terms; they are diffcule 
to be understocd, and still-more so to be 
remembered. Winslow long ago showed 
the propriety of distinguishing muscles 
by names which marked their crigin and 
insertion. But Chaussier and Dumasy. 
in adopting this principle, have carried 
it too far. In framing their new nomen- 
clature, they seem to have forgotten one 
of the great purposes of language, that 
of dispatch. ‘Their compound names in 
general are bad descriptions, they are 
with difficulty pronounced or remem- 
bered, and what is worse, they do not 
apply to other animals besides man: for 
many muscles that have similar situa- 
tions and functions, have not the same 
origin and insertion in-all animals. Ie 
3 C 4 
