Memoir of Dr. Thomas Young. 405 



published a scientific journal, &c, &c. ? On important oc- 

 casions, as, for example, when his two quarto volumes, 

 each consisting of 800 or 900 pages, appeared in 1807, 

 where every branch of natural philosophy was treated in a 

 new and profound manner, he forgot the interest of the 

 physician, and the name of Young, in large letters, re- 

 placed the two small italics, whose turn had now arrived, 

 and which would have made such a ridiculous figure in this 

 stupendous work. 



Young never had, either when at London or Worthing, 

 where he passed the sea-bathing season, a very extensive 

 practice. The 'public found him too learned! It is even 

 true that his lectures on the Practice of Medicine, at St. 

 George's Hospital, were ill attended. It has been said, in 

 explanation of this, that his lectures were too substantial — 

 that they were above vulgar intellects ! Might not this 

 want of success be rather attributed to the frequent oppor- 

 tunities on which Young pointed out the inextricable diffi- 

 culties which are met with at each step in studying the 

 numerous disorders of our frail machine? 



Could a professor of the faculty at Paris retain any audi- 

 dience, at this time especially, when every one is anxious 

 to obtain his object rapidly, and without labour, if he made 

 use of such language as that which I now transcribe from 

 Young? 



" No study is so complicated as that of medicine; it ex- 

 ceeds the bounds of human intelligence. Physicians who 

 act precipitately, without attempting to comprehend what 

 they observe, are often as much in error as those who 

 constantly generalize from observations which are not 

 analogical." 



And if the professor, continuing in the same strain, 

 added — " In the lottery of medicine, the chances of the 

 possessor of ten tickets are evidently greater than those 

 of the person who has only five." 



When they believed themselves engaged in a lottery, 

 would those of the audience, whom the first expression had 

 not dissipated, be disposed to make great efforts to obtain 

 the greater number of tickets, or, explaining the idea of 

 Young, as much knowledge as possible ? 



Notwithstanding his knowledge, perhaps on account of 



