Inquiry into the Nature and Properties of the Blood. 207 



fied for bringing its various faculties into full exercise, and to 

 a more complete exhibition of its inherent powers, than at the • 

 present :^for never was it so free to act its part in thinking, 

 judging, and deciding upon, any matter: never did it enjoy 

 such a vast accumulated store of experience, for its basis and 

 direction ; never did it exhibit such a thirst after and such a 

 relish for knowledge ; never did it betray such a disposition 

 to scrutinize the theories, doctrines and traditions which 

 have so long held her in bondage, as at the present day. And 

 surely if it be disposed for what is good, as well as for what is 

 true, its gratitude to the country and age which is now yield- 

 ing to its empire, will increase with the auspicious extension 

 of its dominion. In every department of science it must be 

 admitted that such sentiments as the above are now tacitly ac- 

 knowledged ; and if they prevail to any benefit, we think we 

 shall not err in saying, that this benefit will in no instance be 

 more apparent than in that of medicine. This science is 

 classed, and rightly too, among the liberal sciences ; and we 

 hope it will not only continue to hold so respectable a rank 

 among them, but whilst conducing to the common good of 

 mankind, exhibit among its cultivators a good-will and fel- 

 low-feeling which will prompt them to regard each other's 

 sentiments, upon every subject, with mutual candour and for- 

 bearance ; — for where the good of society is the object, there 

 the heart, the head, and the hands, will conspire to promote it. 



It being then one of the purposes of this Institution to de- 

 liver lectures on some subject of medical science to any indi- 

 viduals who may wish to acquire some knowledge respecting 

 it, it is quite impossible to convey such knowledge in any 

 other than a very general way indeed ; wherefore I have 

 thought it expedient, from the circumstance of my merely oc- 

 cupying Dr. Stanger's place during his absence from town, to 

 enter upon a subject, which, though the most general of all, 

 and thence perhaps the least understood, yet involves so many 

 particulars of interest as well as of general experience, that the 

 subject may be regarded as worthy of your attention and con- 

 sideration. 



The subject I allude to, is the blood. To a thorough know- 

 ledge of which so many requisites are indispensable, that we 

 intend only to bring forward common facts, or general expe- 

 rience, in framing our doctrine concerning it. 



But as the time will not allow of my bringing forward the 

 results of the experiments to which this fluid has been sub- 

 jected, I must beg to defer this material part of my subject to 

 the next lecture. And at our third meeting I hope to have it 

 in my power to jn-oceed to consider two of the most interest- 

 ing and rcmarkiihlc properties of the blood, — viz. its Fluidity 

 and V^iTAi.iTv. 



[To be toiuinucJ.T XLII. On 



