BROWN. 



Brown, make knowledge useless, wit ridiculous, and genius 

 contemptible." 



Dr Brown's style has been often the subject of de- 

 bate among his admirers and opponents. It appears 

 to us often perplexed, sometimes vigorous, but coarse : 

 his arguments are ingenious, and acutely managed ; 

 but the dogmatism with which he decides questions 

 that can only admit of probable reasoning, disgusts 

 even those who may be disposed to be pleased. His 

 classical acquirements were very great ; but he seems 

 to have studied the more perplexed authors as his 

 models in composition, a circumstance which has 

 tended not a little to lessen the number of his ad- 

 mirers, particularly since it has been urged, with 

 more vehemence than truth, that this obscurity is 

 consistent with the purest models extant. Cicero, 

 however, is no less remarkable for purity of style, 

 than for perspicuity and simplicity. 



Upon the whole, we are disposed to think, that 

 the panegyrists of our author have too highly extol- 

 led, and his opponents have too much vilified, his 

 works ; for although they undoubtedly do not pro- 

 mise that benefit to mankind which the former have 

 anticipated, yet they have not produced such evil ef- 

 fects as were predicted by the latter. On the con- 

 trary, they have introduced somewhat more preci- 

 sion than formerly existed, into eur medical reason- 

 ings, and have drawn the attention of physicians to 

 many of those whimsical hypotheses which, under 

 the sanction of illustrious names, had been generally 

 admitted, from a want of examination. 



Dr Brown's acknowledged works, are, his Ob- 

 servations, the Elementa Medicinee, and the Transla- 

 tion of the latter. His unacknowledged works, in- 

 cluding inaugural dissertations, and various tracts, 

 are said to be very numerous. 



We shall conclude this article with a brief sketch 

 of the leading features of his doctrines, as given in 

 the two works abovementioned. 



The Brunonian Hypothesis may be reduced to the 

 following principles the application of which to 

 every individual case, would exceed the limits of the 

 present article. 



1. Life, both of animals and vegetables, is consti- 

 tuted by three states, health, disease, and predisposi- 

 tion. 



2. In each of these three states, animated beings 

 are liable to be affected by certain external, or by 

 certain internal causes, which produce the proper 

 functions. These different agents are, 1st, Heat, 

 food, wine, poisons, contagions, the blood, the secre- 

 ted fluids, and air. 2d, Muscular contraction, sense, 

 w the energy of the brain in thinking, and in exciting 

 passion or emotion." Death is consequent on the 

 cessation of their agency on the living system. 



3. The principle on which the phenomena of life 

 depend, is called Excitability ; the agents affect- 

 ing this principle, are called the exciting powers; and 

 the effect produced by the latter on the former, is 

 named excitement. 



4>. The excitability differs in different individuals, 

 and in the same individual at different times. Ac- 

 cordingly, the exciting powers will vary in their ef- 

 fects, in proportion to the vigour of the excitability. 



5. Exciting powers should be also named stimuli. Browa. 

 They are either general or local. The first are those 

 which act on the excitability in such a manner as to 

 produce excitement over the whole system. The se- 

 cond act only on the part to which they are applied. 



6. Life is a forced state, and consequently its con- 

 tinuance in perfection depends on the due action of 

 the stimuli on the excitability. Health, then, is 

 maintained by the exertion of natural stimuli on the 

 excitability. 



7. But whenever they are unnatural, or act with 

 too much energy, the excitability is exhausted, and 

 the excitement becomes greater than it ought to 

 be. This is a state to which Dr Brown gave the 

 name of sthenic diathesis, which predisposes to sthe- 

 nic disease. This diathesis, or predisposition, may 

 be increased very considerably by injudicious manage- 

 ment. 



8. After excitement has been carried to its utmost 

 pitch, it ends in indirect debility, which gives rise to 

 asthenic diseases. 



9. Indirect debility is induced by the excessive ac- 

 tion of stimuli, or by their too great intensity. The 

 excitability is then supposed to be exhausted. 



10. Direct debility is, on the contrary, induced by 

 a defect in the stimuli, or by their feeble action. 



1 1 . These two species of debility differ most es- 

 sentially, and are sufficiently characterised. They 

 exist in health as well as in disease. Indirect debi- 

 lity occurs in old age, and direct debility in youth 

 or infancy. 



12. Sleep is the effect of both kinds of debility, ei- 

 ther separate or conjunctly. 



13. Every power that acts on the living frame is 

 stimulant. This principle is supposed not to be af- 

 fected by any circumstances whatever. 



14-. Excitability exists in the medullary portion of 

 the nerves and in the muscles. It sympathises in 

 every part of the system. That is, different parts 

 can never be in opposite states of excitement. 



Dr Brown contrived two scales, the first of which 

 he divided into 80 degrees, shewing the quantity 

 of excitability given to every being at the com- 

 mencement of its existence. The second " points 

 out the ascending and descending progression which 

 the exciting powers observe in acting on the excita- 

 bility." 



Such are the outlines of the system of Dr Brown. 

 With all its ingenuity we must still hesitate in adopt- 

 ing it, until we can obtain something more than 

 the blending of some truth with much conjectural 

 hypothesis. We dislike the phraseology, and still 

 more the arrogance, with which both the author 

 and his followers have asserted their infallibility. 



Still, however, it cannot be denied, that some of 

 the conclusions have proved more useful than was at 

 one time expected. 



It, fortunately, is a matter of very little moment, 

 how physicians theorise. Few, even the devoted 

 disciples of Dr Brown, would follow the exam- 

 ple of that gentleman, and venture on prescribing 

 wine, high living, and opium, in gout. The use so 

 liberally made by Brown and his proselytes of the 

 term demonstration, as applied to the doctrines above 



