104 THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING. 



appear not in anatomies, because they are shut and latent in 

 dead bodies, though they be open and manifest in life : which 

 being supposed, though the inhumanity of anatomia vivorum 

 was by Celsus justly reproved ; yet in regard of the great use 

 of this observation, the inquiry needed not by him so slightly 

 to have been relinqxiished altogether, or referred to the casual 

 practices of surgery ; but might have been well diverted upon 

 the dissection of beasts alive, which notwithstanding the dis 

 similitude of their parts may sufficiently satisfy this inquiry. 

 And for the humours, they are commonly passed over in 

 anatomies as purgaments ; whereas it is most necessary to 

 observe, what cavities, nests, and receptacles the humours do 

 find in the parts, with the differing kind of the humour so 

 lodged and received. And as for the footsteps of diseases, and 

 their devastations of the inward parts, impostumations, exul- 

 cerations, discontinuations, putrefactions, consumptions, con 

 tractions, extensions, convulsions, dislocations, obstructions, 

 repletions, together with all preternatural substances, as 

 stones, carnosities, excrescences, worms, and the like ; they 

 ought to have been exactly observed by multitude of anatomies, 

 and the contribution of men s several experiences, and carefully 

 set down both historically according to the appearances, and 

 artificially with a reference to the diseases and symptoms 

 which resulted from them, in case where the anatomy is of a 

 defunct patient ; whereas now .upon opening of bodies they 

 are passed over slightly and in silence. 



(G) In the inquiry of diseases, they do abandon the cures of 

 many, some as in their nature incurable, and others as past 

 the period of cure; so that Sylla and the Triumvirs never 

 proscribed so many men to die, as they do by their ignorant 

 edicts : whereof numbers do escape with less difficulty than 

 they did in the Roman proscriptions. Therefore I will not 

 doubt to note as a deficience, that they inquire not the perfect 

 cures of many diseases, or extremities of diseases ; but pro 

 nouncing them incurable do enact a law of neglect, and exempt 

 ignorance from discredit. 



(7) Nay further, I esteem it the office of a physician not 

 only to restore health, but to mitigate pain and dolors ; and 

 not only when such mitigation may conduce to recovery, but 

 when it may serve to make a fair and easy passage. For it is 

 no small felicity which Augustus Csesar was wont to wish to 

 himself, that same Euthanasia ; and which was specially noted 

 in the death of Antoninus Pius, whose death was after the 

 fashion and semblance of a kindly and pleasant sleep. So it is 

 written of Epicurus, that after his disease was judged desperate, 



