138 FAR C Y. 



fevere and burning cauftics, very little fliort of 

 actual fire, were ever calculated, when laid on 

 by loads, to re(n:ify the blood, or to promote an 

 incarnation of the flefh ? It muft create afto- 

 nidiment in every mind made calm by time, 

 or cool by experience, that men have lived, 

 who, from a want of knowledge in the pro- 

 perties of medicines, could fo proftitute their 

 ufes 3 or others prove fo weak as to tranfmit 

 that proftitution to pofterity ! But fo deeply 

 has the injurious and dangerous fyftem taken 

 root among the illiterate, who ftick to a ruftic 

 maxim never to be obliterated, that '^ old laws, 

 ** old times, old fongs, and old books, are 

 *^ beft," and confequently fly to the latter 

 upon every cccaiion ; in whofe inftrudions 

 they have fo much faith, and to whofe con- 

 tents they pay fuch implicit obedience, that 

 the very devil, however great his influence 

 be in other refpedls, will never prevail upon 

 that clafs to change their fyftem. 



That MERCURIALS and antimonials m- 

 fernally, with neceflary and occaflonal caufliics 

 externally, will (dictated by judgment, and 

 proportioned with difcretion), work w^onders, 

 experience and indefatigable attention from 

 men of the mofl: extenfive abilities have fuffi- 



cientlv 



