380 DISORDERS 



could gain but few profelytes to the prac- 

 tice. 



In all blemifhes or defers where a thicken- 

 ing of fome one of the coats, membranes, or 

 humours of the eye, has formed an appearance 

 of cataraEl or film^ it has been an eftabliflied 

 and moft contemptible cuftom to beftow a 

 plentiful application of corroftve powders, un- 

 guents, and folutions, for the purpofes of obli- 

 teration ; without a fingle refleftion upon the 

 abfurdity of endeavouring to deftroy by cor- 

 rofion, what is abfolutely feparated from the fur- 

 face by a variety of membranous coverings, 

 according to the diilind: feat of difeafe ; with 

 which it is impofiible to bring the intended 

 remedy into contact, without firft deftroying 

 the intervening or furrounding parts by which 

 the inner delicate ftrudlure is fo numeroufly 

 guarded. It may not be inapplicable to 

 ftrengthen this remark, by reverting to the 

 great difficulty of folving a ftone in the human 

 body, to effed: which fo many unfuccefsful at- 

 tempts have been made ; the mere folution of 

 the calculus out of the body is a matter univer- 

 fally known to the Faculty j but the great and 



difficult 



