EXERCISE. 221 



ment. On the contrary, had I prostituted 

 my judgment, or my pen, to so unscientific 

 a declaration as the blood*s being ^* viscid, 

 poor, and dispirited,'^ the united force of 

 menstrual criticism would have irrevocably 

 doomed me and my opinions to the lowest 

 region of oblivion. 



How, at the same time, blood can be 

 '' VISCID and poor,'' or the two words of a 

 direct contrary meanmg become so conve-*- 

 niently synonimous, I am at a loss to learn; 

 but perfectly anxious that the professional 

 consistency, the systematic uniformity of my 

 assertions, may be arraigned and brought to 

 issue with opinions so directly opposite, I 

 find it unavoidably necessary to solicit, from 

 every impartial investigator, a comparative 

 view of what has been advanced on either 

 side respecting the blood, when he will be 

 enabled to decide whose system approache'^ 

 nearest to truth supported by reason. 



To justify ar.d corroborate my remarks 

 upon ]\Ir. Clarke's idea of '' not discovering 

 the true state of the blood when cold,*' I 

 must beg to repeat the very words of my 



