PREFACE. xiii 



tion that annually fall viflims to the invinci- 

 ble confidence of thofe rufticfons of Vulcan, 

 felf-cienominated y^rr/Vrj, (with the thunder 

 of whofe ignorance almoil: every village re- 

 founds), has for years feemed to implore the 

 affiftance of fome intelligent member of fociety 

 to come forward; and, by blending the ad- 

 miniflration of medicines with a praftical 

 knowledge of \ht\v properties and effects, refcue 

 the poor fuffering animals from the conftanf, 

 invariable, and unrelenting, depredations of 

 illiterate praBitioners and experimental perfe- 

 cutors. 



Well aware of the arduous tafk of attempt- 

 ing to eradicate vulgar and habitual prejudices^ 

 in favour of ancient practice, or the improba- 

 bility of reconciling attachments of long land- 

 ing to the rational fyftem of modern compofi- 

 tion; and the little chance of exploding entirely 

 the heterogeneous and inconfiftent /^rr^^o fo 

 long in ufe, univerfal fatisfadtion is not to be 

 cxpeded, or approbation obtained. But when 

 a clear, open, and candid comparifon is drawn 

 by the more enlightened, between the accu- 

 mulation of contrarieties in the laboured pre- 

 fcriptions ^* of Gibson and Bracken/' with 

 A 3 the 



