STAGGERS, &c. 309 



niinate degree of refinement, I {hall decline 

 entering into the explanatory parts, fo minutely 

 and tedioufly defined upon former occafions, 

 reciting only the general fyftem upon which 

 the caufe is founded, and then proceed to quote 

 from other circumftances that may juftify 

 the bringing fuch a variety of diforders into 

 a fingle point of view. 



How far the pretended accuracy of former- 

 ly diftinguifhing one of thefe difeafes from 

 another, may be reconciled to modern com- 

 prehenfion, or generally credited, I know notj 

 but confefs, where the whole formation of 

 judgment and decifion is to reft upon the 

 penetration of the obferver only, and no in- 

 formation come from the patient, circum- 

 ftances could or can but very feldom combine 

 to form fo fingular a diftindion. Experience 

 and obfervation may undoubtedly do much in 

 a colledion of fimilitudes and probabilities, 

 but never enough to afcertain the diftindl in- 

 variable caufes and effeds of difeafes, where 

 the moft trifling difference is hardly acknow- 

 ledged; more particularly when it is recon- 

 fidered that the caufe of nearly all thefe dif- 

 prders are in the original feat of nervous irri- 



X 3 tability. 



