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 catara5t ox film ^ it has been an eftablifhed 

 a,pd moft contemptible cuftom to beftow a 

 plentiful application of corrofive powders, un- 

 guents, and folutions, for the purpofes of obli- 

 teration ; without a fingle refledion upon the 

 abfurdity of endeavouring to deftroy by corro- 

 fion, what is abfoiutely feparated from the fur- 

 face by a variety of membranous coverings, 

 according to the diftinft feat of difeafe ^ with 

 which it is impoflible to bring the intended 

 remedy into contad:, without firfl deftroying 

 the intervening or furrounding parts by which 

 the inner delicate ftrudure is fo numeroufly 

 guarded. It may not be inapplicable to 

 ilrengthen 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 knov/n to the Faculty 3 but the great and 



difficult 



