ON ANIMAL LIFI. 741 



system are peculiarly in^paired, form the class of neuroses, including spasmo- 

 dic affections, madness, melancholy, and epilepsy, A general derangement 

 of the system, without fever, or any peculiar debility of the nerves, consti- 

 tutes the class of cachectic diseases, such as atrophy, consumption, scrofula, 

 and dropsy. Besides these diseases, we have a fourth class, consisting of lo- 

 cal affections only, such as blindness, deafness, tumors, and luxations. 



Notwithstanding the labours of men of the greatest learning and genius, 

 continued for many centuries, it must be confessed that the art of healing dis- 

 eases is still in a state of great imperfection. Happily, however, for man- 

 kind, we may observe in almost all cases, where the offending cause is disco- 

 verable, and where the system is not at once overwhelmed by its magnitudcr a 

 wise and wonderful provision for removing it, by a mechanism admirably 

 simple and efficacious; and it is reasonable to conclude, where the cause is 

 more obscure, that the same benevolent Providence has employed agents 

 equally well adapted for counteracting it, although their operations are ut- 

 terly beyond the reach of human penetration. 



VOL." I. 4 z 



