IMPROVED. i69 



Stool. And the fp.mous Sydenham obferves, that the 

 inner Bark of Elder, three Handfbls boil'd in Milk 

 and Water of each a Quart to the Confumption of 

 three Pints, is as eifeftual as any Thing for the 

 Cure of an Afcites or Dropfy of the Belly, if the 

 Patient takes half a Pint in the Evening and the Reft 

 in the Morning ; but then this dtl-gent Ohfer<ver, 

 agreeable to Capt. Burdon in his Gentlernmi s Pocket- 

 Farrier, orders fuch Decoftion oi Elder Bark to be 

 repeated 'till the Patient ib well ; fo I muft own the 

 Captain had a good Precedent for his ExpreiTion . 



And here I mull not omit the Mention of Dr. 

 Sydenham's, Honefty and Candour, where fpeaking 

 of a Dropfy of the Belly which he had cured, he 

 has Words to the EiTdft following. 



** And I, v.ith the juvenile Confidence of an un- Dr. Syden- 

 ** experienced Man, verily believed tihati had got a/'-'^'s im- 

 " Medicine that would cure any manner of Dropfy ; '.^^'^ ^:^'^ 

 ** but I found my Miftake within a few Weeks : rj^'raUon.' 

 *' For^ fjDon after I was cail'd to another WoBi:?n 

 " that had the fame Difeafe, which came upon a 

 ** long Quartan Ague : I gave the fame Medicine, 

 ** and repeated it often, increafmg the Dofe gra- 

 ** dually ; but having vainly endeavour'd to eva- 

 ** cuate the Waters, the Purge not v,orkin$;, the 

 ** Tumour of the Belly increased, and the fick Per- 

 " fon difmifs'd me, and, as I remember, reco'ver''d 

 ** by the Ajjijiance of another Bhyfician, ijoho pre- 

 *' fcrihed more effectual Remedies ^ 



Now what can be more ingenuous and fmcere 

 than this ConfeiTion of Dr. Sydenham, who was 

 certainly a Man allow'd by the ableft Judges very 

 capable of the Praftice of Phyfick : But fo far from The Folly 

 following this glorious Example are many of your of trailing 

 prefent Theoretical Gentlemen, who, juft difpatch'd ^° J^^ 

 from Colleges brim-full of Diploma and Ignorance, if^"i^„g*= 

 foift their Nonfenfe and Abfurdities upon the Pub- Phyficiaas. 

 lick, yet never own their Errors, but impudently 

 and pofitively infill upon the Juilnefs of their juve- 

 nile and (hallow Prognoflicks in the Cure of Dif- 

 N 3 eafes. 



