370 INTRODUCTORY LECTURES. 



I shall still give, and that is by marking the general state of it 

 at the several periods mentioned. During the first it was 

 chiefly Empirical, but from necessity rather than design. Dur- 

 ing the second it was very entirely Dogmatical, at least in the 

 schools of physic; for at all times there must be empirics among 

 practitioners. During the third period a professed and design- 

 ed Empiricism prevailed. The fourth period was that in which 

 the Methodic set flourished. During ihejifth, Dogmatism again 

 took entire possession of the schools, and has contrived to keep 

 it ever since. But in the sixth period that Dogmatism took a 

 particular form, which we call the Chemical. In the seventh 

 and last period, a Dogmatism which may be called Mechanical, 

 has chiefly prevailed, though it would be as fair to say that in 

 this age it has been upon a general plan employing both the 

 chemical and mechanical philosophies, and every other means 

 that can be employed in the cultivation of science. 



We have thus, gentleman, given you a plan, and the great 

 outlines of the history of physic, which we hope you will re- 

 member, as it may be a foundation for your future inquiries into 

 the subject. I shall now return to my proper business, which 

 is to give you the history of the practice of physic, or the gen- 

 eral state of it during the several periods we have mentioned. 



First Period. In considering the first period of our history, 

 the subject which first presents itself to our inquiry is the 

 origin of the art. This some would impute to a revelation 

 made to the first man ; but at any period we know of, the art 

 has never shown the proper marks of such divine original. 

 The heathens commonly imputed it to a particular inventor 

 among men; but in this they were no better founded, for it was 

 not possible for any single man, by the force of his own genius 

 alone, to acquire so much knowledge as might deserve the name 

 of an art. 



It is sufficiently probable, that very soon after the first be- 

 ginnings of human society, some art of physic and some know- 

 ledge of remedies arose among men : and, accordingly, no 

 country has been discovered, among the people of which, how- 

 ever rude and uncultivated in other respects, an art of physic 

 and the knowledge of a great number of remedies have not been 

 found. The invention of remedies amongst the rudest people 



