HISTORY OF MEDICINE. 371 



may in a great measure be accounted for, from the instincts arising 

 in certain diseases from the observation of spontaneous cures 

 effected by the powers of the animal economy from accidental 

 errors in the choice of aliments and even from those random 

 trials, to which pain and uneasiness often lead. 



These four sources instinct, spontaneous cures, accidental 

 errors, and random trial, afforded the first materials of observa- 

 tion, and must soon have led to an imitation, which formed an 

 art of physic. The observations which had been made, con- 

 tinued indeed for some time scattered in different hands, so that 

 in some countries men were obliged to expose their sick on the 

 highways that every passenger might be consulted for a remedy: 

 and there are some vestiges of this state of physic still remain- 

 ing in Britain, where we consult every gossip that comes into a 

 sick person's house, and every gossip is as ready to advise, as if 

 there was no established art or profession of it in the country. 

 This state, however, could not long continue in any country, 

 as a turn for observation, and especially a turn of this sort in a 

 person who had lived long at the head of a family would enable 

 him to collect the facts of physic for himself; and the reputa- 

 tion of possessing such a collection would soon give many op- 

 portunities of increasing it, and thus establish one person as 

 a practitioner. It would be easy to shew that many circum- 

 stances must have concurred to form such practitioners, and that 

 the communication of their knowledge to their children or other 

 disciples, would continue and increase their number. Thus the 

 art and particular practitioners of it were established in every 

 country ; and there is no country we have heard of, or know at 

 present, that is altogether without an art of physic. This we 

 call the natural state of physic ; but it did not subsist long in 

 certain countries till it put on a more artificial form. 



There never have been wanting in any society men cunning 

 enough to take advantage of the superstition natural to man- 

 kind, and to lead and govern them by it; and the same persons 

 have also taken hold of every passion that strongly engaged 

 men, and therefore of their love of health and fear of death. 

 Hence it is that in early ages we find physic and religion com- 

 bined, and the priests the only physicians. 



The most ancient account we have of arts is that of their 



