378 INTRODUCTORY LECTURES. 



but, at the same time, as remedies cannot be entirely avoided, 

 he used those of the gentle and dietetic kind. The " Saltern 

 non nocere," was a maxim in the writings of Hippocrates, and 

 it will always be the maxim of humanity and prudence ; but it 

 is especially supported by theory, and sometimes goes so far as 

 to enervate the whole practice of physic. This seems to have 

 been the case with Erasistratus. He, indeed, avoided all the 

 mischiefs of physic, but at the same time missed almost all the 

 advantages that art can give. 



Herophilus, the cotemporary of Erasistratus, was equal- 

 ly industrious with him in dissection and the study of anat- 

 omy, and, without doubt, also in the study of physiology. 

 In evidence of this he seems to have taken pains in culti- 

 vating, with great subtlety, the study of the pulse and some 

 other parts of pathology ; and there is no doubt that, in 

 the main, he was a dogmatist ; but we must also believe, that 

 he was sensible of his physiology not being fit to go far or to 

 be of any very useful application in practice, and that he had 

 therefore a general distrust of his dogmatic system ; for we find 

 he was very busy in seeking everywhere for efficacious remedies. 

 In all these respects, Herophilus seems to have been the pat- 

 tern of the present age. The inquiry after remedies is certainly 

 proper and useful ; but it is very liable to abuse, as it leads men 

 to neglect the study of diseases, and to what is of as bad conse- 

 quence, to the neglect of any general system. Some system, 

 indeed, and a great deal of theory also, our present practitioners 

 cannot possibly avoid, as we shall hereafter explain ; but by 

 their general disparagement of it, they become incapable of em- 

 ploying it to any good purpose. They fancy themselves the 

 disciples of experience, but they have truly a great deal of 

 theory ; and that of the worst kind, because it is such as arises 

 occasionally without being digested or corrected by a system. 

 Such a plan throws the bulk of physicians into a purely impo- 

 tent and random empirical practice. 



Third Period. We have formerly remarked, that physic 

 originally depended upon experience ; and what we have called 

 the natural state of it is, for the most part, entirely empirical ; 

 but, at the same time, it is not absolutely without reasoning. 

 The state of science at this period indeed, does not admit of 



