HISTORY OF MEDICINE. 411 



Dr. Boerhaave was a man of general erudition ; and, in ap- 

 plying to medicine, he had carefully studied the auxiliary 

 branches of anatomy, chemistry, and botany, so that he excelled 

 in each. In forming a system of physic, he seems to have 

 studied diligently all the several writings of both ancient and 

 modern physicians ; and, without prejudice in favour of any 

 former systems, he endeavoured to be a candid and genuine 

 Eclectic. When Dr. Boerhaave came into the school of Ley- 

 den, about the beginning of this century, he found that school 

 divided between the chemical system of Sylvius de le Boe, and 

 the mechanical one of Bellini and Pitcairn. His sagacity per- 

 ceived the general utility of both, and his discernment selected 

 very properly from each. From Bellini he took the doctrine of 

 obstruction, and at the same time the doctrine of lentor, which 

 Bellini had taken from the Cartesians. From the chemists 

 Boerhaave took the doctrine of acid and alkali, but he very pro- 

 perly limited and corrected it. He thus combined the doctrines 

 of the Mechanicians, Cartesians, and Chemists, and also admit- 

 ted the doctrine of Plethora, the only remains of the Galenical 

 theory, which the discovery of the circulation of the blood 

 tended to support. Possessed of an excellent systematic genius, 

 he gave a system superior to any that ever before appeared. As 

 in the great extent, and seemingly perfect consistency of sys- 

 tem, he appeared to improve and refine upon every thing that 

 had before been offered, and as in his lectures he explained his 

 doctrines with great clearness and elegance, he soon acquired a 

 very high reputation, and his system was more generally received 

 than any previous one had been since the time of Galen. Who- 

 ever will consider the merits of Dr. Boerhaave, and can compare 

 his system with that of former writers, must acknowledge that 

 he was very justly esteemed, and gave a system which was at 

 that time deservedly valued. 



But, in the progress of an inquisitive and industrious age, it 

 was not to be expected, that any system should last so long as 

 Boerhaave''s has done. The elaborate Commentary of Van 

 Swieten on Boerhaave's system of practice, has been only finish- 

 ed a few years ago ; and though this commentator has added 

 many facts, and made some corrections, he has not, except in 

 the particular mentioned above, made any improvement in the 



