METHOD OF STUDY. 415 



tern, whereby not only particular subjects may be improved, but 

 the whole may be rendered more complete, consistent, and use- 

 ful. Every system, indeed, must be valuable in proportion to 

 the number of facts that it embraces and comprehends ; and 

 Mons. Quesney could not pay a higher compliment to the sys- 

 tem of Boerhaave, than by saying that it exhibited la M&de- 

 cine collective. 



Having now given you some account of the state of the prac- 

 tice of physic at different times, and particularly as it is at pre- 

 sent cultivated in Europe, I propose, in the next place, to say 

 on what footing we are to take it up, and upon what general 

 plan we propose to teach this important art. 



In entering upon the study of physic, it is of importance to 

 choose a proper plan ; but students, beginning the study, are 

 not well qualified to do this for themselves. They are indeed 

 hardly left to do it, as they are in some measure obliged to fol- 

 low the plan of their professor ; and this must in a great mea- 

 sure be the case with mast of you. But as you will follow 

 with more steadiness and ardour in proportion as you are more 

 persuaded of the propriety of my plan, I shall here endeavour 

 to satisfy you in this matter, as far as the present state of your 

 knowledge can be supposed to allow. 



Whether the study of physic is to be pursued on an Empiric 

 or a Dogmatic plan, that is, whether we are to be guided by ex- 

 perience alone, or if we must have recourse to reasoning, and 

 may derive some advantage from it, is a question which was 

 long ago agitated among physicians, has often since been dis- 

 cussed, and still subsists among them. From the history of 

 physic, it appears that, for two thousand years past, there have 

 been two plans proposed, to wit, the dogmatic and empiric; and, 

 as upon different occasions both of these have had their free 

 course and seemingly full trial, it might be supposed, that, be- 

 fore now, experience had decided in the choice of these two 

 plans by their several effects. This however has not happened ; 

 and physicians are still much divided upon the question. The 

 schools are every where dogmatical, and seemingly from neces- 



