METHOD OF STUDY. 427 



that a practitioner, who had no other instruction, would find 

 himself on a very narrow bottom. But even such as it is, it is 

 the only tolerable approach that has been made towards an em- 

 pirical system : what can be farther done in that way, we may 

 judge from the works of Dr. Shaw in England, and of M. 

 Lieutaud in France, which are upon this plan. The first is now 

 so much neglected, that it requires no criticism to point out its 

 frivolity ; the last has been produced more lately by a man of 

 reputation ; and his work has been generally well received, 

 and is now very common in the hands of practitioners. 



But here it will, perhaps, be suggested to me, that the only 

 useful work on the subject of physic, is the making a collection 

 of all the facts that relate to the art, and therefore of all that 

 experience has taught us with respect to the cure of diseases. 

 I agree entirely in the opinion ; but I doubt if it can ever be pro- 

 perly accomplished, without aiming at some system of princi- 

 ples, by a proper induction and generalization of facts ; at least 

 I am persuaded that it can be done not only very safely, but 

 most usefully in this way. This, however, must be determined 

 by a trial. I know that the late Mr. Lieutaud has attempted 

 a work on the plan of collecting facts without any reasoning 

 concerning their causes : and while I am endeavouring to give 

 some account of the present state of physic, I cannot dismiss 

 the subject without offering some remarks upon the promising 

 Synopsis universe? medicince, composed by the first physician 

 of a learned and ingenious nation. 



In this work there are many facts and much observation from 

 the authors own experience, which may be useful to those who 

 have otherwise acquired some knowledge and discernment ; but, 

 throughout the whole work, there is such total want of method, 

 arrangement, system, or decision, that, in my humble opinion, 

 it can be of little use, and may prove very perplexing to those 

 who have yet to learn. The distinction of the genera of dis- 

 eases, the distinction of the species of each, and often even that 

 of the varieties, I hold to be a necessary foundation of every 

 plan of physic, whether dogmatical or empirical. But very 

 little of this distinction is to be found in the work of Mr. Lieu- 

 taud ; and, in his preface, he tells us, that he meant to neglect 



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