PLAN OF COURSE. 441 



as they are severally combined together, or occur in succession. 

 You will soon perceive, that although for a hundred years past 

 it has been proposed to obtain proper histories of diseases, and 

 much pains have been bestowed on the attempt, yet we have few 

 histories such as we could wish. Among the first good writers on 

 this subject was Dr. Sydenham, who is still the most sensible, 

 perfect, and judicious. We have but few performances equal 

 to his ; the symptoms are too often not delivered in the order 

 of succession, and their combinations are not properly marked. 

 Here you will attend to my execution of this subject, and mark 

 the defects, in order to supply them yourselves. 



Secondly, The investigation of the proximate cause, on the 

 knowledge of which the cure of the disease is chiefly and almost 

 unavoidably founded. This is the nicer part of our work, and 

 to you the most difficult. But, whatever may be said of the 

 obscurity of this subject, still, in many diseases, the proximate 

 causes may be assigned in a very clear and complete manner, so 

 that they will apply to the explanation of all the different pheno-- 

 mena. This I shall make good, therefore, with respect to many 

 diseases ; and, wherever it can be done, the advantages resulting 

 from it will be very considerable, and will afford much satisfac- 

 tion in the practice of physic, particularly in the method of cure. 

 But I must own, that in this respect, my whole course cannot be 

 complete, as I cannot pretend to give such simplicity and clear 

 explanation in regard to all diseases. It depends, however, on 

 the extensive knowledge and judgment of the physician, to discern 

 the different degrees of probability in medical doctrine; to admit 

 those reasonings only as a foundation for practice, which are sim- 

 ple, obvious, and certain ; and, for the most part, to adopt as prox- 

 imate causes those only, which are established as matters of fact 

 rather than as deductions of reasoning. This must either be 

 learned from the dissection of morbid bodies, which is the surest 

 method of judging of internal diseases, and for which purpose 

 Bonetus and Morgagni must necessarily be studied ; or we must, 

 from the most cautious reasoning, deduce what is the proximate 

 cause of the disease, and what is the particular state of the solids 

 and fluids at the time. This is the foundation of the whole 

 dogmatic system ; even where we cannot go the whole length, 

 we can point out the way, and trace it so far as will serve us to. 



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