260 Medicine. 



a much better account than himself of the doctrines 

 and opinions of their Preceptor. 



To many^ the Stahlian theory appears so fanciful 

 and absurd, that they can scarcely think it deserv- 

 ing of a serious refutation. But still, it has been 

 often thought there are such appearances of intel- 

 ligence and design in the operations of the animal 

 economy, that many eminent physicians have been 

 induced to countenance similar opinions. Among 

 these may be mentioned Perrault, in France; 

 Nichols and Mead, in England ; Por terfield and 

 SiMSON, in Scotland; Gaubius, in Holland; and 

 perhaps Whytt, of the University of Edinburgh. 



Of the writers who adopt the opinions of Stahl, 

 m a greater or less degree, Nichols and Gaubius 

 may be considered as two of those who deserve the 

 highest consideration.' The consequences result- 



/ In an elegant prelection by Dr. Nichols, which he published under 

 the title of Oratio dc Anlma Medica^ we find the following visionary ex- 

 cesses of Stahlianism. According to him, the soul at first forms the body, 

 and governs it ever afterwards. He ascribes it to the prudence of the soul, 

 that the semen is not perfected in males, till the strength and vigour of the 

 system are prepared for generation ; and he sees her sagacity in the slow 

 and gradual eruption of the small-pox, thereby dividing the force of the 

 disease and greatly lessening the danger. After violent pain or exhaustion 

 by fatigue, the soul hides herself in sleep, in order to recruit the body or 

 to rectify any disorder; hence the inclination to sleep after child-birth; 

 hence also the frequent sleeping of infants, whose anlma is so engrossed 

 •yvith attention to the vital motions as to mind little else. When too much 

 distracted and perplexed with external things, she often neglects her in- 

 ternal duties; and hence health is so much impaired by fear, grief, love 

 and other violent passions. He also accuses the soul of occasional fits of 

 caprice and ill- humour, by which she is led to disregard her office, and in- 

 dulge herself in freaks of petulance and perverseness. In fevers, the sud- 

 den failing of the strength and pulse ought to be regarded, he tells us, as 

 signs of the soul's abandoning the body in despair, and intending soon to 

 relinquish it. Nay, he sometimes imputes to her cowardice and folly in 

 suffering the body to sink under diseases by no means deadly in their own 

 nature; in falling into undue alarm and trepidation, thereby becoming 

 unfit to discharge her office, and being often precipitated into mischief and 

 injury; and in deserting her post in a moment of peril, when, were she 

 always wise enough to neglect things of inferior moment, and to attend 

 solely to the preservation of the body, she might not only prevent dis- 

 eases, so far at least as they proceed from internal causes, but might pro- 

 tract the life of man to an indefinite period, it may be, to a thousand 

 years ! ! Vide Oratio dc Ani/na 1,'L'diaj, passim. 



