Medicine, 313 



ginning of the century under review, and indeed 

 during the former half of it, the University of 

 Leyden was by far the most celebrated place of 

 medical instruction. Next to this, in respecta- 

 bility, stood the schools of Italy. Soon afterwards 

 the great school of Edinburgh began to be formed. 

 In 1719, the first Monro, of that city, undertook to 

 deliver lectures on anatomy. He was in a short 

 time joined by other able teachers, who formed a 

 regular plan of medical instruction, and gained, in 

 a few years, a high reputation. Indeed, for more 

 than forty years the school at Edinburgh held the 

 first rank, and was resorted to more than any other 

 by students from all parts of the world. During 

 the last twelve or fifteen years, that celebrated in- 

 stitution may, perhaps, be said to have, in some 

 degree, declined; or rather to be more successfully 

 rivalled than before, by several establishments for 

 medical instruction, especially by some on the con- 

 tinent of Europe. The German medical schools, 

 in particular, have lately much increased, both in 

 number and excellence. 



Aledical Associations, for promoting the inter- 

 course, combining the efforts, and diflTusing the con- 

 centrated knowledge of many physicians, though 

 not the exclusive product of the eighteenth century; 

 yet, when considered w^ith respect to their number* 

 and usefulness, may be ranked among the distin- 

 guishing honours of the period under consideration. 

 They have been greatly multiplied during this pe- 

 riod, in every civilized part of the world ; have 

 made many important publications, and eminently- 

 contributed to the advancement of the healing art. 

 To recount the number of these established wathin 

 the last hundred years, or to make the most gene- 

 ral estimate of the services which they have ren- 

 dered to the science of medicine, would fill many 

 pages. 



