Medicine, S 1 5 



hently distinguished, maybe considered as scarcely 

 more favourable to the interests of humanity, than 

 to the advancement of medical science. It has 

 been well observed, that the Heathen World never 

 produced an Hospital; and if any institutions of 

 this kind now exist among pagans, they have de- 

 rived from Christendom the benevolent plan. The 

 astonishing multiplication of such establishments, 

 in almost every part of the Christian w^orld, and 

 especially in Great-Britain, during the last cen- 

 tury, is well known to every intelligent reader; 

 and that every institution of this kind may be con- 

 sidered as a sort of medical school, from which 

 the richest stores of instruction, both in surgery and 

 the practice of physic, are continually drawn, is 

 too obvious to require explanation. 



To the peculiarities of the eighteenth century 

 already stated, it may be added, that every branch 

 of knowledge connected with the healing art has 

 been rendered more accessible and popidar^ by 

 the exertions of philanthropic and liberal minded 

 physicians. For a number of preceding ages me- 

 dical science was hidden under the veil of dead 

 languages, and obscured by the technical jargon, 

 and the love of mystery which long distinguished 

 medical practitioners; but in the course of the 

 century under consideration, and especially the 

 latter half of it, the love of mystery, though not 

 completely vanquished, has much declined. The 

 elements of medical knowledge have been brought 

 down to the capacities of all classes in the com- 

 munity. Plain and popular works for the use of 

 Families have been presented to the public, and 

 much useful knowledge respecting the best means, 

 in ordinary cases, of preserving and restoring health, 

 for the first time, generally disseminated. Among 

 the many popular works of this kind, which might 

 be mentioned, those of Tissot, Buchan, Willich^ 



