3b2 Medicine. [Chap. IV. 



theory. In the destruction of this theory, the 

 operation of the revohition in philosophy, effected 

 by lord Bacon, deserves hkewise to be particularly 

 mentioned. His m(,Hhod of philosophising exhibited 

 the futility of the numberless hypotheses which are 

 found in the system of Galen, and excited a dispo- 

 sition to observe facts and make experiments. 



At the beginning of the seventeenth century the 

 contest bet^\ een the Galenical and chemical physi- 

 cians was carried on with the utmost animosity and 

 indecorum. The influence of the writings of Gali- 

 leo, aided by the discovery of the circulation of the 

 blood, introduced mathematical reasoning into the 

 doctrines of medicine. The progress made about 

 this time in the knoM ledge of the organic structure 

 of animals, which was greatly facilitated bj an ac- 

 quaintance with the circulation of the blood, had 

 extended the application of mechanical philosophy 

 in order to explain the phenomena of the "animal 

 economy. The agency of the nerves or moving 

 ])Owers of animals was at that time so little under- 

 stood, that physicians universally, whether Galenists, 

 chemists, or mathematicians, considered the state 

 and condition of the fluids as the cause of diseases, 

 and the medium of the operation of remedies. 

 Hence arose the Humoral Pathology^ which then 

 predominated in every system of opinions, however 

 diversified in other respects. While the followers 

 of Galen were daily losing ground from the circum- 

 stances which have just been stated, the chemists 

 gained some accession of strength from the doc- 

 trines of the humoral ])athology. Chemical reason- 

 ing was readily ado{)ted to explain the various 

 acrimonies which v, ere supposed to infest the cir- 



