Sect. III.] Theorxj and Practice of Physic. 345 



life, and unfolding the inflncncc of morbid associa- 

 tion, which involves the essence of diseases, the 

 author undoubtedly excels all preceding \Miters. 

 Still, however, his work must be allowed to lalx)ur 

 under great faults and radical deficiencies*. In 

 many instances he gives the rein to his imagina- 

 tion, and suffers fanciful speculations to usurj) tli(> 

 place of facts and legitimate reasoning. I lis doc- 

 trine of the retrograde action of the absorbents, of 

 which he makes such frequent and important use, 

 in a great many various states of disease, may l)e 

 mentioned as one of those which seem to want 

 confirmation. And there is reason, indeed, to ap- 

 prehend that errours still more fundamental and 

 essential have crept into this vast plan for binding 

 together the scattered facts of medical knowledge, 

 and converging into one point of view tlie laws of 

 animated nature. That interesting doctrine, com- 

 mon to Dr. Brown and Dr. Darwin, that all the 

 phenomena of life are to be explained on tlie prin- 

 ciple of the excitability or sensorial power being 

 accumulated and expanded in the inverse ratio of 

 stimulation f, however elegantly it may admit of 



* The atheistical tendency of his speculations can scarcely be 

 doubted j and his crude and visionary philosophy of mind w'lW not 

 stand the test of sober inquiry. This, however, is not the place 

 to enter into a discussion of these errours. 



t The originality of some of the leading doctrines delivered by 

 Dr. Darwin has been called in question. He himself recognises 

 the coincidence of some of his opinions with those of Dr. Brown ; 

 but contends that he arrived at his conclusions on those .-ubjecij 

 by a different train of reasoning from that of the Scottish theorist. 

 He also declares, and asserts tliat his friends arc able to attest the 

 fact, that the greater part of his work had lain by him twenty yr,irt 

 before its pubhcation. These iacls evidently preclude Uic pro« 



