Sect. III.] Theory and Practice of PliysJc. 36? 



ivhich some valuable lives have been saved, and 

 more caution relative to this point impressed on 

 the community. The service rendered by many 

 physicians to the cause of humanity, by promoting 

 objects of this kind, deserves honourable connne- 

 moration. Of these perhaps i(i\Y are entitled to a 

 larger tribute of acknowledgement than Drs. Ilaues 

 and Lettsom, of London. 



It vt^ould be easy to descend to a great variety 

 of particulars, in which the means of curing or mi- 

 tigating diseases have been radically improved 

 during the period under consideration; but the li- 

 mits of this retrospect forbid such details. It is 

 sufficient to remark, that a large portion of diseases, 

 however faithfully observed by preceding, and even 

 by the most ancient physicians, have, within this 

 period, been better understood, arranged, and dis- 

 criminated, than ever before ; and that remedies of 

 superior efficacy have been selected, their qualities, 

 virtues, and uses, more fully ascertained, and the 

 best mode of their application rendered more dc- 

 fmite and precise. The number of incurable dis- 

 eases, also, has been diminished, and the treatment 

 of many hazardous and violent ones so far improved, 

 as greatly to diminish their force and danger. The 

 recent doctrines of Association and SijmpatJnj in 

 morbid action, and the interesting practical doc- 

 trine which results from them, of the transfer of 

 morbid action from vital parts to such as are less, 

 essential to life, have unfolded a vast extent of me- 

 dical exertion and usefulness, which was nearly un- 

 known to the physicians of former centuries. 



The practical writers on medicine, durin;,- thi» 

 i^ighteenth century, were very nuni'^rous ajid ns 



