ADDITIONAL NOTES. 



'Note(TF)jpage2\, — X HERE seems to be no science In 

 which America has made more progress than that of medicine ; 

 and none in which she holds a more complete independence of 

 the doctrines and authorities of the European world. It is 

 indeed true, that the physicians of this country were originally 

 indebted to their preceptors in Europe for the elements of most 

 of that knowledge which they have since so successfully labour- 

 ed to simplify, improve, and extend. It was natural to sup- 

 pose, as so many of our most distinguished members of this 

 profession had received their education in Europe, that they 

 would remain fixed in the trammels of early impressions, and 

 refuse to listen even to the evidence of facts, when found not 

 to coincide with the principles they had deeply imbibed. Much 

 of this blind reliance on authority has been observed ; but it is 

 equally true that America may boast of much free inquiry, and 

 of much bold and successful innovation. This hemisphere is 

 the theatre on which the prejudices and errours of the European 

 school, in a great variety of instances, have been refuted and 

 abandoned, and on which new principles in medicine have been 

 proposed, ascertained, and completely established. In support 

 of this assertion it would be easy to adduce, not only the facts 

 concerning American physicians who had bicn educated in 

 Europe and returned to their native countr)', but those likewise 

 of European physicians going in various capacities to reside in 

 the West Indies. Are diseases on this side th', globe more gi- 

 gantic in stature, more marked and incapable of disguise ia 



Vol. IL 2D 



