1066 VIEWS OF SYDENHAM. 



the art of the physician consist, but in acting as 

 the servant of nature, and hastening to the aid of 

 the multifariously working powers of our organi- 

 zation?" Nor can there be a rational doubt, that 

 the highest wisdom of the physician is to follow 

 the indications of nature in the prevention and 

 treatment of disease. But how can he do this 

 without knowing the cause of all the vital func- 

 tions, and the mode in which it maintains them 

 in health? How can he restore the different 

 organs to their natural state, without knowing 

 what is best calculated to augment, diminish, and 

 thus modify all their actions? 



Although but vaguely understood, the funda- 

 mental doctrine of the ancients in regard to the 

 curative powers of nature, has been adopted by a 

 large majority of modern pathologists ; and espe- 

 cially by the illustrious Sydenham, who main- 

 tained that fever is an effort of nature to correct 

 or expel morbific matter from the blood, by 

 vomiting, purging, sweating, urine, spontaneous 

 hemorrhage, or some other evacuation ; that the 

 plague is a complication of actions to throw out 

 some offending matter through the emunctories, 

 or by the formation of buboes and other eruptions ; 

 while gout is a contrivance of nature to purify 

 the blood, and purge the recesses of the body. 

 Nor is it unworthy of notice, that the Archeus of 

 Paracelsus and Van Helmont, the vis Nature of 

 Harvey, the animal spirits of the later mechanical 



