OF THE ASIATICS, 1 69 



way, on the mysteries of animal generation, and on 

 the comparative influence of the sexes in the pro- 

 duction of perfect offspring ; and we may collect from 

 the authorities adduced in the learned Essay on 

 Egypt and the Nile, that their physiological disputes 

 led to violent schisms in religion, and even to bloody 

 wars. On the whole, we cannot expect to acquire 

 many valuable truths from an examination of eastern 

 books on the science of medicine ; but examine them 

 we must, if we wish to complete the history of uni- 

 versal philosophy, and to supply the scholars of Eu- 

 rope with authentic materials for an account of the 

 opinions anciently formed on this head by the philo- 

 sophers of Asia* To know indeed, with certainty, 

 that so much and no more can be known on any 

 branch of science, would in itself be very important 

 and useful knowledge, if it had no other effect than to 

 check the boundless curiosity of mankind, and to fix 

 them in the straight path of attainable science, espe- 

 cially of such as relates to their duties, and may con- 

 duce to their happiness. 



II. We have an ample field in the next division, and 

 a field almost wholly new, since the mytaphysics and 

 logic of the Brdhmens, comprised in their six philoso- 

 phical Suslras, and explained by numerous glosses, 

 or comments, have never yet been accessible to 

 Europeans ; and, by the help of the Sanscrit lan- 

 guage, we now mav read the works of the Saumh r, 

 Baudahas y A'rlia'as, Jahh/s, and other heterodox 

 philosophers, whence we may gather the metaphy- 

 sical tenets prevalent in China and Japan, in the 



x eastern 



