342 APPENDIX. . 



saiy and proper assistance to be given by the 

 Surgeon. The principles of diseases are the 

 first parts of surgery to be learned. They are 

 to the Surgeon what the first principles of the 

 mathematics are to the practical geometrician, 

 without the knowledge of which a man can nei- 

 ther be a philosopher nor a Surgeon. In our re- 

 search after diseases, says Mr. Hunter, we ought 

 not only to understand the case, which becomes 

 the immediate object of Surgery, such as in- 

 flammation, suppuration, mortification, &c. but 

 also the cause of the effect ; for without this 

 knowledge our practice must be very confined, 

 very precarious, and often applied too late. 

 This knowledge opens to the Surgeon varieties 

 of treatment. It teaches him in one instance to 

 remove the cause — in another to increase the 

 effect — in another to change it to some other 

 disease — and gives him, what is the most essen- 

 tial point, the knowledge of the proper moment 

 for the surgical operation, where an operation 

 is necessary. In the animal body the power of 

 restoration to a state of health arises out of the 

 Animal from its own mechanism and action. If 

 the Animal was in all cases equal to the task, 

 there would be no occasion for the Surgeon j 

 but it is necessary in many cases to assist nature 

 by the introduction of artificial powers — to in- 

 crease the living powers of the Animal when 



