HUNTERIAN ORATION. IQ 



moted, retarded, or variously affected the 

 |3rogress of the medical sciences, will not be 

 clearly intelligible, without adverting to 

 this revolution, I may be excused if I briefly 

 endeavour to revive it in your remembrance. 

 It was towards the latter end of the fifth 

 century, that the hardy nations of the north 

 oi Europe burst like a deluge into the 

 Italian territories of the degenerate Romans, 

 bearing down before them the ancient seat 

 of their government, which, having previ- 

 ously removed to Constantinople, was still 

 able to oppose a mound that checked the 

 further progress of this inundation. In the 

 beginning of the seventh century, Mahomet 

 established his religion and dominion in the 

 East, subduing all Arabia ; and his suc- 

 cessors extended their empire over Pales- 

 tine and Persia, Egypt, and the northern, 

 coast of Africa, from whence their influence 

 was continued over those Moors, who had 

 invaded and subdued the kingdom of Spain : 

 such was the extent of the Saraceri do- 

 mmion. But the Mahometans were prevent- 

 ed from entering Europe on the east by the 

 Roman government at Constantinople. The 

 territories of the Romans were much di- 



