[ 199 3 



papers hereafter to be mentioned in the Amcenitates 

 Academics, Briefly, therefore, the Linnaan prin- 

 ciples of phylic fuppofe the human body to confift 

 of a cerebrofe medullary part, of which the nerves 

 are fo many procelTes, and which we call the ner- 

 vous fyftem ; and, a cortical or vital part, includ- 

 ing the vafcular fyftem and contained fluids : 

 the former, being the animated parr, or that in 

 which the fentient^ moving principle peculiarly 

 refides, is confidered as deriving its nourijhment 

 from the fubtleft fluids of thevafcular fyftem, and 

 its energy from an eledrical principle inhaled by 

 the lungs. Farther, this theory fuppofes the cir- 

 culating fluids to be capable of being vitiated, by 

 principles which the author chufes to conflder 

 either as acefcent^ or putrid ferments ^ the former 

 acting on the ferum^ and being the exciting caufe 

 . of critical fevers ; the latter, on the blood pro- 

 perly, or craffamentum^ and exciting phlogijiic dif- 

 eafes. The e^canthematic clafs is fuppofed to be 

 excited by fome external caufes, v/hich we call 

 Contagion^ and which hypothetic ally he propofes as 

 being animalcula. From the inceflant attrition of 

 the cortical or vafcular fyftem, it requires perpe- 

 tual reparation ; this is to be effeded by an appro- 

 priate diet. From an impropriate diet, or regi- 

 men, fpring the difeafes of this part of the fyftem, 

 originally and more particularly ; thefe are to be 

 remedied by fapid medicines, as thofe of the medul- 

 lary fyftem are by olids. Hence arifes the author's 

 general divifion of all medicines, as difcoverable 

 by their fenfxble qualities, to the tajle^ and fmelling, 



O 4 The 



