222 



REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES 



Tliis is a summary view of the labours by which Linnaeus ac- 

 quired his medical celebrity in Sweden, and by which he formed the 

 greatest part of the young Swedish praftitioners*. We now return to 

 his chief study, to natural history. Flora was the fair deity to 

 whom he did homage in his youth, and to whose service he most 

 zealously continued to devote himself even in his old age. " But one 

 " single reign of nature," continues Dean B^ck, the celebrated 

 Swedish panegyrist of LiNN^tus, " was too confined a sphere for him 

 " to move in. With the same spirit and success he made conquests 

 " equally great in the animal reign. This reign was covered with still 

 " greater darkness, and remained a chaos of intricacy and confusion. 

 <'^Gesner, Ai.drovandi, and Ray, had spread over it some small 



streaks of a dawning light, but through Linn.«:us alone it first ap- 

 *' peared as a serene and resplendent day. His animal system con- 



* Dr. Hedin comprises die merits of LinnjEus in the Materia Medka, and in medicine 

 at large, in the following nine points : 



I. Simpticium exadlissiniam dedit cognitionem, et quoad principia Botanica et vires, qusB 

 hailenus omnino inter desiderata Materias Medicas erant. 



II. Dudum nota et usitata propius determinare et ad species referre docuit. 



III. Nova tndigena introduxit, vel frequentitis usurpare docuit, quo simul medicinam 

 domesticam per Suecise regiones usitatam breviter exposuit, et loca xiatalia plantarum apud 

 »os indicavit, 



IV. Exstica, quae usus medici sunt vel detexit, vel determinavit, ut nobis jam constet, 

 vel quibus in casibus, omnem irapleant indicationem, vel quibus etiam excipiantur aprls siic- 

 cedaneis, in quorum investigutionem quam maxime erat intentus. 



V. S'mplicium, quoad multitudinem nimiam et usum rariorem, rigidissimam instituit 

 censuram. 



VI. In venenatorum inquisivit usum, et dosin sensim determinare docuit. 



VII. Culturam plantarum medicinalium ad unguem perduxit. 



VIII. Modum colligendi et methodum exhibendi iVIedicamenta proposuit. 



IX. Medicaiiientorum compositorum usiun restrinxit. 



See Hedin's Colleftio Epistolarum Linn^i ; accedunt opuscula pro ct contra Linn^um 

 scripta extra Sueciam rarissima, Hamb, 1792; 8vo. 



3 " sisted 



