( 5 ° ) 
Confequent of any Evil before conrraded, becaufe 
they were not apprifed, that the firft Symptoms be- 
ing removed, and the Difeafe to Appearance cured, 
it ihould afterwards difcover it felfin fuch a manner, 
as fhould not feem to have the lead Analogy with the 
Symptoms, that firft attack’d a part, which had been 
for a confiderable time free from any Misfortune; 
But becaufe the Symptoms are the only true Cha- 
raderifticks, whereby we are infallibly able to know 
one Difeafe from another, it may be expeded, that I pro- 
duce fufficient Authorities, to demonftrate they were 
all of them known and defcribed by ancient Phyfical 
and Chirurgical Writers, juft as they appear to be 
in the Venereal Difeafe at this Day, if I would prove 
that Difeafe to be of a much more ancient Date, than 
is generally thought ; and if I do this, I cannot but 
think it will be fatisfadory, fince we can have no 
other way of coming to a Knowledge of any one 
Diftemper, than by its Symptoms. The Method of 
laying down the exad Succeflion of them, will be 
impoffible to be reduced to any certain and infalli- 
ble Rule, there being fo great a Variety of Caufes, 
that obftrud fuch a Regularity 3 for which Reafbn* 
I (hall take notice of them in fuch Order as they 
moft generally appear, which was upon no account 
to be expeded from our ancient Writers, for as much 
as they mention every particular Symptom by it felf, 
not knowing but that they were independent of each 
other, and that each of them was a diftind Difeafe* 
However, the proving thefe Symptoms were in being 
in thefe early times, will be as ftrong an Argument 
to prove the Antiquity of this Diftemper, as if they 
had been regifter’d in the moft exad Order of Suc- 
ceflion, becaufe we fliall, upon the ftrideft Examina* 
tion. 
