t B E N E F I T O F 
But it was experience, that fovereign miflreft 
without Y/hich a phyfician ought to be afhamed 
to open his lips ; it was experience, i fay, that 
eonfecrated to immortality fo many of the an- 
tients, and amongft the reft that 'divine old 
man Hippocrates, whofe writings were pub^ 
lifhed many ages before chriftiariity. The 
writings of this wonderful man alone, among 
fo many ingenioufly contrived fyftems,. remain 
to this day, and will -for ever remain firm, urn 
moved, unfhaken, untouched by any decay, 
by any change. It is experience that has 
adorned with laurels the heads of fo many ce- 
lebrated phyficians in all times, and even now 
adorns. And hence it is that the chief and 
moil honorable title of phyfician is to be called 
a man of experience. Experience ought to 
go firfi reafoning fiiould follow. The former 
fumifhes the materials of knowledge; the latter 
holds her confutations on the given ; phamo~? 
mena ; an d when ihe has weighed with judg- 
ment every circumflance, ihe difcovers truth, 
and concludes, orders, and determines rightly 
about the point in queftion. Experience Ought 
to be animated by reafon in all phyficai affairs ; 
without this fine is void of order, void of ener- 
gy, void of life. On the other hand reafon 
with- 
