IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIC. 227 
refer thofe who choofe to look farther into this 
affair, to a very curious and ingenious book 
publifhed not many years ago by dodtor Mar- 
tyn, entitled, EJj'aies Philofophical and Medicah 
The reader may perhaps find there fuHicient 
reafons to incline him to lay fome ftrefs on the 
old-fafhioned dodtrine concerning the pecu- 
liar vertues of fome medicines preferably to 
others, feemingly of the fame intention. I will 
add that the phenomena of chemiftry give 
continual proofs of the reality of this dodtrine, 
and afford fo many inftances of it, that were i 
fo inclined, i could eafily fill fome pages with 
them out of Mr. Boyle and other authors of 
credit. Ray in his hiftory of plants, p. 49. cites 
fome very curious obfervations of this tendency 
from Grew, which are well worth the confider- 
ation of phyficians. Upon the whole i cannot 
help thinking that the want of true and ge- 
nuine philofophy ought rather to be imputed 
to thofe who deny, than to thofe who main- 
tain the dodtrine of fpecificsj and that we 
might as well undertake to open all locks with 
one key, as purge all humors' with one me- 
dicine. 
Q^2 
THE 
