403 
UK. klliotson’s clinical lectures. 
“ The instruction that was given in medicine was certainly alto¬ 
gether deplorable, at one time, in London ; and I am sure that 
every thing* was rather calculated to disgust pupils with physic 
than to satisfy them. There were not the same means of diagnosis 
formerly that we now possess ; and when a diagnosis cannot be 
established, you cannot take much interest in the case —and for this 
simple reason, you cannot see your way. Whatever treatment is 
adopted cannot interest you, because you cannot see why it is 
adopted, or be sure that there is reason in it. Such treatment, too, 
is generally inefficient; because, as you have not made a diag¬ 
nosis of the case, you are floundering about, fancying one thing 
to-day and another to-morrow; and such treatment must disgust 
a pupil rather than excite his attention. With too many, physic is 
a mere g*uess; and they affect to sneer at those who bestow the 
time and employ the means requisite for making such a diagnosis 
as you know to be possible. I conceive that one of the greatest 
improvements in modern physic is the great facility of diagnosis. 
Some sneer at those who condescend to use what they call me¬ 
chanical means—nature’s senses of hearing and touch, in diagno¬ 
sis; but let us employ with thankfulness all the means in our 
power. 
“ In the treatment of disease, you will find the first thing* always 
to be, to make an accurate diagnosis. It is no matter whether the 
diagnosis will lead you to a cure of the case or not; the point is, 
as a general and invariable rule, to make an accurate diagnosis. 
If it will enable you to cure the disease, so much the better ; if it 
will not, still you see your way to relieve it a great deal better, or 
you learn the inutility of particular plans of treatment: and it is 
to be remembered, that if we make an accurate diagnosis, our 
successors, perhaps, will be able to advance further,—to turn the 
diagnosis to account; but as long as we are unable to distinguish 
diseases, we cannot expect much satisfaction in the treatment. 
Among the improvements of our profession, this must be con¬ 
sidered as one of the foundations; and future generations will 
be able to profit by the improved diagnosis which we have 
established. 
“ But with respect to diagnosis, it is also necessary to make it 
