SECT. 1.
The Second question was this; Whether the proceedings of the Colledge against Em­piricks and unlicensed persons be oppressive?

TO the clearing of this question I have done much already in proving that the Colledge hath been esta­blished by 3 Acts of Parliament, own'd as such by all the grave Judges and Lawyers of the Kingdom, and therefore acting by those Statute Laws that were made, rati­fied and confirmed by England's Sovereigns and Parliaments, 'tis very rude if not au­dacious to term their proceedings according to these Laws, oppression and persecution; as Mr. H. hath done in the title of his book, and in the first page thereof.

I shall therefore, for the clearing of this Question, and the full satisfaction of all in­genious and inquisitive persons, give them [Page 26] a true and faithful account of the excellent government of this learned Society. After that King Henry the VIII. had constituted a Colledge of Physicians, and granted them power of chusing a President, Elects and Censors; and invested them with power of making Statutes and Ordinances pro salubri gubernatione, super-visu & correcti­one Collegii & omnium hominum eandem fa­cultatem in dicta civitate seu per septem millia­ria exercentium, i. e. for the safe or wholsom government, oversight and correction of the Colledge, and of all men practising Physick in the said City or within seven miles of the same. They accordingly made these follow­ing Statutes.

SECT. 2.
Physick no Conjectural Art.

BUt Mr. H. being wiser than my self, yea than all men but those of his own tribe, hath found out a better and surer test of Physicians abilities, viz. Certificates of their good success in practice, which, he saith, is the surest evidence of a mans learning and knowledge proper for his Faculty; and there­fore he strenuously endeavours to discharge Physicians of that employment, because Physick is conjectural, having no certain rules to judge by, &c. and therefore Physicians no competent Judges therein.

SECT. 3.
The method of taking Degrees, in the Uni­versity of Leyden.

HAving now performed that part of my task, which relates to those certain foundations upon which our Art is esta­blished: I shall now make it my endeavour to vindicate the famous University of Ley­den, with some worthy and ingenious Phy­sicians, whom Mr. H. hath so rudely trea­ted; which you may find in the 19. 29. & 30. pages of his pamphlet; although I think neither of them have much reason to take it unkindly at his hands; he having been so audacious as to affront High Courts of Parliament, Kings Bench, and Common Pleas; not sparing the Lawyers, but repre­senting them as men who would unawares accept of a Bill for a Statute; nor yet Mr. Pul­ton, one of the most industrious men of our Age; to whom all the subjects in England are highly endebted for his faithfulness and care in collecting the Statute Laws of the Kingdom.

[Page 57] But to our present purpose, and to the giving a faithful relation of the manner of taking Degrees in Leyden, which feather in the Cap Mr. H. so much contemns, as you may see in the foremention'd pages; I suppose be­cause he was as unwilling to pass an Exami­nation there, as now he is in England; know­ing very well that his Certificates would not be accepted by the learned Professors of that University, for the surest evidence of his learning and knowledge fit for his Faculty; and though he is in some hopes that the Statute of 3 H. 8. may do him some ser­vice here, yet it was to little purpose to plead it there.

SECT. 1.
The third Question was, Whether Physicians educated in Universities, and particularly the Colledge of Physicians in London, have been the great hinderers of the Art of Physick, and more especially that of Chymistry.

THat I may the more fully and satis­factorily clear this Question, which I esteem to be of the greatest mo­ment betwixt the Colledge of Physicians and these boasting Empiricks, I will treat particularly of our Art as it hath reference to these three main Pillars, Anatomy, Chy­mistry and the Methodus medendi, and shew that the Colledge, with those learned and eminent Physicians, who have had their Education in Academies, and are so rudely treated by Mr. H. and his Mercurial Crew, [Page 66] have been so far from being the hinderers of the Art of Physick in the foremention'd respects, that they have been the principal, if not sole promoters of it.

SECT. 2.
As to the first, Anatomy hath conduc'd to the better Cure of Diseases.

ANatomy in general hath so far con­duced to the Cure of diseases that it hath laid the foundations of that noble Art; by teaching us the nature and manner of concoctions, excretions and motions of the bloud and humors; the true and sound constitution of all the several parts, which being compared with those that have been found in morbid bodies so much deviating from the sound ones, have not only given greater light to the discovery of many dis­eases formerly unknown, but likewise en­gaged learned men to a diligent invention of appropriate Medicines most likely to pre­vent and cure those formerly latent distem­pers. Who would ever have thought of Cancers, Gangreens, Inflations and Drop­sies of the womb? Inflammations, Ulcers, Scirrhous tumors of the Lungs, Liver, Spleen, Sweet-bread, &c. if Anatomy had [Page 72] not discover'd them? And as for the do­ctrine of Pulses, there is no man judicious in our Faculty that will not freely acknow­ledge, that great Indications are to be taken, both for the exhibition of Medicines, and passing prognosticks, from a diligent ob­servation and exploration of them: how easily may we thereby judge of the strength or debility of our Patients? The indica­tions or contra-indications for Cordials, Juleps, Phlebotomy, Purgation, &c. All which are of no small moment to the better cure of diseases; but how was it possible to deliver any artificial rules concerning them, till the structure of the Heart and Arteries was understood? And therefore it is that Pliny doth deliver an account of the original of this skill, which he derives from Herophilus that great Anatomist, con­cerning whom he saith, quod Arteriarum pulsum in modulos certos legesque metricas pri­mus redegerit, ejusque varietates edocuerit, as was more fully observed in the foremen­tion'd speech of the learned Dr. W. Needham.

And though Mr. H. was so confident as to tell us, that nothing hath been done of late by Anatomy which may conduce to better cure; give me leave to acquaint him with some dis­coveries which may fully evert this so igno­rant and ridiculous assertion:

[Page 73] As for instance; since the discharge of the Liver from its sanguifying office, and affixing sanguification to the vital spirits residing in the bloud; it hath been clearly demonstrated that most diseases do derive their original from some ill affections of the mass of bloud, and not from the morbid constitution of the viscera, (which are parts usually but secondarily affected) whereupon our remedies that have been primarily indicated, have had their chief respect to the reduction of the bloud to its due and native Crasis; and not to the ap­plication of Topicks, to those parts which never give the first occasion to the fore­mention'd dyscrasie; for these are generally in their healthful, genuine state, until the sanguineous mass doth affix some preter­natural recrements upon them: wherefore the application of Epithemes, unguents, emplasters, &c. are sound in several of the foremention'd cases not so serviceable as was formerly thought; as particularly in those diseases which were believ'd to derive their original from a calida Epatis intemperies; the primary cure of which depends upon the discharge of those bilious or sulphureous parts of the bloud, by venae-section which are too luxuriant therein; or else upon the redu­ction [Page 70] [...] [Page 71] [...] [Page 72] [...] [Page 73] [...] [Page 74] of them to their pristine state, by internal and appropriate remedies; and not upon Topical applications. I might farther discourse of Dropsies, Scurvy, and other distempers of the like nature; which were imagin'd to derive their original from the viscera, but that the judicious Reader by considering that one case I mention'd, may easily be induc'd to believe that in these also the bloud and not the viscera is the primary seat of the disease.

I could likewise inform Mr. H. of the great advantages that might accrue to Phy­sick by that excellent discovery of the cir­culation of the Chyle with the mass of bloud; it being well known that bloud appearing with its Chyle swimming upon it, hath till of late dayes been taken as Sanious; and consequently the person from whose arm it hath been drawn, being pos­sessed with the fancy of a Surfeit, may have put himself upon methods of physick to cure a fictitious disease, and thereby laid a foundation for a real one.

And doubtless not only this, but many other late Anatomick discoveries might tend very much to the better cure of diseases; as for instance, the commixture of the air with the mass of bloud, which hath been [Page 75] experimented so absolutely necessary to the maintaining of Animal life; that neither the motion of the bloud nor spirits could be preserved without its continual supply; nay though some time their motion hath been impeded; yet upon a fresh and speedy com­munication of air to the Heart and bloud, they have both recover'd their pristine state. Which puts me in mind of two excellent observations to this purpose intimated by the ingenious Doctor Thruston in his Trea­tise de respiratione; who there tells us of an experiment of that accomplish'd Physi­cian and accurate Anatomist Doctor Croon, who stifling a Chicken till she seem'd quite dead, yet a good while after by blowing air into the Lungs revived it.

The second was an experiment perform'd by the no less accurate Anatomist, Doctor Needham, who in a dog dead and opened, after all cessations of pulse, recover'd the motion of the heart meerly by blowing up air into the receptacle of the Chyle, which from thence by its ductus was transmitted into the mass of bloud.

Now doubtless from these experiments, and others of the like nature, much might be collected for the improvement of the practick part of our Art; especially in those [Page 76] cases, where we are apt to be too severe in keeping our Patients from those reviving gusts of air, which probably might tend much more to the depuration of the bloud and refreshment of the animal spirits, than the greatest Cordials that could have been exhibited. Which puts me in mind of what great relief I have seen instantly given to Hysterical Patients in acute diseases by allowing them fresh gales of air.

And no less to a young Gentleman in a deep Consumption, who was speedily and even to the wonder of all that knew him, recover'd to a healthful state by riding five or sixscore miles into the countrey to take the Air.

And within these few dayes discoursing with the learned Doctor Bradey, Master of Caius Colledge in Cambridge, and an emi­nent practiser in this Town, upon this subject; he was pleased to acquaint me with a very notable observation in confir­mation of this assertion, viz. in a Patient of his, who being very highly Asthmatick and Hysterick, and thereby necessitated to keep her bed six winters together, found constant and speedy relief in the paroxysms of the foremention'd distempers, by un­drawing the curtains of her bed, putting [Page 77] out the fire in her chamber, and letting in air; and that which was very remarkable, was, that in the greatest of her extremities, if the wind lay in the window, and the casements were opened, she found so great advantage thereby, that not content with what passage Nature had made in her no­strils for air, she would dilate them with her fingers, that it might be more plenti­fully conveyed to her Lungs.

Which truly is not so much to be wonder'd at, seeing the Atmosphere is so highly impreg­nated with nitrous particles, which as the Lord Bacon hath well observed, are the only refrigerating Cordials that can be exhibited.

And surely if the motion and florid co­lour of the Arterial bloud do so much de­pend upon a due commixture of the air; and many diseases and sudden deaths are occasion'd by too great a crassitude, roapi­ness and coagulation of the bloud; how much might the free admission of air into the rooms of sick and diseased Patients, and it may be (where we durst not allow of their rising) the bare suction of it by some artificial pipe contriv'd for that purpose, tend to their more easie and speedy recovery?

And if in high Fevers, deliriums, &c. that excellent Physician Riverius would direct [Page 78] the strowing the Patients chambers with green herbs, and pouring water out of one tub or pail into another; surely these late experiments may encourage us in several cases to admit of fresh gales of air into those Patients chambers, who are almost parch'd up or suffocated for want thereof.

And truly if we consider how many fair and beautiful Ladies, in the prime and flower of their years, are precipitated into Phthisicks and Consumptions, from being too closely mew'd up with their near rela­tions, lying sick of those distempers; and how many of those afflicted with them, are rendred incurable, and sometimes speedily destroy'd by the inspiration of air so highly vitiated from their own morbid expirations; I cannot imagine but the most ingenious Physicians will allow me, that great im­provements might be made hereby for the better cure of diseases, if we were as dili­gent in observation as we have been in spe­culation, which otherwise is really no bet­ter, than (as our adversaries term it) the ornamental part of physick.

But now 'tis high time to answer their cry'd up objection taken out of Celsus, which is as a late Author hath told us in plain English.

[Page 79] That nothing is more foolish than to imagine that things within a man should be in the same state when he is dying, as they were when he was living; much more when he is actually dead; for, saith he, most diseases lying in the variations of bloud and humors, spirits and ferments of the parts are causes remote from such ocular inspection. And that nothing certain can be concluded from the stagnation of bloud or other humors found in any place or passage of the body after death, is evident in this, that nature upon deaths approach being driven to most violent motions, does extra­vasate, intravasate, throw blood and humors in and out, here and there, and every where, Cap-a-pee, through the most abstruse and un­perceivable passages; so that if stagnant or coagulated bloud, or other humors, be found in any part by anatomizing, it cannot be concluded it was so before death.

Thus far hath that ingenious Author en­deavoured to defend so ill a cause; which endeavours had they been employed to better purposes, I doubt not but he might have been more serviceable to himself and the Common-wealth of learning.

But seeing his inclinations have engaged him to different apprehensions, I hope he will pardon us that we refuse to give him [Page 80] our assent to what he hath yet writ on this subject; unless his reasons were more co­gent or prevailing.

For I would gladly have this Author ac­quaint us, what alteration is made in the body of a healthful man, when he dyeth of a violent death as to those things which we enquire after; I mean as to the viscera and solid parts: do they lose any thing of their figure, connexion, proportion? &c. I confess that they are something alter'd as to their colour, but I hope we may satis­fie our selves as to the reason of that muta­tion. Which of the vessels do we then find wanting? The lacteals we acknow­ledge do then disappear, and the Lympha­ticks too some time after death, but the defect of these, vivi-section will supply.

And as for the rest of the humors (the bloud excepted) they receive no great al­teration in death, as witness the gall, urine, Lympha, &c. And as for the bloud it self, I hope we may observe both it and its mo­tion in the dissection of living Animals, and I am sure we may discover its passages even in dead bodies, by injections.

And what though we readily allow, that most diseases lye in the variation of the bloud and humours, spirits and ferments; yet our [Page 81] Antagonist himself is willing to grant us, that the morbid impressions they make upon the several viscera are visible enough; and so are the bloud and humors no less in some diseases, though he is pleased to as­sert that they are causes remote from ocular inspection; as witness the inflammatory blood that is usually drawn from the arms of Patients in Rheumatisms, Quinsies, Pleurisies, &c.

And for the humors, there is enough to be found for the proof thereof in Sylvius and de Graef, who have acquainted the world with what a variety of diseases do owe their original to the preternatural affections of the bile, pituita, Lymphatick liquor and pancreatick juice, all which may easily be obtain'd, and that in some considerable quantity, in living and dead, in sound and morbid bodies.

And as for what is said of the extravasa­tion and intravasation; throwing bloud and humors in and out, here and there and every where, Cap-a-pee, through the most abstruse and unperceivable passages in deaths ap­proaches.

I must confess that I do not well under­stand this notion, till the Author hath bet­ter clear'd it: for according to my appre­hension [Page 82] the impetuous and disorderly mo­tion that he would fancy the humors to be in at such a time, should be so far from di­recting them into those unperceivable passa­ges, that it should altogether hinder their motion through those fictitious Meanders.

And farther let him give me leave to tell him, that I am not of his belief that the bloud and humors are then in such an impetuous motion; the languid pulses of most dying persons affording us a sufficient argument to the contrary; and for my own part (with submission to better judgments) I am apt to think that the disorder that is observed in the body upon the approaches of death, doth chiefly proceed from the tumult of the Animal spirits, which are put into those disorders and irregular motions for want of a due supply of influential spi­rits, from the mass of bloud; which alas! at that time is so far from being endued with such volatile and luxuriant parts to occasion this motion, that I take it not only to be perverted in its whole crasis, but a weak, confused, and depauperated liquor.

And farther as to what is said of extra­vasation and intravasation in deaths ap­proaches, 'tis as difficult to believe as all the former, seeing that upon the point of death [Page 83] we rarely observe maculae or exanthemata, &c. to appear, but usually in the beginning or augmentation of pestilential or malig­nant diseases; and if at that nick of time, there should be any appearance of extrava­sated bloud, 'tis as improbable to believe, that it should be again resorb'd for the rea­sons above-mention'd.

And for what he saith, that if stagnant or coagulated bloud or other humors be found in any part by anatomizing, it cannot be con­cluded it was so before death.

I judge it as difficult to imagine as all the rest; for what should hinder my assent from believing that there was a great quan­tity of aqueous humors in the bodies of Hy­dropical persons whilest alive, their bellies being so tense and swell'd, though I do not actually see it, till my knife discovers it?

And thus if we find the Cystick ductus wholly obstructed by any calculous con­cretion or viscid bile, so that the gall being replete and turgid can receive no more of its felleous liquor from the blood; which wanting its due separation and discharge, doth gradually so load and saturate it, that it doth not only pervert its constituent prin­ciples and the animal spirits originated from them, but procure the patients death; shall [Page 84] I question whether this obstruction of the ductus and distention of the gall, were thus whilst the patient was living?

And thus suppose upon some sudden rup­ture or erosion of any of the vessels of the inward parts, there should be a great dis­charge of blood into the brain, thorax or abdomen, and the patient immediately dy, shall I question whether this breach was there, or blood extravasated before death ensued?

Much more might be said to this purpose, but I shall now proceed no farther in an Anatomical reply to this Author; but only crave leave to tell him, that he hath done his Chymical friends little service in this harangue against Anatomy; for since the spagyrical Analysis of bodies is made by fire and menstrua; 'tis notoriously known that they are so much alter'd thereby, that such divisions do not so much explicate parts as destroy them; or at least to use Helmont's ex­pression, convert them in alia entia. Whereas the Anatomist doth only by wary incisions still discover the more inward parts as whole and unchanged as may be: and when he cometh to dissect any particular part, as the Liver, Spleen, &c. he first vieweth what he intendeth to dissect, and [Page 85] still proceeds leisurely to observe the in­ward vessels, &c. upon their first appearance, whilest they are yet whole; he never in­juring any thing with his knife, till having sufficiently consider'd it, he thinks fit to destroy it in order to some future discovery of what is beyond it.

And to conclude, I appeal to any judici­ous man, whether with a curious knife he may not discover more of an Animal than he can by Chymical preparation.

SECT. 3.
As to Chymistry.

I Shall in this Section endeavour to shew that Physicians educated in Universities, and particularly Members of the Colledge of Physicians, have been so far from being the hinderers of the Art of Chymistry, that they have been the great Improvers and promoters of it.

As to the clearing of this Assertion to the satisfaction of all Impartial Readers; I shall crave leave to acquaint them; that our contest at present with this Empirical tribe of men, is not about the antiquity, excellency, or usefulness of this Art; nor yet about the Arcana majora in that Sci­ence, which the Ancients did endeavour to perswade the world they were Masters of; for, by the by, let me tell them, that they have exploded their doctrines and principles, which were the very same with Aristotles and Galens (which are so much contemned by Mr. H. and others of his [Page 117] Society) as may be seen at large in their writings of the Elements in general, and each of them in particular.

And as to the great Arcana of the Anci­ents, the universal by dissolution of Gold, liquor Alkahest, Ferment, grand Elixir, &c. there is none of them I presume, will dare to pretend to them; they being (as I con­ceive) but bad Commentators upon so ob­scure and dark a text; it being very well known to all men that have been conver­sant in their writings, that they affected an Aenigmatical and Hieroglyphical stile, too difficult for these men to unfold.

And therefore they have wisely conten­ted themselves with Authors of a later date and lower form in Chymistry; which had they well understood, they would not have discoursed so contemptibly against the fountains of all good and ingenious litera­ture and education, viz. the famous Uni­versities of our own and foreign Countries; nor yet have fancied that a few preparati­ons stolen out of Faber, Horstius, &c. should have merited such a splendid title as that of Aurora Chymica; nor that Antimonial or Mer­curial preparations (the most dangerous, venenate and fatal Medicines, if not wisely and faithfully managed both by their Opera­tors, [Page 118] and those that exhibite them) should have deserved the estimation of remedies extracted by the Solar rayes; nor that an Infusion of Senna, Elecampane, Liquorice, Guajacum, Coriander and Annise-seeds in Aqua vitae, should have deserved the title of Elixir Salutis: nor a dissolution of Elaterium, Jalapp, Gummi gutta, or the like, in a little Brandy, or Spirit of Wine, drawn from Scurvy-grass; that of a Golden Purging Spi­rit: nor yet that these Medicines should have suited all palates and constitutions, as they knavishly pretend.

For 'tis no difficulty to prove that none of these Medicines (which they would gladly have the ignorant vulgar believe Universal) can cure diseases better, nor yet so well, as the Emetick Infusion which every Apothecary hath in his shop; nor as the Cathartick pills or potions which our Dispensatory doth sufficiently furnish us withal, and every Novice in our Art may easily prescribe: but the cures that are per­formed by the forementioned remedies, are to be attributed to little else but the method of using them, which they as much con­temn and ignore as learning it self.

And therefore that they might maintain their repute with their ignorant Devotio­nists, [Page 119] they have affixed several monster-drop­sied titles to their pretended Arcana; as Aqua Tetra-Chymagogon; Pilulae Anticachecticae, Pul­vis Catholicus Emetico catharticus, Elixir Lysi­ponon, Archei Sedativum & Anodynum, Bezoar­dick and Anti-odontalgick powders fabricated by Sol and Luna; Panpharmacons, &c. which occasions those poor silly souls to fancy their Authors a form above Physicians, the very names of their remedies being more likely to fright or conjure away their diseases than their medicines.

And as for their cures, that are cry'd up and down the streets in printed Bills, and patched on every post; I take them to be of as good credit as their Predecessor's O Dowdes; of which the ingenious Mr. Johnson formerly Operator to the Col­ledge of Physicians hath given the world an account. And lest his testimony should not please them, or his credit be suspected, as having some dependence upon that learn­ed Colledge; I shall acquaint them with what characters they have lately given each other in their printed bills; the one charg­ing the other for an ignorant Dunce that cannot write three lines of true English and sence; for villany and poyson, &c. and for seve­ral of the Cures that he pretends to have done [Page 120] in several parts of England, he will prove them forged and lies; the other charging his Adversary for Felony, Burglary and other misdemeanors. And therefore one of the most ingenious of this gang of men, having formerly received an account out of several of the Counties of England, of the apparent, undeniable, and inexcusable tragedies that have been caused by taking these Empirical Medicines; hath told the world in Print, that their Universal remedies are but dange­rous Venomes; and their Authors but stupid and blockish Philosophers; heteroclite pieces of mortality; as Weavers, Taylors, Botchers, Coblers, &c. who of late having thrown aside their Bodkins and Thimbles, Lasts, Awles, and Shuttles, are become (Asini ad Lyram) like so many Apes in a Carpenters work-room, &c.

And lest Mr. H. should be offended with this relation I have given from some of his Brethrens writings, I will be so kind as to acquaint him with the operation of some of their famous, wonderful, and never failing Medicines, (as they term them) which have been attended with the following success.

The first is discoursed of by Doctor Wil­lis in the first part of his Pharmaceutice ra­tionalis, p. 99. who there gives an account of the exhibition of two doses of a Cathar­tick [Page 121] powder from an Empirick to two Boyes; the effect whereof was this, that in one of them the powder wrought no less than an hundred times in the space of forty eight hours; the other it neither purged nor vomited; but in few days his hair fell off, and nails grew black, and in a short time aqueous pustles broke forth in all the habit of his body, which were soon hardned into crusty scabs, which were of so poysonous and venenate a nature, that the poor boy was miserably afflicted with them for above two years before any cure could be obtained; although the most ap­propriate Medicines were not wanting during that time.

The second by Doctor Castle; who in his Chymical Galenist acquaints us, p. 22. that having visited his learned friend Dr. Cox, he told him that he had been lately called to a Citizen of London, who upon taking a Vomit from an Empirick, fell into an Hy­percatharsis, and out of that into dismal Convulsions, in which in despite of the most proper remedies he dyed.

And 'tis not long since that my Apothe­cary told me, that one of this Tribe being sent for to a poor Hostler in a Fever, whom finding after some dayes treatment in great [Page 122] want of rest; he sent for a dram of Opium (at least 58 grains too much) with some Diascordium to give this Fellow inwardly; which the Apothecary understanding, re­fused to supply him with, which caused him to husse like one of the Hectors of the Town, that his learning and skill should be called in question by an Apothecary, though it were to save a mans life.

I could likewise acquaint Mr. H. with a Friend and Companion of his, who pro­mising his Patient a speedy cure, per­formed it in good earnest; the Physick he exhibited, being of such a deleterious, deadly quality, that its operation was not only incredibly violent; but in a short time it found its passage into the bloud, and from thence for several dayes discharged such large quantities of that noble and vital liquor; that the poor languishing Patient speedily dyed; notwithstanding the most rational and proper remedies that were made use of, by a very great and learned Physician to have prevented his death.

And if Mr. H. were as good at an appli­cation as I find him at a false quotation; I could tell him of a man that served seven years with an Apothecary, and travelled into Holland, Germany, France and Spain; [Page 123] and thus spent eight and thirty years in laborious pains and travels to gain experience and know­ledge in Physick above the common sort, and to look into the practise of the best Physicians and Artists of diverse Nations; and then coming into England well furnished with a Celestial liquor, and other remedies which himself and Patients might depend upon; very confidently undertook the Cure of a Gentleman that had for a year or two la­boured under a pertinacious Jaundice and inveterate Dropsie (though given over by the most eminent and learned Physicians of our Age) promising to carry off the disease without any evacuating reme­dies; yet after a weeks use of his Arcana, the Patient fell into violent Vomitings and dejections downwards, suffering forty or more evacuations in a short space; which giving some present relief, encouraged the Patient to continue the use of this Gentle­mans Physick; which after a week or ten dayes time, procuring such another eva­cuating paroxysm, it very unfortunately proved so high and fatal to the Patient, that he dyed in the Operation; the Physi­cian by Certificate giving hopes of his re­covery to the last moment of his life. Now surely Mr. H. had this Traveller been as [Page 124] studious in his enquiries into the nature and causes of the forementioned distem­pers, as he hath been into Chymical pre­parations; he would not have exhibited those medicines so fortuitously; nor yet have passed a prognostick so ignorantly.

And to conclude, I will at present trouble Mr. H. but with one story more of this friend of his; and that was of his exhibi­tion of another of his effectual remedies to a young Virgin, which unexpectedly (as I presume) having the fortune of raising some slight Salivation, he ordered her to swallow her Spittle, which speedily pro­duced such Symptoms, that both the Pa­rents of the Child and the learned Physi­cians that were afterwards sent for, did both judge her poysoned by the medicines exhibited; which proved so indeed; for in a very short space she dyed thereby.

Now surely, Mr. H. had the foremen­tioned person been half so good a Philoso­pher or Physician as the learned Dr. Wither­ly, or Dr. Hodges, whom he is pleased to call Novices; (although the former is a person of those excellent accomplishments in his Faculty, that his reputation is great with most persons of Quality in this famous City; and is Physician to his Majesties [Page 125] own person; the later a person, to whom posterity will own themselves endebted, for leaving behind him so full and complete a History of the late direful London Plague) he would have under­stood, that when Mercurial or other mine­ral preparations had put the bloud into a fluor, and impregnated it with sowre and Vitriolick parts, it must needs be very dan­gerous to swallow that saliva down, which would not only injure the Tone of the Sto­mach, Intestines and other viscera, but de­stroy the native temper of the bloud, Ani­mal spirits and all the other noble juices of the body.

And that, Mr. H. this dearly beloved friend of yours, may not for the future by such unjustifiable Arcana, ruine the lives and health of any more of his Patients in this kind, I will acquaint him with the fol­lowing observation; which was of a poor silly Dog, who unfortunately lapping up a quantity of saliva in a Patients chamber of mine that was Salivated; immediately forsook his victuals, grew languid and weak, pining away to skin and bones, and in a short time dyed.

But to proceed according to my former promise; I shall now endeavour to prove [Page 126] that what advancement hath accrewed to this noble Art of Chymistry, did never own its original to these Adversaries of ours, or any of their Predecessors; but to Physicians of Academick education and Collegiate members.

Which certainly is so far from a diffi­culty to undertake; that whoever hath been acquainted with the learned writings of Mynsicht, Crollius, Faber Beguinus, Hartman, Grulingius, Horstius, Schroderus, Querce­tan, Zwelfer, Becherus, Langelott, Borri­chius, &c. (most of which men I hope Mr. H. will own to have been better vers'd in Chymistry than himself or any of his Companions) will give me their assent to so great a truth; which any ingenious person may be satisfied in, who pleaseth to peruse the forementioned Authors; but more especially the admirable Pharmaco­poeas of the learned Quercetan and Zwel­fer; the one having acquainted the world with the great improvements, that may be made in the medicinal part of Physick by Chymical Pharmacy; the other no less judiciously correcting the errors of the com­mon Pharmacopoeias; and substituting re­medies that might answer the same inten­tions the Authors expected from their [Page 127] former compositions, but much more effi­caciously.

And surely he that reads, how learnedly the great Borrichius hath defended this ex­cellent Art against C [...]nringius; will not on­ly admire what he hath written upon that subject, but expect something great in Chymistry from that learned man. And for the famous Langelott, there is none who hath been acquainted with the admirable remedies he hath already discovered, but must acknowledge that he hath been very conversant with Nature even in her greatest secrets. And he that hath read over the famous Becherus his Physica subterranea, will scarcely scruple to allow us, what vast improvements have been already made from these true Adepts of Nature; who having divulged to the world the great familiarity they already enjoy in her palace, what may be expected from them, when they come to be admitted as part of her Cabinet Counsel?

Now good Mr. H. do you or any of your friends give us parallel instances of the like improvements that have been made by any of your Society in this Art we contend about, and we will ingenuously give them their due; but for my own part I profess [Page 128] that I know not of any, neither do I be­lieve that such instances can be produced, and then what little reason hath Mr. H. to glory of that great spirit that is now up and at work for further and further improvement amongst the working Physicians, as he terms those of his own fraternity?

And though he hath taken the pains to transcribe that thred bare story of Querce­tan and Sir Theodore Mayerne out of that unanswerable book (as he ignorantly calls it, having I perceive never perused the re­plies to it) Medela Medicinae, in perpetuum rei scandalum, as his friend would have the world believe; yet how little to the pur­pose, you may observe by the following account.

In p. 23. he tells us that in the year 1603. the laborious famous Quercetan and Sir Theodore de Mayerne, were both of them in two several publick Sentences of the Academi­an Professors, and whole Colledge of Physicians in Paris, printed by their order, condemned, (and in positive terms the whole Art it self of Chymistry) as men not only unworthy to be consulted with by the Physicians of the Col­ledge; especially Mayerne, declaring him an unlearned, impudent, drunken mad fellow; exhorting all Nations to abominate them both, [Page 129] and banish them and the like practisers out of their Territories, as Monsters of man­kind: and threatning all the Fellows of that Colledge, that if they did consult with either of them about any Patient, they should be deprived of all priviledge belonging to their Colledge.

Well quoted Mr. H! had you known when you had done well, you would have proceeded no farther in this relation, but I perceive you were near the pitch of one and thirty when you transcribed this story, and then unfortunately all came out, for Children, &c.—witness what follows in the very same page where he tells us;

That for all this, the one of those condemned persons became famous in France, the Kings chief Physician, and lived to see that Colledge repent of their folly, and their successors become admirers of those Chymical books and remedies which they had so rashly damned. The other (viz. Mayerne) became Physician to two Kings of England, and two of France, and left a name of great wealth and honour be­hind him.

To this story of your friend's M. N. which I have observed twice quoted by himself, and once by Mr. H. I might return this an­swer; that Chymistry was then in its in­fancy [Page 130] in France, and therefore no wonder that it met with such opposition even from a learned Society; seeing it was not the fate of that Art alone to meet with so ill and unjust entertainment: For Anatomy it self (which is so much damn'd and hector'd against by you and your companions) hath born its share in that kind; witness that ex­cellent story of Democritus, who was esteemed no better than a mad man by the Senate and people where he lived, for se­cluding himself from company to investi­gate the nature and use of the bilis; which occasioned the great Hippocrates by request of the Senate, &c. to come a perilous & trouble­some voyage by Sea, to undertake his cure; who finding him diligently employed in the dissection of Animals; he commended his industry, admired his wisdom, and ac­cused his friends of madness in their cen­sures: which madness how much it hath possessed Mr. H. and the Pseudo-Chymists of our Age, I will leave to the judgment of any judicious person, who hath been con­versant in their writings.

And lest this they should think the only case we can produce, I could tell them of the unkind usage and ill treatment that our immortal Doctor Harvey met with; for [Page 131] that great invention of his, the circulation of the bloud; for which posterity will both admire and bless him.

And if there were need, I might tell him of many more; but though I should, I fear it would be to little purpose; for his and his Brethrens ignorance and confidence do make them more irreconcileable to Ana­tomy, than the Colledge of Paris ever was to the learned Quercetan and famous Mayern.

But to proceed in giving Mr. H. a closer answer; I now would gladly know of him, how much this story is quoted to his pur­pose; and what it is that he hath so wisely collected from it? For let any judicious man read it, and he may plainly observe that the persons that were thus severely damned (as he terms it) were not Empiricks, but Doctors of Physick, men of Academick education; great Philosophers and Natu­ralists, (which in Mr. H. and our Adversa­ries, opinions could make them no better, than idle and formal Speculators, Academian Thinkers, Medicasters and talking Book-Doctors,) only they lived in an age, where­in other Physicians education and practise had too much prejudiced them against the noble Art of Chymistry; which prejudice [Page 132] (it seems) by Mr. H's own confession was not so great, but they lived to repent of their folly; and their successors became admirers of those Chymical books and remedies. 'Tis well then, Mr. H. I perceive the Colledge of Paris is now in your favour; for by your own quotation and confession, they are be­come admirers of those books and medicines they formerly damned: This passage I must own did so much please me when I read it, that I was in some hopes to have found the Colledge of London received into favour in the next page; but no such matter, the man forgetful of what he had quoted but in the page before about the Colledge of Paris, tells us quite another tale, viz. that Corporations of Physick have been the great hinderers of the progress of this Art throughout Europe, and still are: well ob­served Mr. H! but what testimony have we for this so bold and confident an asser­tion? the chief that I can find is this, that the Colledge of Paris did damn two learned men, and soundly repented for their pains; which repentance was so serious that it left such an impression upon their posterity, that they admired (as I before mentioned) both the men and their remedies, which their Predecessors so rashly condemned; and yet [Page 133] they must be quoted upon every occasion as enemies to this Art of Chymistry.

But not withstanding these contradictions, which ought to be allowed to a man that makes so little of Academick learning; pray what is all this Harangue to the Col­ledge of Physicians in London? especially seeing 'tis so well known, that the famous Sir Theodore de Mayerne was so far from be­ing an Adversary to Corporations of Physick, that he was a member of this learned So­ciety.

But to proceed, I shall further endeavour to clear the truth of my assertion; and see­ing Mr. H. discovers so much anger against the Colledge of Paris, I will acquaint him out of one of their own Countrey mens writings and an eminent Chymist too, Le Febure, lately Royal Professor to His Ma­jesty of England, and Apothecary in Ordina­ry to his Honourable Houshold, and Fellow of the Royal Society; what improvements have been made in this Art by men of Academick education in France, and those whom I presume might be of their Colledge too.

And in the first place he tells us, that Phy­sicians are the fountains from whence all first receive the noble knowledge of true Natural things, and the manner of preparing them [Page 134] well And that Mr. H. may be assured that he intended not by the name Physicians, any of his Tribe; that like not (as he terms it) that Feather in the Cap; he doth particularly and ingenuously acknowledge his obligations to those learned men, to whom he was so much endebted for his attainmens in Chymical pharmacy.

The one was, Dr. Duhan Doctor of Physick and Professor of Philosophy, who promoted him much in his diligent searching into physical verities; yea so eminent was this Doctor in his knowledge in Chymistry, that he tells you, that France suffered much by his untimely death, he designing to publish some writings, that would have much illu­strated the knowledge of things natural, Me­dicine and Pharmacy.

The second was M. du Clos Doctor of Physick, who did him the favour (as he frankly and ingenuously acknowledgeth) to correct his defaults, and lead him by the hand of his judgment and experience, through all that which he had undertaken in his endea­vours; to advance the dignity of Pharmacy, which now (saith he) lies bending towards its ruines; if it be not upheld by its true Ar­ches and pillars; the faithful, learned, ex­perienced and curious Physicians; nay far­ther, [Page 135] he confesseth, that he was endebted to this Doctor for the well-being he had ac­quired in his Profession.

The third was, Mons. Vallot, chief Physi­cian to the present King of France, from whose unfathomed depths of learning and ex­perience he yet obtained farther light and knowledge in this Art: So that he owns him, for the true Father and Restorer of Medicine and Chymistry, and tells us, that he could not do less than to let posterity know, how much he stood endebted to the bounty, learn­ing and sole generosity of this great and illustri­ous Mecaenas.

And to conclude, he frankly tells the world, in that excellent Book of his, called his Com­plete Body of Chymistry; that he hath given nothing therein, but what hath been received from Physicians, so that 'tis to them only to whom you owe the obligation.

But to come nearer home, let me tell Mr. H. that this is not all the evidence that I can produce for the proof of my assertion; for 'tis very well known that the lately mentioned Sir Theodore Mayerne and old Doctor Rugeley were members of the Colledge of Physicians, and persons so emi­nently skilled in this Art we contest about, that I doubt not but our Adversaries them­selves [Page 136] will allow us their suffrage to the truth thereof: And so far was that learned Colledge from discouraging Chymistry in those early dayes, that 'tis very well known, they had a constant Operator employed by them.

And for our own time, who is ignorant of the great abilities of several of the members of that worthy Society? witness the excellent Dr. Rugely, Dr. Jonathan God­dard (who lately dyed) Dr. Merret, &c. the first of which eminent Physicians, is not only a Gentleman of universal learning and accomplishments both of body and mind; but of that profound insight into the Art of Chymistry, that were Mr. H's beloved Helmont now alive, he could give him no less character than I have done.

I might farther mention several other members of that worthy Society, and Uni­versity Physicians too, whose private Labo­ratories, and continued pains that have been spent in them, for the publick good, and particular benefit of their Patients; might make these men ashamed (if they had any ingenuity left them) to pretend that they are, and have been the great hinde­rers of the progress of this Art throughout Europe: which is so notoriously false, that [Page 137] I shall crave leave to acquaint them with what improvements have been made in Chymistry, by one more of the late Fel­lows of that learned Colledge, and that was the excellent Doctor Willis, who was likewise Professor of Natural Philo­sophy in the famous University of Oxford, and Fellow of the Royal Society in Lon­don; who hath not only ingenuously communicated many good medicines, which are scattered up and down his works; but was master of greater Arcana in Chy­mistry, than any our Adversaries can rea­sonably pretend to; which any rational man will grant me, that seriously and consi­deratively readeth over that incomparable book of his de Febribus, and especially the first part of it de fermentatione.

Where he hath most judiciously and learnedly acquainted all ingenious Physi­cians and Naturalists, with the reasons that prevailed with him, to imbrace the Spagy­rical principles, for the explication of all the difficult phaenomena in Nature, as well as in humane bodies; and very learnedly demonstrated their true existence; which having done, he gives us an admirable ac­count of the great alterations that are made in the works of Nature and Art, viz. in [Page 138] the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral king­doms, from the intestine combination and motion, separation and dissolution of these active principles.

And in the ninth Chapter of that Tract, he hath furnished us with such a learned and satisfactory account of the several men­strua that are most proper, for the solution of all natural bodies; whose vinculum doth chiefly consist in Sulphureous, Saline or Terrestrial parts; that none who readeth him, but must admire him for an acute Philosopher, as well as a profound Chy­mist: for the knowledge of these doth in­deed accomplish a Physician for the im­provement of Chymical Pharmacy; espe­cially if we add hereto a full understanding of the true nature of Fermentation, Di­gestion and Circulation, which our Author was no stranger to.

And truly I may be bold to say that we may expect far greater attainments in this Art from him, that throughly understands the forementioned operations, than from the whole Club of our London Empiricks; who generally are ignorant, not only of the constitutive principles of those Bodies, they would pretend to analyse; but likewise of their proper Solvents.

[Page 139] And therefore the learned Doctor Willis just before mentioned, hath well acquain­ted us in his Epistle to that admirable book of his, which he calls, his Pharmaceutice rationalis, what we may expect from this sort of men, where he tells us; Dum mine­ralia inscitè tractant, eventum quendam in­certum expectantes, potius quàm aliquid seriò designantes; si forsan productum insolitum ap­paruerit, cum novo hoc Pharmaco (cujus virtutes prorsus ignotae, saepe aut nullae aut maleficae existunt) morbos statim omnes sana­turos pollicentur, ipsúmque in quovis casu ad magnam aegrotantis noxam & non rarò perniciem audacter exhibent: adeò securè & temerariè solent carnifices isti de corio humano ludere, dum ad medicamenta ista (in quibus aculeus semper latet venenosus) aut paranda, aut ex­hibenda nullo consilio, nulliúsque methodi filo, sed mero casu & caeco quodam impetu ducun­tur: i. e. Whilst they unskilfully handle mi­nerals, rather expecting an uncertain event, than prosecuting any serious design; if by chance any unusual product doth appear, they straightway promise the cure of all diseases from that new Medicine; whose vertues are altogether unknown; or it may be pernicious, or none at all; and this they boldly exhibite in any case to the great injury of the Patient, [Page 140] nay it may be to his utter ruine; so rashly and confidently do these Butchers of mankind sport away the precious lives of men, whilst they adventure upon the preparation and exhibition of such medicines as these (in which there is constantly latent some venemous sting) not being directed thereto by any advice or me­thod, but meerly driven on by chance and blind rashness.

But to proceed in a farther account of our excellent Authors attainments in Chy­mistry, which we may find, if we will take the pains to peruse the second part of the forementioned book, which treateth de febribus, and the third de urinis; where he hath given us an incomparable account of the constituent principles both of humane blood, and urine; from whence he hath rationally and ingeniously deduced such use­ful Hypotheses, for the explication of the phaenomena of both, in a natural and preter­natural state; that no Age can paral­lel.

And though some boasting Empiricks, have pretended a confutation of his learned writings in the title pages of their scurrilous books; yet to how little purpose, any in­genious person may be satisfied, who is willing for his curiosity to lose so much [Page 141] precious time as to read them over: And therefore our learned Author did very pru­dently return them no other answer but the following (the most proper that could be contrived for those Adversaries of his, whose writings were stuffed with little else but Billingsgate language) Quandoquidem Empirici nonnulli, arreptâ tam quidlibet im­pune scribendi, quàm ludendi de corio humano licentiâ; placita mea, quae non satis intelli­gunt, passim dilacerant, & convellunt; & quò speciosiùs merces suas venditent, libello­rum titulis me Triumphatum praedicant; hos non aliter quàm silentio & contemptu re­darguam, utpote quorum scripta & responso in­digna sunt & spreta exolescent: nec majo­ris illos aestimo, qui argumentorum loco, tan­tùm opprobria & convitia ingerentes, debaccha­ri potius quàm Philosophari videntur. Where­as some Empiricks having taken the liberty of writing any thing, as well as dallying with the lives of men, do rudely treat those opinions of mine, which they do not well understand; and that their books might more speciously sell, they carry me in Triumph in their title pages: But to these men I shall return no other answer but silence and contempt; whose writings are not worthy of a better, and being contemned will vanish of themselves and be forgotten: [Page 142] neither have I greater estimation for those men, who do rather rage and rail like mad and drun­ken sotts; than reason like Philosophers, prin­ting little else but ill language and revilings.

But it may be Mr. H. will not yet allow me (notwithstanding this so clear demon­stration which I have given of the surpas­sing abilities of this learned man) that he was so great a Proficient in the Spagyri­cal Art as himself, or some of his Compa­nions would pretend to be:

But suppose, Mr. H. that I should produce a greater and truer evidence, for the con­firmation of this assertion, out of that un­answerable book of your friend's, Doctor Mar­chamont Nedhams, which you at large have told us p. 23. was written eleven years ago; than you have produced out of the honou­rable Mr. Boyle against Anatomy, and that without everting the design of the Author or a false quotation; would this be a means to silence your confidence for the future, and make you more wary in railing against Academick education and Collegiate mem­bers? I confess one would think it should; and therefore out of respect and kindness to you, for some real favours that you have formerly done to some deserving persons; I shall desire you to read over the beginning [Page 143] of p. 237. of that book called Medela Me­dicinae, where you will find, that your un­answerable friend having told the world in the latter part of the page preceeding, that all along that Treatise, he had said little but what was in the language of the best writers of this latter Age, or agreeable to their sense; he there craves leave to make use of one, who is (I may well say) the Ornament of our Nation next to immortal Harvey, by name Doctor Willis, Professor of Natural Philoso­phy in the University of Oxon; one that hath made himself a Physician indeed, and Philosopher by Fire.

And in p. 336. he tells you, that he thought it necessary to give the Reader a taste of Doctor Willis his new Doctrine about Urines, which certainly (saith he) is much more agree­able to reason than any thing that was ever said before upon that subject, and must needs be abundantly more conducible to the practise of Physick; seeing it directs our judgment not by meer outward appearances and bare observations of old; but by an ac­commodation of our understandings in the real principles which are in Urines, the same as in mens bodies; from whence doubtless a more certain way of judgment must needs arise, than can be imagined by any [Page 144] other course that may be taken to judge by Urines, concerning the state of the blood and its diseases. I cannot therefore but re­commend that Tract of Urines to ingenious Practisers, as a more sure guide than any that they can meet with in former Authors.

And in p. 415. of the same book he owneth, that this learned Doctor had the honour of opening the eyes of the world, more than any before him (his acute Helmont not excepted) about the nature of Fevers.

Now pray, Mr. H. let me perswade you to take the pains seriously to peruse and consider these passages faithfully quoted out of your unanswerable book, and then let us understand the reason, why you made so bold a challenge, and that in the view of the world, to the whole Colledge of Physi­cians, as to nominate any one particular of improvement that their Society have made in the Art of Curing since their first incorpora­tion, &c. seeing that your ingenious friend in that very book you quoted as unanswer­able, hath told the world that Dr. Willis did understand the nature of Fevers more than any before him, and consequently the Cure: nay further (as I just before quoted) he frankly owneth, that the Doctors principles about Urines were the [Page 145] same as in mens bodies, which must needs be abundantly more conducible to the practise of Physick, and to judge of the state of the blood and its diseases, than any that were formerly delivered.

Now certainly, Mr. H. those doctrines which can acquaint us, with the real con­stituent principles of the blood, and other humors and recrements of humane bodies, with their various preternatural affections, must of necessity tend to one particular im­provement, and be abundantly conducible to the practise of Physick; which you by no means will allow the Colledge since their first In­corporation, but will undertake to prove the contrary, as you have boldly asserted, p. 15.

But seeing, Mr. H. by the account you have given of your travels, and your quacking Avocations; I may justly suspect that you have not had time to search into all that hath been written by the learned members of that Honourable Society; I will be so ingenuous for the present, as to ac­quaint you with another particular of im­provement, that was made in the Art of curing, by the learned Doctor Glisson, Dr. Bates, and Doctor Regemorter; and that was the Rickets, a disease altogether unknown to the Ancients; it being the Endemial [Page 146] distemper of our own Nation. And if there were need, I could mention several other improvements in this Art, which have been made by this learned Society, but that Mr. H's desiring an instance but of one, hath prevented my discoursing any further at present on this subject.

But to proceed, Mr. H. tells us, p. 28. of ingenious men that were not educated in a Col­legiate way, who afterwards betaking them­selves to learn the Art of Physick in the most proper way, which is by labour; have soon outstript the Scholasticks in right knowledge of the materia medica.

To this I answer, that Mr. H. had done well, if he had acquainted us with those ingenious men, who by their labour have outstript the Scholasticks in right knowledge of the materia medica, for we know very well that dolus versatur in universalibus: and farther give me leave to tell him, that I am not of his belief, that manual opera­tion alone will fit any man, (much less those of his mechanical Tribe) for any great improvement in the materia medica; it being very well known, that no person is truly capable of performing any thing great in Chymical pharmacy, who is ig­norant of the constituent principles of [Page 147] those bodies he operates upon, or of those to whom his remedies are to be exhibited; and therefore it was one of the chief designs of that noble Author Mr. Boyle in that Treatise of his, so often mentioned, the usefulness of Experimental Natural Philoso­phy, to shew, how much the Naturalists knowledge might be serviceable to him, in the improvement of all the parts of Physick, and more especially the Pharmaceutical: and surely if labour be the most proper way to advance this Art, the Smiths, Brewers and Colliers may be greater Proficients therein, than Mr. H. or the most learned of his companions; for 'tis certain, they are much more able by labour and pains to obtain it: but the contrary is manifest, by the writings of the learned Quercetan, Zwelfer and other eminent Chymists, who had never been capable of doing half that service in Pharmacy, for which the world is so much endebted to them; had they not been as great Philosophers, as they were Operators. And therefore that excellent Chymist Le Febure hath well observed the two following maxims.

1. That Chymistry doth not meerly consist in the skill of preparing well a remedy, as many do erroneously imagine; but in the using [Page 148] of it with due circumstances, and respect to the Theorems of Art, which is properly the true Physick.

2. That whosoever meddles with Chymical remedies, without the previous grounds of Theory, can deserve no other name than of an Empirick; since he is altogether ignorant of the internal efficient causes of their effects, and cannot give the physical reasons, why he doth administer such a remedy for such and such disease.

And further I can acquaint Mr. H. with several of the members of the Colledge of Physicians now living, who for their ele­gant and rational prescriptions, and true knowledge of the materia medica, do not only excel Mr. H. and all his Society; but are highly honoured for their admirable and surpassing improvements therein, by all of their own Faculty; as witness the most ac­complished Dr. Thomas Cox, Dr. Wolf, &c.

And though Mr. H. is pleased to tell us, p. 20. that remedies well prepared by Chymi­cal Art, seem to be as the hands of God reached down from heaven in this latter age, in exceed­ing mercy to poor man, when his iniquities have so altered the whole scene of diseases, &c. which makes them exceedingly different from what they were in the dayes of Hippocrates [Page 149] and Galen, and indeed from what they were a hundred years ago, and less; so that the old Art and remedies are insufficient to deal with them.

To this I answer, that in my opinion Mr. H's Divinity is as heterodox as his Phy­sick hath been; for 'tis a little odd to con­ceive that the iniquities of men should have been the procuring causes of exceeding mercy; I do therefore very much fear, that Mr. H. hath been as great a stranger to his Bible as he hath been to Philosophy; else he might have observed, and that without the help of Spectacles, that all the judgments that God Almighty hath inflicted upon poor man, have been procured by his sins; amongst the number of which Judgments Mr. H. might well have ranked his Chymical re­medies, which have proved so indeed to some that have made use of them; as I have lately mention'd; and then I am sure they can procure but little commendation to his Art.

And as for his discourse of the great alte­ration of diseases since Hippocrates and Ga­lens time, from whence he would prove that the old Art and remedies are altogether in­sufficient; let me tell him, that there are so full and satisfactory Answers given to his [Page 150] friend upon that subject, that I should in­jure those learned men, should I now dwell or insist long upon that controversie; and therefore I shall recommend to his perusal those four books which were written against his friend's Medela medicinae ten or eleven years agone: only by the by let me tell him, that 'tis possible that the old Art and remedies may be sufficient to deal with the diseases of our dayes, though much altered from those in former times; but that 'tis Mr. H's and the rest of his Compani­ons misfortune, that they understand not how to exhibite them, being so great con­temners of a rational methodical practise; by which I must frankly own, that I have seen far greater cures performed with Chic­ken-broth, Whey, Milk and Water, &c. than by all their applauded Chymical Ar­cana.

And further for that alteration of diseases they discourse of; I could tell them of a Physician of the learned Colledge they so much decry; who hath done more service to the publick in acquainting the world with a faithful History of the Acute dis­eases of our dayes, with their specifical dif­ferences, and happy cures, by the old re­medies, they so much damn; than they [Page 151] or any of their Predecessors have done by all their books that ever they printed, or medicines they published. And though we may allow, that the Theories of Fevers and other distempers may possibly of late, by the industry of Collegiate members, have been built upon more solid foundations, than for­merly; yet this is so far from occasioning us to reject the good old remedies and me­thods of practise, that Doctor Willis hath well observed, Quod indicationes quaedam, antiquitus receptae, adhuc ratae perstant, erúnt­que in perpetuum observandae; quia Experi­entiae primae hujus artis magistrae debentur: that some indications that were of old received, are yet approved, and will for ever be obser­ved, because they owe their original to experi­ence, the first mistress of Art. And to the same purpose, he discourseth of the remedies that were used by the Ancients, and no less valued by the Moderns.

And no less ingeniously did the learned Doctor Castle acquaint the world in the Epistle to his Chymical Galenist, where he solidly and rationally asserts, that the practical part of Physick being grounded upon experience, doth not so much depend upon the notional; that, this being overthrown, the other must necessarily fall to the ground, the [Page 152] Fancies and reasonings of Philosophers and Physicians being built upon the practice; and signifying not much more to the Funda­mentals of the Art of Physick, than pinnacles to the body and foundation of a building, which (though they be blown down) may stand un­shaken: much of the Therapeutick part of Physick being (as he hath well observed) like Dials and Almanacks, which agree as well with that of Copernicus, as Ptolomy's Hypothesis: Therefore saith he, as the An­cients made a true use of the light and heat of the Sun, in distinguishing and measuring times and seasons, and managing of their husbandry, though probably they err'd in their notion of his motion round the earth; so did the Physi [...]ians no less happily imploy Apollo's Art in the Curing of diseases, though they were ignorant of the true motion of the bloud, and of (the Sun of the Microcosm) the heart.

But to conclude this discourse about Chymistry; I would gladly know of Mr. H. why the Chymical mineral medica­ments set down in the London Pharmacopoeia, are things but of the lowest form in Chymistry, and neglected by knowing men in this Age of improvement? And that because I find upon a serious perusal of them, that the [Page 153] learned Quercetan and Sir Theodore Mayerne (whom you will own I hope as most emi­nent Chymists) have been the Authors, Approvers and Defenders of some of them, and have raised so great a reputation to their names by their successful administra­tions, that they both became eminently famous in our own and foreign Courts and Cities: but now it seems, they are neglected by knowing men in this Age of im­provement; I confess, I should be very thankful to Mr. H. to acquaint us with those knowing men he boasts of; and of their great improvements in Chymical phar­macy; for let me tell him, how contem­ptibly soever he and his companions do think of the London Dispensatory; the best Chymists of them all, would be at a great loss for a key to open most mineral bodies, if they should exclude their proper solvents which are there to be found; And it may be in stubborn and chronical disea­ses, they might be glad to steal now and then some Chalybeate or Mercurial prepa­ration out of that contemptible book; and yet rail at it, for affording them that kindness at so dead a lift: and further I might tell them that in acute diseases, there are as efficacious Chymical medicines to [Page 154] be found in that Dispensatory, as most of their Laboratories will afford: and doubt­less did any of their Shops or Furnaces sup­ply them with half so many of those Chy­mical oyles, Mineral solvents, Diaphore­tick powders, Chalibeate, Vitriolick, An­timonial, Mercurial and Anodyne prepa­rations; Essential and Lixivial salts, with safe and experimental Chymical Emeticks and Catharticks, &c. that are there to be found; we should have had them applauded for Polyacea's, and Panacea's too: some of which, might probably have as well an­swered the Helmontians primary indication in the cure of diseases, as their singular Arcana of so general use fabricated out of Mercury; it being, as they tell us, the pacifying, indulging and gratifying the Ar­cheus, the Architectonical contriver of our first being; every Atome of those generous remedies, sending forth lively illustrious beams; with the intuition of which, the Ar­cheus being wonderfully affected and infinitely delighted, it layeth aside all morosity, melan­choly, exorbitant passions, and the entertain­ment of deformed Ideas; by means whereof an Eutaxie, Eucrasie and Symmetrie in the inferior orbs of the Microcosm follows: and others of them, as fully their second prin­cipal [Page 155] indication, which is, as they say, the ablation of the inward efficient Cause and the outward occasional irritating matter, by such generous remedies, which taking part with Nature, might help her to conquer evils and exclude the Nosopoietick thorns and briars, those goads in the sides of the Archeus, exti­mulating it to enormous passions and perturba­tions, through the Sluce and outlet most patu­lous and convenient: as an Acid son of Helmont hath lately discours'd in his direct method of curing Chymically.

But to proceed, notwithstanding the Lon­don Dispensatory hath furnished us with the forementioned Chymical preparations, it must not only be hector'd against, but damned by Mr. H. and his Companions; either because it pretends not to teach them the preparations of the Solar, Lunar, Mer­curial, Saturnal, Jovial, Venereal and Mar­tial, Metalline Sulphures or Coelestial Li­quors; or rather, because it hath that un­pardonable fault accompanying it, viz. its Authority from the learned Colledge of Physicians in London; which will certain­ly give it a far greater reputation amongst all judicious men, than the Chymical Champion of your cause will give the Apo­thecaries Laboratory, by telling the world [Page 156] that since he had found the Company of Apo­thecaries had erected a Laboratory at their Hall, for supply of their Shops with Medicines of all sorts of the Chymical preparation, he was resolved wholly to refer Patients with bills to receive medicines dispensed by their hands; which new device, though expected to prove advantageous, yet I wish he finds it not (as you prognosticate of the Anato­mists of our Age) the last part he hath to play or trick to shew, to entertain Spectators, and amuse the world, to uphold some repute among such as are ignorant, and draw on Custo­mers; and for my own part, I am to apt be­lieve that this action of his, may be so ill re­sented amongst his Brethren the Arcana­mongers of London, that it may occasion some intestine faction in your Empirical Commonwealth, as hath lately been pub­lickly managed by some of your Tribe; but then 'tis to be hoped that when knaves fall together by the ears—

SECT. 4.
The usefulness of Method in the Cure of Diseases.

HAving thus far proceeded in the de­monstration of what I promised; I come now to enter upon some short dis­course of the methodus medendi; which though our Adversaries, nay it may be our friends may not judge worth the con­tending for; yet I think fit to give all in­genious persons an account of the great usefulness, yea necessity of the strict obser­vation of it; and that because I frequently observe, that the Enthusiastick Pseudo-Chy­mists of our Age, do so much contemn and decry it; being masters (as they pretend) of such great Arcana in Physick, as will happily Cure diseases without it.

I shall therefore endeavour to clear the truth of this assertion, by producing seve­ral instances both of Acute and Chronical diseases, whose happy Cure is principally (if not solely) to be attributed to the pru­dent method of the discreet and judicious [Page 158] Physician; amongst the number of which, I shall first begin with Fevers; they being to be ranked amongst the most Epide­mical distempers we know of.

And in the first place, we will discourse of those, that are generally owned as pu­trid; in which are constantly observed ra­tione motûs, four considerable mutations, viz. their beginning, augmentation, state and declination.

In the beginning of which putrid Fevers, 'tis usually observed; that the Sulphureous parts of the blood growing too luxuriant, do break forth into a flame; agitating the whole mass in a preternatural manner; whereby its crasis is in danger of being de­stroyed, its vessels too much distended; and if not timely calmed, affections of the Head and Nerves, with pain and spasms do usually ensue: wherefore in this state of the disease, here are present indications for Phlebotomy to ventilate this mass of blood; for a spare and refrigerating diet; for Emeticks, (if indicated) lenient Ca­tharticks, Clysters, &c. which many times are no less prosperously than judiciously prescribed; this formidable distemper be­ing nip't in its bud, it Sulphureous pabulum being extracted by bleeding, [Page 159] Clysters, &c. or its disorder quieted by a cooling diet.

But if notwithstanding the proper appli­cation of the forementioned remedies, this Febrile flame cannot be extinguished; but it still encreaseth to a higher degree, so that intolerable thirst and inquietude, head­ache and watchfulness, with delirium and phrensies do continually attend our Pati­ents: here are fresh indications for repeated phlebotomy, clysters, cooling Julips and decoctions, &c. whereby the spirits may be refreshed, the parched viscera cooled; and if possibly, the motion of the blood so moderated, that it may not injure the head or genus nervosum.

In the state of this disease, we are dili­gently to attend Natures motions; that so we might observe whether a future Crisis may be expected or not; which if it doth appear a perfect and salutiferous one; the febrile heat declines, signs of concoction appear in their urines, and all things prog­nosticate a speedy and happy recovery: But on the other hand, if Natures attempts be too weak for making a full discharge of that adust, febrile matter, which hath passed its due deflagration, and is fitted for expulsion; we ought then to afford her [Page 160] some gentle assistance by some mild Dia­phoretick or lenient cathartick; according­ly as we observe at that nick of time the tendency of her motions: But if we find, that in this state of the Fever, there is no Crisis; or at best, but an imperfect one at­tempted by Nature; the Patients pulse be­ing very weak, and his spirits low; we must then be very cautious of any evacua­tion by Sweat or Stool, it being not to be attempted without manifest danger of the Patients life: And therefore we should ra­ther allow her time, and attend her dili­gently; until the blood being reduced to a more orderly motion, and the spirits re­cruited, she may gradually make secretion and exclusion of the morbifick matter, in order to the obtaining of her due and na­tive temper; than encrease the too great and unhappy confusion she is already under, by exhibiting any high Diaphoreticks or Catharticks; this being a time, that nothing of medicine is to be allowed, unless it be some very temperate Cardiack.

In the declination of this distemper, an exactness of diet is to be observed; and at length some gentle purgations to be pre­scribed, to exterminate the reliques of that febrile matter, which probably may be al­ready [Page 161] protruded out of the Meseraick Ar­teries in order to its discharge by the in­testines; lest it should be again resorbed, and a relapse ensue thereupon; upon which account we do likewise as strictly forbid the Patients over-hasty eating of flesh-meat, until their Urines appear in colour, con­sistence and hypostasis like to those who are in a healthful state; and then we direct them to begin with broths, and so gradu­ally to adventure upon a flesh diet.

To this purpose hath the learned Doctor Willis acquainted us in that excellent book of his de febribus.

Now pray let sober and judicious men consider, what apparent hazards and dan­gers they must necessarily adventure upon, by employing any, but Physicians well skill'd in their Faculty; seeing 'tis apparent by the foremention'd account of Fevers, (which I have faithfully acquainted them with) what diligence and judgment ought to be made use of in every state of this disease; that so the Patient might happily be restored to his pristine health and temper.

But now let us suppose, that in the first attack of this distemper, an Empirick should be sent for, who being ignorant of [Page 162] its nature, should presently exhibite some of his well rectified spirits of strong liquors, compleat Aqua vitae, Punch, Analeptical and refocillating wines, &c. can any rational man imagine that these hot and fiery me­dicines, should be any ways proper to bridle the tumult and ferociency of the blood; which being already too much exalted by hot and bilious parts abounding in it, doth rather require a discharge by venae­section, &c. or attemperating, by cooling medicines; than an advancement to a high­er pitch of luxuriancy, by the foremen­tioned Chymical liquors? which doubtless can do no less than inflame and fire the whole mass of blood in a moment: where­as 'tis evident that Phlebotomy, Clysters, &c. being made use of; or large propor­tions of Whey and other cooling liquors freely drunk in the first assault of these Fe­vers, have often prevented their farther encrease: but to expect the like advantage from the forementioned rich and spirituous drinks, would prove as fruitless if not foo­lish, as to undertake the quenching of an house on fire, by throwing on gunpowder and fire-balls.

[Page 163] Now if this mischief must necessarily attend these Empirical prescriptions, in the first attack of these Fevers; what may we expect from them in their augmentation? I dare assure you, little else but thunder and lightning; phrensies, heart-burnings, Con­vulsions, &c. especially seeing that the most prudent management of these Fevers in this state of the disease, can scarcely calm the impetuous motion of the inflam­mable parts of the blood.

And if we farther proceed to the State of this distemper, how much sooner may these Empiricks dispatch their poor languishing Patients, whose only security depends upon their precedent management, that so a perfect and salutiferous Crisis might ensue? which if it should not happen, but their universal medicines are made use of, how certainly must the sick bid adieu to their Relations? this being a time, when neither Cathartick or Sudorifick, much less any hot or vinous medicines can be used, without manifest endangering the Patients life.

And for the declination; what care must be used for some time, that the Patients eat no flesh-meat or broths made of the same; lest an unhappy relapse should ensue; how [Page 164] can we then imagine that their spirituous medicines or Aqua vitae's, impregnated with brisk and active vegetables, may then be al­lowed of?

But 'tis possible they will tell me, that they are not without other Chymical pre­parations, which they use upon such occa­sions, and in such distempers as we discourse of; viz. their Elixir vivisicans, their pul­vis Catholicus diaphoreticus, Aurum vitae dia­phoreticum, Elixir grande Cordiale, &c. which one of the most candid and ingeni­ous of that Society hath told us, that they are to him (with some others that he hath mentioned) quasi tot medicinae columnae, &c.

To this I answer, if this be so, I wish that Mr. H. would tell us, how he durst pretend to the world, that one single me­dicine should suit all palates and constitutions; and that others of his Tribe should no less ignorantly than confidently engage, that their private Arcana will perform in helping all curable diseases, what in reason may be expected from all other.

But give me leave, Mr. H. to tell you, that I very much suspect that neither you nor any of your fraternity do well under­stand the exhibition of your own remedies; they being rarely to be administred (as I [Page 165] before shewed) in putrid Fevers; by reason that there are usually contraindications to their exhibition, both in the beginning, augmentation and state of them; lest in the two former they should occasion too violent an ebullition of the blood; and in the later wholly impede her Crisis.

For I would have them to understand, that these Fevers are usually but Natures instruments, to discharge the luxuriant and bilious parts of the blood; when they are apt to exceed their due bounds and limits; which if prudently managed by an Artist in the Faculty, she will gradually defla­grate this morbifick matter, and being over-burdened with it, will both separate and exclude it; and this much more hap­pily and opportunely, than if she were disordered by any of your Jovial powders, or Solar diaphoreticks; Nature wisely ob­serving her proper periods and times, when this secretion and exclusion of the recre­ments of the blood should be made, to the greatest relief and advantage of the Pati­ent; whereas your medicines (as I before intimated) do usually disturb all her regu­lar actings, and make a confusion in the very crasis of the blood; and therefore are as wisely administred to cure this sort of Fe­vers, [Page 166] before Natures appointed time; (which is usually about the thirteenth or fourteenth day) as they would be to a wo­man, in expectation of bringing forth a healthful and living child, in five or six months time.

Now if these putrid Fevers ought to be managed with so much diligence and obser­vation; how wofully would these men bungle and miscarry with all their applau­ded Arcana, when they were called to ex­hibite them in Fevers specifically different from the former?

As for instance, the putrid Fevers of wo­men in Child-bed, where cooling or heat­ing remedies are equally dangerous; their proper indications principally allowing the use of Uterines; whereby the blood might be attenuated and disposed to dis­charge it self by the Iliack and Hypoga­strick vessels, in order to its necessary depu­ration.

And thus, I might likewise instance in those lacteal Fevers; which usually attend the female sex about the third or fourth day after delivery; which are solely to be ma­naged by a spare and appropriate diet; and committed to Natures regimen; and though many times the Symptomes that do [Page 167] accompany this sort of Fevers, are a little troublesome, and it may be frightful too, to the Patients; as heat, thirst, inquietude of the whole body, pain in the back, shoul­ders, breasts, &c. yet if these be not en­creased by some over-hasty and undue ad­ministrations, they usually are freed from them within three or four dayes, by a con­stant Crisis of Natures own procuring.

I might further acquaint Mr. H. with the mischiefs that must necessarily have attended their Coelestial liquors and Stomachical essences in several Fevers that our late dayes have produced (of which the world will speedily have a very full and satisfactory account from that excellent Methodist, the industrious Dr. Sydenham) as particularly the Fevers which did accom­pany the Small pox, when it was the Epi­demical distemper of the Town; wherein the forementioned Chymical preparations would have been so far from alleviating or curing those severe Symptoms that did at­tend them, that they would rather have highly encreased them; amongst the num­ber of which Symptomes, profuse and violent Sweats would usually (if not con­stantly) accompany the sick and feeble Pa­tients, even from their first invasion; and [Page 168] that though no Medicines were exhibited, or other means made use of, to encrease that disease of the blood, lympha, or nervous liquor.

And truly, so much have most of our late Fevers differed from those putrid ones I lately discoursed of; that I doubt not but most observing and unprejudiced Physici­ans will frankly own, that the foremen­tioned Sweats were so far from relieving or curing the Symptoms that attended their Patients; that usually more dangerous and mortal ones did speedily affect both head and genus nervosum.

Now surely, if our Indications may best be taken from the juvantia and laedentia in Physick, we cannot allow those discharges as critical, which are rarely or never at­tended with relief to the Patient; but do rather seem to proceed from some strange perversion and fluor of the mass of blood, and other noble juices of the body: and though it must be allowed, that in all me­thods some must dye; yet doubtless every honest and conscientious Physician is very diligent to observe, to what method of Cure a disease doth most happily and gene­rally yield; and therefore in Epidemical distempers, that seem to be specifically [Page 169] different from each other; the advice of the learned Doctor Willis may be thank­fully entertained, which he giveth us in cases of this nature; Praeter medici cujus­que privatum judicium, experientia potissi­mùm medendi rationem suppeditat; cùm enim hae Febres primò grassantur, singuli ferè sin­gula tentant remedia, & ex eorum successibus unà collatis facilè ediscitur, quali demum me­thodo innitendum erit; donec ultimò crebro tentamine seu transeuntium vestigiis, via quasi regia & lata, ad hujusmodi affectuum rationem teritur, variisque observationibus monitisque munitur.

But to proceed; I would gladly know of Mr. H. and the rest of the Arcana-mon­gers of this Town, who are apt to believe that all distempers may be happily cured by their strong and Vinous liquors, Diapho­retick powders, &c. what they would have done in those pestilential and malignant diseases, which could be cured by no other method, but that, which they continually decry and exclaim against; although very powerful Alexipharmick and Diaphoretick medicines had been frequently made use of in the forementioned cases, to little or no advantage. And that they may not charge me with discoursing any thing of my own [Page 170] sence in these cases; I will acquaint them with my Authors, and some observations that I have read of this kind.

The first they may find in the 359 page of Riverius his praxis, where he giveth us an account of a pestilential Fever, that raged in so great violence at Montpelier in the year 1623, that multitudes died of it; And further lie telleth us, that he observed that in all those Patients, quibus parotides superveniebant; which was usually about the ninth or eleventh day of the disease, (there commonly preceeding or accompanying a deli­rium, stupor, convulsive motions, with un­equal formicating pulses, &c.) they all died within two dayes after; notwithstanding the frequent exhibition of Alexipharmick medi­cines, and the diligent application of Topicks; which engaged this ingenious and excel­lent Physician to think, that these swel­lings proved so fatal, because the parts af­fected were not capable of receiving all the morbifick matter; wherefore that which still remained in the blood, killed the Patient; and therefore he thought, that Natures work being begun in those swellings, might be hap­pily supplied by venae-section or gentle purga­tion: But these indications seemed to be contra-indicated, by the great imbecillity of [Page 171] the Patients, who appeared to be even in the agonies of death; yet on the other hand con­sidering, that it was better to experiment a doubtful remedy in one or two persons, than to leave so many to undoubted destruction: he resolved first to prescribe Phlebotomy to the quantity of three ounces, which blood was very corrupt; and after three or four hours the Patients pulse waxing stronger, it en­couraged him the day following to prescribe him a lenient purge, which likewise was at­tended with that good success, that his deplo­rable Patient was delivered from the jaws of death; and afterwards (saith he) all the sick that had these parotides behind their ears, I first bled several times a little at a time, and the day following purged them, and so all of them who were thus ordered, hap­pily recovered; not one of them afterwards dying in the whole year, that had those paro­tides behind their ears. Which observa­tion this learned and ingenuous Physician thought so necessary to communicate, that he tells us in the forementioned page, in­signe hoc experimentum silentio praeterire ne­fas fuisset.

And in the fourth Century of his obser­vations he acquaints us, that in the plague it self, an ingenious Physician having under­taken [Page 172] the care of the third part of a City mise­rably afflicted with that depopulating disease, he prescribed to all his Patients an Emetick potion, whereby he was so happy as to cure al­most all that were committed to his care, he scarcely losing ten or twelve for his part; when as in the other two parts of the Town, few escaped.

And if any of your friends, Mr. H. will take the pains to consult the rest of his ob­servations in malignant Fevers; they may find him frequently using the Launcet, pur­gations, &c. even in those cases where violet coloured spots, exanthemata, &c. have appeared.

As particularly in a Counsellor who was fifty five years old; who upon the ninth day of his disease fell into ravings and convulsive motions of his hands, with a certain profound sleepiness, and looseness; which Symptoms were likewise attended with exanthemata, &c. yet notwithstanding these direful Symptoms, and the great evacuations the patient had un­dergone from a Diarrhoea and Cupping glasses; he bled him on the twelfth day to the quantity of four or five ounces; which blood being cor­rupt and the Patient bearing it well, he bled him the like quantity five hours after; the Patient finding no diminution of his strength [Page 173] thereby; and thus by the forementioned use of the Launcet and temperate medicines, he gradually recovered his health.

Another Patient he mentions in the fourth Century of his observations, p. 79, 80. who upon consultation was ordered to be bled, notwithstanding he had blewish spots broken out all over his body; which gave the Patient great relief, he being in a short time happily cured; And though we find that one of those learned Physicians upon their consul­tation, did at first oppose Phlebotomy; lest the malignant matter should strike in again; yet upon the others reply, that there was little fear of that, by reason it had been for some dayes protruded into the habit of the body; they both consented to the fore-men­tion'd remedy.

And in his second Century, he tells us of a Citizen extremely weakned with a malig­nant Fever; whom he undertook to purge with a gentle infusion three or four dayes together, whereby his strength was a little encreased, and by little and little he began to be better; re­peating his purgations at certain times.

And in an Epidemical Fever which raged so violently at Avignion, Bellicadre and other places, that very few escaped, their chief Symptoms being a Cough, pain of the [Page 174] Head and loyns, frenzies, phthisical affecti­ons, &c. the remedies that were found effectu­al, were pectoral medicaments, gentle purga­tions (not forgetting blood-letting as princi­pally efficacious) cooling Clysters, Cupping­glasses, Cordial opiates, &c.

Which observations do put me in mind of what an ingenious Licentiate of the Col­ledge of Physicians acquainted me with, in the late malignant Fevers, that accompa­nyed the Small pox at Colchester, when it was the Epidemical disease of that Town, viz. that those Fevers were very acute and mortal, being attended with prodigious Sweats, spasms, tremulous motions in the hands, stiffness in their jaws, livid spots in their bodies, &c. and though that observing Physician was a great Helmontian, and did frequently exhi­bite high Alexipharmicks and Bezoardick Cordials; yet saith he, they signified no more than chips in pottage, the Patients generally dying under the use of them; but at length bleeding was attempted, which cured several, though it were used the eighth or twelfth day of their disease.

But to proceed; though in the foremen­tioned observations we may take notice, that Alexipharmick and Diaphoretick reme­dies, did not so well answer the seeming [Page 175] indications for them; but Physicians were necessitated to alter their methods of pra­ctice: yet how efficacious this Classis of me­dicines was in the late London pestilential Fever, is as evident, by that account Doctor Sydenham hath acquainted us with, in the second Edition of his book de Febri­bus; where he telleth us, that after he had Sweat his Patients twenty four hours, he observed that they were so far from com­plaining of the loss & decay of their strength by that plentiful evacuation they under­went by Sweating; that they rather ob­tained more life and vigour thereby: tan­tum enim abest (saith he) ut se exinde de­biliores factos quererentur, quin potius quan­tum supervacanei humoris sudando dejecissent, tantundem novi roboris sibi accrevisse profi­terentur— And that which was very obser­vable in these pestilential Fevers was this; that towards the latter end of the foremen­tioned Sweats, there would break forth fresh ones more natural, genuine, and eo­pious than the former; and that without the help of Medicines, which were ac­companied with much more ease and re­freshment to the Patient, they being alto­gether critical and eradicative.

Now by comparing this last observation [Page 176] and those mentioned by the eminently learned and famous Diemerbroeck, with those other I just now acquainted the Reader with, we may easily observe what a necessity there is of following that advice of the learned Dr. Willis in cases of this na­ture, which I lately quoted; and farther how many peoples lives would have been sacri­ficed to Empirical prescriptions, had they in the forementioned distempers relyed up­on them, there seeming to be (as I intima­ted) some specifical difference even amongst these pestilential and malignant diseases, by reason they would not yield to one and the same method of cure, though it was rationally attempted.

And though we will allow Mr. H. that Empirical prescriptions are not like to be accompanied with those unhappy and fatal consequences in the distempers we just now discoursed of, by reason they are sometimes of a strengthening & sudorifick nature; which are generally indicated in these diseases; yet how much mischief they are like to be at­tended with in putrid and other Epidemical Fevers, I have in part shewn already, and shall now take notice of in variolous cases.

In which I take the indications for cure to be the very same, that the judicious [Page 177] Doctor Sydenham hath laid down in his book de febribus, viz.

1. The preservation of the mass of blood, during its time of separation and expulsion, in that exact and equal motion, that the pro­trusion of the morbifick matter might nei­ther be too hasty or precipitant, nor yet too dull or sluggish; the first (as he excellently observeth) procuring too often, violent Phrensies, or such profuse Sweats as might occasion the secretion and exclusion of those parts of the blood, which never were in­tended or designed by Nature for that pur­pose; the later impeding or hindering the due expulsion of the variolous matter: and therefore in the beginning of this di­stemper, he is no less fearful of admini­string too high Cordials, &c. than he is of Bleeding, Clysters, cooling medicines, &c.

His second indication is taken, from the time of the expulsion of the variolous pustles, into the habit of body; in which he is very careful that those Abscesses of natures pro­truding, might be preserved in a due man­ner, until they arrive to a state of matura­tion and decidency. And therefore at this time is he as diligently and studiously em­ployed to prevent the too high ebullition of the blood, lest whilst these pustles are [Page 178] in their state of crudity, any of their morbi­fick parts should be resorbed; as he is, that the blood should not grow too languid or weak, lest Nature should be unable to per­form what is required at her hands.

Now seeing 'tis manifest, by this short account I have given of this distemper, what care and judgment ought to be used by every prudent Physician for the Cure hereof; how unfit, yea dangerous must Empirical pre­scriptions of necessity be in cases of this na­ture; where too great an exaltation or de­pression of the mass of blood is alike dange­rous, and where there may be indications for cooling remedies, or at least for those that are very temperate, as well as for Cordials?

But to proceed, we will now discourse of a Chronical distemper, viz. the Scurvy; which some of Mr. H's fraternity do pre­tend to cure by their golden purging spirits, Spirits of Scurvey-grass, Elixir Salutis, &c. not making any observation as to the diffe­rent constitutions of the Patients to whom they are exhibited; whereas tis undoubted­ly true that many Patients, who are afflicted with the forementioned distemper, have the constituent principles of their blood, so much differing from others; either from an here­ditary [Page 179] indisposition, or some irregularities in the non-naturals, or the like; that some of them shall have their blood chiefly con­stituted of dull and torpid parts, and others of hot, adust and bilious; insomuch that 'tis clear and evident, that the remedies which are indicated in one constitution, ought not to be used in the other: for where the dys­crasie of the blood doth chiefly consist in a saline-sulphureous or impoverished mass, there remedies that are not impregnated with hot, vinous and volatile parts, may be highly serviceable, by reason they do as it were afresh actuate and enliven this flat and de­praved blood, inspiring it with additional ferments. But then, if this sort of remedies should be exhibited to those scorbutick bo­dies, whose diathesis of blood, spirits and other humors consist in too hot and nitro­sulphureous parts; how soon would they upon every light occasion, be hurried into Fevers, violent tumults, heat and disorders of the whole body? the proper indications for medicines in this case, being only for such, as we call mild or temperate; which gra­dually do calm and quiet the forementioned disorders of the blood, sedate its too fre­quent and preternatural fermentations, and in process of time so purifie and alter it, that [Page 180] it shall recover its pristine and native tem­per.

And that I might more fully and satis­factorily clear the truth of this assertion, I will acquaint Mr. H. what his unanswerable friend hath observed to this purpose, viz. in p. 92. of his Medela Medicinae, where he tells you, that Scurvy-grass, Water-cress, com­mon Wormwood, Water-mint, Horse-radish, &c. do a world of mischief, and are eminently de­structive in the Scurvey, where the disease is lodged in a blood and humors full of acidity or acrimony, and abounding with a vitious vola­tile salt; by reason, they render the salient particles of all sorts, the more capering, turgid and unruly within the veins, and send them a gadding thence about the habit of the body; by which means a foundation is laid for Agues of all sorts, Fevers, Vertigoes, running pains, stitches, Head-aches, Cramps, Convulsions, Griping of the guts, short Breathings, strait­ness of the Chest, Fluxes of all sorts, Gouts, Hy­pochondriack and Hysterical passions, Inflamma­tions, Pleurisies and all diseases of the Lungs.

Nay, so full is he in the defence of what I have discoursed of in a disease, which he would perswade the world is no less com­mon than the Scurvy, (it having (as he saith) so corrupted the frame of Nature, that [Page 181] even in Countrey-Cottages 'tis a hard matter to find a woman in puris naturalibus) that he tells us, p. 80. of the forementioned book; that the common sort of Receipt-mongers should undertake the management of this Cure, and that the wealthier sort of men should so readily venture their bodies in their hands, shews the blind boldness of the one, and the marvel­lous indiscretion of the other. I will grant (saith he) that 'tis possible an ordinary man may be ac­quainted with a method very good and sufficient in general against this disease, and he may do some Cures with it, &c. but that such a man should think himself fit with such a traditional method and the credit of having cured some by it, to undertake the cure in all cases, is terri­ble to consider, since every rational Pra­ctiser knows, there is so great a variety in the Pox it self, respecting the nature of the venome, and other qualifications of the body in which 'tis seated, that in a thousand bo­dies infected, you shall not find two that are alike circumstantiated, or that yield concurrents so alike, as that there will arise thence the like indication for cure in the one as in the other; or that the same method and medicines may be used to one as to another, without prejudice and damage; which frequently happens to be so great, that [Page 182] instead of curing this disease they exasperate it; and do often precipitate mens bodies into other destroying distempers. I might (saith he) be copious in instances to confirm this from my own observation; but that being not fit to be done, you may see enough in the observations of Hor­stius, Zacutus, Riverius, &c. in whom you will find (as we say in our English Proverb) what is one man's meat, may be another man's poyson; what cured one of the Pox was de­structive to another; those wise men ever varying the way and means of curing, according to the nature of the person and disease they were to deal with.

Now good Mr. H. do you and the rest of your friends seriously peruse these passages faithfully quoted out of your unanswerable book, and then tell me, what fair defence you can make in telling the world, that your Coelestial liquor will suit all palates and constitutions; that your Spirit of Scurvy­grass incorporated with its fixed salt, with your Golden purging Spirits, will prevent the Scur­vy and cure it also, if not of too long continuance; and if so, the later will certainly effect the cure, if the disease be curable; and therefore 'tis commended as beneficial to all persons that travel by land or sea: and that your pills are the most approved remedy for relief of mankind [Page 183] against all medicable or curable distempers: yea one of your gang hath been so bold and impudent, as in publick print to tell the world, that his Pills are the true tincture of the Sun, and hath dominion from the same light; for as the Sun at its appearance giveth nourishment to all creatures, so do his pills give present relief, comfort and nourishment to all mankind; nay he tells us, that they are the greatest temporal blessing, that ever God be­stowed upon the sons and daughters of men: and yet his Antagonist hath published to the world; that a Chymist hath made Oath, that he extracted out of a very few of these Pills near half a small vial glass of Quick-silver, which he hath sealed by him.

But, Mr. H. that I might farther inform you of what may be done by ordinary me­dicines well managed by method, I will acquaint you with the following observa­tions.

The first is taken out of the Lord Bacon 's Natural History, who tells you, p. 16. that there be many medicines, which by themselves would do no Cure, but perhaps hurt; but being applyed in a certain order one after another, [...] great Cures. I have tryed my self (saith he) a remedy for the Gout, which hath seldom fail­ed, but driven it away in twenty four hours [Page 184] space; It is first to apply a pultess, then a bath, and then a plaister; the first relaxeth the pores and maketh the humors apt to exhale; the fo­mentation calleth forth the Humor by vapours; and the plaister repelleth new humor from fal­ling: now saith he, The pultess alone would make the part more soft and weak, and apter to take the defluxion and impression of the humor; the fomentation alone, if it were too weak, with­out way made by the pultess, would draw forth little; if too strong, it would draw to the part, as well as draw from it: the plaister alone, would pen the humor already contained in the part, and so exasperate it, as well as forbid new humor: therefore they must all be taken in order as is said.

The second observation shall be of the Cho­lera morbus, a disease which is oft-times no less violent than mortal; upon which account it may truly be ranked amongst those dis­tempers the Ancients called extremè pera­cuti; its Symptoms being often times so violent, that in six or eight hours space, strong, and lusty men have been reduced to spasms and Convulsions, with other as well amazing as surprizing Symptoms; and yet have I seen these per acute and cruel distem­pers relieved in a few hours space by a reme­dy of no higher extraction than Chicken [Page 185] broth; and that although the Patients have been judged both by themselves and all their Relations to have been entring the very confines of death; yet in a few dayes time they have been well and healthful again, and that without the use of any Chymical Ar­cana.

And thus by a no less successful than ra­tional method, hath the industrious Doctor Sydenham acquainted us with the Cure of that cruel and tormenting disease, the Iliack passion.

And I doubt not, but that ere long he will give us an account of several other prospe­rous methods which he made use of in the Dysentery, Colick, Hysterick affections, &c. which have been attended with so speedy and happy success, that all the effectual re­medies which Mr. H. obtain'd by his labo­rious pains and travels, deserve not to come in competition with those Galenical pre­scriptions methodically administred, where­by he performed the forementioned Cures; and whatever Mr. H. may think, I am apt to believe that in process of time, that Physician will be universally judged the greatest Artist in his Faculty, who can cure diseases much more speedily, easily, and safely by the judi­cious administration and methodical pre­scription [Page 186] of proper medicines, (though Ga­lenical) than he that patcheth upon every post his Arcana, or giveth us large commen­dations of his pilulae in omnes morbos, in eve­ry printed pamphlet.

I could likewise tell Mr. H. that I could acquaint him with a [...]alenical medicine methodically used, which hath been much more successful in the Cure of quartano Agues, than his Coelestial liquor or appropri­ate remedies, which sometimes have been so violent in ther oper [...]tion, that they have endangered the translation of his Patients into a Coelestial Countrey.

I might further assure him, that I have seen a medicine so judiciously managed in some diseases accompanied with most vio­lent, racking, and tormenting pains; that the Patients in a few hours have not only been relieved from those dreadful tortures; but by a methodical use of it, secured from all danger of a relapse; which medicine should it have been used without this due circumspection and method, it would have inevitably ruined and destroyed the Pati­ents to whom it had been exhibited.

I could thus proceed to acquaint all ingenious persons, with what care and observation is made use of by all honest [Page 187] and conscientious Physicians in the exhi­bition of their remedies for the relief or cure of all other distempers, which are incident to humane bodies; as Hypochon­driack Melancholy, Dropsies, Jaundies, Apoplexies, Sanguineous fluxes, &c. who being men of liberal education, and well acquainted with the component parts of humane bodies, and the causes that do or­dinarily put them into disorders, and pro­duce that variety of Symptoms which do usually accompany distempers; they do wisely consider, as the learned Doctor Wil­lis hath well observed; quippe dum mani­festò liquet, cujusmodi particulae in patiente aut alterandae, aut in motum concitandae; & quales in agente ad opus illud requiruntur, non difficile erit hoc satis aptè designare, ac ad al­terum illud rite-accommodare.

And though, Mr. H. I will not scruple to allow you that some Chymical remedies may be of great value and excellency for their admirable efficacy in the Cure of some distempers; yet doubtless they are not to be used without methods, nor yet, where there are not fair indications for prescribing them; unless we were willing to sacrifice our Patients lives to ignorance and confidence: neither do I understand [Page 188] wherefore they should be applauded in those cases, where other remedies have been experimented much more powerful and successful in their operation; which occasioned that noble Chymical Philoso­pher Mr. Boyle to confess, that he never knew any of the vulgar Chymists Essences or Elixirs half so powerful a remedy to stanch blood, as a slight mixture of Hen-bane and white Poppy seeds, beaten up into a stiff Ele­ctuary with Conserve of Roses; nor ever did he see such wonderful effects against spitting and vomiting of blood, of the most elaborate Chymical preparations, as he had done of a slight Syrup made of the juice of Plantane, Comfrey, &c.

But to draw near a conclusion of this discourse, I do very much hope that all ingenious persons who have taken the pains to peruse this Book, and therein observed how much pains and industry, how much learning and judgment is required to the due qualification of an able Physician; will not only gratefully own how much this Nation is endebted to the labours of the famous Universities and learned Col­ledge of Physicians; whose members have been so indefatigably industrious in every province of Physick, as if they seemed [Page 189] thereby to tell the world, that they could never rest satisfied, till they had obtained as great a perfection in their Art as it was capable of; but will likewise use their joynt endeavours to detect the folly and knavery of our London Empiricks, whose Elixirs and Panaceas may be truly assigned as more probable causes of the stubbornness and contumaciousness of our late diseases, with their great and main alterations; than the Chimerical Ternary of your unanswer­able friends, viz. the Pox, Scurvy, and Worms; whereby many of his Majesties subjects have not only been deprived of the Cure of their distempers, but sacrificed their lives to the forementioned detestable prescriptions.

'Tis therefore likewise to be hoped, that our Soveraign Lord the King, who hath been so great an Encourager of all liberal Arts and Sciences, will imitate his Royal Prede­cessor King Henry the Eighth, in confirming that Charter by Act of Parliament, which out of his Royal bounty he hath lately be­stowed upon his Colledge of Physicians, whereby the mechanical successors of those old Empiricks, exactly described and cha­racterized in 3 H. 8. may be prevented for the future, from trying experiments [Page 190] upon his Majesty's Subjects; to the high displeasure of God, great infamy of the Faculty, and the grievous hurt, damage and destruction of the Kings liege people, &c.

Nay further, 'tis to be hoped, that the Chancellors of our Universities, with the grave Judges of our Land, and all other persons of ingenuous or Academick edu­cations, will be exemplary in the encou­ragement of this no less famous than wor­thy Colledge; that so the Laws already made and established by the Parliaments of England, being diligently prosecuted by them, may give some check to their Empirical pride and insolency, as well as their bold invasion of this noble Art of Medicine, whereby so many of the worthy Professors of it have met with no small dis­couragement. I shall therefore crave leave to conclude this subject with what hath been no less ingeniously than judiciously ob­served by a very curious and inquisitive person, viz. That if Physicians, who are men of so clear judgments, so unparallel'd for industry, have no more respect or consideration than mean, empty, shallow pretenders; we may have reason to fear, that hereafter persons of so great abilities and liberal education, will [Page 191] scorn to look towards a Faculty, which though honourable in its own nature, is so low and mean in the esteem of the world; that every person who hath confidence to affirm he is a Physician, although perfectly ignorant of the Rudiments of Physick, shall yet have no less countenance from the publick; than those gal­lant persons, who after a long courtship have rendred Nature familiar, are acquainted with the causes and Cure of diseases; and who have so deserved of mankind, that I cannot but marshal them next to those divine persons, who also as these, are often slighted and neg­lected, although of them the world is not worthy.