Et prope ubiq; fuos, populo ridente, recenfent Si fic fcripfiffes, potuiffes forte videri Non tam luminibus, quam ratione carens, Te nec Alexander tanto cumulaffet honore'; Sed te juffiffet rex bonus ire foras. This Book may be confulted upon feveral Occafi ons; and therefore to render it more useful to the Readers, the Author has added to it Three Indexes. The First is a Chronogical Table of the Ancient Authors quoted in this Volume. The Second contains an Alphabetical Lift of the Ancient and Modern Writers. The Third, which is very large and Methodical, concerns the Matters treated of in the Poem, and in the Notes. Whoever peruses this laft Index, will be fenfible of the Merit and Ufefulness of the Author's Performance. ARTICLE ARTICLE LXXI. An ESS AT concerning the Growth of Empiricism, or the Encouragement of Quacks. Wherein the prefent State of Phyfick in this Kingdom is fairly represented; with Some Reasons for the Neceffity of a Regulation in the Practice of it. Humbly offer'd to the Confideration of the QUEEN'S MAJESTY, and the PARLIAMENT of Great Britain. By FRANCIS Guy. BON, M. D. London: Printed for R. Parker, at the Unicorn under the Roy al-Exchange; and Sold by J. Morphew, near Stationers-Hall. 1712. In 8vo. Pagg. 84. BY a Quack or an Empirick Dr. Guybon means any one, who undertakes to practice Phyfick, without having a previous Knowledge of feveral Things requifite to fucceed in the Profeffion of that ufeful Art. I. A Phyfician (fays the Author) ought to be skill'd in the Learned Languages, that he may understand the Writings of the Ancients and Moderns, which contain the Obfervations that have been made in former Ages. Such a Knowledge is the more neceffary, ceffary, because the Art of Phyfick is delivered in Greek and Latin Books, and because the Terms of Art can hardly be understood without the Help of those two Languages. II. Natural Philofophy is the next Thing requifite in à Man, who defigns to be a Phyfician. For the Art of Phyfick being only Natural Knowledge applied to the Prefervation of Health and Life; whoever intends to profefs that Art, will find it neceffary to confider the Human Body as a mere natural Substance, before he proceeds to confider it as an animated Being. Tho the Human Body, as an animated Being, is (ftrictly fpeaking) the immediate Subject of his Cure; ver he cannot well diftinguish or understand the peculiar Properties of animated Subftances, unless he knows the common Affections of Matter, that are to be found in human as well as other animated Bodies. From whence it follows, that a Phyfician ought to understand the general Properties and Affections of Matter, the Origin and tranfitory Nature of Forms and Qualities, and how the Parts of a Human Body, confidered as a natural Substance, may be moved; before he enquires into the Affections obfervable in a Human Body, as endued with Life. This seems to have been the Method, by which Novices were for merly initiated into the Art of Phyfick, as it appears from the Inftitutes of Galen, Rhafes, Sennertus, Fuchfius, &c. and from this proverbial Saying, Ubi definit Phyficus, ibi incipit Medicus. The Author adds, That Natural Philofophy is not only neceffary to have a right Apprehenfion of the human Body, as a Portion of Matter, but also to frame a true Idea of Medicines and their Operati ons, as he makes it appear in the Sequel of this Dif courfe. III. The next Thing requifite in a Physician, is the Knowledge of the Animal Oeconomy, or the Confi deration deration of the human. Body, as endured with Life. The Animal Body is a Machine; and as in Actions and Motions are the neceflary Coniequences of is Strutture; fo Difenfes, and all their Symproms, are nothing but Aterations and Dilorders in it. From whence it play follows, that a Physician ignoran of the Animá Oeconomy, is altoge.her unoua fed to fe: right the Machine which he undertakes to rernlave Dr. Guyben add That Anatomy, and the Dio Ctrine of Fluids, are abibime y neceffary to underftand the Animal Oeconomy, and takes notice of deve ral other Tilings incuded in that Knowledge, IV. Our Author proceeds to the fourth Thing, which a Man that will actie Phylick, viz. 1. The Et Branch of it is, the Knowledge of fimple namral Medicines, that is, of the Substances themfelves. Without fuch a Knowledge, a Man in his Practice muft wholly rely upon those, who father and fell Medicines; which is a thing of a ve་ cerns Conféquence. 3 2. The fecond Part of Pharmacy, which a Phyncian ought to understand, is, the Preparation of Medicines, both Galenic and Chymical. 3. He ought to know the Nature, Virtues, and Operations of Medicines; but he cannot attain to that Knowledge without the Help of Natural Philofophy, Befides, unless he be well skill'd in the Animal Ceconomy, and understands the Uies of the feveral Parts of the Body, it is impoible for him to know how, or by wha Organs, or in what Regions, Parts or Juices, Medicines perform their Operations. V. Dr. Guybon maintains, That none can be truly qua lified to profefs the Medical Art, but those who underftand the general Nature, Signs, Causes, &c. of Diseases. 1. Whoever has not a clear Notion of the general Nature of Difeafes, muft needs fall into great Errors, and mifcarry in the Practice of Phyfick. Whereupon the Author obferves, That one would be tempted to be lieve, lieve, from the Proceedings of unintelligent Practitioners, that Diseases are feparate Effences, which get into the Bodies of Men: Whereas by a due Confideration of their Nature, it will be found, that they are only Changes or Alterations in the conftiruenc Parts of the Body, or different Modes of Indifpofition in the fame Body. 2. The Doctrine of the Signs both Diagnostick and Prognoftick, is abfolutely neceffary to fucceed in Phyfick. For as the Knowledge of the Diagnoftick Signs will enable a Phyfician to diftinguish Diseases; fo for want of it, a Difeafe is frequently mistaken for, and treated as another. The Author obferves upon this Head, That the better a Man underItands thr Animal Structure and Oeconomy, the more he will be able to diftinguish each Diftemper. As for what concerns the Prognoftick Signs of Diseases, that Part of the Medical Art gains no fmall Reputation and Authority to the, Phyfician; and therefore the Improvements that have been made in it, ought to be carefully collected from the Obfervations of the Ancients, particularly of the Divine Hippocrates, and from the Writings of the Moderns. 3. Dr. Guybon mentions, in the third Place, the Knowledge of the Caufes of Difeafes. No Body can deny that fuch a Knowledge is highly neceffary to a Practitioner in Phyfick; and therefore it were needless to dwell upon it. From what has been faid, the Author draws the following Conclufions. I. That Experience alone will not make a Phyfician. However, tho' the Theory of Phyfick be never fo neceffary, it would be useless without the Practife. Those two Parts are linked together, and ought to be infeparably united. The Theory is the Guide of a Physician; and therefore (fays the Author) Quacks and Empiricks, who fet-out without either Light or Method, muft undoubtedly prove ftupid and erroneous Obfervators: It being indeed impoffible that Men ignorant of the Medical Prerequi 86 66 “fita, |