Medicaster medicatus, or, A remedy for the itch of scribling. The first part written by a country practitioner in a letter to one of the town, and by him prefaced and published for cure of John Brown, one of His late Majesties ordinary chyrurgeons, containing an account of that vain plagiary and remarks on his several writings : wherein his many thefts, contradictions, absurdities gross errors, ignorance, and mistakes are displayed and divers vulgar errors in cyrurgery and anatomy refuted / by James Young.

Medicaſter Medicatus. The Firſt Part. Containing Animadverſions on Mr. Brown's Books, of Preternatural Tumors, and of Wounds, being a Letter from a Country Practitioner. SIR,

THat extravagant Curioſity, which ſo ſtrongly inclined me to the peruſal of new Books, (eſpecially of Natural Philoſophy, and the Art of Healing,) and hath heretofore given you the trouble to procure, and me the coſt to purchaſe, all that come forth, is very much cooled and abated, by the diſappointment I have lately met in ſome of them; not that I ſo much regret being deceived in my expectations, or of my mony and time; nor which is worſe) the fruitleſs trouble in hath occaſioned my Friend, as I reſent the indignity, and 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉 diſparagement, they have begotten to a noble and very uſeful Art, of whoſe reputation and intereſt I am very tender and zealous.

I am moved with indignation to find, that while Ingenious, and Inquiſitive men, are labouring to improve and advance it, and its eſteem in the world, by their excellent Writings, laborious Experiments, and uſeful Diſcoveries; ſo many medling Fops buſily interpoſe, and not only amuſe, diſturb, and diſcourage them by the gagling of their Gooſe-quils, but diſparage the growing credit of the faculty, by their follys and falſhoods, to ſee ſo many bold Ignorants thruſt themſelves through the Preſs, with ſwoln Titles, under their nauſeous fantaſtical Pictures, with which (like Ballads) they front, and lead in their empty Books, which no more anſwer the pretence of their Title Pages, than the excrements of a few bad do the Marrow of many good Authors, and come ſo far ſhort of what they would imitate, or oppoſe, as they who have attempted to Ape our inimitable Duty of Man, or adventured to confute our Immortal Harvey.

Who that's Loyal, or hath a due veneration for his Prince, can without abhorrence behold, the Sacred name of the King debas'd, and profanely mixed, with that of every Quackſalver, that dares aſſume it to make himſelf a Title, to ſee the Auguſt Illuſtrious Character of Majeſty trampled on, and laid at the feet of every Empericks Effigies, who is but Audacious enough to ſtyle himſelf, His Majeſties Phyſician, Chirurgion, Operator, or Oculiſt; though perhaps the Coxcomb be not fit enough, for a Toad-eater to a Mountebank.

To obſerve men of our profeſſion write, as if they deſign'd to engroſs to themſelves the Character, which P. de Commines, and Mo. Sorbier, generouſly beſtowed on the whole Nation, what elſe meaneth the ſcurrilous Conclaviſt, the nonſenſical Galenopale, the verboſe Polyrhizos, the filly Hilminthologer, the no-bone faſhion Alamode man, the ſnarling Glow-worm, the churliſh Topographer of B. and other clamorous Witlings, whoſe writings ſerve that odious end and deſign; men who diſcover their own ignorance and ill natures, in attempting to manifeſt it in others, as far above their reach, as the Moon from the barking Animals; ſuch are Culpepper, and his Succeſſor Doron, Synopſis, Sermon, and a world of Cacata Charta men, who I could name, beſide the Aſtrological Medicaſters, and Whimſica • Chymiſts, (thoſe Phanaticks in Phyſick, who throw dirt in the face of the Orthodox, fill the world with much noiſe to no purpoſe; men that puzzle mankind with myſterious nonſenſe, and are as unintelligible in Phyſick, and as Enthuſiaſtical in Philoſophy, as Jacob Behem, or the Roſie-crucians. Theſe are men I ſay, who ſeem of this deſign or fate, ſtrive to outvie • one another in Ignorance, as ſtrenuouſly as if the prize of an Olympick Game were at ſtake, for the moſt obſtreperous Blockhead, or clamorou • Fool in p • int.

Indeed we are not ſingular in ſuch productions, all others have their Impertinents, their Trif • ers, their Plagiaryes, their Bathyllus's, &c. the Preſs having in this Age of Mo • ſ • ers ſp ••• Prodigies, and deformities in all kind • of writing, •••• ity 〈◊〉 been abuſed by wran • ling • 〈◊〉 ••• ors perverſe Expoſitors, and the damnable Doctrines of Traytors, Hereticks, and Schiſmaticks. The Scripture hath been made a Noſe of Wax, to ſerve the turn, and juſtifie the Opinions and Actions of the moſt adverſe Parties in the World, hath been urged to juſtifie Parricide, Murther, Sacriledge, Rebellion, and the worſt of Villanies by our Fanatical Covenanters, and other Divines of the Faction, both in See Edwards Gangrena, Diſſenters Savings. Long Parliament Sermons, &c. England and See Ravillack Redivivus, and the ſpirit of mouths of Fanaticks, &c. Scotland.

The Law hath been publickly, and in print miſ-ſtated, and perverſely urged in behalf of Treaſon and Sedition, by the Hunts-Poſtſcripts, and Liberty of the Subjects; a Book whoſe Contents are no leſs a contradiction than its Title; for Statutes, made againſt Diſſenters, are there moſt impudently avowed not to concern them, and the very Act of Ʋniformity alledged in behalf of Toleration and the Schiſm. Inſtances of this ſort of prevarications are innumerable, witneſs the many Pamphlets that have lately ſwarm'd from the Hive of

Bull-fae't Jonas, who could Statutes draw, To mean Rebellion, and make Treaſon Law.

Hiſtory hath had its Johnſon, who, in the Life of his Brother Apoſtate Julian, hath not bluſhed to affirm, contrary to known truth, (as the Learned and Reverend Dr. Hicks, Dean of Worceſter, hath more clearly proved in his Jovian,) that the Roman Empire was Hereditary; and prevaricated notoriouſly, to form a Topick, for an execrable deſign againſt the Succeſſion, and like a Miniſter of Peace, ſet us a cutting one anothers Throats.

Thus Truth hath ſuffered, in almoſt all ways of writing, by the folly and knavery of men, who like thoſe named in our Engliſh Juvenal.

—in ſpight

Of Nature, or their Stars will write. And almoſt all Arts contracted ſcandal, by the impotence, &c. of buſie Scriblers.

But among them all, none ſo deceived my expectations, or gave ſuch a Rude ſtop to my longing fancy, and incautelous humour of buying new Books at a venture, as did two Tracts publiſhed by John Brown, the one of Preternatural Tumors, the other of Wounds, the Title the Author bore, the many Encomiums and Imprimaturs, (a new French mode,) from men of learning, diſcernment, and conſiderable figure, which prefac't and uſhered them in tempted me to beleive there was ſomewhat extraordinary in them, but I found it over the left ſhoulder, and the man (maugre their many Plaudits, by which he endeavoured to anticipate, and delude his Readers Judgment,) to be like his Pictures, all forehead and flouriſh, face and feathers; ſo I laid him by, in a dark hole of my Study, to hoot and catch Mice, the natural Imployment of ſuch Animals.

This may ſeem a rude abuſive Treatment, and bold Cenſure, to thoſe who look no farther, than the ſparkiſh Picture, and florid appearance of the man, and read not, beyond the wheedlings, precarious invitation of his Approvers, but let any Impartial Artiſt purſue him, and with an ordinary heed ſurvey his writings, if he find he deſerves better uſage, or do not diſcover him wretchedly Thieviſh, and notoriouſly defective, and ignorant, that he hath equall'd the moſt faulty Author, I will have that Imputation and Character, and ſuffer the chaſtiſement due to him for abuſing the world, and putting on them an indigeſted Fardle of other mens works, as his own.

Had he treated us as an Artiſt ought, written with the becomming qualifications of a uſeful good Author, and given us ſomewhat new, as did Hippocrates, and the firſt Writers, and thoſe who even in this Age, have found new ſubjects for their Pens, as Harvey, Malpighius, and many Columbus's in Phyſick, Chyrurgery, or Anatomy; or had he corrected the errours, evinced the miſtakes, explained the meaning, or ſupplied the defects of other Writers, as did Galen, and the many Commentators on Hippocrates, (beſide divers Neoterick Authors,) had he abridged the copious, like Dr. Read, Blaſius, or Dr. Gibſon; had he collected the choice of many Authors, as did Schenkius, Moronus, Burnet, Bonetus, Gualterus, &c. had he ſtrengthened the Principles, and confirmed the Methods of Art, by new Theories, Experiments or Remedies, like Sanctorius, Willis, Quercetan, Scultetus, VViſeman, Meckeren, Bartholine; &c. and many more; had he accommodated conſtant Methods to new diſcoveries, or revived ſome obſolete, and worn-out way of cure, &c. grown undeſervedly out of uſe, as hath Sennertus, Blaſius, Dr Harris, and the Anſwerers of Medela Medicinae, he had been praiſe worthy; and merited thoſe Impertinent Encomiums, he prefixeth ſo fondly to his Books.

But, Sr, we ſee nothing like this, on the contrary his works are twice ſodden Cabbage, nothing new, nothing his own, ſcarce a medicin, or an obſervation, or a notion but is ecchoed; nay he is ſo ridiculous a Plagiary, that he doth not repreſent fairly to us the things he ſteales, nor hath he for want of ſkill to chooſe taken the beſt to be had, among the Authors from whom he filtcht,) which is to me an argument of his low parts, and mean abilities; to ſteal the crudities, and corruptions of Books, argues that things of an ingenious nature, are not agreeable to him, and is like Childrens ſtealing Rattles and Bawbles, from among Jewels and things of worth, ſecundum modum recipientis. Thus I ſay, our Author is ſo unfit to write Books, that he gives us nothing new, all from others, and that generally, either of it ſelf Ill, or made ſo by his awkward way of repreſentation, impertinently and lamely uſed, not at all to the purpoſe. In ſhort, things old, ſtoln, and borrowed; things abſurd, jejune, and nugatory, collected in a very rude (though he call it a new) method, or rather confuſion, in a broken ſtyle and way full of Rambles, and ſtrange Tranſitions, as if his wits were gathering Wooll, is (with Tautologies, ſilly Metaphors, and unintelligible Phraſes) the compoſition of his Book, and the man (notwithſtanding the pretences, and opinion of himſelf and friends, an Ignorant Plagiary and moſt Ridiculous Scribler,

The Juſtice of this Cenſure, I will manifeſt to you very plainly without a rigid, or particular ſurvey of all he hath written, and without ſqueezing or putting any thing to the Rack, and here I muſt profeſs copiouſneſs of matter which is uſually an advantage, is become to me an Impediment. I am choaked with plentitude. He is ſo all over vanity, that I know not where to begin; his Follies are ſo perplext, I know not how to unravel them, without being as Immethodical, and appearing as great a Bungler as himſelf. I will begin as he doth, and attack his Compleat Treatiſe of Tumors, which being the firſt broaching of his Hog-s Head, his freſh, and untired, Effort may be preſumed moſt nervy and ſtrong, and give us the greateſt difficulty to encounter and ſubdue.

This Book we find by the Authors Picture, was written in the 35th year of his age, which I ſuppoſe is pointed to us, that we may admire the profound Sagacity and great abilities of ſo young a man. His Title-Page calls it a Compleat diſcourſe of Tumors. Compleat either to diſtinguiſh it from others who have written defectively on that Subject, or elſe a ſlye ſuggeſtion, as if he had ſaid all that Subject was capable of, or perhaps becauſe it hath diſcourſed of all the diſeaſes, compellated under thoſe Titles; how little it deſerves that Character, on either of theſe accounts will be ſufficiently demonſtrated in the enſuing Pages, and that on the contrary its empty, defective, ſtoln for the moſt part from imperfect, erroneous, and obſolete Writings, abounding with vanities, errours, contradictions, nonſence, impertinences, and more faults, than any Book of its bigneſs, of a Subject ſo common and eaſy, and affording ſuch plenitude of excellent precedents and guides.

Its ſcarce credible, that any man ſhould be ſo blockiſh, as this, to obtrude on the World under thoſe Titles, things ſo little deſerving them; nor leſs ſurpriſing is it, to ſee a Book ſo full of Palpable errours, and manifeſt evidences of a ſilly Illiterate Author, containing nothing Ingenious or valuable, full of the Scum, and Crudities of their Notions, Medicines, and Obſervations, who were long ſince exceeded, and exploded, to ſee ſuch things proclaimed uſeful, commendable, ingenious, learned, elaborate, &c. by men that knew better, and from whoſe Sagacity, his egregious errours, manifeſt faults, and aberrations, could not eſcape, (had they peruſed what they praiſed) is to me matter of Aſtoniſhment, and ſhould be to them occaſion of ſhame, and repentance.

We wanted one that could our griefs declare, And thank our happy Stars, we have him here, What's then thy due, who cureſt each malady. Yet thy great Skill is ſuch,— — Thy work being perfect, — Were fam'd Hippocrates alive to write, He from thy work, would humbly borrow light. —For having this Learn'd Book, men need no more. — John Gadbury, Student in Phyſick and Aſtrology.

Its ſtrange that neither the Stars, nor Skil in Phyſick, could undeceive this Hyberbolical, Poetical, Aſtrological, Phyſical, Applauder, and teach him better than to think, this dull, empty, Scrible, deſerved the praiſe he gives it, or that Hippocrates could, or would borrow from one who ſtole from himſelf, and thoſe that ecchoed his Doctrine.

He dedicates this praiſe-worthy Peice to his Ʋnckle, Crop, who (by what Authority, and good manners I know not,) he calls the chief Chirurgeon in Norfolk, to whom, and to his Readers, he makes rambling impertinent Epiſtles, uſing the ſame Tropes and vain glorious Oſtentations, he hath over again in his Book of wounds, — Impudence plum'd with various coloured Feathers, of Ignorance and Boldneſs, — this tract well deſerves the ſtudy and practice of a young Chirurgeon, who ought to read it ſoberly, and practiſe it conſtantly,— I have here acted the part of a faithful Chirurgeon — This is a Subject indeed not to be touched with every COMMON Pen, every Slip whereof, in ſome caſes, may diſlocate the Diſcourſe, and cauſe a ſolution of continuity, in the matter, — its leaves are not lined with froth, or Emperical Romance, but rather gathered, furniſhed, and delineated, with digeſted wholeſom fruit, of LEARNING, example, hiſtory, moſt lively reſembling the roſe, — the Lading is well beſiowed on our Veſſel, having received your gentle Windes to blow on it, I queſtion not its well ſailing, and may be kept from the Shelves, and Rocks.—

Now after ſo many Encomiums, from ſuch men as the Preſident, and Cenſor of the Colledge, from Sr. T. B. Mr. Sarjent K. Mr. Daniel and the ſtarry Doctor. Strengthened and confirmed by the Authors own kind approbation and applauſe of himſelf, and the Minerva of his Mercurial Brain, who but would have raiſed expectations, and look Sharp for ſome great and tranſcendent performance, but alas! Its a birth of the mountains, great Cry and litle Wool, nothing but the Husk or Shell of ſome ſeed, whoſe kernel by length of time is turned into Maggot, or other noxious Inſect; and being here by our Novice, noyſily crackt, is expoſed to Sale, as wholſom, good, new, fruit.

Although I am as great an admirer of the Antiquity, and uſefulneſs of our Art, and would aſſert its Intereſt, and Reputation as much as any man; yet I am ſo much an Enemy to Arrogance, and a Friend to Truth, that I muſt expoſe him, when he reaſons at ſo ridiculous a rate to illuſtrate it, and ſcrews his pretences too high, as he doth, page 1. where he unreaſonably aſſerts, The Art of Healing, came into the world, almoſt as ſoon as man. For ſoon after his Birth was this found out, as both Reaſon and Hiſtory make good. Page 2. And here alſo may we Epitomize, that Healing and Medicine were invented before other Arts—Now all the Reaſon produced to make this good, is an uncertain ſuppoſition, that primitively they were ſubject to diſeaſes, and conſequently put upon inventing Remedies; and the History is from Geneſis 50.2. where it is ſaid, Joſeph commanded the Phyſicians to Embalm Jacob.

As to the firſt; How doth it appear, they had ANY diſeaſes in the firſt Ages of the world, one would think otherwiſe by their longevity; and I think Mr. Burnet hath rendred it more than probable,In his Theory of the Earth, a Book of extraordinary thoughts, and uncommon ingenuity. that before the Flood, they were very healthy, had a general Eucraſia, and temperamentum ad pondus. Dr. Brown in his Garden of Cyrus, page 1. gives an ingenious proof of the great Antiquity of Phyſick, becauſe Adam had a Dormitive, when he ſlept, while God performed all the parts of Chyrurgery, in making Woman out of his ſide; but that's too Poetical. The Taylors will tread on our heels, with the ſame way of reaſoning, and pretend near it if not equal Antiquity for their Craft, by the ſewing of the Fig-leaves, and making Aprons. Others imagine, that after the fate of Abel, men bethought of Remedies for the accidents to which they ſaw themſelves liable, but we have not the leaſt footſteps, or colour of any ſuch matter in History, ſacred or prophane; we are told very early of Muſicians, &c. but no where of Diſeaſes, or Healing.

As to his Inſtance from History; viz. the Phyſicians Embalming Jacob, it's not at all to his purpoſe, being 2000 years after the Creation, as were the Diſeaſes ſaid to be among the Egyptians; as to his opinion, that Healing was invented before other Arts, it's not only deſtitute of proof but probability, at leaſt where he refers, viz the holy Scripture, where it's plain, that Agriculture, making Tents, Muſick, Artifice in Braſs and Iron, were ſoon upon the Creation, as is recorded Gen. 11. but not one word of Diſeaſes, Hurts, or Healers. Beſide which, before the days of Hippocrates, it's probable there were only ſome Emperical Practiſers, that all the skill lay in ſuch hands, and methods, as our Quacks, old Women, &c. with whom our Author is too angry to allow them Artiſts.

In all this, I do not detract from this modeſt Aſſertion, That Medicine is a very ancient Art and practiſed by conſiderable men who were afterward Deified, as Apollo, the two Aeſculapiu's of Egypt, and Greece, as the moſt learned, Dr. Charleton diſcourſeth in the Preface to his firſt Cutlerean Anatomical Prelection.

Of ſuch groundleſs Aſſertions, and Inſignificant Harangues, pretending to ſhew the Origine, Antiquity, or Splendor of Inventions, &c. Of the Art of healing, (in which all, thats like ſenſe or truth, is ſtoln, and corruptly tranſcribed from Parey, Read, Woodal, &c. He compoſeth his Chirurgical Introduction to this Treatiſe, which equalls, if not exceeds that which prefac't his Book of Wounds. Of which pray accept a few Inſtances.

Page 10. He beſtirs himſelf to ſhew the ſimilitude and ſemblance, the little World, Man, hath with the great one, pray obſerve the wit and Ingenuity of it, for I aſſure you, ITS VERY EXTRAORDINARY — his outward Wall reſembles the Element of Earth, its next covering made of Spermatick fibers Imitates WATER, that fine Web, Spun by the Almighty hand, which covers the brain, paints out Air, Did you ever hear of Fountains, and Rivulets of Fire, before now? the Body of the brain it ſelf, repreſents fire, this fountain ſends forth many Rivulets, —its outward Cap very prettily reſembles a faire Wood, cluſtred with young. Trees. The SALT Tears which trickle from his Ey's carry a LIVELY RESEMBLANCE of Dow; Vapours obſcuring his ſight reſemble Clouds and Miſts; the noyſe in the Ears, Winds and Storms; frothy Spitle carryeth the lively portraiture of Snow, as well as Coagulatedor Conglohated flegm the repreſentative of hail, a Coryza in the noſe carryes the ſimilitude of Rain, ſneezing reſembles Thunder, and the redneſs of the eyes Lightning: is not the Sun ſeen in the native heat of the brain, as well as the Moon in its watry Element. Jupiter in its temper, as well as Saturn in its Melancholy, Mars in its choler as well as Venus in its flegm; into what extravagant Abſurdities, doth this liberty of compariſon, plunge a man? Is there any agreeableneſs, or umbrage of it, in the things he parallels, at this rate he might have reſembled a man to any thing in the World, his great toe to a wheelbarrow, his noſe to a carthorſe; it had been more Ingenious. to have purſued the ſimilitude, and made piſſing in Bed the overflowing of Nile or a Neitherland Inundation, claps the burning Iſlands of Stromboli, Vulcania, Aetna, Fuogo Sh.—his Breeches, the Sulphurious, evomitions of thoſe mountains, might he not have made a more pertinent Compariſon between Farting and Thunder, a ſtring of ſhankers and the chain of mountains, which Kircherus ſaith binds, and hoops about the Earth or the Wind-Mill, and Vertigo in his own head, and the Copernican Syſtem of the Earths motion.

But trifling a part; let us ſeek ſomewhat ſerious, Page 24. He comes to define Chirurgery and thus he doth it. A Parey telleth us, it is an Art which informeth with reaſon, how we may cure, prevent, and mitigat diſeaſes, by help of the hand, but its more proper and eſſential definition is taken from eradicating diſeaſes by Art, and manual operation. Thus buſily endeavouring to amend Pareys definition, he ridiculouſly gives you the ſame, in terms nearly alike, though leſs expreſſive.

Page 28. He ſaith a diſeaſe is incurable three wayes, firſt when its ſo in its own nature, as the Elephantaiſis. 2dly, When the Patient uſeth no proper means. 3dly. When the CURING one diſtemper threatens another. As to the firſt, that the Leproſy is incurable, is notoriouſly falſe. 2dly. The neglect of means cannot properly be ſaid to render a diſeaſe incurable, unleſs there be no difference between the power, and the will, which is as egregious nonſenſe, as to ſay, a man cannot do that which he will not; and thirdly the CURING of one diſeaſe threatning another, is direct nonſence, contradiction, and begging the queſtion. For in the very Aſſertion its ſuppoſed curable.

Page 31. He ſaith, a Chirurgion ought to be well Skil'd in Anatomy, for hinc diſcimus artem rectiſſime operandi & ſecuritate inſcidendi. It being as the chief Pillar, or Baſis, on which Chirurgery planteth its foundation. Now I cannot but admire, why if Anatomy be ſo very neceſſary, the chief Baſis of Chirurgery, and its greateſt Magazine, he hath ſo overweening a conceit of the ancient way of practice, when Anatomy was in its Infancy,See the Catalogue of Authors, Page 55 56. Which he recommends as the beſt Pilots. full of defects, and errours.

At what a Wild rate doth he talk of humors, in his ſecond Chapter, which conſiſts of ridiculous Aſſertions nonſence, and errours, and diſcovers both the great Folly and Theft of the publiſher. I will only name ſome of them, preſuming no Reader can want capacity to apprehend them, nor ſenſe to perceive, where their vanity lyeth, Page. 35. He ſaith they are more properly called humors, which are Juices made by the liver in the Sanguinary maſs, for its nutriment, and thinning of the bloud all over the Body, all thoſe are choler, flegm, and Melancholy. Page. 36. As the four humours do, work man into a good humor, ſo this Choler) burneth him into a paſſion, Page 39. He ſaith Choler hath but few Spirits ſomewhat of Sulphur, moſt of Salt and Earth, bred out of the thinner part of the Chyles, Page 42. He makes three ſorts of Sapor, in flegm, and adds as a fourth, its Inſipidneſs. Page 43. He reckons as a firſt Species of Melancholy, Bilis nigra and a ſecond Black choler. Page 45. He gives a Schem of humours, ſtoln fron Pareus Lib. 1. Cap. 6. (one of the Crudeſt, and moſt erroneous things in that large Volum,) and aſſerts, that flegm ſerves the brain, the cold and moiſt parts, and in taſt is either ſweet, or Inſipid. Is like Water, of a liquid conſiſtence, and yet Choler attenuates it, Melancholy is painting Earth doth nouriſh the Spleen and prepares an acidneſs for PREVENTING the bloud. I profeſs I know not what he means by theſe laſt Aſſertions.

His general diviſion of Tumors is not more rational and conſiſtent. Page 47. He ſaith an Abſceſs oft followeth a Phlegmon, and yet cometh without an Inflamation premiſed. Page 51. He Computes malign Ʋlcers among Melancholy tumors, and Aneuriſms among Schirrus's. He defines • nchymomata, and Metaſmata, to be painful and dangerous effects of the Arteries, hapning by contuſion of the Abdomen. Page 52. He liſts Epiplocele, Entero-Epiplocle, &c. among Tumors bred out of humors. And defines a Polypus to be an excreſcence growing out of the Noſtrils, as if that were the only part, to which they were incident. Page 55. He defines a Tumor to be a pretern • tural diſeaſe, very difficult becauſe it hindreth contraction, and for this quotes Fallopius, without telling where its delivered. I find in that Author, a multitude of Definitions examined, and non like this,Tom. 1. cap. 3. de tumor praeternat. that which he give as his own, is in theſe words. Definitis ergo vera tumoris erat iſta: Tumor eſt morbus inſtrumentalis ſimplex, in magnitudine extenſa conſtans. Why our Author calls it a diſeaſe preternatural, I know not, I think Morbus had never any ſuch Diſtinction, nor are there any diſeaſes that are natural. What he means by calling it difficult, becauſe it hindreth contraction, I cannot Fathom.

At this wiſe rate, he proceedes. And hence it may raiſe in us a diligent enquiry hereof, how this firſt hapned, what may be the beſt and ſafeſt way to ſayl herein, what the beſt order to obſerve, but before we launch too deep into the main Ocean, let us take and purchaſe ſuch Pilots, as may ſafely bring us of from the Shelves, and Rocks, of fears and diſtruſts — Then after this nauſeous preamble, he recommends the ſta • e writings as the beſt Guides. Hippocrates, Galen, Aegineta, Albucas, Rhaſis, Haly Abbas, Avicen, &c. — In purſuing him, you will find him ploughing with Parey, Read, &c. and filching from their writings, but he ſo confounds and diſguiſeth them, and makes ſuch a rude disfigured Copy, that its not preſently diſcerned, but if any thing be erroneous, and trifling in an Author, its ſo agreeable to his Genius, that he is ſure to have it, as I ſhall further demonſtrate anon.

His ſixth Chapter is of Phlebotomy, (how pertinent here, I need not ſay.) Where he talks as if he had never heard of Circulation, or did not underſtand it, (perhaps the Author, he was dealing with, wrote before Harvey) many of his poſitions and directions being contrary to that Doctrine; among the veines uſually opened, he mentions not the Jugulars — Page 82, he makes no difference between Digeſtion, and Diſcuſſion, and ſeems to underſtand neither, for he calls the Fire an Evacuation of a thin matter, gathered in a part, by inſenſible evaporation, and that Digeſtives are hot and dry in the third degree, and of thin Parts, and inſtanceth in Mallowes, Camomil, Ammoniacum, Lillies, Fenugrick, Red-Roſes, March-Mallows, Melilot, Meal of Beans, Barly, Lupines, Lin-Seed, Mucilage Plaiſter, Violets, Saffron, Gooſe-Fat, Butter, Milk, Night-Shade, & cujus contrarium, its ſcarce credible, a man could ſo groſly err from the moſt common Rules of his Art, and ſuch as are known almoſt to every Apprentice, being one of the firſt things they are taught; its plain he underſtands not the true Chirurgical notion of Digeſtion, the way of procuring it, nor the temper of Ingredients in moſt Common uſe for that end, for though he had delivered; that it muſt be procured by things hot and dry, in the third degree, he directs to many things of different, and ſome of the Contrary qualities; all that I have pickt out from him, being cold, moiſt, or temperate, and that this is no ſlip or overſight in him, but his firm and fixed opinion, conſult Page 88. and 107. of this ſame Book.

Page 95. He ſaith, we muſt not bleed far diſtant from the Part affected, by which I perceive he forgets or knows not that Phlebotomy is often made near the Ancles, and that leeching the Hemorrhoids is frequently and ſuccesfully uſed for pain, and other diſeaſes, of the Head. Page 88. He blunders, and runs into ſtrange abſurdities, and contradictory affirmations, concerning that way of treating ripe Tumors, the ſigns of ripe ſuppuration he gives us in this diſtracted way — The Tumor offers it as a ſign of its tending to ſuppuration, by its intenſeneſs, and when pain, inflamation, &c. encreaſe, then uſe NO Digeſtives, but maturative Medicines, and if therefore we may procure the Tumor for this ſuppuration, and produce good laudable matter, we are to encreaſe the quantity of Native Heat, by ſuch Medicines as be of a digeſting faculty, the which ought to be of the Native Heat with the Part, theſe are to be applyed from the beginning of its Augment to the end of its Vigor. — Certainly I ſhould correct a Boy, who had ſeen a plaiſter-Box but two years, if he talkt in no better ſort, than he in this unintelligible ramble, wherein he ſo contradicts himſelf, and for want of a good memory, ſenſe, underſtanding, and way of expreſſion, doth run into the ſtrangeſt and moſt abſurd Directions, I have met.

At no better rate doth he deliver himſelf, Chap. 19. Concerning Choler, of which he ſaith there are three ſorts, Natural, Preternatural, and Ʋnnatural, and talks ſo diſagreeable, and contrary to what he had done out the ſame ſubject, Page 39. (though neither of them reconcileable to ſenſe, or Philoſophy;) as ſhews in him a very great diſpoſition or ſtrong fate to errour, for he cannot hit right in either Part of a Contradiction. Page 40. Choler is excrementitious, unfit for Nutriment, an enemy to the radical moiſture, and yet Page 45. It nouriſheth Parts of its own temper, Page 18. It perfects natures works, is a Vehicle for nouriſhment 41. Its proper uſe is to render the excrements Fluxil 45. Moveth the expulſive faculties. 109. He denyeth it to have any bitterneſs or ſharpneſs, I mean (quoth he) that in the Bladder of Gall, for elſe it would ſoon fret the guts in peices, and beſide this, dayly experience ſheweth, it is free from any acidity, for it dayly paſſeth thro' the kidnies, into the bladder, and then maketh its exit. Page 39. It hath in it no great quantity of Sulphur. Page 109. That which his Preternatural, though it doth not nouriſh the Body, yet it doth not offer any miſchief to it, this is both unprofitable, and unnatural, and Preternatural, alway hurting the Body — at this moſt incongruous, ſenſles rate he confounds the things he treats of. I am very ſorry to find a man pretending to be acquainted with Books, and to underſtand Art, ſhould write ſo much like a ſtranger to both, as well as to Common ſenſe, and letters.

His Diſcourſe of Flegm in the Chapter of Oedema in every whit was as wild and extravagant, Page 123. In one place he ſaith, thoſe Tumors never ſuppurate, in another that they do, here he affirms they alway poſſeſs remote Parts, and then gives an inſtance (ſtoln from Pareus) the only one he hath) of one on the lower Jaw, Page 132. He ſaith, a Schirrus is the only brat of Melancholy. If he mean as the words lye, to wit, that Melancholy hath no other brat, he contradicts what he had ſaid, Page 51. If (as I believe he intended,) a Schirrus be the effect of Melancholy only, (one of them it muſt be) he hath contradicted that alſo, Page 134. Where he delivers, that that Tumor may ariſe from Flegm only.

His Diſcourſe concerning the Breaſts, Page 154. and production of Milk, is of the ſame ſort, and for the moſt part contradicted, Page 297. In the one its made of Bloud, in the other its pure chyle, and nervous Juice; Page 156. ſo he diſcourſeth of Cancers, which firſt he reſembles to a Sea-Crab, like whoſe clawes it ſticketh, and adhereth to the part ſo cloſe, as a Key to a Door, HAVING IN IT, by ſome REPORTED TO CARRY IN IT exalted veins,— and at laſt he confeſſeth, this is more fabulous than true, and juſtifies its non ſenſe,— he tells us, Page. 159. We may never expect to cure a Cancer, we ought not to meddle with Ʋlcerat Cancers, becauſe by Galen held to be altogether incurable, neither ought we to attempt the cure of any other, but by amputation, which carryed with it great danger, & hazard as Celſus offereth, & yet immediately after all this poſitiveneſs, he not only ſpends many Pages in a Method for cure, but ſubjoins two ſtories, the one from Hildanus, the other from Schenckius, of two that were healed; from this laſt named Author, I find him very often ſtealing the Obſervations, he quotes, to back and confirm his ſeveral Chapters, he was a laborious Learned German Phyſition, lived at Friburg in Briſgow, above an hundred years ſince, and publiſhed a vaſt Collection of Obſervations, Phyſical and Chirurgical, taken from all the Authors of any note, then extant. I know our plagiary is ſtealing from other later Writers, as Hildanus, Mat Glandorp, and one or two more, but his greateſt and vileſt thefts are from Schenckius, though he ſeldom name him, but ſuch Authors as he quotes from; This is manifeſt to me, becauſe I find him take him errours and all, where he miſnames the Author or Chapter, or falſly repreſents the ſtory, (as he ſometimes doth,) our plagiary ſwallowes it Verbatim, as I ſhall have occaſion to prove by many Inſtances. I deſire alſo that you would obſerve, wherever I ſay he ſteals, that then he names not the Author, where he doth fairly Cite the Book, I ſhall give it a more ſuitable Character.

Page 185. He ſaith an Herpes exedens not only erodes the skin, but depopulates the ſubject fleſh, Page 187. He gives you the ſtory of one, which corrupped the whole thigh ſo vehemently, that the Chirurgeon thought to have made Amputation. — I believe it was ſuch a Chirurgeon as himſelf, for where would he amputate, if all the member were infected, or to what end or benefit would it prove. When he diſtinguiſheth between a Gangreen and aSphacelus, Page 191. He ſaith, in the former the parts are alive, and that the later is a completion thereof.

I cannot paſs by a novelty which he gives us in this Chapter, to wit, the Hiſtory of a cure he performed on a gangrened leg, (as he calls it,) which becauſe its his own, (an unuſual thing in his writings,) I will take a particular regard to it. He uſhers it in with this preamble— For brevities ſake, becauſe I do not deſire to ſwell up my book with TAUTOLOGIES, or commit to your reading, any thing you ſhall ELSEWHERE FIND PARALLEL,— who would think this ſhould drop from the nodle of a man that had been ſo guilty of numerous Tautologies, and Impertinence, or had vended ſo many inſipid ſtoln ſtories, but lets ſee this wonderful thing—a vertuous Gentle-woman, after a long ſickneſs, had a very large great Inflamation ſeiſed her foot, he which very ſpeedily ſpread her Leg, & got into the Thigh, with pain, heat, diſcolouration, & fever, my never to be too much eſteemed Ʋnckle, (he keeps much ado about this Nuncle of his,) being ſent for, could not go; when I came, I found all thoſe Symptomes, and conſulted with MY SELF, AND REASON (it ſeems they are two diſtinct things,) and with this method, I got her looſed from the fears, and perplexities that threatned a Gangrene. I pray you, Sir, obſerve the manner how he relates this Hiſtory, and the pertinence of the caſe here, together with the method which Mr. Brown, and Mr. Reaſon, after conſultation had determined. His expreſſions are ſo palpably filly and weak, that I need not point to them, a prolix ſcribler affects brevity, a loquacious one diſclaims Tautologie, and a moſt imparallel'd Plagiary affirms that he deſires not to commit to our reading, any thing elſewhere to be matcht, is like a Rebels pretending to Loyalty, a whore to Chaſtity, or a Theif, and Rook to honeſty. I do not deny the ſtory to be unparallel, becauſe its his own, and ſcarce to be matcht in any Author but himſelf, for impertinence, &c. What is there in it of a Gangreen, when only her fears THREATNED one Its much to be wondred his awkward method had not made it ſuch, the part was inflamed, had Pain, &c. And he anointes it with Oyles, which in Page 122. He had cautioned his Reader againſt, in ſuch caſes, by an inſtance, where a Phlegmon became a mortal Gangreen upon the uſe of them, now if a Gangreen was only threatned at he ſaith, and Oyles be apt to turn hot Tumors into that malady, he did not think this ſuch, and if ſo, where is the extraordinarineſs of this imparallel'd hiſtory, or what doth it in this Chapter, and in a diſcourſe on that ſubject. I confeſs conſidering his way of treating it, it was ſtrange that accident had not betided the poor Patient, for, as he ſaid, Oyles add fewel to the flame, and an inflamed arm was gangreen'd on the uſe of them, and yet he not only directs them as a remedy, and uſed them in embrocation, but mixed ſome with his Gallymaufry Cataplaſm, compoſed of Ingredients, cold and hot, dry and humecting, adſtringent and relaxing, repercuſſive and attractive, which would have ſerved any intention as well as this, what effects it produced, ſeem very plainly confeſt, in the ſequel of the ſtory, and how much skill, the man and the reaſon that adviſed him had, is alſo manifeſt, by applying a repercuſſive Ointment, and Poultice, to the critical metaſtaſis of a diſeaſe, which ought rather to have been evacuated by Scarification and bathing, and expell'd by Cardiack, and Aleixpharmac al ſweats, according to that common direction, ubi natura movet, ibi move. I pray you obſerve, that in moſt of my quotations from him, I give you his own words, (where I do otherwiſe, its not to his prejudice,) and in many places leave them naked, without remark or animadverſion, becauſe they are obvious, and that I am unwilling to ſtretch my letter to an exorbitant length. Thus I beleive its enough barely to tell you, That he compares the Brain to Fire and the Sun for Heat, Page 10. And yet in many other places, talks of it at a rate, as would chill a man to hear him. Page 13. So alſo, That the wheels and Inſtruments of our motions, from firſt to laſt, 14. are lodged in our middle Region. That the Mediaſtinum keeps up the heart from falling. 16. That the Pancreas is tyed to the Guts, as a Pillow or Prop, to keep up the Veines, Arteries, and Nerves. 26. That cutting hare-lips belongs to the ſeparative Part of Chirurgery, reducing Ruptures, and curing blindneſs, 28. to the ſupplying Part. That Album, or the Common white Ointment, doth Agglutinate, and Conſloidate. That ſolution of continuity muſt be removed, 34. (as if it were a ſubſtance, and to be remedyed by Ablatrix. 39.) That Choler, is bred out of the thin, hot parts of the Chyle, and hath no Spirits. That inſipidneſs is taſtable. 42. Page 51. That Aneuriſms are Schirrus's, and malignant Ʋlcers a Melancholy Tumor. That an Abſceſs is a ſubſtance converted into Pus,57. & that when white Pus is making, a fever and pain occur, Page 84. And yet atchieved without inflamation. That HIPPOCRATES CHRISTIANNED all Tumors Oedema.Page 66. That Flegm is the proper Inſtrument of the joints. 67. That the great Artery is not deſcending untill it be as low as the Navel. 75. That Rue and Scordium are cold Antidotes. 119. That a hot intemperiety of the Liver breeds a plentiful quantity of bloud, and a flux of humors to the face, cauſing an Eryſipelas there. 178. That there is a double humor in a Carbuncle, the one flowing, the other flowed. 191. That a Gangreen is a diſeaſe conſequent to the effect, not the cauſe. That in an Unguis,251. Paulus, adviſeth to ſprinckle a little ſalt in fine powder on it, mixed with the white of an egg, and ſo applyed on Cotton or Lint. That a pair of cold nippers or forceps, 256. induce a Cicatrix.289. That a humor appearing outwardly is a moſt certain ſign of an Empyema. Theſe and a great many, more which I pretermit, are wiſe ſayings of ours kilful Author, and need only be cited, and expoſed. Some more conciſe phraſes, and modes of expreſſion, are Familiar to him, as running ſoars calling in their leakage, depopulating the fleſh, a heathen Chriſten a diſeaſe, &c. But I wave them, chap. 29. He flouriſheth in his diſcourſe of Amputations, at a rate, that would tempt an unwary Reader to beleive, he hath been a man of extraordinary practice in war's, and experience in foreign Countreys, beſide a particular excellency in that operation, but when you come to inſpect his Chapter, and compare it with other Authors, or the moſt Common and vulgar way, you will find it leſs conſiderable than the worſt of them, and that they ſignifie no more to inſtruct Youth, or direct an Artiſt, than the ſilly inſignificant picture, which he ſaith doth give a lively portaicture of this operation, which its ſo far from being, that ſcarce any thing can be leſs deſcriptive, or more erroneous, for he paints the Chirurgeon ſawing upon the undivided fleſh of a leg, obliquely over the calf thereof, and inſtead of a griper, you have a fellow that looks (more than half ſcared,) in the operators face, and inſtead of griping, leans upon the upper part of the patients knee, he makes a ligature above the Elbow, as if he were going to bleed him, and paſſeth his knife as far below it, no dreſs, or Inſtrument in the whole ſcene, ſave a knife, and a ſaw with the teeth wrong ſet, no diſh of Aſhes, Rolers, Fire, Irons, or other neceſſaries common in that work, but the whole draught ſeems made by one poſſeſt which the vulgar error, that Chirurgions, in taking off the limb, ſaw through fleſh and all, his nuncupative Directions are ſuch as no leſs tempt me to beleive him a a ſtranger to the expert way of Amputation, for he ſaith, you muſt make ſtrict bandage by a Roler, below the knee, and below that, divide the fleſh, (is any men the wiſer for theſe Directions) he calls a catling a dividing knife, and adviſeth therewith to ſeparate the membrane, (it ſhould be the fleſh) between the bones, but not one word of the perioſteum on them, no other than a corroſive dreſs to the ends of the bone, then he directs to unctuous, and ſlabby dreſſes, ev'n to the end of the cure, which certainly can never cure the ſtump of a Leg, (of which he then diſcourſeth,) for want of dryers and detergers, to ſuppreſs the fungus and exuberant fleſh, and deſiccate thoſe ſtubborn difficult ulcers, which they alway reſult into. Moreover a man would expect from one of practice or skill, a better Teſtimony, than the diſmembring a Child above the Elbow, which is the only one he doth (or perhaps then could,) produce de proprio, as which that of a mans great Toe had been as conſiderable an inſtance.

I find (him, as I have already hinted,) often miſtaken in the Chirurgical notion of Digeſtion, and of the faculty of Digeſtive Medicine, viz. That they rarify and diſcharge matter per poros cutis, which is properly diſcuſſion, diſſipation, or diſpelling. Digeſtion is by all Artiſts known to mean ſuppuration or maturation, ripening or turning into Pus or quittor extravaſate bloud, lacerate fibres, or other matter caſt out of the veſſels This every Boy knows to be the firſt Intention in curing wounds, and he himſelf hath ſo ſaid in the 69 Page of his Book of that Subject, how different it is from his ſenſe thereof in this place, and elſewhere, and how fit he is to write Books, who hath ſo bad a memory, and ſo wrong a Judgment, I refer ev'n to himſelf.

An Hydrocephalus, he ſaith, Page 225. is to be cured by inſenſible evacuation, as being that which he much better approves of than ſenſible; BECAUSE its neither ſo ſafe, nor ſo ſecure — Jeſu! He is ſo great an enemy to ſenſe, that he will not endure it in his practice, how then can we expect it in his writings, I perceive now the reaſon for all the errours, non-ſenſe, and falſhhoods in his Books i. e. becauſe things leſs ſafe, or ſecure, are with him moſt eligible; was there ever ſuch a reaſon given before, or any thing preferr'd on ſuch a principle? Well, dear Squire, next Edition of Bakers Chronicle, thou ſhalt be recorded for one of the men of note, in Charles the Seconds time; ſhould he endeavour to excuſe his perverſe paſſage, by pretending it a ſlip of his pen, or that he meant that the ſenſible was the leſs ſafe way, how came he to overlook it, when he corrected the Errata of the Preſs, or what makes him ſpeak ſo kindly of a Paracenteſis in the ſame Chapter, which he concludes with five ſtories, all ſtoln from Schenckins, Obſ. med. Page 9. and moſtly repreſented his wonted way, in that from Leonellus, puer, a young child. Sciſſurae apparebant apertae. You might ſee the ſutures through the Scalp. Gauſa jſtius — propter obſtetricem, vel propter nutricem quae quandoque in extractione foetus, vel in nutriendo, vel in faſciendo caput, ſtringunt ultra modum, The cauſe of which was occaſioned by the Mid-wife, and the Nurſe, the one in extracting the child from the womb while the other did ſecond it by compreſſing its head, exprimitur humidit as illa, quae eſt in Cerebr • ; ad exterior a cranii inter acutum, et cranium, & ſic intumeſcit caput vehementer. The humidity it ſelf, which was in the brain, came to the outward covering of the head, and thither preſſed out its humidities, and this was th • occaſion of this tumified head.

After the ſame wiſe exact manne • he tranſlates the fourth ſtory, puerul •• nuper natus, a Child nutrici imperavimus, ut victus ratione exſiccante uteretur; Illamque ſaepius purgavimus cum Pil. Hiera. He commanded the Nurſe that HE might have a drying Diet. It was often times purged with Pills of Hiera Picra. — Thus what was ſaid by the Author to be given the Nurſe, is by the plagiary ſaid to be given to the Infant, which at once ſheweth his skill in Latin and Phyſick, for none but an Ignorant in both, could ſo miſtake, & think that Pills, & ſuch a Pill,P. Foreſt. obſ. med. lib. 8. obſ. 29. could be ſwallowed by an Infant, for ſuch in the Orignal Author, the patient is ſaid to be. The Fifth Hiſtory of this Chapter, which our filcher quotes from Montanus de Infant. Page 8. is truly in Hieron. Montuus de Infant. Prag. Page 8. and thus tranſlated. Vir qui furnariam exercebat. A Smith cum tenuiſſima victus ratione By keeping every kind of a thin Diet, but to put his Skill in Phyſick and Latin beyond all queſtion; conſider his Chapter of Cataracts Page 240. Where he affirms, that they ariſe from thick and ſumid vapours ariſing from the Stomach, and ſo getting into the ſubſtance of the Brain, are from thence ſent and diffuſed into the Eye, and at length do there contract its concretion; and as Platerus doth obſerve, it groweth in length of time to the thickneſs and hardneſs of an Excocted Egg, (ſo he renders tandem albuminis ovi excocti inſtar diuturnitate albeſcat & induretur. Which words are in Schenckins, who (as doth our Author) quotes them from Foreſtus, in whoſe works I can find nothing like it,) and among other remedies, Page 243 he directs to this Pill as a purgative. So the like Page 324. ℞ Syrup. Pill. ſine quibus, 1 ſc. Pil. Cynoglo. half dr. ol. faeniculi. gr. iiij. Syrup. Beton q. s. F. Pil. — a Cataract in the Eye, as big and hard as a boyled Egg, generated by Fumes from the Stomach, carryed through the Brain, and to be purged off by an Opiat Pill, (Narcotical enough to make a man ſleep out his Eyes, rather than Purgative ſufficient or proper to carry off a Cataract) are things which no Man of the leaſt Skill, (if be he in his wits,) would aſſert, and too plainly diſco • vers our Author doth not underſtan • the things he writes of, nor the Author he writes from, although h • pretend to both. In the ſame Page where he gives you this admirable Pill, he preſents you with a Collyrium, made of Juice of Ground jvy, Caelndine, Daizies, Roſe-water, and white Sugar Candied. Which in the Margent he calls his own. I cannot judge it a proper Medicine, to diſſolve a Cataract, nor to have the qualities he aſcribes, viz. attenuating, and penetrating. I take the ground-Jvy to be very binding, and for that faculty celebrated in Dyſenteries, Haemoptyſis, internal Wounds and Ʋlcers, the Roſe-Water and Sugar, cannot pretend to it, and the Celandine (be it which ſort it will,) and daizies, have it too weak to perform ſuch a cure, by diſſolving a ſuffuſion in the Eye, the Medicine is Common, and good in Ophthalmies, Epiphora, &c. And to be found in many Books; but by none that I know, commended in this caſe, wherefore I muſt leave the honour of that, to our skilful Author, he doth not ſhew how to diſcover a mature Cataract, or one thats fit for the Inſtrument, not the true or intelligible way of couching, he calls this operation, the only piece to be admired of all Chirurgery, he gives an Impertinent ſtory of the miſcheivous effects of a rotten Apple, and makes a falſe quotation from Riverius, as additional proofes of his skill and ſincerity, and concludes with a ſilly uſelleſs picture, page 245. Which he a lively portraict of the operation, with all the neceſſary Inſtruments belonging thereto. When there appears nothing, but one man poaching another between the Canthus of the left Eye, and the Temple, and not one Inſtrument delineated, nor the other Eye bound faſt, nor any ſign, that he who directed the Graver, underſtood the operation.

Page 236, he ſets down, as from Hercules Saxonia, a Story ſtoln from Skenckius, wherein (according to his wonted way of nonſence) he delivers, that a Woman having the Diſeaſe called Tinea, by lotions recovered her health, but in the INTERIM, ſhe endured continual pain and Fever, of which ſhe died. —Recover of a Diſeaſe, and in th •• interim dye of its effects! recove •• health, and in the interim endu •• continual, and deadly pain, Fever, & •• . Is no more agreeable to ſence, tha • it is to the original. Vide obſ. 3. de Cute Capitis lib. 1.

Page 256. Speaking of Polypus Forceps, he declares, that they perform 4 Intentions of which Cicatrizing is one. Its the firſt-time I ever knew, tha • done by a cold Inſtrument. But mark his Explanation, it apprehends, and draws forth like forceps, and thirdly ſeparates the Polypus, from the Bone, and for the 4th or laſt, (which was inducing a Cicatrice) we throw up a Powder, and thus, quoth he, I have ſhewn you all its 4 intentions. To this he adds a Figure of the Inſtrument, (no way like that of the Inventor Tabula 3d. Fab. ab. Aq. Pendente, (though Mr. Cook ſays he gives none,) nor that in Tabula 9. Scultetus, which are the onely two, I know, extant of that ſort. How unfit for this work, I ſhall have occaſion to ſhew you by and by.

That heap of foul errors Page 258. concerning Glandules, I forbear to expoſe, till I ſee how he mends the matter, in his adenography, and tract of ſtruma's.

Page 260. He tells us, a Woman had a Parotis, in which the matter was plainly prepared, but the tough Skin, kept it in longer than it ſhould, at length it broke, the Patient falls into Swoonings, little or nothing comes from the Abſceſs, and ſhe died: Hence may the Chirurgeon learn that they do not break Abſceſſes of the Emunctuaries, or their Neighbouring Parts, until they of their own accord do break —Bleſs me, what a Preachment is here! The Apoſtume break, nothing came out! The Skin, behind the Ears ſo thick, to ſuppreſs a Mature Abſceſs! And from all this to infer, that its not good to break ſuch Tumors by Art! When in all probability, the want thereof deſtroyed the Patient, is ſtrange Hiſtory, a very abſurd reaſoning. Thus again Page 261, adviſing how to cure an Epulis, or Fungus of the Gums, he ſaith, that which is not painful may be revelled, the manner of which may be this way acted and perform'd, by tying a double Thread about it, and bring the ſame every day ſtreighter, until you have wholly eaten it away, the makes no difference between Revelling and Extirpation, nor Inciſion and Eroſion.

By his Chapter of Struma's and Scrophula, Page 265. I foreſee how fit he is to write an entire Volum on that Diſeaſe, he ſaith Scrophula is a Wen, and Struma the Kings Evil, and immediately ſubjoins, Scrophula is ſoft, and Wens are hard. As if they were two, which juſt before he had made one, ſo Page 281. How their Tumors are Tranſlated from one place to another, attribute cheifly to the Nerves in their Operations, theſe being moſt proper Meſſengers, to carry to and fro. —This is not ſaid like one that underſtood the Nerves, nor is the Chapter written, as if he knew either the cauſes, or remedies of the diſeaſe it treats of, for he ſaith nothing of what was moſt ſuitable to a Chirurgical diſcourſe thereof, viz. manual operation, deſignedly omitted perhaps, to make it a COMPLEAT Treatiſe. I take the leſs notice of this Chapter, becauſe I expect a greater occaſion from his Treatiſe of that diſeaſe.

Page 281. the ſecond quotations here, are ſtoln from Obſ. med. Page 210. Schenkius, Pract. lib. 6. cap. 7. or Riverius, that of Aetius falſly ſaid to be the 5 cap. lib. 6. Inſtead of lib. 15. cap. 6. Truely I have ſought in Aetius both in his Chapter de Angina, and where he relates the vertues of Agarick and can no where find what theſe men ſay, as from him. Agaricum occultos Abſceſſus abſorbere, vel for as materiam evocare, which our plagiary thus renders, Agarick doth ſuck up hidden Abſceſſes, AND draw them outward; monuiquene Illam ſtatim deglutiret. he was ordered not to ſwallow it, he other waies ſpoyles the ſtory, by adding water to the gargle, and divers omiſſions, that made it conſiderable.

The Tonſils or Amigdals, Page 283. he ſaith, are made, or framed, out of a cold concreted, oleaginous, and malleous ſubſtance, ſave only that its thicker, and more firm, and this he ſaith is allowed by Dr. Wharton, Adenographia, that he underſtood not (though he would Ape,) that excellent and Learned Author, pray conſider his deſcription of thoſe Glands cap. 22. Subſtantia ſimilaris tonſillarum friabilis, & quaſi granulata eſt, inſtar From hence he ſaith they are malleous. mellis, aut olei frigore concreti, niſi quod firmius cohaereat, & veluti membranea connexione. Eſt ſimiliter colori • ſubflavi, tactui mollis, coctione tamer induratur, quippe dum cruda eſt, ſpongioſa, & poroſa conſpicitur, eam vero poroſitatem coctione amittit. This he proceeds to tranſlate. They are of a yellow colour, ſoft in touch, but in being boyled hard, ſpongious, and porous.

Page 289. He delivers as a moſt certain ſign in a Empyema, that ſome humor appears outwardly, lodging betwixt the Ribs, and the exterior parts, or its diſcerned by its Tumor, and after he hath very weakly treated of the diſeaſe, omitting the beſt through common Remedies, and exact way of apertion, he gives us a curtaild ſtory from Riverius, in moſt parts of it falſly repreſented and abridged, it being no where in the Original, That the Patient was able only to walk upward, or that the Abſceſs after it did break inward, did alſo break outward.

Page 294. He ſaith, Tumors of the Diaphragma are made of hot matters, and in the next Page ſaith, Phlebotomy is no way proper, becauſe the Peccant matter is cold, in the end of the ſame Chapter, he ſaith, HE once ſaw in a Gentleman, a Tumor bred in the Diaphragm, out of crude and thin bloud, in which pain and difficulty of breathing, a • hard and ſmall pulſe, were preſent, the matter & humor was cold, & tough and crude. —This he relates, as if it were is own, when its manifeſtly ſtoln from Schenkius Page 277, bating the contradiction and nonſence, viz. That the humor was thin and yet tough, the pulſe hard and ſmall, and that for the performance of this diſeaſe, there is required pain, difficulty of breathing, a hard, ſmall pulſe, little or nothing changing it ſelf, his account of a Gonorrhea, and its cauſes, is as full of abſurdity, and miſtake, as is that of Ruptures, Page 300. viz. That they dwell in the Hypogaſtrick Region. Page 310. — Have their lively formes and ſhapes, in the Tumors of the Teſticles — other humors have allowed them three Cauſes, as being bred out of an influx of humors, decumbency of parts, or congeſtion — the Teſticles being the chief cauſes, and effects, of moſt of thoſe Ruptures. — After many ſuch wild aſſertions, he falls into that common errour, concerning the Teſticles, that they are Glandulous, and for it quotes Celſus, lib. 7. cap. 28. Where is no ſuch thing, its an unhappy quality, that (as in this caſe) where every Anatomiſt might have been cited as an evidence, he chooſeth one, that comes not up to his caſe, and can give him no help; the place he meaneth, muſt be the 18th not 28 chap. for that only treateth de teſticulorum natura, &c. And therein he hath theſe words. Igitur teſticuli ſimile quiddam medullis habent, nam ſanguinem non emittunt, & omni ſenſu carent. This is all the Deſcription he gives of them, and no where he ſaith they are Glandules, or Glandulous, I know Dr. Wharton lately ſo deſcribes them, as did Galen, Fallopius, Riolan, Spigelius, Veſlingius, Adenogr. c. 28. Highmore, &c. But A. D. 1667. Reynerus de Graef, an inquiſitive Anatomiſt, of Delph in Holland, in his moſt Exact and Ingenious Treatiſe, De virorum Organis generationi inſervientibus, as alſo in his defenſio, and Letter to the. Royal Society, Philos. Tranſact. Numero, 52. (where you have the Experiments of Dr. King, confirming that of Mr. Graeff,) hath moſt unanſwerably confuted that Opinion, proved it a miſtake, and demonſtrated, that the Teſticles deveſted of the tunica Albuginea, are only a congeries of Veſſels, and their Liquors, without any parenchyma — congeries minutiſſimorum vaſculorum ſemen conficientium, quae ſiabſque Ruptione diſſoluta ſibi invicem adnecterentur, facile viginti ulnarum longitudinem excederent — illa enim, qui teſtas corpora Glanduloſa pronunciant, vehementer errant, quando quidem in toto teſte neminima quidem pars glandulae conſpicicatur.

How he ſwerves from the right notion of Hemorrhoidal Fluxes, and the Anatomy of that part, will be very plain to him that will compare it with the very juſt and ingenious account Mr. Wiſeman gives thereof, page 212. And although our Spark impudently affirmeth, that Modern, as well as Ancient Anatomiſts, allow of his Deſcription of their Origination, let him ſhew one, ſince the Circulation, that doth ſo; or that ſaith, the Hemorrhoid Veins pour forth their blood, or that the blood which is there ſpewed out, cometh from the Porta to the Anus; and I will confeſs there hath been one beſide him in the world, that hath talkt at Random, and without Book, as he doth in this Chapter, p. 374. And therefore it is neceſſary, that the melancholy blood ſhould this way be diſcuſſed; for by this paſſage only is Melancholy beſt diſcuſſed, and the Schirrus of the Spleen cured. So page 311. The Teſticles have a VERNACƲLATIVE FACƲLTY, of attracting and educing the ſpermatick matter, from all parts of the body, page 315. If you perceive a ſoft Tumor in the Inguen, ſuſpect a DILATION, being made by the Inteſtines; a Bubo in the beginning BEING hard, especially BEING venereal, it being a Rupture — page 324. he calls a decoction of Oſmond Royal, Rupturewort, Comfry-Roots, Biſtort, Aniſeed, flor. Hyperici, made in Red Wine (all which are Adſtringent) ſweetned with Syrup of Comfry, a PƲRGING APOZEM. Page 327. He directs to melt Olibanum, ſang. Draconis, bolus Arm. Maſtick, Aloes, Mummy, and Thus, over a gentle fire, into an Emplaiſter, which it will as ſoon do, as Brickbats. Page 329. He calls, Half an ounce of Syrup, mixed with nine onnces of a Liquor, an excellent Syrup; errours that an Apothecarys Boy of one years ſtanding to the Peſtel and Mortar, would have more ſenſe, than to be guilty of.

Page 333. He directs to put the Patient to bed, with his head ſupinely or downward; his whole Chapter of Sarcocele, is defective and erroneous, both in the notion of the diſeaſe, its cauſe, remedy, &c. as alſo that of an Hernia Humoralis, page 258. ſo he contradicts and blunders, page 365. defining a peſtilential Bubo, to be a tumor long, and moveable, ſharp, with a mucronated turbination IMMOVEABLE, and deeply fixed in the Glandules, concomitant with a putrid Fever, wherefore bleeding is very requiſite, and in purging be ſure you mix, &c ſpeaking of veſicating in the Plague, he ſaith, they may be uſed, if your Patient lives to uſe them, but its very rare, for they ſeldom are cured, they dying the firſt day. Page 384. Revulſive MEDICINES are hot and ATTRACTING, viz. Scarification, and Friction, and Nodes are bred from a hard Flegmatick Flegm. If the peruſal of this ſort of nonſence, be pleaſant to you, the end of the 390 page, the beginning and middle of the 391. will afford you delight.

I am already weary with raking in this heap or confuſed maſs of errour and abſurdity, and almoſt tired with the unpleaſant Employ of expoſing and chaſtizing this wanton Ignorant. It's of no more credit than to correct a Boy, and not a whit more difficult than to caſtigate a Cripple, nor indeed more pleaſant than to pore in a Dunghill; I will therefore end with this Book, after I have given you one or two remarks more, out of many under my Eye. Page 317. he ſaith, Women for the moſt part are troubled with a Bubonocele, becauſe the Womb falleth down from the Ʋterus, and ſo doth produce an Hernia Ʋterina. What he meaneth by that nonſenſe, that the Womb falleth from the Womb, is to me, and perhaps to himſelf, unknown; but by it, and his way of reporting the Obſervation from Fabritius (tho' he ſays not which) of a prolapſed Ʋterus; it's manifeſt, he doth not underſtand the true Hiſtory of that Diſeaſe, but with the Ancients, and many Moderns, thinks the Real Matrix appears in the pudenda, and is the eſſe of that protuberance, called (though very corruptly, and improper) procicidentia Ʋteri.

There was ſcarce any over-ſight, or miſtake the Ancients were guilty of, that is more ſtrange, and to be admired than this, that ſo many intuitive men ſhould ſee the number of Veſſels, that terminate, and are faſtned to the Womb, and muſt be unavoidably broken in its proper prolapſion, and conſequently great extravaſations of Lympha, Blood, &c. be thrown into the Abdomen, that men knowing the number and ſtrength of the ligaments, &c. which faſten that bowel, and frequently ſeeing the utmoſt force of a man, uſed to extract a Child, mola, ſecondine, &c. without begetting the exitus; nay, (which is more ſtrange,) that they ſhould write not only that they have ſeen Women, cui uterus plurin • um prociderat, gerentem in utero, lib. 11. cap. 27. as dothPrax. lib. 15. cap. 14. Trincavella, Sennertus Platerus Zacutus Benevenius. Wierus Avenzoar vide de Graef mulier. org. cap. 10. Job. meckeren obſ. chir. 54. Riverius, &c. but that after part, ſometimes the whole Womb, hath fallen out, and been extirpated, the Women have not only recovered, but conceived, (as is to be ſeen in ſome of their * Obſervations,) and yet be ſo blind, not to ſee the abſurdity, or diſcover the miſtake, is to me a very great wonder.

Ambros Pary, a man intuitive, ſagacious, learned and bold, a good Anatomiſt, and excellent Chyrurgion in his time, giveth the Hiſtory of the Diſſection of a Woman, from whom the whole Womb (as they thought,) had been extirpated; and finding unexpectedly in the Abdomen, a ſubſtance like it, (though indeed it was the ſame) he is content, and pleaſed with calling it the effect of natural Induſtry, to ſupply the want of that which they had cut away thus; (ſuch is the power of Opinion, and force of Eduution, even over wiſe men,) by a ſlight piece of fancy, and groundleſs conceit, he conquered and ſolv'd the many difficulties, that attended thoſe Phoenomena; particularly how the Teſticles ſhould appear in a Womb prolapſed, ſince the Ʋterus, if it fall out, muſt be inverted, and conſequently all the Oviaryes, Fallopian Tuba, &c. be buried and lie hidden.

But that after the miſtake hath been long diſcovered, the truth for ſome years found out, and publiſhed by men of note; nay when Sckenchius (our Authors great Intimate) had publiſhed the Hiſtory of a Woman, quae cum uteri procidentia laborans, concepiſſet, our Writer of compleat Diſcourſes, ſhould be ignorant thereof, would be yet more ſtrange, if ſuch incorrigible Ignorance were not common to him, and took off the wonder. Procidentia Ʋteri, eſt Relaxatio tunicae internae Vaginae, qua per pudendum prolabitur, is the definition oflex, medicam. Blancard, and the ſenſe ofobſ. med. chir. 3. Rhoonhuyſe, Prax lib. 4 cap 10. Barbet, mul. organ. cap. 10. De Graeff, in veſling. anat. cap. 7. Blaſius, obſ. chir. 54. Meckeren, Spigel anat. o • ſ. 20.53. Kirkringius, &c. which laſt ſave one, and Rhoonhuyſe, have put the thing beyond diſpute by divers Obſervations; particularly one of a Woman, from whom was cut off a prolapſion of a monſtrous bigneſs, and a ligature left above the inciſion, the Woman dying in four daies, divers, who ſaw the operation, were at the diſſection, and though men of the erroneous opinion were convinced by ſeeing the entire Ʋterus, the Ovari's &c. remain in due place, and in the midſt of the Vagina, the unhealed place of extirpation, with the ligature about it.

The Women of Holland being generally of a large ſize, Phlegmatick and full of moyſture, their bowels more lubricous, and ſlippery, and (according to Common Fame) their Vulva's higher, and lower than others, none may be preſumed more incident, than they, to a prolapſion of the real Ʋterus, (if ſuch could be) and conſequently thoſe Authors, being all of them of that Country, and eminent Practizers, could not be Ignorant thereof, or deceived into a wrong opinion. I once diſſected a Woman, who dyed of an Aſcitis, which had vexed her two years, and had for ten months a very large prolapſion, two Phyſicians were preſent, and ſaw the womb entire, and that the Tumor was a Sarcoma, or excreſcence of the inner coat of the Vagina. I have been called to a Woman with Child, who hath had this accident very largely, and I know another, Mother of divers Children, that alway ſince her firſt bringing forth, had a ſmall prolapſion in her laſt month, after Conception.

But to return to our Author. Page 378. Begins his Chapter of Aneuriſms, in treating of which, he omits divers neceſſary things, and commits many extravagant ones, and that not only in the manner but matter of his diſcourſe, which I ſhall have occaſion more at large to canvas, when I come to conſider his Notions thereof, Page 280. In his Book of wounds, there he tells us, that ſome allow inward Cauſes, and reckons as ſuch CONTUSION, CONCUSSION, Intenſeneſs, and Obſtruction, theſe being accounted the chief inward Cauſes. An Abſurdity and Tautology that would make a School-Boy Bluſh — Contuſion, Concuſſion, the chief inward Cauſes, and not one word of Eroſion, Impetus, Plethora, &c. Which are common, and very conſiderable ones. — Some (quoth he) alſo add melancholy bloud as a Cauſe, but the moſt uſual ſign of its Cauſes, is drawn from the Ignorant Chirurgions pricking too deep — the two ſcopes of cure, are Pharmacy and Chirurgery, the firſt are convenient Ligature, (excellent Pharmacy) and Lead, ſtrictly bound over the part. If it be large, and in the INGUEN, expect no cure, Page 378. Large Aneuriſms NOT hapning in the GROYN, or head, are accounted mortal. 380. Ligature of the Arterie in an Aneuriſm, is dangerous, troubleſome, painful, and ſeldom brings any benefit to the patient, I would rather have Amputation —at this perverſe rate, he amuſeth them that cannot underſtand him, and miſguides thoſe who think they do, and this not only by his pen, but his pencil; his pictures may pleaſe youths, profit them they cannot. Page 166. He pretends to ſhew by Sculpture, the manner of Amputating a Cancerate Breaſt, but gives you nothing like it, ſave a Woman dreſt very modiſh, ſitting in a chair, and a man with a Pencil, as it were marking, or writing on her Breaſt, which is half covered with her cloaths, not in any poſture, or is there any Inſtrument fit for the operation. Juſt ſo he gives a lively portraicture, (as he calls the picture Page 245.) of couching a Cataract, that looks nothing like it, but as if one were going to bleed another in the Temple; his lively picture expreſſing the manner of Amputating large Limbs, Page 205. I have already examined. Page 256. He ſhews himſelf as unable to draw after anothers figure, or depaint pictures, or ſtories, (eſpecially Latin ones,) this is manifeſt in that of Aqua Pendents Polypus Forceps, which are not at all like the Original, or that in Scultetus, nor his own Deſcription, for the edge of the curved end, which ſhould cut through the Pedunculus of a Polypus, and ought to be ſharp for that purpoſe, is delineated thicker than the edge of a mill-crown.

Thus, Sir, in defence of my cenſure, and Apologie for my caution, in buying books at all adventures. I have freely imparted to you thoſe obſerveable faulty paſſages, which I found in Mr. Browns firſt Book, that bawlkt me; There remaines only that I ſhew, how little it deſerves the title of being Compleat; what Impertinent, and ſuperfluous Chapters it contains, and how far from having thoſe many excellent, modern Obſervatio • s, ſaid, in the Title Page, to conclude moſt Chapters.

It cannot be a compleat Treatiſe of Tumors, becauſe it treats not of all the diſeaſes properly ſo called, and very defectively and erroneouſly of thoſe it doth, the later I have ſufficiently evinced; as to the former, he omits Priapiſmus, Polypus Cordis, Arthritis nodoſa, Anchylops, and ſome Tumors about the eyes. Spina Ventoſa, Variola, Hyperſarcoſis, Teſtudo, Phymoſis, Paraphymoſis, Gangleon, Thymi, Cryſtae, Condyloma, Exitus ani, Procidentia Vaginae & Ʋteri, gutta Roſacea, Elephantiaſis, Impetigo, Ecchymoſis, Varex, Pernio, Furuncle, Epynyctis, Terminthus, Tympany, Gibboſities of the joints in the Rickets and Gowt, Tumors Symptomatical to wounds, and Contuſions, Tumors of the Collumellae, or Ʋvula, abſceſſes of the womb and vagina in Child-Bed, Warts, Corns, Scorbutick Tumors, intumeſcency of the Spleen, and many more, to be found in other Writers on this Subject.

His Impertinent Chapters, treating of Subjects not properly comprehended among Tumors, are that of Phlebotomy, Ʋlcerate Cancers, Herpes exedens, Tinea, Cataract, Gangreen, and Spacelus, becauſe they are often without ſwellings, and uſe not to be computed among them.

His Obſervations, are ſome of them quoted (though ſtoln at ſecond hand) from Galen, Hippocrates, Paulus, Albucaſis, Aetius, Celſus, Halyabbas, Rhaſis, &c. and ſuch as were very ancient; the reſt are either from Vigo, Schenkius, Aqua pendente, Bauhinus, Benivenius, Fallopius, Hildan us, Foreſtus, Guido, Laurentius, Luſitanus, Placentinus, Tagaultius, Pareus, Vigierius. Who, (and their contemporaries,) he calls the Ancients. Page 216. of his Book of wounds, many of them wrote above 200, moſt of above one hundred years ſince, all of them before this age, there then remaines, as truly modern, of all his Catalogue, only Banniſter, Crook, Read, Wharton, and Barbet, the two former are accounted old, and long ſince dead, ſo is Dr. Wharton, and Dr. Read, but allowing them modern, and add Barbet, they have not yeilded him one in ten of his Obſervations, and Schenckius more than altogether, ſo that contrary to his Mounte-Banck Title-Page, inſtead of moſt of the obſervations being modern, they are almoſt all old, yea very Ancient.

His Book of Wounds, we find written when he was a year older, tho' not a jot wiſer, than when he hatcht that of Tumors, one years experience hath not ſtrengthned his reaſon, added Nerves to his Judgment, or bettered his acquiſitions; we find ſome alteration in his face by the picture, but not a whit in his abilities by the diſcourſe, although with his wonted vanity, he calls it alſo Compleat. Indeed he runs his Chapters into as great a number, and the Treatiſe into as many diviſions, as I have met in any Book, mincing them ſo, that he gives us one Chapter concerning wounds of Arteries and veins, and another for wounds of the veins and Arteries, viz. cap. 60.61. and hath ſcarce avoided giving one for the cure of this thigh, another for that; one for the firſt, another for the ſecond toe, of this or that foot. Who they are that divide the art, into ſo many parts, he tells them, Page 136. I know ſome others have been very nice and particular, I wiſh our Author had out-don them in other things, that he might juſtly claim the Epithite, he hath given his Book, ſurely we have had in our own age, and Mother-Tongue, Books of wounds, leſs incompleat, (unleſs unneceſſary diviſion, be a perfection,) and our preſumptuous Ignorant, venturing to appear on the Stage (like a farce, following an excellent Comedy) after thoſe, whom he was not able to imitate, much leſs excel, deſerves to be hiſt off again.

How fit he was to perform the promiſe of his Title-Page, and write Books, he gives you an early demonſtration, in that Farrago, which he begins with, and calls Chirurgical Inſtitutions as touching wounds, than which perhaps there never was ſo confuſed and impertinent a thing; words jumbled together like lots, and thrown out by chance, would cohere as pertinently, and as much to the purpoſe, as this gally mawfry, a pretty teacher of young Chirurgeons, that had need be taught himſelf the firſt Principles of the Art, of which he undertakes to Write Compleat Books.

He weakly attempts to ſet forth the uſefulneſs of Chirurgery, but doth it as ſlovenly, as when he undertook it in the beginning of his Book of Tumors: Ligature he makes to be of two ſorts,See Galen, Fallopius, &c. and you will find near 100. † ſtraight and ſlack, Inciſion and Cautery, he ſaith, muſt be ſo performed, that it bring NO pain to the patient. Cupping-Glaſſes, he ſaith, are generally uſed for Revulſion, and yet draw from the remoteſt parts. He then only names three or four Inſtruments, moſt in uſe, to extract extraneous bodies, and in uſing them adviſeth the young Chirurgion not to be too haſty, becauſe ſometimes nature will lend her aſſiſting hand to his work, an excellent reaſon, confirmed by three as Idle and Impertinent Experiments, two of which might have ſerved any purpoſe as well as this for which he deſigns them, one is from Albucas, of a Woman ſhot into the Belly with an arrow, and recovered of the wound; another from Gilbertus Anglicus, of a man ſhot into the guts with an Arrow alſo, which was DRAWN FORTH with the excrements, can any mortal unriddle the uſe of theſe ſtories here, and make them any way pertinent, in a dehortation from a ſpeedy extracting of Bullets, or extraneous body from out of a wound; the third from Alſaharavius, he quotes falſe Tract. 6. inſtead of the 16. and all of them (according to his wonted ſincerity) ſtoln from Schenkius.

At the ſame rate he treats, of the difference of weapons, ſome (quoth he,) are taken from their figure, round, &c. having SHARP points. — Some from their habits, ſome of which are SHARP pointed, — is not this pure Logick, to make an Identity, a Diverſity; he then only names the pocket-Inſtruments, and over again the great ones, together with the names, and a conciſe account of the natures of ſome Plaiſters, in which its pleaſant to behold his skill, Empl. Mucilaginibus (quoth he,) partly mollifies, and partly digeſts, and in ſome meaſure doth ſuppurate, it is generally reckoned among the emollients and ſuppurative. Surely I need not tell you, where the Impertinence and Tautologie of this paſſage lyeth, I know I write to an Artiſt, and a man of ſenſe, to whom a bare repreſentation of his faulty paſſages, without comment or remark, is ſufficient.

But if you will behold the moſt ſuperlative Nonſenſe and Impertinence, that perhaps ever iſſued from the pen of any Writer, read that train of hard words, which he calls, the Appropriation of Medicine. I ſhould undoubtedly believe them ſtoln from ſome Lexicon, or Phyſical Dictionary, if I had ever ſeen one ſo abſurd, for here are Medical and Chirurgical Termes, and Remedies promiſcuouſly, without reſpect to parts, or Alphabet, obtruded among Chyrurgical Inſtitutions as touching wounds, and many of them ſo falſly explained as ſheweth the prodigious Ignorance of the Publiſher. What in the name of dulneſs & nonſenſe, have Oreticks, Hepaticks, Spleneticks, Hyſtericks, Nephreticks, Arthriticks, Aperitives, Carminatives, Diaphoreticks, Catharticks, Emeticks, Diureticks, Sudorifiques (again) and Salivaticks, to do among Chirurgical Inſtitutions of wounds, except to ſhew the weakneſs, of the artleſs, unthinking, Illator, what can diſcover his unskilfulneſs more than his Impertinence, for beſide his ſaying Cephalicks are Medicines APPLYED to the head, as if there were no internals; Oreticks, APPYED to the ſtomach, do by their delicate taſt delight, and pleaſe it; as if a mans palate, or guſto were without him, Anodines by a gentle heat, eaſe pain, as if they were not, moſt of them, of the contrary temperament, Carminatives, expel wind by an anodine quality, as if they did not aſſwage pain, by expelling wind; Incarnatives, OR Epuloticks, as if there were no difference betwixt a Sarcotick, and Deſiccative, he there (as if none of the abovementioned had been Internals) begins to reckon ſuch, as are (quoth he,) inward Medicines, bringing ſweaters, under the name of Sudorifiques, which he had accounted, under that of Diaphoreticks among his pretended externals! Go, dear ſcribler, read Woodal, Lowe, Vade mecum, and ſuch A. B. C. Authors, & conſult Caſtellus, Blancard, or one of Culpeppers or Salmons explanation of hard terms of Art, before you ſet up again for an Author or adventure to write more Books.

He finiſheth thoſe his Inſtitutions, (as he calls them) with old fulſom diſtinctions of wounds, (which he pretends he had from Galen, Avicen, Guido, &c. When in all probability, he went no further for them than Pary,) which ſhews him a ſtranger to the more conciſe and polite faſhion of the age, which rejects all ſuch impertinent and unneceſſary diſtinctions, becauſe they (for the moſt part) conſiſt of accidental not eſſential differences, and are of themſelves not really uſeful in cure, or enable an Artiſt a whit the better, to ſerve his Patient, but are the Inventions of Ancient Writers, in the compliance with the rules and nicities of their other ſtudies and ways of erudition, this he might have found ſuggeſted by two of the lateſt, (and perhaps the beſt) Chirurgions, that have written in theſe daies. viz. Wiſeman, and Barbet, the former in divers places, eſpecially his Book of wounds, and diſeaſes of the anus, the other in the Preface to his Chirurgical, Anatomical. works.

At length after many hard words, he lets his Reader paſs on to the Book it ſelf, where he entertains us with a rant againſt ſuch as you make no difference between a ſimple and compound wound, but tells us not where the man is to be found that hath been guilty of this foul error. I believe he never knew it aſſerted by any mortal, but ſuggeſts it. Here, perhaps to ſhew his Reader betimes, how ſatyrically he could Harangue, or beſtow his own elegant Character on an Ʋmbrage, for I profeſs I know not where elſe to find the Quack he is ſo angry with, a man would ſuſpect his own dear Worſhip to be the Ignorant plum'd with impudence, that doth but conſider the blunder of his firſt ſtep, and at what an incoherent, though very confident, rate he talks in his firſt Chapters; but I intend no account of all his failures, and innumerable aberrations, that were to make a Book bigger than all his own, but reſolve to point at ſome, the moſt conſiderable of them in ſeries as they lye in his firſt Chapters, and digeſt the reſt into Claſſes, for your more eaſy apprehending, and my ſuccinct and methodical diſplaying of them.

Page 21. Its (quoth he) the Chyrurgions greateſt reaſon and prudence, not to undertake ſuch wounds, as he hath no Authority or incouragement from Art to be concerned with, were theſe much practiſed, the art of Chyrurgery would not fall to that low degree, as it appears non in.—A very odd adviſe the which if perſued will bar all future improvements of art; A Principle that hath done much miſcheif, and been the loſs not only of innumerable lives, but ruined the credit of that Art, he ſaith is miſchieved the other way. Theſe noble courages, and bold Artiſans, who have acted contrary to this pernicious admonition, have been Authors of the beſt inventions, the nobleſt diſcoveries, and braveſt performances of Chyrurgery. Where are thoſe rules, that are ſo infallible, and on which a man may ſo rely, as to be aſſured of his prognoſtick. Look we to the Ancients, there's ſcarce a prediction among them, which this laſt age hath not found fallible; enquire of the Moderns, they will tell you. Nunquam derelinquatis aegros, ſemper ſperate ſalutem. How many wounds, &c. which according to the rules of art, laid down by the Ancients, were mortal are now frequently cured, which had never been, had they regarded ſuch an unreaſonable direction, nor would there be any poſſibility of future encreaſe of skill. Nay, ſo far is the conſequence he ſuggeſts, from being true or reaſonable, that art hath not been more elevated, or its reputation inhaunced, by any thing comparable to the ſuccesful attempts of ſuch brave ingenu • ties, where aphoriſms and ſtanding prognoſticks have diſcouraged them by contrary denouncements. I. de. Vigo, is the only Author I remember, to have matcht our Idle ſcribler, in this pernicious dehortation, non oportet deſperatos attingere, but the contrary is directed, by almoſt all rational Writers, and the artiſt perſwaded to purſue, by all likely methods, let the caſe ſeem never ſo deſperate, & dicant antiqui & moderni medici, quicquid ſibi placuerit, ſaith one, quos (Chyrurgos) adhortor, ne unquam de ſanitate aegri, quantumvis morbus magnus fuerit ac prima fronte incurabilis videatur, deſperent, ſaith another, and our own moſt agreeable inconſiſtent, ſcribler forgetting what he had here and elſewhere written, doth in divers places of this ſame Book, Eccho from the Authors before him, the contrary, as may be ſeen Page 100.163. &c.

I paſs by that nonſenſical paſſage in the ſame Page; Page 21. For in this doth the life of man very often conſiſt, and depend, as a way of expreſſion very peculiar to him, as is alſo that cunning prognoſtick, that large and great wounds bring of tentimes much danger with them, as if any man were ſo injudicious or Ignorant, not to know it before he wrote; or ſo incredulous, not to beleive it, unleſs Galen were pedantically brought in for a voucher, as Ariſtotle is by one, to prove ſheep were cloven footed. Apolloneus Tyaneus by another, that men commonly were greedy of Life; and a train of Fathers, and multitude of Texts, from Scripture, by a third, to evince that all men are mortal.

At this rate he triflles in divers of his preſages, and errs in moſt of the reſt, having borrowed them from the firſt Writers, who were in the duſt, long before the miſtakes of their prognoſticks were diſcovered by the happy experimentators of after ages, or the admirable explorations of their poſterity came into the World, nay that leſs exceptionable one concerning wounds of the heart, (which (allowing the faulty tranſcript) is to be found (the lively coal not excepted,) in obſerv. chir. Page 449. P. Foreſtus, hath been diſcovered to the fortunate practicers of their poſterity, ſometimes to fail, as the AuthorsSkenki Glandor • &c. to whom I find him moſtly indebted, could have told him, and he himſelf confeſſeth Page 275. I know he had this prognoſtick from a wrirer before Circulation was diſcovered, by our Harvey, and becauſe of the agreeableneſs in words, preſume it Foreſtus, the whole train of bloud (quoth he) makes its ſpeedy addreſs thither, from the veins, and ARTERIES, as SMALL RIVULETS, to the Ocean, Well ſaid ſilly Corpuſculum. this could not be aſſerted by one that underſtood, or conſidered the noble exploration, the hiſtory of the Valves, or that the Arteries in all dead perſons are empty.

That he tranſcribes abruptly, and repreſents confuſedly, ſee the firit paragraph. Page 24. That he trades in Old Authors, and ſteals obſolete notions, obſerve the ſecond, where he calls the parenchyma of the liver grumous coagulated bloud, and ſuggeſts, that the heart is nouriſheth thereby, and Sangnification performed therein. Page 25. If any wounds of the lungs be cured (quoth he) they commonly do prove. ſo miſcheivous, as to turn into a fiſtula, and ſo in length of time, do ſpin a mans life out, by a Maraſm, and do run him into a Conſumption. Theſe are is own elegant words, containing a poſition notoriouſly falſe, by almoſt all new Authors, and experienced Hildan cent. 2. obſ. 32. &c. Sennert pract. med. lib. 2. cap. 11. & lib. 5. p. 4. c 3. Foreſt. obſ. chir. 4. lib. 6. Falop cap. 4. de vuln. gen. Skenkius, Page 253. Horſtius obſ. 11. lib. 6. Miſcellan. Curioſ. Vol. 3. lib. 190. Vol. 2. decur. 2. obſ. 37. who all ſpeak of great wounds, (ſometimts with loſs of large peices) of the lungs, cured. practicers confuted. I my ſelf have cured two ſhot through the Lungs, the one with Musket, the other a Piſtol-Bullet, the former a man above fifty years old, who had not been dreſt in nine daies before he came into my hands, and but once upon his being wounded. I mention not the frequency of curing thoſe wounds when made by rapiers, &c. But our Author is ſo deſtitute of skill, and experience in the profeſſion he pretends to, ſo unacquainted with Neoterick writers and diſcoveries, and ſo ſtupidly guided by the Ancient, and imperfect Authors, that its no wonder if he appear as ridiculous as a man diſcourſing of Geography, out of Pliny, or Strabo, in a dreſs that was in mode, when King James the firſt came into England.

That recent wounds, are ſooneſt healed, was a ſaying among the Ancients, and revived by our artleſs Ape; as if it ceaſed not to be recent, beforre it was cured, or that the nearer a man were to his Journeys end, the farther he had to go. Page 28. He ſaith wounds do ONLY then inflame, when they do not ſuppurate, which is another proof of his skill, and reading, it being manifeſt in Books, and practice, (as himſelf Page 49. confeſſeth,) that as digeſtion is procured by things, more or leſs hot, ſo while Nature or Art are on that work, there occurreth heat, pain, pulſation, &c. dum pus conficitur, dolores ac febres magis accidunt, ſaith Aph. 17. lib. 2. Hypocrates, Pulſus, dolor, & color aucti ſignant pus fieri, ſaithinſtil. chir. lib. 1. c. 3. Tagaultius; ſee Galen in his comment on the aforeſaid Aphoriſm, and on Hypocrates Predict. lib. 1. c. 13. Dr. Read Lect. 5. Of Tumors. Mr. Woodal Page 141. with many more.

As wiſely doth he aſſert. Page 29. That the main ſpring of the bloud is given the heart from the Arteries, which is quite contrary to truth, the ſpring of the bloud being from the heart to them, all that comes into that noble entral being by the veins, eſpecially the Cave, as every boy that underſtood the common notion of Harvey's diſcovery, can inform him, but he cannot forget the tone of his great Grand-Fathers, the Authors he trades with, nor forbear that Shiboleth, by which he diſcovers from what magazine he furniſheth himſelf; thus he inſinuates, as if the pulſifying wheels of the heart do give life and motion, which is a corrupt and exploded opinion of Ariſtotle ſo far from truth, that its now diſcovered,Th. Barth. Anat. Reform lib. 2. cap. 6. not only that all the Organs of motion, are from the brain, but that this inſpontaneous one of the heart, is made by particular Nerves from the Cerebel, as Dr. Willis hath hath evinced, and that ſome palpitations, and all the unequal motions of that noble Bowel, (as in Malignant Fevers, &c.) are from the impediment of the Spirits conveyed, in thoſe Nerves.

His eight waies of reſtraining the Hemorrhagies of wounds are taken exactly from Dr. Read. lect. 3. of wounds, a little diſhapen, and ſullyed by paſſing through his hands.

Page 32. Begins his Chapter of removing extraneous bodies, which he affirms to be the next duty or Intention of a Chyrurgeon, if he mean next in order of practice, he is wrechedly out, and makes work for Penelopes Loom, as experienced writers and rational practiſers will tell him, I know ſome have led him into this way of writing, and he leads on as he is led, to uſe reſtrictives, while extraneous bodies are in a wound, (unleſs in very unuſual, and extraordinary caſes,) will by hardning the fleſh, contracting the wound, and exaſperating the ſenſe of the part, make the extraction more difficult, and when atchieved, leave a flux more impetuous, than what its intruſion provoked.

The firſt, and ſecond paragraph of this his ſixth Chapter, is litle other than a vain repetition of what he had faultily enough ſaid, Page 6.21. His inſignificant picture of a wounded Gladiator, the few (and not all the beſt) Inſtruments for extracting ſhot, &c. abundantly exceeded by Fab. ab. aq. pendente, Scultetus, Pareus, Clowes, Lowe, Woodal, &c. His abſolute directions to purge in great wounds, and three inſipid reaſons for it, his irreſpective dehorting from unctuous Medicines, and ſaying that they make wounds ſordid and rotten, his affirming that Ichor iſſueth either from the veins, or wounded part, without mentioning the Nerves, Lympha-ducts, Arteries, Tendons, Muſcular fibres, articulations, &c. his calling the skin, the Inſtrument of touching, (as Doctor Read doth,) together with other ſuch phraſes and poſitions in the ſeventh Chapter; are additional evidence of the skill of our Author, who concludes as he began, ſaying over again in his laſt Paragraph, what he had from Guido delivered concerning Sutures, in the end of the next proceeding Page.

In his eighth Chapter, he delivereth, that Sarcoticks ſhould be of a cold quality, giveth a Catalogue of them, very little varyed from thoſe in Pary, Barbet, &c. as is his lift of ep • loticks, he directeth to have TENTS, &c. armed with ſuch medicines, as have an AGGLUTINATIVE quality in them, which can ſtop pain, aſſwage inflamation, and repel the humors, of which ſort (ſaith he) may be reckoned this, ℞. terebinth. lot. in aq. plantag. one Ounce & a half mel. optim depurati one Ounce ung. Baſilic two Ounces. Vitel. ovor. no. 2. M. ad. ignem fine addendo pulv. Myrrhae, Aloes, ana one Dram, croci, a ſcrup. M. pro linimento, or this ℞ ol. hyperic. c. 9. ol. Catellorum ana two Ounces, G. Etemni half an Ounce pulv. Veronicae, Salviae, Myrrhae, ana one Dram. tereb. ven. one Ounce and a half and theſe in the margent, are called Digeſtives of our Authors, a whole ſheet of Paper cannot afford Room enough, to diſplay the faults of this paſſage. Agglutinative, Anodine aſſwage inflamation, repel humors, and yet be a Digeſtive, is to aſſert a great contradiction, all Digeſtives heating, and ſo far from being agglutinative and repellent, that they perform the contrary by relaxing and attracting, and maturation when doing by unaſſiſted nature, is alway accompanyed with pain, perturbation, &c. as I have ſhewn.

Page 43. Begins his ninth Chapter, of removing Symptomes and accidents, which he accounts to be pain, Inflammation, Hemorrhage (again) fainting, delirium, Fever, Palſey, and Convulſion, but to make his diſcourſe compleat, leaves out Eryſipelas, Gangreen, • nd ſome others reckoned by Fallopius, and divers Authentick writers.

Pain he defines from Galen to be, a ſad and heavy ſenſe of change, following a diſeaſe, as a ſhadow doth a ſubſtance, ſo he interprets Triſtis ſenſatio, and had as good have ſaid pain is pain. Algema, ſive dolor, aut triſtis ſenſatio, a moleſt a nervoſarum partium irritatione cerebro impreſſa, oritur ex continui ſolutione ſenſibili, vel inſenſibili, ſaith Blancard. — Fibras convellens & corrugans, Spiritus ab invicem diſtrabit ac diſſipat, Anim. Brut. p. 1. c. 11. ſaith Wallis.

Inflammation, ſaith our Author Page 44. hapning by a puncture of a nerve, divide it wholy, becauſe its better let a member loſe its uſe, than the whole body its life. He is in the right, were it an unavoidable dilemma, in ſuch accidents, (though perhaps our novice never ſaw it,) there are innumerable inſtances of ſeverer Symptomes than Inflammations, attending punctured Nerves, which yet have been cuted without the ultimate, pernicious refuge of our skilleſs Author, who takes his meaſures from the firſt writter in this and moſt things elſe, ſo much hath Mr. Gadburies Aſtrology miſtaken, in affirming that if Hypocrates were alive, he would borrow from our Plagiary.

With his uſual Ingenuity in repreſenting things from other hands, he defines from Galen a Syncope to be a principal lapſe of all the Spirits, (for ſo he underſtands praeceps omnium virium lapſus, which are the words of that Author,de morb. cur. lib. 12. (as our Country-man Linacrus interprets them,) and for this quotes the 15th Book of Galens Methodus Medendi, which contains in all but 14.

At the ſame rate he talks of a Delirium, which he affirms is nothing elſe, but a deprivation of motion, and an alienation of ſenſe. (I doubt the man ſpeaks feelingly) contained in the wounded brain, by eſſence or conſent — and from deprivation of the principle faculties of motion, is this delivered like one that underſtood plain Latin? was it ever ſo miſtaken by the moſt Ignorant and erroneous ſcribler is not the man poſſeſt with the diſeaſe that talks thus out of the way. Delirium, is derived from de & lira, going crooked, or out of the way, & is commonly engliſhed, doating or, talking beſide ones ſelf, as our Author now doth. Let us compare it with other deſcriptions. Galen lib. 5. de ſympt. cauſis, omne delirium depravatus eſt principis Facultatis motus, apravis ſuccis, aut cerebri intemperie ortum habens, with this definitionlib. b. obſ. chir. 22. Foreſtus Inſtit. Chyrurg. lib. 2. cap. 4. Tagaultius, Fr. de delirio in vuln. lib. 2. cap. 28. Peccettus and ſome others acquieſce, and without doubt our Ingenious Author aimed, and intended to expreſs himſelf in this ſort too, but wanting ſenſe and Latin enough to do it, hath failed and moſt egregiouſly erred, not underſtanding the difference between deprivation, and depravation, and that depravatus eſt principis facultatis motus, is in plain Engliſh, a depraved motion of a principal faculty, not a deprivation of motion, as he ſaith in one place, or a deprivation of the principle faculty of motion, as he miſtakes it in another, of this Chapter.

Hypocrates calls it levem deſipientiam, buttetrah ſerm. 1. cap. 22. Aetius gives a very ſtrange Character thereof and fatuity, oriuntur ambae affectiones frigidorum cerebro facto — aliquando vero, modica pituita ad cerebrum illapſa Alex, Benedictus differs not much from him lib. 1. cap. 28. Avicen delirium eſt mentis alienation — eſt ſymptoma actionis animalis depravatae —with thisP. M. cap. tract. 2. B. Bauderon I. M. lib. 1. cap. 3. F. Planterus, canon 3. and lib. 1. p. 11th cap. 6. Sennertus ſit down. As to other moderns • . M. lib. 1. cap. • 1. Riverius ſaith, per delirium Ratiocinationis errorem prcecipue intelligimus. cap. 15. lib 9. A. Pareus calls it a perturbation of the faculties, and functions of the mind from pain, feveriſhneſs, venemous myaſma, or expence of Spirits. lib. 2. cap. 34. Vigierus, Pary, Willis, and almoſt all Authors, although they write of it in diſtinct Chapters, do carefully note that its a Symptom.Anim. Brutor. Willis calls it a hurt of the animal function, ſuch as ariſeth in the paroxſms of fevers, drunkenneſs, hyſterick, &c. making men ſpeak, think, and do fooliſh and abſurd things, for ſome time cauſed by an irritation, or confuſion — verum in delirio ſpiritus ſimul omnes exiliunt, & ſibi invicem tumultuoſe occurſantes, aut ſe varie proripientes, velut choreas Bacchantium agunt: Agreeable to which, are the definitions of nov. Idea. lib. 2. c. 14.15. &c. Sltvius de Boe. lexic. medicum. Blancardus, &c. now conſider how much our Author is beſide the Cuſhion, not only in his moſt ſcandalous, notorious miſtranſlation of Galens definitions, and the Impertinent method he directs for deliriums ariſing from wounds, but the notion of the thing it ſelf, which is no more like his, he would imitate, nor any other extant (that I know) than it is to ſenſe, for inquietude, perturbation, garrulity, &c. are the common Smyptoms, and diagnoſticks of the diſeaſe, which he quite contrarily calls nothing elſe but a deprivation of motion, and an alienation of ſenſe, a deſcription that hath no foundation in Authority, experience, or reaſon, if he can prove the contrary, he ſhall be to me a great Apollo, thus he delivers himſelf like a man that underſtood not what he was doing, and (although a moſt ridiculous Plagiary,) talks without Book, when he attempts to give us any thing his own, he bewrayeth his moſt ſcandalous inability, and ev'n where he copyeth, either through miſapprehenſion, or a vain endeavour to diſguiſe what he ſteals, he not only murthers and confounds the Subject, but moſt illiteratly alters the words ſo as they become unintelligible and nonſence, as are thoſe two ſhort and plain definitions from Galen, of a Syncope, and Delirium.

A Sixth Symptome to which wounds are incident, he accounts a Fever, which he very civilly refers to the Phyſicians, as if moſt of the other accidents were not as much their province, but manger this great regard and deference, inevitable maggot will work, his humor of interloping is irreſiſtible, he muſt in deſpight of fate, (or rather in obedience to it, for he was born under ſome ſtrange aſcendent) come in with ſome old muſty definition, though as greyheaded as Avicen, whom he introduceth calling a Fever, an extraneous, adventitious, accenſive heat in our heart, by which the veines and Arteries therewith ſharing, its conveyed through the circuit of our whole body, and hurteth its actions, certainly, abſurdity is at natural to him as milk to a calf, he hath neither truely given you Avicens definition, (though he call it ſo,) nor is it like, either ſenſe, or the novel ſound deſcription of that diſeaſe, Febris eſt inordinatus ſanguinis motus, ejuſque nimia effer veſcentia.

Page 47. He injudicially directs to Phlebotomy, if a fever ariſe from the biting of a venemous creature, his diſcourſe of the cauſes, and remedies of Crudity, are ſtoln from Dr. Rea • Lect. 12. and treats of all thoſe accidents, as if they were not Symptomatical, or dependent on wounds, but eſſential and primary diſeaſes.

Pags 48. The three cauſes of th • Palſy our Author borroweth from Dr. Willis omitting a fourth, not improperly added by Dr. Read, beſide • others intimated by Galen, Sennertus, Riverius, &c. his enquiring what humor cauſeth a Palſey, is very odd at this time of day, but his attributing it (eſpecially here) to flegm, is not only contrary to the opinion of the humoriſts themſelves, but to Aetiology, and right reaſon, it moſt commonly proceeding from defect, ſometimes redundancy, and violent exploſion of the Spirits, diſtortion of the nerves, plethora, acidity, Spaſmes, &c. But in the caſe before him, none other ought to have been conſidered, but that of Contuſions, or wounds is method for cure is ſtoln from Dr. Willis, how he alters the words, and inverts the method, you may diſcern by comparing them together, as I here verbatim tranſcribe from both, to our your hand, as another pattern of his learning, ſincerity, &c. Ʋt plurimum illius haec tria erunt genera, ſeu potius tres erunt medendi rationes, quarum modo haec, modo illa, vel altera, circa morbi hujus. Therapiam jniri debet, nimirum quatenus reſolutio, (qualiſcunque & quocunque in loco fuerit) vel primo ab externo accidenti, ſcil. plaga, caſu ab alto, vulnere, frigoris exceſſu, aut ſimilibus ſubito infertur, vel ſecundo, affectui cuidam alteri, ſc. Apoplexiae, caro, colicae, aut febri diuturnae ſuccedit, vel tertio illa primarius & per ſe morbus a procatarxi, ſive apparatu praevio dependens, ſenſim excitatur. — And as there are generally allowed three kinds or ſort hereof, ſo ſhould there be propoſed three kinds of cure, firſt for Reſolution, this being the main agent, this is to be cured. Secondly, if it happen by a wound, inciſion, exceſſive cold, or fall from au high place, this alſo muſt have allowed, its way of cure. Thirdly, as it is a procatarcktick, or primary diſeaſe of it ſelf. —

What a kind of Trinity hath he made, the Doctor ſaith, Reſolution (which is the eſſe of the diſeaſe,) is cauſed three wayes, and the dunce in attempting to tranſlate him reckons Reſolution, which is a general, to be the firſt particular, and doth ſo unhappily expreſs himſelf, as if he conſpired to his own ſhame; firſt (quoth he) Reſolution this being the main agent, is to be cured, reſolution an agent! An agent is always a cauſe, reſolution in the ſenſe here illated, muſt be an effect. —But why do I criticize with ſo dull and inchoherent a Dorido, I ought rather to direct him for better underſtanding, (if it be poſſible to him,) of this matter, to Platerus, Piccettus, Veſalius, Mercuriales, Holerius, Heurnius, Sylvius, Willis, &c. not Barrow, Bruel, &c,

He begins and ends the Prognoſticks of this diſeaſe, with one, and the ſame preſage, to wit, that a Palſy is hard to cure in aged People, the remedies he directs to, viz. pul. ad caſum, and decoction, are ſtoln from Dr. Willis; only he was ſcared at the Antimony, and left it out, the pills are in Bauderon, Sennertus, and divers Antidotaries, as are the reſt of his medicines: He recommends Coffee as a remedy for this diſeaſe, which by very many learned Phyſicians, is condemned as a cauſe.

He concludes this Chapter with one only hiſtory, and that borrowed (I had almoſt ſaid ſtoln, the quotation is ſo coucht,) from Willis, An. Brut. cap. 9. I ſhould commend his giving us a bit now and than, from a freſh Author, if he did not ſo harſh, and tincture them with the ill ſavour of the ſtale ones, and dreſs them in the old modes; for in the few places where we have this rarity, its ſo miſhapen and deformed, that a man of no uncommon intuition would be apt to be impoſed on. In the ſtory before us, he ſhews himſelf ſcandalouſly impertinent, in treating of a Palſy proceeding from an outward accident, to ſerve us with an inſtance as wide from the purpoſe, as his tranſlation is from the original. What relation hath a Palſy, Convulſion, delirium, &c. From Ebriety, to do what a Palſy Symptomatical to a wound, that his skill in Latin, is as little as in writing Books, ſo his tranſlating this impertinent ſtory. Iuvenis, a young Gentleman, poſt lautiorem coenam, & vini potum immoderatiorem, after eating a large ſupper, DID drink very plentifully of wine, ut chicotheca quam forte tenebat, in voluntarie exciderit; So that the glove, which did COVER his hand, did involuntarily fall off, medico peritiſſimo, a worthy Phyſician, modo in delirium, modo in convulſiones, aliasque Spiritum Animalium diſtractiones ſubin •• incidens, falling into a delirium, an • AFTERWARD into a Convulſion▪ he was within a ſhort while, force • to ſhut up his laſt minute, his Spirit • being diſſolved. Capite Aperto, his dead CORPS being opened, Corpus unu • Straitum Comprimente, comprſſing one ſtraited body.

Hss eleventh Chapter is of Convulſions, the two firſt Paragraphs of which are of the old leven, what there is like notion, or diſtinction, is ſtoln from the ſame Authors, only one from Celſus (but where, he doth not ſay,) is falſly delivered, at firſt by Doctor Read, and from him by our Plagiary, who doth bring him in for the ninth Convulſion, viz Spaſmus Cynicus, whereas lib. 4. cap. 3. Celſus when he treats of thoſe diſeaſes, reckons only the three uſual diſtinctions, viz. Emproſthotonos, Opiſthotonos and Tetanos. What he ſaith of Spaſmus Cynicus is in another Chapter. I beg you to conſider by comparing our ſcriblers quotation, and Celſus his diſcourſe, how well he underſtands the Books he quotes, whether Read rather than Celſus, ought not to have been called the Author of the cauſes and me • hod of cure, which he there ſets • own, the former being plainly alſo 〈◊〉 lib. 9. cap. 9. Pareus, and with the following Theory, confuted by our moſt excellentmorb. Convulſ. cap. 1. Willis.

His diſcourſe endeavouring to ſhew, how Plethora begets Convulſions is very inartificial, and ridiculous, for he ſaith, the nervs being filled with purulent matter, or other excrements, generated either in the wounded part, or ſent thither from others, and ſo ſucked up by the nerves, as it happens. —I want patience to purſue this moſt abſurd way of talk, its certainly his own, for though the Ancients had very odd notions of thoſe things, I never met any ſo void of ſenſe as this. Fr. Sylvius was inraged at the more agreeable reaſoning of A. Pary, Nov. Idea. lib. 2. c. 3. and cryed out! quid hoc eſt dicere! itane! exſudatne expuncti nervi ſubſtantiâ humor ſeroſus ac virnlentus, ſed quis amabo • unquam ſeroſum aut virulentum in nervorum ſubſtantiâ deprehendit humorem. —Surely he would be ſtark mad at thoſe reaſonings of our Ignorant, a man pretend to read the Neurologia of Willis and talk in this faſhion! Old Snarl in the vertuoſo would laugh at him for an old faſhioned Idiot.

The Prognoſticks he ſtole from Doctor Read, and his medicines from him, Page 63. Pary, Riverius, Willis, &c. The firſt hiſtory he ſtole from Skenkius Page 49 Being of a man overfilled with wine, ſo that by a general opinion, he was reputed in toxicated, (pray mark the elegancy, and Tautologie,) who lying on his back in a Coach, never ſpake more, but dyed of a Convulſion. This ſtory is originally in P. Foreſtus Schol. obſ. chir. 27. lib. 9. but as much diſfigured by the tranſlation, as the Patient was by the diſeaſe, or death, and not leſs impertinent here.

Diſcourſing of Convulſion by inanition, he ſets down amethod ſtoln from Pareus and Read. His quotation from Dovinaetus of a man 50 years old, who falling into a Convulſion and SYNCOPE, occaſioned by a GREAT EFFUSION OF BLOUD, was perfectly cured, by cupping Glaſſes and PHLEBOTOMY, is very ſtrange, and (if truth) looks as little like it, as any ſtory I have met with ſo poſitively affirmed, That from Platerus, of a Maid ſhot into the Back-bone, (which I cannot find in the place the points to,Obſ. lib. 1. fol. 120. nor any where elſe in that Book, though mine be of the beſt Edition,) having no Convulſive Symptom, but a plain Pareſis, had been proper in the foregoing Chapter, is not at all ſo here, the others, to wit, from H. Saxonia, Fernelius, Camerarius, Jaſon, &c. He had from Skenkius, Page 118.113.120, commiting a miſtake in the laſt, by naming Veſalius, inſtead of Valleſius, who was a learned Spaniard, wrote a Book de Sacra Philoſophia, and large Comments on Hippocrates Epidemicks, and a Preface to Holerius, he quotes Hollerius to prove that men ſeldom die of a Convulſion by an Hemorrhage: But names not the Chapter nor Page, and I am ſure talks without Book, for that Author de Morbis Internis its in the Scholia of that Chapter. lib. 1. cap. 12. reckons a Convulſion to be deadly, when it followeth a large Flux of Blood, and no where ſpeaks of it, as our Author feigns, it being contrary to the Doctrine of the moſt Famous Writers,Read. Page 199. Hildanus de gangr. c. 26. Sylvius de Boe, lib. 2. Cap. 23. Paragr. 64. who reckon, as he doth, that Convulſions following a plenary loſs of Blood are mortal, and always very dangerous, when from any other inanitions. He refers to an Obſervation of Hildanus concerning Spaſmus Cynicus, fol. 37. cant. 5. whereas that Century begins fol. 379. And the caſe which I ſuppoſe he means, is in Obſerv. 9. fol. 392.

Thus far, my worthy Friend, I have gone in order, and remarked, on ſome faults, as they lye in a Series I will eaſe my ſelf, and relieve you by quitting this rigid and critical method, (though all that followeth be ejuſdem farinae,) and digeſt the reſt of the objectible or faulty paſſages of this Book, into the following Common-places, and refer you to the Pages wherein he diſcovers himſelf GROSLY ERRONEOUS, AND MISTAKEN, ABSURD AND VOID OF SENSE, CONTRADICTORY AND INCONSISTENT WITH HIMSELF, PLAGIARY AND THIEVISH, ILLITERATE AND SILLY, IMPERTINENT AND TRIFLING, AND UNSKILFULLY IGNORANT AND UNEXPERIENCED. And then ſhall conclude this Letter, and refer it to the judgment of any man of common ſenſe, whether he be not the man I ſay, culpable under all thoſe Topiques, guilty of all that can be ill in an Author, and deſerve as ſeverer reprimand & Caſtigations, than I have inflicted on him.

As to his errors and miſtakes, they are innumerable, not a Page wherein he appears not ſo, he affirms in the 70th, that new Fleſh in Wounds is generated of the Blood lodged in the Muſcles, neither conſidering that Intention is often performed where no Muſcles are, nor knowing that Blood is not the immediat nutritious juice. Vide Dr. Charleton Exercit. 5. 〈◊〉 his nat. H ••• ory, an • 〈◊〉 his five Anat. Prelect. Page 79 treating of Gunſhot-wounds, he ſaith, he is wholly conducted by the hand of Hippocrates, Maſter of the Ceremony, ſo dull and incogitant doth this pedantick humour of quoting the Ancients make him, that he forgets his guide was dead, above a thouſand year before Swarts, the inventor of Gunpowder and Cannon, was born. Page 98. he ſaith Nitre is made out of a fatty ſubſtance, forcing it ſelf through the walls, of old, and cold Cellars, whereas Nitre doth not only ſweat out of Walls and cold Cellars, but is on them and other places, where the air ſtagnats condenſed from that Element, which is ſuppoſed greatlyVid. P. Sardi. and our Dr. Mavow, de ſal. Nitro. cap. 1. repleniſhed therewith, at is alſo the earth of vaults, ſubterraneous caverns, and places, where ſheep, &c. have urined.

Page 116. and 120 he affirms the ſutures vent Fumes and excrements, not from the brain only, but the kichin of the whole body, which is an exploded opinion of ſome former Writers, Spigelius, Laurentius, &c. From whom he ſtole all the Anatomy of this chapter. The Doctrines of Fumes and Vapours, ſo much embraced in the former Ages, being rejected in this, render it needleſs to ſay any thing to him on that particular, but if he underſtand the imperviouſneſs of thoſe ſeams, I admire how he becomes guilty of ſo foul an error. Sculls, when dry, (when one would think the ſutures ſhould open,) are ſtill tight and cloſe, and will contain (without leaking,) Water, Oil, &c. Do we not ſee in Fractures of the Cranium, be they never ſo inconſpicuous, that the ſeroſities of the Blood, under it, doth glees through them, but not any appears from their natural ſeams Add to this, that the ſutures are not only cover'd with a ſtrong double Membrane Externally, (beſide the opaque Calvaria) but the like Internally, and both glewed as it were to the Bone, by which it ſeems impoſſible, that any ſteams or exudations ſhould be that way diſcharged. He hath alway talkt of the Brain, as if it were made of Groenland Ice, how comes it now again to yield warm ſteams.Dere Medica, lib. 8. cap. 1. Celſus, a Writer of as great reputation and ability, as any of the Ancients, (Hippocrates excepted) affirms, that they who have no ſutures are very healthy, live without pain of the Head, and that this was moſt obſervable in hot Countries, where certainly thoſe ſuppoſed Vapours and Emanations muſt be moſt plentiful, and apt; but that the Smoke of the KITCHIN OF THE WHOLE BODY vents it ſelf at this Chimney, is ſuch a wild conceit, as peculiarly (for ought I know) belongs to our wiſe Author.

He errs much in the Figures he gives us of Humane Sculls, as is eaſily diſcoverable, by comparing them with the Life, or thoſe given us by Spigelius, Bauhinus, Laurentius, Veſlingius, Riolanus, or Bartholine, from whom alſo he might have copied more uſeful, and greater variety than thoſe he hath obliged us with, for we have neither the open Face, the Baſis, Occiput, nor Vertex, ſo far is his Book from being compleat.

Page 129. Children being of a hot and moiſt Conſtitution, (he ſaith) are not ſo apt for the admittance of Putrifaction, which is not only contrary to common Obſervation in their Wounds, foetid Sores, Lice, &c. (to which they are ſo naturally incident,) and to what himſelf delivers in another place, but to Reaſon and Philoſophy, Warmth, and Humidity moſt aptly occaſioning Putrifaction, as is evident in Wounds, Cadavers, &c. When the Air is of that temperament.

Page 32 and 131, he erroneouſly prefers (and quotes Hippocrates for it,) the Diagnoſtick part of Art to the Curative, or Therapeutick. Calling it the laudable part of Practice, certainly that which is a cauſa ſine qua non is the moſt Eligible, let all the Authors in the World ſay the contrary, the moſt uſeful is the moſt neceſſary, and the Curative part, (to whichall the reſt ſubſerve and tend,) moſt laudable. In ſhort, the beſt skill in Diagnoſticks alone never can, and never did cure a Wound, but a very ſlender judgment in the Therapeuticks, without any at all in the other, hath done it a thouſand times.

Page 134 If the Cranium be fractured (quoth he) the parts above it muſt ſuffer a ſolution of Ʋnity, except in contrafiſſure. To which Experience frequently gives the Lie. A Patient hath not been long out of my hands, who had a large Rima, reaching from the Sagital ſuture to the Squamoſa, by a fall from a very high place, and the Skin not broken, nor any Tumor appeared.

Page 157. He gives us another inſtance of his Falſhood, in a miſrepreſenting what he ſteals, or borrows from others, for altho' that be his Trade (his own Stock being beggarly and empty, affording nothing,) yet the conſtancy of the practice hath not made him a Proficient therein. the ſtory is from A. Pary, Lib. 10. c. 7. who ſaith the os coronale was cut off the length and bredth of three Fingers. The Plagiary ſaith, the bredth only of three Fingers, in the original it is ſaid, to be done by a ſharp Sword, in the tranſcript, by along and a ſtrong Sword, the Author doth not ſay, as the Bathyllus, that he fell with his Face to the ground, that the Dura mater was hurt, or out of its place, upon the cutis of his Face, that he was compelled by neceſſity to take away any of the pericranie, or Scull, uſed Tents, or Doſſils, nor that the Body was ſtab'd through in divers places. Thus he ſhews himſelf ſo great a ſtranger to truth and ſenſe, that he is no leſs able to copy them fairly, and truly relate them from others, than produce any of his own, to ſay the Dura mater fell on the cutis of a mans Face, was never ſpoke like a man of truth or Surgery.

He fetcheth almoſt all his Prognoſticks from the Ancient Writers, who were Strangers to the cure of thoſe Wounds and diſeaſes that are now frequent, this is one cauſe why he falls into ſo many errors, when he comes to Preſages, as I ſhall have occaſion elſewhere to obſerve. At preſent I will ſingle out only one, and that the moſt likely to be true, as having much reaſon, and agreeing with the common Phaenomna, the ſenſe of former Ages, and opinion of moſt men in this, viz. That Wounds of the Heart are abſolutely mortal, and incurable. This noble Intral ſeems the only part of the Body, which being hurt brings inevitable death, for reaſons which our Author hath ſtolen from Fallopius, and Read; its in his 60th Chapter, that he treats on this ſubject, and he doth it with his wonted preface of Anatomy, and uſual abſurd, incoherent way of expreſſion, the errors of the former are too manifeſt and obvious, the fantaſtical chimera's and whimſeys, which nor he or any other man can make intelligible, the falſe notions and deſcriptions are no leſs plain, having been long ſince refelled by many accurate Anatomiſts, the Poſition (how ſtrong ſoever backt) which I ſhall refute, ſtands thus. Page 273 The Heart being once hurt brings preſent death. I will not take hurt in the largeſt ſenſe, but ſtrictly, as I believe he meant, viz. Wounded; the ſame Prognoſtick is almoſt in the ſame words and with the like aſſurance, delivered by Hippocrates, Ariſtotle, Pliny, Aegineta, and the many Ancient Writers both of Phyſick and Philoſophy, Cor nullam fert continuitatis ſeparationem. Or for the ſake of a little Poetry take it in verſe.

Afferat ipſe licet ſacras Epidaurius herbas. Sanabit nullá vulnera cordis ope. Ovid. 1. de Pont. 4.

Galen, Fallo • ius, Foreſtus, and ſome others expreſs themſelves leſs confidently, but divers do affirm, that People have ſurvived ſuch Wounds, (though large) many days, and ſome ſay ſuch harts have been cured.

That Wounds of the Heart do not alway bring ſudden death. Many of the Commentators on Hippocrates's Aphoriſms have reported. Galen. lib. 5. loc. Aff. cap. 1. and in other places, writeth, that Beaſts have bellowed, cryed and walkt after their Hearts have been cut out,Hiſt. c •• t. • . 1. obſ. 77. Tho. Bartholine ſaith a youth was deeply wounded in the Heart, with a Knife, that he walkt alone afterward into the City, and lived five daies; that he ſaw a Stagg ſhot through both Ventricles, and walkt fifty paces before he fell Lib. 9. 〈◊〉 . 30.. Pareus reports, that one in a Duel was wounded ſo deeply, that his finger could lodge therein▪ and yet he not only fought afterward, but purſued his Enemy two hundred paces. M • Zodia • . Med. V • l. 2. pag. 97.132. Nic. Blegny ſaith, he knew one ſo wounded, who lived five daies, and another ſeven. Obſ. 39. • . cent. 2. J. Rhodius faith, one wounded into the Cavity of the heart, lived nine daies, and another ſix. N. Lib. 2. obſ. 18. Tulpius, of one who was wounded into the Liver, Stomach, Lungs, Midriff, Mediaſtinum and Heart, that lived two daies, D.P. Med. lib. 5. part. 2. cap 3. Sennertus, of one deeply wounded in the heart, who lived ſixteen daies. See more in the ſecond Book, part 4. cap. 3. and the like in Schenkius, page. 254, 262. Bartholini Anat. Reform. Ed. ult. c. 6. Gualterus, Sylva Medica, page 406. Moronus Index, page 85. Amat. Luſitanus, cent. 6. obſ. 38. Crook Anatom. page 420. Fennelius Obſerv. Chiro 38. Meckeren, who knew one ſurvive the wound of his heart ſix daies. We have frequent Inſtance of heartsFab. Hildanus, cent. 2. obſer • . 27. ſaith, he found a heart prodigiouſly rotten. rotten, ulcerate, apoſthumate, tumified, having ſordid ſores, of long continuanceTheod. Kirkring▪ Spicil. Anatom. obſ. 78, 3. , ſtones, excreſcencies, tabid, torrified, and ſome have been found without any heart at all. Vide Tilleſias rerum nat. lib. 5. cap. 28. Schenkius, and Bartholine, ubi ſupra Li b. 1. obſ. 31., Dominic. Panarolus, and Schenkius, from Jordan, write of a Torrified heartObſ. Med. 87. . Riverius, of an Ulcer eroding a great part thereof, which was ſpit up, the Patient enduring it forty daiesPrax admir. b. 1. obſ. 14. & lib. 20bſ. 41. . Zacutus, of a Rotten heart, and another Schirruſt. Obſ. Chiro Job Meckeren, of an Ulcer under one of the Auricles of long continuance. Sennertus ubi ſupra, writes of one who wanted the left Ventricle, another was indurated. And. Anat. q. 18 lib. 9. Laurentius, of one whoſe heart was half rotted away, of a Deer, in whoſe heart an old piece of a Dart was found, of many Stones, and Apoſthumes in the heart of a Woman, and that a Florentine Ambaſſador at the Court of France, being diſſected—inventum You have the like in Theod. Kirkring, Spic. Anat. obſ. 16. miſcel. curioſ. vol. 1. obſ. 70. cor prodigii inſtar in eam molem excreviſſe, ut Thoracem fere totum contineret, and that in its Ventricles was near four pounds of blood. See more Barthol. Hiſt. cent. obſ. 32, 45, 54, 50.

That wounds of the heart are curable, is the Opinion and dixit of Job Meckeren, cap. 36. Blogny Zod. Med. Vol. 2. page 139. Gualterus Sylva M. page 106. Caſpar Schottus Phyſica Medica cur. lib. 3. mirab. Hom. cap. 34. Moronus, Index page 86. Beniven. cap. 65. Zacut. Luſitan. P. Mirand. obſ. 9. fol. 251. ſaith, that Leeches ſtuck to the heart of a perſon, that ſurvived it. Matth. Glandorp, Spec. Chirurg. cap. 33. relates that Rabbits lived many months after they were run through the heart. Page 254, 261. Sken • kius ſaith the like of a Stagg, and of one in whoſe heart a piece of an Arrow was found, that had long ſtuck there; that a Boy was cured, cui os pectoris exciſum, & cor aliquandiu nudum apparuit, nam involucrum ejus computruerit; the Hiſtory, page 254. which he calls a wound of the Tunicle of the heart, was undoubtedly (as his Author firſt thought) of the heart it ſelf. Page 256. He reports, that ſome have been found withoutMiſcell. curioſ. Vol. 5. obſ. 25. hearts, as doth alſo Hildanus, cent. 4. obſ. 51. Moronus, Index page 85. Tilleſius rer. nat. ubi ſupra, my Lord Bacon. Mr. Boyle, vide Bart holin. Lib. 2. cap. 6. Anat. Reform. Editio ultima. Rhodius, obſ. 39. cent. 2. relates the cure of a large wound of the Pericardium; he ſuppoſeth that wounds of the heart it ſelf are incurable, and ſaith, there was a Stagg, who had a ſmall piece of Dart ſticking in his heart, ſine vitae noxa, that a Boy was diſſected without a Pericardium— But what need I ſay any more, when our moſt agreeable Scribler, is his own Confuter; for after all his poſitive Prognoſticks, page 23, 273, &c. he very fairly confeſſeth, that ſuperficial wounds here hapning may be c •• red.

I have taken unuſual pains, and been very particular on this point, partly to refute our Confident, partly to ſhew the incertainty and fallacy of many preſages delivered by the firſt Writers, and the vanity of relying on them, but cheifly to perſwade my Brethren of the Plaiſter-box, that no wound is incurable, and beat them out of the contrary diſcouraging and miſcheivous opinion.

The vital flame in the heart, and the airs ingreſs then, and mixing its nitrous particle with the bloud, are things much controverted among learned men, though poſitively affirmed by our Author, I will ſay only this, that I am ſure he underſtands not that controverſy, and that many very eminent Anatomiſts, are againſt the later Hypotheſis, vide Dr. Harveys Proem to his book de Corde, & circulatione▪ Dr. Walter Needham, format. foetu. cap. 6. (where he declares it the Opinion of Dr. Highmore alſo,) Dr. Henſhaw Aero chalinos, page 62. beſide Demerbrook, Cornelius, &c.

Page 281. He defines with moſt of the Ancients, an Aneuriſma to be a breach of the inner coat of an Artery, the blood diſtending the outer, which I know hath been the common Opinion, but the abſurdity thereof you will find well diſcovered by Van Horn, Microtecne ſect. 1. paragr. 15. page 215. Wiſeman, lib. 1. cap. 16. Pareus calls it the Rupture of an Artery, the Blood extravaſating among the Muſcles, and he himſelf varieth from his definition, in the Hiſtories he gives, page 380. of his Book of Tumors, (where he hath a particular Chapter of this Diſeaſe,) which is of an Aneuriſm from a wound, and ſaith in that Chapter, that the common cauſe is puncturing an Artery.

But to be ſhort in this Topick, becauſe in all the reſt I ſhall have occaſion to evince abundance of his Errours, take thoſe brief Inſtances, which I ſhall but name, page 23, 29, 44, 45, 273: and many other places, he makes the heart the fountain of motion, page 309. he calls the ſtomach a cold Intral, and (in reckoning the coats) omits the cruſta See willis Pharm. Rat. part. 1. cap. 2. ſect. 1. villoſa, page 287. & 297. he affirms, the meſeraick Veins convey the Aliment to the gate of the Liver, and ſuck up the nouriſhment from the ſmall guts, page 227. he reckons the aſcent and deſcent of the Cava from the Liver, page 194. he ſuggeſts, that the Heart and Liver are not only the Original of the Veins and Arteries, but the Oceans from whence they fetch both their vital, and natural blood and ſpirits, page 179. that the Brain is made of ſperm and maternal blood, that it's of a cold and moiſt temper, page 198. the chief ſeat of cold and glutinous moisture, that the Nerves are cold in nature, and cold in ſubſtance. Thus, as I have ſaid, by his Ignorance in the improvement of our Art, and injudicious ſucking the fallible Principles and Opinions of the Ancients, (men to whom we are infinitely indebted, and from whom it's no detraction to ſay, they knew not as much as is now known,) he runs himſelf into many groſs errours and miſtakes, chiefly in Anatomy, Prognoſticks and Dogma's, of which I ſhall ſuperadd a few inſtances more, and conclude this Head.

Page 316. He pronounceth Wounds of the Kidneys in general Mortal, and inevitably ſo, if the Pelvis be hurt, though Pareus relates the ſtory of an Archer condemned to be hanged, and upon Solicitation by ſome great men, who had been troubled with the Stone, he ſubmitted to have thoſe Parts opened, ſurvived the operation, was cured and pardoned. We have alſo a Tradition, that our Famous Harvey cut out a Stone from a mans Kidney. But his old Friend, and conſtant ſupplier, Schenkius tells him, Page 451. Three ſtories of Wounds of that Part cured, and himſelf, notwithſtanding his Prognoſtick, ſubjoins to this Chapter, the Hiſtory of another, ſtoln from Glandorp. See alſo P. Foreſius obſ. Chir. 5. lib. 6.

He diſcovers many errors in his diſcourſe Page 266. of the Lungs, and reſpiration, poſitively preſumes to determine the diſpute, as yet undecided among the beſt Philoſophers, and Thruſton Diatribe. Mayow de reſpicar. Willis Phar. Ration. F. Burtis Epiſt. Barthol. Swammardam de Re ſpir. Malpighius. Caſp. Barthoy Dinphr. ſtruct. Dr. Gibſons Epitom. Dr. Needham de foe tu, &c. Anatomiſts of the Age, viz. What 〈◊〉 the cauſe, and uſe of Pulmonary reſpir • tion. He ſaith Page 255 from Gale • that matter heaped up in the Breaſt, pa • ing into the vena ſine pari, is through t •• vena ava carryed to the right Ventricl • of the Heart, and paſſing thence DOWNWARD by the deſcending Trunk of the Cava to the Liver, [pr • mark how he contradicts, what 〈◊〉 ſaid Page 277, that the aſcent and deſcent of this Vein, was from the Liver.] Its carryed to the Emulgents, Page 254. He delivers, that Wounds penetrating the Breaſt, are known by Wind, coming through the Orifice. Which is a fallible Diagnoſtick, eſpecially when the Wound is made by a ſmall Rapier, and the Body deflexed when its received, ſo that upon returning to a right poſture, the parts alter, and cover one another; in diſcourſing concerning Wounds of the Gullet, he commits many miſtakes. Page 244, he ſaith, that Pipe marcheth on the right ſide of the Spondyls, that Deglutition is helped by the Muſcles of the Larinx, Willis Pharm. Rat. part 1. cap. 2. attributes nothing thereof to the Gullet, (whoſe Anatomy he doth not underſtand,) and accounts the Muſcles of the Phariax, among thoſe of the Larinx. He directs to Nutritive Gliſters. Page 246. Which I doubt do ſignifie little, or nothing, ſince Bauhinus diſcovered the valve in the Colon, unleſs Dr.Antidiatribe. Ents, and Dr.Anat. praelectio. Charltons notions of Percolative Nutrition, help him.

Page 240. Treating of Wounds of the Throat, he delivereth as ſigns, that the upper part of the Neck, loſs of voice, and Air happen, (who knows what he means hereby,) and when it reaceth the Wind-pipe, its dangerous, becauſe the Oeſophagus hereupon tumifying, Deglutition is hindred. I never knew ſuch a Tumor accompanying Wounds of the Trachea, altho' I have cured many very large ones, nor do I know where its accounted among the Symptoms by any other Writer.

But to our Second Topick, ABSURDITY AND NONSENSE, which are ſo common with him, as if they had got (as Hudibras ſaith of the Presbyterians) the advowſon of his Conſcience, of this I have already given you divers inſtances, and pretermitted a great many more, for indeed the whole ſtrain of his Pen • and way of writing hath that Byasnay though he have a f • ir Copy befor • him, written in good ſenſe, and coherent enough, its againſt his nature t • repreſent it, without marring it i • the Tranſcript, and Tincturing it with his own abſurdities. So that in the whole courſe of his writings, where he plays the Thief for Hiſtories, (eaſy enough to tranſcribe,) he employ • this Talent, adding Forgery to Robbery, and making his Author ſay more or leſs than indeed he doth, by which a good Tale is often ſpoiled, of this you have had many inſtances already, I ſhall ſhew you more in due place.

Page 113. And as a Wound doth chiefly require drying Medicines, BLACK-WINE is for this purpoſe, a moſt excellent RECEIPT; for it dryeth both of it SELF, and per accidens, and of its own natural quality doth dry up by repulſion. Perhaps there is not more abſurdity and nonſenſe, in ſo few words in any Book extant. Firſt, that Wounds chiefly require drying Medicines, is falſe in general, (all digeſtives and balmes being moiſt) and of the Head, (his preſent Subject,) in particular, becauſe Arcaus's Liniment, (the moſt celebrated Balm for thoſe Wounds,) is of the ſame temperament alſo. Black-wine (a liquid) recommended as a dryer per ſe, a ſimple called a ℞ the repetition of dry; and per accidens of its own natural quality, is a Tantology or two expreſſions for the ſame thing. The odd Phraſe, dry up by Repulſion, is abſurd, and this is the Compoſition of this ſilly ſenſleſs paſſage, the like of which are plentiful, page 135 and 136. Oedipus is not able to unriddle what he means in his preſages. 17, 18, and 19. It ſeems written near a full Moon, for none, but a Lunatick, could write at ſo diſtracted and confounded a rate; words dropt by chance, or the garrulity of a delirious Patient, are equal ſenſe, and not leſs Rhetorical, than this Chaos of Syllables, excepting the Learned (or rather Pedantick,) bringing in Hippocrates, ſaying, that the name, with the name, is no falſe Heraldry, but this, like the reſt, I ſuppoſe was ſaid at Ra • dorn.

Page 128. He moſt abſurdly calls his twenty third Chapter general ſig •• of wounds of the head; when in abo •• twenty Paragraphs that compoſe 〈◊〉 there are but three properly ſuch, 〈◊〉 the reſt being Prognoſticks, for t •• moſt part taken from Hippocrates, a •• repeated in the next Chapter, und 〈◊〉 the right denomination; and as 〈◊〉 fate, as nature, conſpired to h •• ſhame, he gives ſeveral ſigns, as preſages, and in the preceding Chapt •• delivers Prognoſticks, under the ti •• of ſigns. The whole ſecond period, page 138. which takes up almoſt two pages, is a moſt extravagant and delirious fardle of nonſenſe, calling Symptoms ſentences, reckons the ignorance and neglect of the Chirurgion among the pernicious ſigns of wounds, reflects upon the narrow genius of ſome Artiſts, who, he ſaith, BY ordering their Patients thin Broths, Ptiſans, and the like, DO give way for their Patients (again) to drink Wine, eat at pleaſure, uſe Venery, &c. who can conjure up the meaning of this Paradox, or explain how by ORDERING a ſlender Diet, a Patient is PERMITTED to uſe exceſs, which is as rational as to ſay, by binding a man you let him looſe, and by tying him neck and heels you ſuffer him to run away.

Page 99. Speaking of the ſigns of gun-ſhot wounds, he is no leſs in the clouds, and talks as if the wind of that ſhot, which contuſed and broke his arm in the foregoing page, had turned his brains upſide down in this. I will tranſcribe all that he ſaith under that head, and poſe you and all mankind, to fathom or reconcile it to ſenſe and common underſtanding, the ſigns of theſe, (viz. gun-ſhot) wounds are taken from their figure, or colour, for they are generally round, and of a livid colour; from the ſenſe there inflicted, making or cauſing an obtuſe ſenſe in the part, or contuſion, the part chiefly ſufferan ECCHYMOSIS by reaſon of the Bullet; if theſe appear, they declare a gun-ſhot wound. I give you his own elegant words, and pointings.

Pago 146. Children and Infants, becauſe of their weak heads, and legs, are often ſubject to fall from high places; but tells not how thoſe Infants and weak leggs got into thoſe Altitudes. I pray you conſider the reſt of that Paragraph, and tell me if they be not of a piece. So page 150. ſpeaking of Fiſſures, he ſaith, If any man neglect to raſe them at firſt, although there ſeem to be no need of his dilatation, he may for a few days find the cure ſucceed according to expectation, but ſhall as readily meet, that to take heed and beware hereof, is the maſter event of fools; pray, Sir tell me what he means by this reflection.

Page 156. The ſtory from Fallopius, ſtoln from Sckenckius, page 32. is moſt falſly tranſlated, and abſurdly repreſented. I will tell you his words, thoſe of the Original, you will find among the Examples of his wiſdom and learning, the outward part being contuſed, this Contuſion was communicated to the ſecond Table; and whereas the outer could not fall into itſelf, nor the inward into itſelf, hereby it ſuffered this Fiſſure; can you underſtand the Philoſophy hereof, and what there is in this ſtory, agreeable to a Sedes, which was the ſubject of this Chapter?

Page 200. Next indeed in reſpect of the nervous ſubſtance being cold and dry, we are authorized to uſe hot and dry Medicines; dry, that they may keep up and maintain the proper temper of the Nerves; & hot, that they may take off all cold from them. Although moſt of the nonſenſe in this paſſage be evident enough, I will preſume to point at one ſingular • nd moſt coherent piece of it. The Nerves, he ſaith, are cold and dry, and • o preſerve the later part of its • emper, we have warrant to uſe dry Medicines; but why then hot things, to take off all the cold from them, which is alſo one part of their tem • er; how doth that which ruins it, preſerve it? or how can the intention of preſerving its temper, which is cold, be purſued by things hot, and taking away all cold? Oh prepoſterous Hyſteron & Proteron!&punctured Nerves can endure the hotteſt Oils, which the finger cannot; whence I collect, that a Nerve hath not the moſt exquiſite ſenſe; thus you ſee, erranti nullus terminus.

Page 273. The heart cannot long be corrupted with injuries, neither doth it ſpin out its grievous puniſhments This abſurd paſſage was ſtoln from Crook. Anat. page 419. where he ſaith of the heart, onely this of all the bowels is not wearied with Diſeaſes, neither endureth it the grievous puniſhments of this life. Crook was as great a Plagiary as this his Ape. and ſometimes as unhappy at a Tranſlation; this is a quotation from Pliny, in Laurentius, Anat. page 368. to which refer. of life. Page 234. he bids his Reader take theſe one or two Hiſtories, and then relates only one blind ſtory, which he fathers on Glandorp, of a Scholar, who FALLING upon a Door Perhaps it was a ſtone Door. FELL upon a Stone, which broke two of his Teeth, which were afterward reduced. This muſ • be a new and extraordinar • Art to reduce broken teet • I hope when it is public • the Bone-ſetters will no uſurp upon us, and claim i • as their Province. Page 270 he ſaith, Fallopius writes, that he hat • ſeen Inflations of the Lungs cured, an • others to have died of the ſame. This piece of nonſenſe Sckenkius led him to, by miſquoting and miſciting that Author, as I ſhall ſhew anon, till when I reſerve my reflections on this paſſage.

For more conciſe and ſuccinct Patterns of his abſurdity and nonſenſe, ſee cap. 18. where he calls gun-ſhot wounds WHOLLY the employ of the Sea-Chirurgion, and yet adviſeth Milk in the firſt dreſſes, (perhaps he thought the Chirurgion General allowed a barrel, or two among the neceſſaries.) Page 141. The head-ſaw is uſed to remove away the diſtance of the Cranium left after the uſe of a Trepan. Page 246. Vinegar wonderfully diſſolves, and diſcuſſeth concrete Blood. 251. The heart is circumſcribed by the Clavicles, Sternon, &c. 246. Boiling Honey makes it more rancid. 240. Cartilages of the Wind-pipe are in continual motion. 213. The Spleen • s an Organical Bowel. 234. In Wounds of the Spinal Marrow, although all ſenſe and motion is deſtroyed, yet Seed, Ʋrine and Excrements, are VOLUNTARILY avoided. 216. Spigell. Laurentius, and Bauhine, although they wrote in this Century, he calls Antient Writers; the Eye is framed of ſix Muſcles. 214. The Eye-lids are appointed as Draw-bridges, to lift the Eye up and down. 231. The Ears (he muſt mean the outward flap, for he profeſſeth not to meddle with the inward Organ,) are created for underſtanding. If it were true, a great deal of that faculty would come to his ſhare. 257. Blood in the Cavity of the Thorax muſt neceſſarily and ſpeedily be ſuppurated, being conſentaneous in a cutt, where the great Veins or Arteries are untoucht. 266. The Lungs are the Inſtruments of Voice, made as it were of frothy Blood. 271. The Pericardium is ſo much ſofter than a Bone, as it is ſofter than the Lungs. 274. The Heart, in its paſſive qualities, is more moiſt than the Cutis. 255. It diſtributes to, but receives not from, any part, giving MOTION to others, diffuſing its proper vertues, as it pleaſeth it ſelf, diſpoſing its ſorrows as it thinks fit. 277. Is the Chapter of Wounds of the Arteries and Veins; and next page, Wounds of the Veins and Arteries. 278. A Wound of the great Artery is followed with a Feaver, Inflamation, &c. [put out the fire, and the houſe will ſcorch.] 287. Wounds of the Abdomen may be ſeen to penetrate with, or without hurt. 290. An Incarnative Fomentation to expel Wind. 299. He directs to ſupplemental Noſes, the Phantaſtical Ridiculous way of Taliacotus. Theſe, and abundance more of ſelf-evident pieces of nonſenſe & abſurdity, you have ſcattered here and there in this Compleat Book of Wounds; ſometimes ſingle paſſages, otherwhiles whole pages, often entire periods, that may juſtly come under this cenſure, which I will only point at, to ſave the trouble of numerous Recitals. See 2, 3, Paragraph of the 33th Chapter, p. 172. from the 18th to the 22th line, p. 176. the firſt ſeven lines; page 222. almoſt all the firſt Paragraph, eſpecially the later end, concerning the excellency of the Skin of the Face; page 227. 1 Parag. See alſo f. 240, 251, 257, 266, 275, 277, 303, 308, &c. beſide many abſurd Phraſes and Alluſions, without ſenſe, which are frequent in this Book, of a new Method, as ſteering by a Microſcope, page 111. alluding a Caution, page 5. Inſtruments are Figures, page 143. and regulating non-naturals; Engines to work with; every thing that putrifieth is affected with a hot and moiſt humour; 72. ſtorming by Catharticks; 199. ſailing on the Coaſt of Wounds; 210. ſteering a courſe on the Bloody Main; 349. diſmantling the parts of the body; 285. ſwimming on the bottom of the Stomach; 293. ſmall Rivulets, 23. with many more.

As to his Contradictions and Inconſiſtencies, they are thicker than I have met in ten times the number of pages, demonſtrating his Memory to be as ſhallow as his Judgment; for he often oppoſeth himſelf in the ſame page, ſometimes in the ſame or next line; his Method and Obſervations frequently confute, and contradict his Prognoſticks; for what in the one he affirms to be abſolutely mortal, and incurable, in the other he not only directs to a Method for Cure, but relates Proofs and Examples that they have been healed. I know little Contradictions, and ſmall Inconſiſtencies may inſenſibly and unawares ſlip from the Pen of any man that write • much, but it's very unuſual to have ſo many, ſo palpable, & obvious, ſo thick, and numerous, and oppoſite averments, ſo near one another, as they are in ſo ſmall a Book as this before us.

Page 77. He poſitively and without exception ſaith, an Ecchymoſis muſt be ſuppurated, and ſoon after directs to a method for reſolving them. Page 21, 169, 245, 304. and elſewhere, he dehorts the Chirurgion from medling with ſuch cures, as he hath no Authority or encouragement from Art to be concerned with. But Page 100, 132, 138, 163, 305, &c. being in a better humor, adviſeth to the contrary, and perſuades him not to forſake any Patient, or be diſcouraged, in the moſt deſperate caſes. Page 113. He forbids the uſe of moiſt things to parts without the Scull. And ſoon upon it, directs to Wine, (which is actually ſuch,) and Oil of St. Johns Wort, Yelks of Eggs, which are both actually and potentially ſuch. Page 129. Hot and moiſt Conſtitutions are not ſo apt for admittance of Putrifaction. Yet, Page 72, 73. he affirms, that thoſe Medicines, which procure it, are all of that temper. Page 28. When the Skin is broken, he decryeth the uſe of Oiles. And yet in many places directs the uſe of them in Wounds, ſo Page 36. He is at it again, diſſuading from the uſe of unctuous Salves, eſpecially where Conſolidation is to be performed, becauſe Page 40. Oils do hinder Agglutination. Yet in Page 42. He directs ℞. ol. Hyperic. catellor. ana ℥ij. G. elemni. pulv. veronicae; ſalviae, ana ℥i. Tereb. Venet. ℥iſs. as a Salve Agglutinative, and repelling humors. Page 28. He ſaith, wounds do only then inflame, when they do not ſuppurate, yet Page 49. He ſaith pain and heat do attend the part, while digeſtion is performing; and inflammation encreaſeth, while matter is making. Page 136. He reflects on thoſe who divide the Art into many parts. When he himſelf is not only guilty of all the ſuperfluous mincing extant, but exceeded them, in giving two Chapters for one ſubject, tho' the Title be ſomewhat diverſifyed. See Chap. 60, 61. Page 134. He ſaith, if a Feaver happen on Wounds of the Head, before the fourteenth day, its a deadly ſign. And in the very next period makes the like danger to attend ſuch, to which a Feaver ſupervenes after that time. Page 129. He ſaith, Childrens Heads wounded are not ſo apt for Putrifaction; and Page 137. A more ſpeedy purulency of matter happens in them, than in Perſons of age; and to ſtrengthen the contradiction beyond all excuſe, he gives the ſame reaſon for the one, that he doth for the other, viz. Heat and moiſture, making it in the one the cauſe, why Putrifaction and digeſtion is tedious, and in the other, more ſpeedy and quick. Page 160. His Doctrine, and adviſe in the firſt paragraph, is not only very inartificial and abſurd, but contradicted in the next, and the ſubſequent ſtory. Page 273, 275, &c. He calls the Heart, the principle of Life, the Prince of the Bowels, the chief Engine, and yet Page 178. He ſaith, that the Brain is the principal Part. Page 186. He abſurdly affirms. That Putrifaction, and Sphacelus of the Brain are deadly Symptomes, not to be found out by the opening of the Scull, after the Party be dead, and immediately gainſaith it by an inſtance from Volch Coiterus, (ſtoln from Skenckius. Page 24,) of many diſſections, where more than half the Brain was putrifyed, the Ventricles full of foetid green matter, and in the cerebellum, very putrid Apoſthumes. Page 188. He forbids the uſe of cooling aſtringent things to the Head, in concuſſions of the Brain. Not only contrary to almoſt all Authors, but his immediate direction of a Cataplaſm of that temper and quality, he ſaith, (the ſame Page) reſtringents are not to be uſed, becauſe they hinder the exhalation of the fuliginous Vapors, through the ſutures. And in the very Page, not only directs to the uſe of Repulſives, and to have them continued the firſt four days, but a Fomentation and a Plaiſter, (ſtoln from A Pary, lib. 10, cap. 22.) which are both of them binding or reſtrictive, as you may ſee by the Ingredients, Orris, Lalam. Aromaticus, Red-Roſes, Frankincenſe, Maſtick Red Wine, Myrtils, Cypreſnuts. &c. Page 200. He Apologizeth for the uſe of Oil in wounds of the Nerves, becauſe a moiſt Medicine. And immediately urgeth with the ſame Zeal and heat of Argument, that uſe of dry things for the ſame purpoſe. Page 254. He reckons (very erroneouſly) extruſion of the airthrough wounds of the Breaſt, as a conſtant ſign of Penetration. And in the ſame Chapter, gives a ſtory to the contrary. Page 256. He directs to the uſe of Vinegar to diſcuſs and diſſolve Blood, caſt into the Breaſt from a Wound, ſo as it may be expectorated. And yet in the next Page ſaith, ſuch Blood muſt neceſſarily and ſpeedily be ſuppurated. Page 257, 258. After he had diſcourſed of three wayes (compleatly omitting aSee Fallopius cap. 13. de vuln. pocul. fourth, viz. Paracenteſis,) to fetch off the Blood extravaſate, in Wounds in the Breaſt, of which two were Expectoration, and piſſung, he perſiſts in the uſe of Tents, to diſcharge it that way. Page 25, 266, 267. He denounceth lingring death at leaſt to Wounds of the Lungs. And yet not only directs to their cure, but reports two ſtories from Glandorp, and ſeveral ſtoln from Skenckius of prodigious Wounds there cured. Page 271. He makes Wounds of the Pericardium eaſily curable, and in the ſame Chapter, ſaith, that they generally bring Conſumptions, hectick Fever, ard death. Page 273. He Prognoſticates preſent death to Wounds of the Heart. And confeſſeth in the ſame Chapter, not only that a man may ſurvive ſuch a Wound, two or three days, but that ſuperficial ones may be cured. Page 278. The great Arterie wounded, the Body grows chill. Although in that very Chapter he delivers, that a Feaver and Inflammation are ſymptoms of that Wound. He ſaith, page 279. The Veins carry Blood to the Heart; and page 275 he affirms, that it doth not receive from any part, that its diſputable, whether the Veins have their Original from the Heart or Liver; and on the contrary affirms in divers places, that they have their Original in the Liver. Page 297. he ſaith, The Gut Jejunum is exſanguial, and in the ſame breath ſaith; page 298. they are full of Veſſels, and that the plenitude of Meſeraick Veins doth contradiſtinguiſh it from the great Guts. Pagr 304. He denounceth abſolute death to large Wounds of the Liver; and in the ſame Chapter relates from Glandorp, the Cure of one, who loſt great part thereof; and another from Foreſtus, of one who loſt a leſs piece and was cured. Page 309. Death (quoth he) ſoon followeth if the Stomach be cut; although in the ſame Chapter he not only confeſſeth ſuch Wounds are curable, but gives a borrowed ſtory from Glandorp, and two ſtoln from Sckenkius, of moſt prodigious ones healed. Page 24. He repreſents the ſubſtance of the Liver, as grumous, coagulated Blood; and yet page 302. he ſaith once and again, that the ſame whole ſubſtance is a compoſition of Glandules and Ramifications. Again, in the ſame page he ſuggeſts (as he doth in many other places,) Sanguification is performed by the Liver, and again ſaith the contrary. Page 237. He ſaith, If the Tongue be wounded tranſverſly, it's altogether incurable, and delivers in the ſame page, that it's to be accounted curable, if it be not wholly cut off; as he exemplifieth by a borrowed (though falſly quoted) ſtory from Hildanus. Page 233. He relates the ſtory of a Souldier ſhot through the middle of the Ear, but preſently forgetting himſelf, ſaith, the Cartilage was not hurt. Page 140. He ſaith, Inciſion cannot, ought not, to be made through the temporal Muſcle; and page 225. directs to it, as a thing neceſſary and feaſible. To conclude this Topick, look into his 215 page, and you will find a ſufficient proof of his skill, agreeableneſs, ſenſe, &c. which I will give you verbatim. To CONCLUDE this Chapter, I ſhall END with THIS obſervable Hiſtory; the FIRST whereof ſhall be of a young man, who looking upward had a ſmall Stone fall down upon the upper Eye-lid, the which did both hurt it, and its CARTILAGE— ſuture being made, and the parts encloſed by a Needle, the Cartilage remaining unhurt, &c. is not this a moſt excellent account? is not the man fitter for a bawble, or a ſuckingbottle, than to be an Author, that writes at this rate? Do not the ſenſleſs wretches in Bedlam talk more rational, and ageeeable? Do not men in their ſleep, and in their drink, expreſs themſelves wiſer, and more coherent, than this vain-glorious Scribler, although he had a Copy before him, which would have guided him to more ſenſe? — To conclude, I ſhall end, —the firſt of one ſingle Hiſtory— the Cartilage of the Eye-lid was hurt, and was not hurt—ſeparate parts encloſed by a Needle. I have not patience to trace this vain naughty Scriblers doublings, contradictions, and perplext notions; let us ſhift the Scene, and go in queſt of his Thefts, with a Hue and Cry after Mr. Plagiary Brown.

His Robberies, as to Hiſtory, are moſtly from Sckenkius; and to be thought of plenary and various Reading, he quotes not the Book whence he had them, but the quotations, as he finds them in the Collector. I know this were very uncertain to me, (becauſe divers men may quote originally one and the ſame Author,) if I did not find all the Errours, miſcitations, &c. that are in Schenkius, exactly tranſcribed by our Plagiary, of which hereafter you ſhall have ſeveral Inſtances. The greateſt Part of that Anatomy which he gives us, is ſtoln from Laurentius, Bauhinus, Spigelius, Veſlingus, Read, and (as great a Thief as himſelf,) Crook; this begets in him ſo many Errours, and Contradictions, his Medicines, and Notions are promiſcuouſly collected from ſeveral Authors, though (as I have already ſaid,) he had not the wit, and judgment to take the beſt of either. Parey, Read, Glandorp, and a few more, ſeem his Magazines for this ſort of furniture.

What is more wicked, abſurd, diſhoneſt, and vain, what more ridiculous and hateful to men of Senſe and Letters, than this ſort of Pickerooning? Sometimes he delivers his ſtoln Stories and Medicines, as if they were his own; ſometimes names his Author plainly enough, out of a cunning crafty deſign, that thoſe which are Anonymous may paſs more probably as his; ſometimes he coucheth his Author, and covertly quotes him, that an unwary Reader may think ſo, of them alſo; but frequently, and for the moſt part, (eſpecially when he ſteals from Sckenkius,) he names thoſe, which that Author quotes from. I ſhall take no notice of thoſe he truly owns. My intention is to diſcover to you, whence he ſtole thoſe which he thruſts upon us, without an honeſt confeſſion where he had them; of which ſort I have already in Series given you divers Inſtances, I will now ſhew you many more in the following part of the Book.

Perhaps he thinks to acquit himſelf from this imputation, by the Liſt of Authors, he proudly Catalogues in the beginning, but that will not excuſe him. Many of them being no where concerned in the Book, and divers in the Book not named in theſe; nor half of either of them ever known to him. So little doth he deſerve the name of an Author, that wants skill to give us any new thing, wit to chooſe the beſt from others, ability to expreſs them legibly, and deliver them truly, or ingenuity to produce any thing de proprio, for in the whole Book, I find not one Medicine truly ſo, and but two that he pretends to, the one of which is a digeſtive. Page 42. known almoſt to every Boy, the other a Cataplaſm for concuſſions of the Brain. Page 189. The like of which are in many commonVigierus, lib. 2. cap. 7. Sckenkius, page 34. Foreſt. obſ-Chir. 43. l. 6. Scultetus, obſ. 3. Wiſeman, lib. 5. cap. 9. Aq. Peadent. lib. 2. cap. 20. Hildan. obſ. 10. cent. 8. —obſ. 5. cent. 2. A. à Cruce, lib. 1. cap. 14. Cook, Mel. Chir. cap. 13. ſect. 3. Writers, and the compoſition word for word, (excepting one ingredient) in John de Vigo. 3. lib. 1 Tract. chapt. 5.

The Obſervations ending his thirteenth Chapter, are from Foreſtus obſ. Chir. lib. 6. Which he concludes with a great falſhood, to wit, that the cure was performed by the method of that Chapter. The liniment he directs, he ſtole from old Mr. Clowes. obſ. 2. Who had it from the Florentine Phyſicians, our plagiary ſets down but half the compoſition, the firſt Inventors appointed Nitre, not Vitriol, and commended it chiefly againſt burning and ſcaldings, for which it was uſed by Mr. Clowes. His diſcourſe chap. 14. of an Ecchymoſis, is a lame Tranſcript from Guido, and Tagaultius &c. and his method of cure, tho' like Mr. Wiſemans, is much ſhort thereof, the two ſtories concluding it are both ſtoln from Foreſtus, and falſly related; his theory of a wound by the bite of a mad Dog, chap. 15. is ſtoln almoſt verbatim from Dr. Read, who wrote defectively enough of the nature of Poyſons, and their contagions; and to make it worſe, our padder gives no Prognoſtick or uncommon Remedies; the firſt Hiſtory in this Chapter is inMorb. Con. tag. lib. 2. cap. 10. Fra • caſtorus, the other three in Sckenkius, in tranſcribing which, he omits contradict. between Cardanus an • The firſt obſervation of his 16. cha • concerning Boccatius, and his Wi ••• isMemorabil. cent. 1. de venenis. in Mialdus, and Ramſey, though i • all likelyhood ſtoln from Sckenki •• Page 834. His ſecond is fromCap. 24. de venen. Pare •• but miſerably butcherd, as is alſo th • firſt, in his 1. chap. Which, though he pretend to have from Cteſias, was ſtoln from Sckenkius, where the ſtory is related from Mercurialis.

His diſcourſe of Gunpowder is ſtoln from Lib. 11. Pareus, and Sect. 15. Dr. Read. This firſt ſtory of his eighteenth chapter is ſtoln from Obſ. 4. Clowes, but very ill tranſcribed. For he not only omits much of what the Author delivers, as to median, and manual operation, (which are moſt material) but adds what is not in the original, viz. That the Patient was much tormented with pain, and other evil accidents. Pray compare the two Relations, and obſerve the care, ſincerity, and honeſty of our compleat Author All the ſtories. Page 107. Are ſtoln from Sckenkius. Page 697, 698. His Anatomical diſcourſe of the Head, from Spigelius, Bauhine, Crooke, &c. His 23, 24, 25. Chapters are moſt of them taken from Hippocrates de vul • er. cap. errors and all, without regard to the correction of Fallopius his Comments thereon, and delivered in ſo • awkard and ſlovenly a manner, with mixture of ſilly metaphors, and odd phraſes, that it's almoſt wholly diſguiſed.

In his twenty third Chapter, you may diſcover him in Dr. Read, although he doubles and inverts the method, omits many things, alters the way of writing out of a vain deſign to conceal his ſtealing, or a preſumption that he could expreſs it better than that learned man hath done; for what he calleth Prognoſticks, ſect. 17 the Plagiary calls Signs, cap. 23. The Doctor ſaith, Wounds of the Heads of Children prove ſometimes rebellious, partly becauſe they are of a hot and moiſt conſtitution, which IS MOST APT to admit putrifaction; partly becauſe the habit of their bodies is thin, and ſo miniſtreth occaſion to the breathing out of the ſpirits. —in deadly Wounds of the Head, the Patient lives longer in the Winter, than in the Summer, for in it the natural heat is not ſo eaſily raiſed as in th • Summer.—This I know was take • from Hippocrates by the Doctor, Parey and ſome others; but ſee now, ho •• our Bathyllus hath mangled an • grimac't it. Page 129. Wounds in th •• Heads of Children oftentimes prove un • happy, they being of a hot and moiſt comſtitution, and this NOT SO APT▪ fo • the admittance of putrefaction—in Summer time, the Patient lives a ſhorter time than in the Winter, for in this time the unnatural heat is not procured for putrifaction.

I know not a more abſurd or unintelligible paſſage in all that learned mans Works, (excepting his Anatomy, which is nothing but Errours,) than in the 20th Lecture of Wounds, where ſpeaking of the uſe of the Head-ſaw, he ſaith, It will ſerve to cut aſunder the diſtance of the Cranium left after the application of the Trepan in divers parts. At this our Filcher would be nibbling, ſuppoſing there was ſome extraordinary meaning in it, (fools naturally admiring moſt, what they underſtand leaſt,) and reſolved to have it; but to make it more like his own, varieth it thus, page 141. uſed alſo to remove away the diſtance of the Cranium, left after the application of the Trepan.

His whole diſcourſe of Trepanning cap. 25. hath nothing in it, which is • ott o be found more fully, methodically, and intelligibly expreſt, in abundance of Authors, which I need not name. The two Stories ending them are from Hildanus, obſ. 19, 21. cent. 1. in whom there is no mention of the Venereal act with a common Strumpet, which, our Author ſaith, was the occaſion of that Relapſe; ſo that here he adds to this Story, and omits a conſiderable part of the next, viz. an account of what was obſervable upon diſſection, within the Skull of that unfortunate Lady. The Cataplaſm which he gives, page 147. is ſtoln from Doctor Read, ſect. 10. The Story, page 148. from Blotius concerning the Son of Philip King of Spain, (which our Author (for Alterations ſake) falſly calls Nephew to Charles the Fifth, So he tranſlates Nepos, which in Claſſick Writers is uſed for Grandſon, but perhaps it's not agreeable to our Authors way of Pedigree, nor ſkill in Latine, who finds it more credit to be accounted the Nephew of Mr. Cropp, Chief Chirurgeon of Norfolk, (as he calls him) than the Son of — Brown a Taylor in Norwic • . is in Sckenkius, page 15. and Bonnetus, Index, page 95. but tranſcribed according to his wonted exactneſs and integrity. The other Story of the ſame page, concerning a • Boy fifteen years old, i • ſtoln from Hildanus, wh • (ſaith he) fell into the Fe • ver the 14th day from th • hurt, and our exact Plagia • ry ſaith the 11th. The two Obſervations, page 162. are ſtoln from Scke • kius, Page 18. And placed here very unſuitably, the ſecond, third, and fourth ſtories Page 170. are alſo ſtoln from Sckenkius. Page 31, 32. The firſt quotation quite ſpoiled in the Copy.

The unguent Matriſylva. Page 174. is from Foreſtus, though he points not where its to be found; the Author gives two Receits thereof, the one ſimple, the other compound; Obſ. chir. 42.44. lib. 6. of the Maſtick, and thus, the Author preſcribes, an ounce, the plagiary ʒ i. the laſt ℞. Page 175. is ſtoln from Dr. Read, Page 137. The Hiſtory of Dodoneus is a defac't tranſcript, from his uſual Magaine Sckenkius, Page 27. And here moſt impertinently illated; the Chapter treating of Wounds, of the two Meninges, and in the obſervation, not ſo much as the cranium broken, or hurted. Page 181, 182. The ſeveral Medicines there directed, are from A. a cruce, and to be found in Sckenkius, 23. Page. The Docoction. Page 182. is from Dr. Read. Page 141. The Hiſtory 184. from Sckenkius. Page 19. The Decoction and Plaiſter. 188. from Pareus lib. 10. cap. 22.

Page 189. He promiſeth as a rarity, viz. Something HIS OWN, which he prepares our expectations to receive, as a great boon, giving it the Character Bromfield, and other Quacks, do their Pills, viz. A true and happy compoſition, of which I have with admirable ſucceſs, had the advantage to ſpeak the truth of it. (pray mark the Grammar and Elegancy,) This great Arcanum, in the margent he calls his own, and in the Column, Nunckle Cropps. Now is he not a moſt deſpicable and odious plagiary, abandoned to impudence and ignorance, if it appear that he puts upon us, and that the invention of this (not extraordinary) Cataplaſm was neither the ones, nor the others. I have already ſhewed you where there are many like it, and in John de Vigo the very ſame, Lib. 3. tract. 1. cap. 5. ſave only that Nuncle Cropp, or his wiſe Nephew, put in Motherwort, inſtead of Woodbine. Behold now the skill, the honeſty of the confident Aſſumer, I find but this, and one more directly titled his own, and both of them as common, in many Books, as nonſence and impertinence are in his own, and the later on which he plumes, and brags, to have been invented before either of the pretenders to it were in their ſwadling clouts.

The fomentation and powder, Page 193. are ſtoln from Doctor Read, Page 14. and Cornarius obſervation, from Schenckius, Page 26. His method for one of punctured Nerves, Page 201. is ſtoln from Fallopius; ſo are his medicines viz. the two unguents, only where the originalde vulnerib. particul. Page 231. Ed. Francf. ſaith common oyl, the eccho tranſlates ol. ant. ſcrip. Page 189. The obſervation of Dodoneus was nothing at all to the purpoſe, and ſtoln from Schenkius, Page 27. as was that of the jvy leaves, Page 190. from Page 28. and impertinently here inſerted. Page 204. he gives us an hiſtory from Foreſtus, which he ſaith is in obſ. 20. fol. 183. but is in 38 obſ. cent. 6.1. much wronged in the tranſlation. That from Horatus Augenius, is Verbatim in Schenckius, Page 636. that of Amat. Luſitanus is in Foreſtus loc. cit. moſt impertinently placed in this Chapter, and the patient, though a Counteſs, veryrudely called old Gentlewoman an Epithit moſt deteſtable to that Sex.

The three ſtories Page 265. of Hollerius, and Alexand. Bened. are ſtoln from Schenckius. Page 280. So are thoſe Page 270. of Gemma, and Fallopius. (ſee Schenckius Page 253.) The later containing an abſurd aſſertion, not to be found in the Author, whence Schenckius borrowed, and our Author ſtole them. The Hiſtories of Benivonius, Cardanus, P. Salius, are ſtoln from the ſame Book, as is alſo that of Cyriacus Lucius, for which he quotes de ſuis obſervat. when it was but a private Letter ſent to Schenckius. Page 262. The Hiſtories of Galen. Beniverius, &c. in the 285. page of our Scribler, is ſtoln from the ſame hand. Page 270. That of Albucas. page 292. from him. page 367. Thoſe of Jacotius, Hollerius, Pareus, &c. in his 300 Page, are in the of 368. if Schenckius.

The Obſervations. Page 317. a •• ſtoln from Schenckius and Glandor • How he hath butcherd the two laſt • I ſhall ſhew anon. Thoſe in his 312. page, from Fallopius and Oethaeus, (whom our heedleſs Tranſcriber calls Ortheus) are in the 332. page of the ſame Author. That in page 320. is in the 484. of Schenkius, ſo are the two ſtories of Dodoneus. page 313. From him alſo page 150. that of Arceus 223. is from the ſaid hand. Page 177. That concerning the Prince of Orange. page 243. from him alſo, page 201. So that in all, he hath ſtoln in this ſingle Treatiſe, from that one Book, above ſixty Hiſtories of obſervations.

My next work was, to prove our Spark (notwithſtanding his vain pretences to the contrary, by numerous quotations, much Greek, &c. pretence to learning) to be an Illiterate, and ſilly ſcribler, and that ev'n in the eaſieſt, and moſt inferiour parts of writing, this the whole tenor of his language, and ſtrain of expreſſions, together with moſt of his tranſlations, plainly enough demonſtrates, as I have already exemplified, and ſhall further prove. He cannot excuſe himſelf, by the common pretence, viz. That any of thoſe faulty words or paſſages were the errors of the preſs, becauſe he corrected them, and that I have no where fixed my reflexions on any of them, nor have I taken any notice of little common ſlips of the pen, or faults in Orthography, ſuch are Procataretick, Paracentheſis, Epolonticks, Raninae, &c. thoſe being incident from the beſt Writers. But I ſhall attempt my point by ſubſtantial and inexcuſable aberrations, and of them give you but a few (and thoſe cogent) inſtances, it being needleſs as well as endleſs, to produce all this book affords.

Page 94. treating of venemous wounds, he moſt impertinently brings in the famous ſtory of Paryſatis poyſoning of Statira, for which he quotes Cteſias, (an Author never ſeen by him,) its delivered to us by Plutarch in the life of Artaxerxes: From him Hieron Mercurialis had it (as I conjecture,) and from him Schenkius quotes it, Page 811 and thence ou • Illiterate, according to the beſt of him skill in Latin, tranſlated it. Plutarch Mercurialis, and Schenckius agree i • the ſtory thus. Cteſias Author antiquiſſimus, in libro de Rebus Perſicis ſcribit, quandam mulierem Statyram vocatam, maxime ſemper timuiſſe venenum, & omni diligentia uſam, ut illud evitaret; factum tamen, ut quaedam alia mulier eam hoc modo venenaret; Cultelli partem alteram tantum veneno infecit, & deinde coram Statyra, diviſit aviculam parvam coctam, & qua parte avis tacta fuer at a veneno cultelli, oblata Statyrae, illico eam extinxit; cum interim qua parte avis non fuerat tacta a veneno, nullum detrimentum ipſi miniſtranti intulerit. This ſtrange ſtory (the truth of which is much queſtion'd) is by our man of letters, Sr. Tho. Brown pſeuded. ep. thus rendered into Engliſh. Page 94. Cteſias an old author in lib. de rebus perſicis writes of a Woman, who through her whole life time dreaded poyſon, and made it her greateſt care to eſcape it, ſhe invited another Woman to Dinner, who ſeeing her Knife lye on the Table, that which for many years before, never parted from I believe ſo he Tran ſlates, cultelli partem alteram tantum Venen • infecit &c. her ſide, but at Dinner time, took up this Knife, and poyſoned it at the end, ſhe cutting her victuals therewith, was ſoon diſpatched of her life, and the other parts of the meat, which were untoucht with the Knife, were void of all Poyſon. —

Page 148. He gives us a ſtory of Blotius, but ſtoln out of Schenkius. Page 15. And by him thus delivered from the original. Carolus Philippi Hiſpaniarum Regis Filius, Caroli V Nepos, ex quartana aerem mutare juſſus, in arce quadam nobilem puellam corollas nectentem intuitus, cum ludendi cauſa ad illam properaret: Illa vim metuens, in cubiculum fugit, peſſulumque oſtio obdidit, Juvenis eo magis irritatus, in cubiculum praeceps pergradus effracta violenter janua delapſus, graviſſimum vulnus in capite accepit. — This we find thus tranſlated by our artleſs Author, — Charles, Nephew to Charles the Fifth of Spain. Who after having been troubled with a quartan Ague, was by his Phyſicians directed to walk, and refreſh himſelf in the Air, as he was going out of his Chamber-Door, and ſeeing a Maid of Honour making of Garlands, made haſt to her; ſhe hereupon being ſurpriſed, making haſt away, fell againſt the Bar of her Chamber-Door, the young Gentleman being herewith vexed, that he ſhould be the occaſion of this miſchief, in a fury, going to his Chamber, meets with an unhappy fall, which cauſed a Wound in his Head, coming from his Chamber. — This is neither agreeable with the original, or ſenſe, going to his Chamber meets with a unhappy fall, coming from her Chamber. — Who can reconcile this contradiction, and nonſenſe.

Page 156. He quotes Fallopius, expoſ. in lib. Hippoc de vulner. cap. 16. for a ſtory that's in the 13. chap. and ſtoln from Schenckius. Page 32. Who thus delivereth it, verbatim from the Author. — Ratio autem eſt, quia pars exterior patitur contuſionem, qua communicatur interiori laminae, quae durior eſt, et ideo ſuperficies interna ejus vitrea dicitur, quare externa in eodem ictis poteſt cedere in ſeipſam, et interior cum non poſſit cedere in ſeipſam contrahit rimam. — Now obſerve the nonſenſe, and falſhood of the Tranſlation Page 156. of our illiterate — The reaſon of his proceedings, after this manner, was, the outer part being contuſed, the contuſion was communicated to the ſecond Table, and whereas the outward, could not fall into it ſelf, nor the inward Table into it ſelf, hereby it ſuffered this fiſſure.

Once more he is at Fallopius, page 270. quoting him as the Author of this nonſenſical paſſage, Pulmonibus vidi inflatos ſanatos; inflatos etiam mortuos, quare vulnera pulmonis ex aequo ſe habent; by him thus tranſlated, I have ſeen Inflations of the Lungs cured, and others to have died of the ſame, Fallop. de Vuln. cap. 12. that he ſtole this from Schenkius, is moſt certain, for there the words are thus falſly tranſcribed, and the reference miſtaken, the place to which he points, (if he mean lib. de vuln. pecul.) doth indeed diſcourſe of Wounds of the parts contained in the Breaſt, but hath not a ſyllable in it like this. But in the fourth Chapter of his Book de vuln. in gen. Tom. 2. He hath ſomething like it, de pulmonibus autem hoc ſcio, quod vidi plurimos ſanatos, imò infinitos, infinitos etiam mortuos, quare vulnera hujus partis ex aequo ſe habenct. Its excuſable in Schenkius to miſtake, becauſe he did it but ſeldom, and among ſo many thouſand Tranſcriptions, to err ſometimes, is ſcarcely evitable, but for our Scribler to take upon truſt, and ſwallow nonſenſe, miſquotation and all, and pretend he had it from the original, there remains no excuſe, but an unanſwerable proof, that he quotes at ſecond hand, and underſtands not what he delivers to us, is unacquainted with Latin, and the Books he pretends to know and underſtand.

If there be not enough to prove this part of my undertaking againſt him, I muſt refer you to cap. 10. And ſee how he comes off with Dr. Willis's notion, and Hiſtory there delivered, to chap. 29. for the Hiſtory from Pareus to his 16. chap. for another from the ſame Author, to his 25. chap. for the two ſtories from Hildanus, to his 33. chap. for the two ſtories from Nicholas Florentinus, (vide Schenkius p. 31.) to his 34th. chap. for a ſtory from Hollerius, ſtoln from Schenkius page 27. to his 39th. chap. for an Hiſtory from Peter Foreſtus, obſ. chir. 38. lib. 6. (not the 20th as he miſquotes) to his 14. chap. for a ſtory from the ſame Author, to cap 44 for an obſervation from Solenander, Sect. 5. conſ 15. which you will find to be the 32. ſtory in that Conſal, and all theſe with almoſt all the reſt of the obſervations in his Book, tranſlated after ſuch ſort, as ſhews plainly he doth not underſtand Latine, duorum canum magnorum from P. Foreſtus, two little Dogs, Page 78. in ditione, from Schenkius page 332. in the City Depravatus, page 46. Deprived; praeceps, Principle, depravatusmotus, deprivation of motion, tenebat, did cover, capita, dead Corps, &c. Nay I undertake to aſſure you, that there is not one ſtory in ten, of thoſe his Books contain, but are falſly tranſlated, and would have been more truly rendred by a School-Boy, of a years ſtanding.

To conclude this Topick, take two Evidences more of this nature, they are both in his 317 page, and ſtoln from Schenkius Page 461. The firſt from Dodoneus, ſpeaking of a Woman ſtab'd in one of her Kidneys, quem Vulneratum fuiſſe particula ejus è vulnere exempta oſtendit, he wholly neglects the other from Fallopius, (whom by this and other citations, I find he never read, for he quotes him uſually de vulneribus, not diſtinguiſhing (becauſe not knowing,) whether it be his Book de vulner, capitis, an expoſition on Hippocrates, in his firſt Tom. or that de vulneribus in genere, or that de vulneribus peculiaribus, both which are in his ſecond Tom.) in the place before us he quotes him, lib. de Vuln. cap. 12. Schenkius ſaith, de vulneribus capitis, cap. 12. But there is no ſuch matter in that place, nor is that ſort of hurt mentioned any where, in thoſe three Books of Wounds, ſave in his 22. chap. de vuln. pecul. and cap. de vuln. in genere, in the former there is no ſuch paſſage, as this our Author mentions, in the later there is ſomewhat like it, viz. et ego vidi poſt ictum pugionis concreviſſe carnem illam laxam et ſanaſſe.—Schenkius thus renders it. Vidi renem ſiniſtrum pugione vulneratum ſanari: Quia parenchyma, ſcilicet ſanguis ille craſſus, concrevit in carnem.—And our unletter'd plagiary, I have ſeen the left Kidney pricked and wounded, becauſe the Parenchyma like thick Blood, concreted into Fleſh.—O moſt egregious ignorant! With what Face canſt thou appear in the Front of ſuch impudent falſhoods, and heaps of nonſenſe, bluſh for ſhame, and do penance for this moſt Criminal way of abuſing the World, and miſguiding young Tiro's in an Art of ſo much uſe to Mankind, draw a Curtain before all thy Pictures, thy Faces (like the Braſs that ſtampt them,) hide in ſome gloomy place, never to ſee light, till thou haſt expiated the diſcredit thou haſt done our Art, and learnt more modeſty, knowledge, &c. And then appear in print again, and Title thy Book the Retractation or Index expurgatorius of John Brown, who now ſenſible and aſhamed of his own ignorance and vanity, doth make this publique confeſſion thereof to the World, whom he hath ſhameleſly abuſed, by his empty inſignificant writings.

Sir, I pray you pardon this little tranſport, and ſuffer me to make good my charge againſt him, by pointing to you a few paſſages out of an abundance wherein he expreſſeth himſelf as weakly, and ſilly, as any Writer you can have ſeen. page 137 he makes no differences between Symptomes and Sentences. page 187. Contuſions of the brain proceed from ſome outward cauſe invading the brain, hapning by a fall from an high place upon a hard part, being either ſtony or rocky. page 199. Puncture of Nerves is an accident that doth happen moſt COMMONLY, by the Ignorance of the Chirurgion SOMETIMES. page 200. And here alſo as to the affected part, we are here to conſider both the breadth and narrowneſs of the affected part, page 271. The pericardium is a membrane enwrapping the heart, ſwimming in it, (this to a man that knows Anatomy muſt ſeem ſuch ſenſe, as to ſay, the purſe ſwims in the mony,) abundance of the like inſtances of his wit, and learning in Orthography, Syntax, and other parts of common ſenſe, and literature are interſperſt in his writing, and cannot eſcape the intuition of any man, tho but indifferently skill'd in either.

I muſt not paſs by a very great example of his way of reaſoning, &c. in his 185 page. where he wiſely endeavours to prove, the poſſibility of an Abſceſs in the brain, by urging this Aphoriſm of Hippocrates. If matter, water or bloud, iſſue from the Noſtrils, Mouth or Ears, of any troubled with the head-ache, it doth diſcharge it, as if what thus floweth thence, muſt certainly be from an Abſceſs from within the meninges, and not rather extravaſations, or congeſtions without them, as is uſual, as wiſe, and as much to the purpoſe, is his calling on Galen, Avicen, Rhaſis, to prove that nature found out (contrived had been better ſaid,) theſe as proper Chanels for that purpoſe, if a man would argue at this rate, and reaſon from ſuch Topicks, how eaſy is it to prove the Moon made of a green Cheeſe.

I had almoſt forgot to entertain you, with ſome pleaſant inſtance of his skill in Etymologie, which he ſhews very often, and not ſeldome appears a ridiculous fop, whether it be more ſilly than illiterate thus to force derivations, as is commonly practiced, we will not diſpute page 211 Frons à ferendo, becauſe it carryeth in it the LIVELY reſemblance of heavyneſs, ſadneſs, moroſeneſs, &c. a very pretty compariſon, the lively reſemblance of dead, dullthings. I know by others its ſaid ſo to be derived. Quod indicia animi prae ſe farat. But why not more likely from Frondis, the branch of a tree, becauſe it lively reſembles the inviſible dilemma's, and divarications, ſome mens Wives place there Page 222. Vultus a voluntatis indicio, why not from volvendo, as ſome have derived it, or rather from Vulva, becauſe of their lively reſemblance, in mouth, beard, &c. Facies, a faciendo becauſe it maketh the difference between a man, and a beaſt I am ſure that doth not alway hold, for I have ſeen ſome mens faces not exceed a beautiful Baboons, and have conſtantly learned, and alway underſtood, that Religion and reaſon, not complexion or countenance, had made this diſcrimination. The face (quoth he) ſur •• ſſeth all other parts for beauty FOR in it may be eaſily ſeen, •• e ſtorms and tempeſts of anger 〈◊〉 paſſion, the attempts of death, ſadneſs, melancholy, &c. Very beautiful objects indeed, an angry or melancholy countenance is without doubt as pleaſant to behold, as the ſociety of men in thoſe paſſions, is to enjoy. page 231. auris ab hauriendo, the air being drawn in thereby. page 302. jecur quaſi juxta cor. page 222. oculus ab occulendo, at this rate ſome men, force Etymons, from conſonations, or ſemblance in ſound as proper and pertinent, as to ſay Brown, a Brumoſus, filthy, ſtincking, or a Brundus a fool.

Altho it be needleſs after all this, to ſay any more concerning this vain man, to demonſtrate him a very naughty ſcribler, I reſolve while my hand is in, to purſue my blow, and prove more particularly that he is an IMPERTINENT TRIFLER, and that ſhall be the buſineſs of this head. His many mincings and diviſions, (againſt which he himſelf rants. page 136.) unneceſſary diſtinctions, inſignificant parti •• larities, juſtly deſerve to be cenſured under thoſe Characters, for to what end or advantage its done, appears by the little or no difference, (except in needleſs words,) there is in the ſubſtance, and reality of the things, as I have once and again obſerved, and reflected on.

Moſt of the obſervations are impertinent to the ſubject of thoſe Chapters to which they are annexed, & might as properly ſerve any other, for inſtance what hath the ſtory of one, poyſoned by eating invenomed ſage, or fleſh, to do in a Chapter of wounds, made by the bite of poyſonous animals, as little to the purpoſe, is his Theory and diſcourſe of Palſeys, Convulſions, &c. becauſe they contain nothing in them ad rem, but are abſolute, and general notions (erroneous enough) of thoſe diſeaſes, not as Symptomatical (which is the province of a Chirurgion, but as primary and Independent, this I have again and again pointed to, in divers places. chap. 16: Diſcourſing of wounds made by the bitings of venemous beaſts, he brings in that of a Toad • s one, I know he is not the only • mpertinent of his kind, but that • imal having no teeth (as Geſner, Johnſon, Parey, &c. all Naturaliſts, could have told him,) cannot make a breach in the Continuum, and conſequently (be the venom inſinuated how it will,) its impertinent to reckon his bitings among poyſoned wounds.

His 18. chap. is an heap of impertinent, trifling, rambling fancies, without ſenſe, coherence, or ought elſe like a man.—I will give you a taſt. — Such Maſters of Art, who have dwelt many years in the wars, and have hazarded their lives as well as fortunes, with their experience therein, — that they may make their ſpeedy addreſs to their entrance, form, and ſhape, — what can be the meaning of this Rhodomontado way of talk, and (to make ſhort) referring us to an inſignificant picture, page 37. as a moſt elegant repreſentation, how a man may be wounded,) to ſupply the defects of his Theory, and bringing in head and ears, the ſtory of his arm being contuſed, and broken by the wind of a Cannon-Bullet, what was i • to the purpoſe of that part of hi • Chapter, which was to explain how Eskars were produced in gunſhot wounds, perhaps there might be ſome Ambition in it, and the occaſion forced to ſhew his Reader, that he had been Chirurgeon of one of His Majeſties It was not the Kings, but a Merchant Ship, hired into his Majeſties ſervice, which in time of war, is an employ of the leaſt credit comparatively. Ships. Though he wiſely conceal her name and rank, as well knowing it would have then ſtampt no more real credit on him, among knowing men, than his late bare title, of one of his Majeſties Chirurgions in ordinary.

Can any man be the wiſer for the Toyiſh Impertinent picture, page 104. that of a Carpenter boring an Auger-hole, would as well direct to the uſe of the Terebellum, or other extracting Inſtrument, what a ludicrous harangue and ſilly compariſon doth he run upon, in the firſt period of his 19 chapter. — The head is ſuch an admirable Syntax, &c. page III. being already aſſured of having our ſails filled with the gentle gale of our friends, and all kind artiſts, we intend to STEER the Veſſel of our preſent Diſcourſe, by the MICROSCOPE of Anatomy — and then ſhall we arrive at the cranium it ſelf. Chap. 26. diſcourſing of contuſions, (moſt abſurdly numbred among fractures,) he defines it to be an inward bent, or ſwelling of the Scull, and adds a ſtory, no more pertinent to the diſcourſe, than the diſcourſe is to the ſubject of the book; his ſecond hiſtory of the ſame Chapter is not leſs incongruous, being of a fracture with a wound, which was no way ſuitable to the occaſion. page 151. He ſaith for raſping out chinks, and ſmall fractures, the Trepan is not ſo fit or proper an Inſtrument as the Raſper, its a moſt ſilly aſſertion, though as true, as if he had ſaid a thimble is not ſo fit to cut cloath as a pair of ſheers. page 112. He gives us three heads worthy of note, the firſt and ſecond of which tantamount, viz. If the membrane, covering the Scull, be broken or divided, the bone is to be ſuſpected, ſaith he in one place, ſuffer detriment and be deraded, in another. page 159. he pedantickly quotes Hippocrates, for an obſervation he confeſſeth we dayly ſee, viz. That hard things do rather break than bend, whereas ſoft things WE SEE do rather bend than break. So page 255. he quotes Galen, to prove that diureticks work by urine, as ſilly and trifling, as going backto Euclid, to demonſtrate, that three and two make five, or that two parallel lines are equidiſtant; away Trifler, ſtudy more ſenſe, and caſt off this Idle oſtentatious way of naming Authors to no purpoſe, but to gratify an Itch, and ſhew your own vanity.

He is ſo affected with his new way of backing Chapters with obſervations, or experiments, that rathan let one go without it, he doth often produce ſtories, nothing to the purpoſe, thus thoſe two in his 31 chap. of concameration (ſtoln from Schenkius) no way concern that caſe, and might ſerve any other fracture, or wound of the head, as pertinently. In his 32. cap. treating of Colliſion, he doth not (for compleatneſs ſake) define it, nor is the ſtory ſubjoin'd any way ſuitable. page 107. are eight impertinent uſeleſs pictures, which he calls figures of the ſeveral ſpecies of a broken Scull, for which one can be no more the wiſer, than by his diſcourſe, A. ſhews and indeed ſignifieth nothing. C. and F. differ not, nor doth B. E. and H. what doth H. demonſtrate of a contuſion. E. of depreſſion. F. of cancameration. H. of contrafiſſure. They cannot poſſibly advantage the underſtanding, they may indeed make the Book vendible to Boys, but no way uſeful to them.

His 36 Chap, is concerning Abſceſſes of the Brain, how fit to be place in a Treatiſe of Wounds, let the World judge, or what the ſtoln ſtory of Arceus is to the purpoſe, he might have had more pertinent proof of the poſſiblity of ſuch Apoſtumations, and inſtances more ſuitable to the caſe in hand, than thoſe he produceth, if he had conſulted Sennertus, Zacutus, Tulpius, and divers others, who relate, that the whole Brain hath been rotten and become matter.

Under the Imputation of this Topick, may be reckoned theſe darling words and phraſes, which he ſo ſillily affects, and impertinently drags in by the ears, ſuch are, ALLOWED, AS TOUCHING, AND HERE ALSO, HERE MAY WE SEE PROPER ENGINES, LIVELY REPRESENTATIONS, CORREPTED, ABRADED, SHELVES AND ROCKS OF FEAR, &c. ſome of which he uſeth above ten times in a page. the Brain and its ſubſtance dryeth of its ſelf, and of its own natural quality dryeth. page 287. A probe or wax-Candle going directly a great way into the Belly, in wounds thereof, is a ſign the wound penetrates. Thus he trifles, and by Tautologies, and Impertinent Verboſity, ſpends his Pages, abuſeth his Reader, and expoſeth himſelf.

To conclude, the later part of his Book (the Chapter of Jointwounds only excepted) is nothing but impertinence and trifling, giving ſuperfluous Chapters, for Wounds of the Shoulders, Elbow, Wriſts, Armes, Hands, Fingers, Thighs, Legs and Feet, I call them ſuperfluous and needleſs, becauſe that for Wounds of the Joints was enough for the firſt three, and where he diſcourſeth of the reſt, is conſtrained to repeat, or refer to the ſame Method and Medicaments he had directed before in general, and after all thoſe many diſtinctions and diviſions, beyond any I have met, he not only omits many more needful to be taken notice of, than ſome of which he hath written, ſuch are Wounds of the Womb, Meſeentry; Buttocks, Knees, Ancles, &c. And neglected ſome of the uſual accidents of great Wounds, viz. Eriſypelas, Gangrene, &c. But hath plainly ſhewn himſelf, to be the Fool he rails at, for dividing the Art into more parts than God intended, and that his compleat diſcourſe of Wounds is not only erroneous, abſurd, trifling and contradictory, but defective and incompleat, and written by a man of LITTLE EXPERIENCE or SKILL in the Art he pretends to, to evince which was the laſt part of my undertaking, and al • tho' it hath been abundantly manifeſted already, under the foregoin • Topicks, I will ſuperadd a few mor • to make it a charge indiſputably tru • and to prove that none but a ver • unskilful Perſon, could write as he doth in ANATOMY AND CHIRURGERY in general, and particularly of definitions, Diagnoſticks, Prognoſticks, curatory method, and medicaments, obſervations, and ſome other things promiſcuouſly occurring in this Book.

That he is ignorant in the improved modern Anatomy, is manifeſt to every Boy, that hath read Blaſius anatomia contracta. P. Barbet, or Dr. Gibſons Epitomy. The cauſe whereof is his taking upon truſt, and for want of skill, blindly delivering what he hath ſtoln from Bauhinus, Crooke, Read, and men that writ egregiouſly wrong, in moſt parts of that Art, in his diſcourſe of Nerves, &c. though he hath mixed a little of Dr. Willis, and other Novel Authors, (perhaps as much as he could underſtand,) with the old notions and opinions, yet he cites few or none of them, but • eems fond of calling on Galen, Hip • ocrates, Avicen, Aetius, AEginata, •• verhois, and Albucaſis. As if there • ere ſome glory, or charm in the • ames. Though he underſtands not, nor probably ever ſaw their Books but from Crook, and other common Plagiaries in Engliſh, furniſheth himſelf with thoſe ſmatterings he hath of their Doctrines. Hence is it that he falls into ſo many errours, and evidenceth ſo great weakneſs, and want of skill, he might as cheaply have furniſhed himſelf, and his Reader with the trueſt, and moſt accurate accounts, from Willis, Bartholine, Blaſius, Diemerbrook, Malpighius, &c. With whom in ſome places, (eſpecially in his Catalogue) he pretends acquaintance.

Sometimes he writes as if he had never heard, or were unacquainted with the circulation, the Valves, &c. For he delivers (contrary to thoſe Doctrines) from Galen. lib. 5. de loc. Affect. That matte • lodged in the Thorax, is carried off b • Ʋrine, being firſt carried to the Branches of the Vena Azygos, thence into th • vena cava, Page 255. to the right ventricle of th • Heart, paſſing thence DOWN WARD from the deſcending Trun •• of the cava, to the Liver to come 〈◊〉 the emulgents—again, page 275. Th • Heart is the Radix, or Ocean both 〈◊〉 Veins and Arteries, the beſt of all Bowels, diſtributing to, but not receiving from any part, giving life and motion unto others.—

As ignorant doth he appear, in the Doctrine of Aliture, and the Lacteal Veſſels, when he affirms page 297. and 287. that the Meſeraick Veins, ſuck up the chyle, and convey the Alimentary Juice to the gate of the Liver, his ignorance in the true Anatomy of the Brain (which he calls a Glandules ſubſtance,) Heart, Liver, Lungs, Gullet, Stomach, Spleen, (which he calls an Organical Bowel,) will be very manifeſt to any man, that can compare his accounts of them with thoſe of Malpighius, Gliſſon, Willis, Lower, Tilingius, and other modern Anatomiſts, as to ſmaller parts, he • s not a whit wiſer, when he affirms the Eye is made of ſix Muſcles. Page 214. And that the Eye-lids draw • hem up and down, that the Piama • er, is made of the firſt ſcatterings of the Sperm, and compoſed chiefly of Veins and Arteries. Page 174.

Page 124. He giveth imperfect and falſe Figures of the Scull, the eaſieſt part of Anatomy, and affirmeth Page 118. that the outer Lamina, is thicker and harder than the innermoſt Page 233. That the Ear was ſhot thorough in the middle, and the Cartilage not hurt. He ſeems ignorant of the valve in the Colon, by directing to Nutritious Glyſters, and knows not the true Anatomy of the Oeſephagus, when he gives that odd deſcription thereof. Page 244. And attributes Diglution to the Muſcles of the Larynx. He ſaith, Page 198 The Nerves are cold and dry, repleniſht with a thick and viſcous humor, and altho' he hath written two large: Books of Muſcles, I doubt he will come off as Lame and defectively there, as in other parts of Anatomy, unleſs he have learnt better, than he hath here delivered, for cap 71. inreckoning the Muſcles of the Scapula, he mentions not the Serratus major Anticus, cap. 72. in the Muſcles of the Arm, which he accounts to be but eight, he leaves out the Coracoidens, and chap. 76. computes the gluteous minimus, among the extenders of the Thigh. Some other miſtakes in Anatomy, arguing his ignorance therein, being too many to refute in this place, I paſs over, only muſt tell you, that he calls the Stomach a cold Entral, Page. 309. and ſaith, that the Air is drawn in by the Ears.

Inſtances of his great Skill in Chirurgery, are too obvious to need ſo much as to be pointed at, much leſs remarked on. In definitions he alway follows the Antients, or marrieth thoſe of the Moderns, bewraying his ignorance in the improvements and diſcoveries of latter ingenuities, Indiagnoſticks, which he accounts the chief part of Chirurgery, he is the ſame skilful man, affirming that a ſolution of continuity, muſt be over fractures of the Scull, only contrafiſſures excepted Page 274. That Wounds of the Heart, are made under the Breaſts, that in penetrating Wounds, the Air ruſheth out. 254. That wounds of the liver happen alway on the right ſide, (page 304) and under the ſhort Ribs, and that blood and purulent matter is voided by ſtool; that Wounds of the Stomach are made under the ſternon. 309. without conſidering that thoſe parts may be wounded other waies, as backward, upward, downward, from within, &c. So that a Chirurgion confiding in thoſe ſigns that he gives, may be many times deceived.

In Prognoſticks, he not only errs moſt notoriouſly, but contradicts himſelf, and ſo confounds them, and ſigns together, as if he were as Ignorant in their diſtinctions, as he is of their natures. Page 55.266. He pronounceth wounds of the Lungs mortal, if not ſuddenly, or ſpeedily, yet after a tedious maraſm or Tabes, ſo he ſeems abſolutely to preſage of the liver page 304. Stomach. page 309. Heart, Bladder, Small-Guts, Diaphragma, &c. though examples to the contrary, are frequently annexed, and very common in the Authors he pretends to Write by, Fallopius Writes of 〈◊〉 Woman ſhot through the Stomac • and cured, and that he hath ſee • abundance of the Lungs, of whic • Schenkius alſo page 253. giveth a prodigious See miſcel. curios. decur. 2. vol. 2. obſ. 37. Idem, vol. 3. obſ. 189. Horſtius, obſ. 11. lib. 3. inſtance. So of the Liver there are many wonderful Hiſtories from the ſame Author. page 397. Hildanus. page 108.109. Sennertus, pract. lib. 5. part. 4. cap. 3. And himſelf quotes a monſtrous one, from P. Foreſtus, where he doubles the quantity of Rhubarb preſcribed by that Author.

Page 132. He repeats what he had delivered in the preceding Chapter, that wounds in the hinder part of the head, are leſs dangerous than thoſe in the forepart; Its what Fallopius makes a very doubtful queſtion, its true, the Temporal muſcles are ſeated forward, and hurts of them are very dangerous, but within the Scull, the occiput hath no advantage, if it be true, as ſome affirm, that all meerly natural actions, or motions, as that of the Heart, Lungs, &c. be performed by Nerves proceeding from the Cerebellum, and what Bapt. Hamel hath written, that upon diſſecting living animals, he found the motion not to ceaſe, upon cutting the brain, but as ſoon as he hurted the Cerebellum, all motion, and life, immediately vaniſhed.

Page 180. He avoweth Hippocrates to be his cheifeſt guide, and recommends him to his reader as the ſafeſt, a great argument of his little experience, ev'n in the caſe then before him, for immediately he ſaith from him, that in wounds of the brain, there is a fever, vomiting of choler, loſs of ſpeech, foaming at the mouth, cloudineſs in the ſight, delirium, Convulſion, Feaver, vomiting of choler, (twice) Palſey, and laſtly, he correpted with an Apoplexy. Mr. S. Wiſeman relates that ſometimes in thoſe wounds, the perſons have remained long, free from any ſuch Symptom. I had once a patient that was wounded a conſiderable depth into the brain, and yet rowed above two Miles afterward in a Boat, and was divers daies under cure, before any of thoſe accidents did appear. But Sennertus gives an account of a Carpenter, that by a wound loſt as much brain as a walnut ſhell would contain, and yet — Toto morbi decurſu, nec de dolore capitis, nec de ullo Symptomate conqueſtus eſt, & ambulare ſine ullo impedimento potuit, this is an aditional inſtance, of our Authors skill in Diagnoſticks, as of his implicit, and blind adhering to the opinions, and Doctrines of the Ancients, and the miſtakes they lead him into, as alſo of his being a ſtranger to this ſort of practice. I do not wonder at either of thoſe, but that he could not find this in any of the Authors he quotes, nor ever heard of it, is to me very ſtrange, ſince this, and the like, are in ſeveral of the Books, liſted in the beginning of his.

Can he be ſuppoſed a man of skill, or experience, that in ſo large a Book, and a ſubject of ſuch common practice, is not able to produce one medicine, or notion that's his own, or thats uncommon, nor the beſt or choice of thoſe that are in every mans hand, neither an obſervation (putting aſide that ridculous one of his arm, for which he was allowed from the Cheſt at Catham,) that he hath not ſtoln, or borrowed, his Judgment and skill, in Therapenticks, and application of remedies, you have already ſeen in his directing to an opiate pill for a purge, and to melt ſanguis draconis, and other dry gumes for a plaiſter; here he multiplyeth inſtances of the like nature, directing to ſuppurate Ecchymoſis ſpeedily, Page 75. 77. and giving a ſtrange fomentation for that purpoſe, made of Wormwood, Sage, Rhue, Scordium, Century, Hypericon, Scabios, Speedwell, Chammamel, Cummin, &c. Boyled in Wine, which are far from ſuppuratives, and hinder that intention, all of them reſiſting maturation, rarify and diſcuſs the homor, or bloud extravaſate, which are faculties contrary to digeſtives, or ſuppuratives. Page 70. 103. And in many other places, he mixeth large quantities of Myrrh, Thus, (which reſiſt maturation, ſang. draconis, myrtils, and things which bind, with digeſtives for a Wound, page 73. he calls Chamamel Flowers, hot and moiſt, page 36. 101. he gives a very defective parcel of Inſtruments, as the needful to extract extraneous bodies, infinitely ſhort, not only of the variety many former Authors had given, but are now uſed, and in the hand of every underſtanding Artiſt, page 112. the Scull being bare, muſt be ſcaled, or Raſpt. 113. moiſt things muſt not be uſed to Wounds of the Scull.

Page 142. He directs the teeth of the Trepan to be oyled when uſed, which I know where he ſtole, but I cannot omit to note it as a ſign of his unskilfulneſs; for the Scull in living perſons, is ſofter than they Imagine, and apt to make that diſturbing noiſe, they would prevent thereby. Moreover oyl is an enemy to the bones, eſpecially where revently divided, begets caries, fungus, and the operation is made more tedious by rendring the teeth of the Inſtrument apt to ſlip over, and make leſs, and ſuperficial Raſures of the Scull. In his diſcourſe of opening the Calvaria, he makes no mention of exciſion, ſo much better than Cruciats, or any other manner, and become the common way of laying • are, fractures of the Cranium.

Page 147. He frequently directs Vormwood, in Fomentations, and Cataplaſms for the head, as ſeveral have done before him, but its no proper Cephalick, offending the head which way ſoever uſed thereto, or conveyd into the Stomach, page 26. he ſaith the Jugulars wounded, are ſeldom cured, but doth not ſay which Jugular; if he mean the external, every Farryer can confute him from dayly experience, page 188. he forbids the uſe of cool repellent things to the head in concuſſions, contrary to conſtant and commonly approved practice, and to his own foregoing adviſe, and directs to Phlebotomy, under the Tongue, in the Arm, by Cupps, &c. but ſaith nothing of the Jugulars, which in ſuch caſes, is better than they all; he directs irreſpectively to the uſe of Tents, in penetrating Wounds of the Breaſt, being (I perceive) Ignorant, that many ſuch are cured without them.

In other matters not ſtrictly Chirurgical, he appears the ſam • man, his Ignorance in the Philoſophy and nature of poyſons, he bewrays in his 17 chap. calling the •• compound ſubſtances, not natural, &c. page 135. in giving the reaſon why Wounds of the temporal muſcle, are ſo very dangerous, he omits the chiefeſt, his Ignorance in any of the new Hypotheſis, of Generation of Animals is very notorious in thoſe places, where he calls the brain a compoſition of ſperm, and maternal bloud, Page 173.179. that the Piamater is made of the firſt ſcattering of the ſperm, &c. but theſe things are ecchoed from him, out of the ancients, who like our novice, were ſtrangers to thoſe new, clear, and moſt agreeable opinions, de generatione animalium, firſt ſtarted by Fallopius, Harvey, and others, and ſince prodigiouſly improved, confirmed, and explained, by Theod. Kirkringius, Regn. de Graeff. Caſp. Bartholin. Tho. Filius, and almoſt all modern Anatomiſts, and Philoſophers to ſay nothing of the more ſubtil, and new ſprang Hypotheſis of Mr. Levenhooks Animalcula.—

He ſeems not to know the Piamater to be a thin, and almoſt imperceptible membrane, when he ſaith its placed for a defence of the brain, from injury by the dura mater, which membrane, though ſo called, is not on the inſide, hard enough, to beget any ſuch hurt as he Imagines, nor is the brain capable of it, becauſe it hath no ſenſe of feeling, the piamater alſo being moſt exquiſitly tender as well as very thin is altogether unfit for the uſe he aſſigns it, what followeth in this page 173. as from Plato (to whoſe writings our pretender is a ſtranger,) is another effort of his ſenſe, which I need but repeat. And as Plato Writes, ev'n as a medium between fire and earth; theſe being of a contrary quality, the Almighty hath interpoſed water, and aire; ev'n thus the brain, and the cranium, being of a different nature, mould, and ſubſtance, nature hath put theſe two membranes between. Oh! admirable ſenſe, and moſt ingenious compariſon!

At length I have brought the man to his end, where he looks back on his mighty performance, and not a little elevated with a conceit of its excellency; he falls into this notable, whimſical encomium of himſelf, and his elaborate writings. Thus (quoth he) have I ſailed through the bloudy Ocean of Wounds, wherein I have like a faithful Pilot, ſhewn how the young Chirurgion may ſteer his courſe, in the wounded main, and how he may keep himſelf and the Ship of his Art, from the Rocks, and ſhelves of ignominy, and ſlander; my method is good, and capable enough, of teaching young Artiſts, how to procure health, to the wounded Patient.

He is ſo ridiculouſly fond of marine alluſion, and affected with compariſons from the Sea, and forceth them to Tally, with what is no way ſuitable. That I doubt the ſame Planet which rules that Element, guides and influenceth his head, how well he merits the praiſe he gives his doughty work, and what an excellent guide, he is to young Tyro's in Chirurgery and Anatomy, I have ſufficiently demonſtrated, and dare appeal to the cenſure of all rational men, Whether he be not a moſt unfit man for an Author, and his works the moſt erroneous extant, of this day. I avow that I have not expoſed the fifth part of his faults particularly, but in general, do Challenge him, to produce that page, in theſe two Books, wherein I will not ſhew him culpable▪ under one of thoſe Topicks, or heads of Cenſure, and reflection, which I have laſt proceeded with, there being not one Folio, ſcarce a period, and but few ſentences, or lines but juſtly demerit it, and he above any man, in danger of coming under Squire Ketches Operations, if Ignorance and Impudence were High Treaſon.

But I am not ſo much diſpleaſed, or deceived by his firſt ſallies, as aſtoniſht at his renewed efforts, and the repeated inſtances he gives of his ignorance, and boldneſs. I know nothing more prolifique, and fruitful than Vermine and noxious Animals, accordingly it ſeems the Mountain hath again conceived, the long ear'd▪ Creature hath engendered anew by the wind, and teemed more Books, no leſs than Twins having at once their Birth, and thundrings, names, (able to cramp a mans mouth) proclaimed by the Mercury of the Preſs, Adenochoiradalogia, Myotomia, Myographia.

What hath the man no more ſhame, or modeſty, than wit or learning, or are the Fraternity as ſunk in ignorance, or blindly miſtaken, to encourage his Pen, by giving ſale, and reputation to his writings, like him who lately liſted him an Author of the beſt credit, to prove Wounds of the Brain curable, he might as well have produced a broken eccho for a Compurgator, but I perceive the humor of ranking the vileſt evidence, among the moſt Authentick, and thoſe of the greateſt probity, (when it will ſerve a cauſe,) is got among the Plaiſter box-men, as well as the Whiggs.

I wonder ſome Friends (for ſome I will preſume he hath) do not kill the Worm in his head, (a ſign there's no Mercury in it) by repreſenting to him how unskilful he manageth his Gooſe Quill, and dehort him from ſo profuſe a diſpenſation of his little Talent, or that ſome of his Enemies (of which I hear he hath contracted great ſtore,) do not expoſe the folly, and chaſtize the wickedneſs of his Pen, and by one of thoſe wayes, prevent him from troubling the World with his impertinencies. I am told one of the approvers of his laſt Books, is Doctor Allen of Bedlam, I believe a courſe of Phyſick from the ſame hand, would do him more ſervice, for he appears not only troubled with the ſimples, but as diſtracted, and out of his wits as much as any Patient the Doctor hath, in that fine Hoſpital in Morefields, ſo indigeſted, and incoherent, ſo full of Abſurd Tranſitions, Ridiculous Aſſertions, Silly Metaphors, and Alluſions, Crude Notions, Notorious Thefts, Errors, and effects of Ignorance, ſo Whiſling and Extravagant, ſo Immethodical, Trifling, Empty and Void of all Senſe, ſo contrary to common literature, is all that's his own in his firſt two Books, (as I have evinced) that it manifeſts him crackt in the head, unſound in his intellect, wants Phlebotomy, Hellebor, a dark Room, and a Keeper, to which I wonder none of thoſe many skilful Gentlemen, whoſe names (how obtained, I admire and wonder,) are prefixt, did not adviſe him, one I am told, from whom he begg'd an approbation to his Book of Wounds, having good regard to both their credits, refuſed to ſubſcribe, and honeſtly exhorted him to learn to write Engliſh, before he ſet up for an Author.

Tracts of Tumors, Wounds and Muſcles, are innumerable, and ev'n this age hath produced extraordinary diſcourſes on thoſe ſubjects, ſo that the path is well beaten and plain, the road full of guides, (among whom I find him playing) and yet ſince our ſcribler hath wandred, and gone lame in ſo eaſie a way, what then can be hoped, if he Travel in one more intricate, and leſs trodden, as is that of the Kings Evil, a growing diſeaſe, with new phaenomena, become almoſt Epidemical, and of which few have written large Theoryes: He is certainly a bold man, to venture at ſuch a knotty and difficult ſubject, (I ſmile to think on the Aſs chewing Thiſtles,) and a very ingenious one if he have exceeded Mr. Serjeant Wiſeman, whoſe diſcourſe, (compoſed by the owned aſſiſtance, of the moſt worthy and learned Dr. W. Needham,) on that Protean, Rampent Malady, I cannot forbare, to praiſe and celebrate, and to pay my grateful acknowledgments, to the memory of that judicious, and experienced Artiſt, who writ ſo much like a man, on many other ſubjects, to the great advantage of mankind in general, and we of the healing faculty in particular, I wiſh our Author could as juſtly claim the Bay's but ex quovis ligno.—

Sir, the buſineſs of this Letter is not to tell you, how free you are like to be from future importunity for more Books, but to let you know your trouble will be enhanced, by the addition of a more tedious employment, for I muſt now beſeech you, (who I know to be a very competent judge) to examine before you buy, and become both Cenſurer and Factor; particularly I deſire from you, an account of this Author, and his other writings, whether they be of the ſame meal, or (which I can by no means perſuade my ſelf to hope,) hath acquitted himſelf better like an Arciſt, than he hath done in the more facil, and preſidented ſubjects of his former Books. A Phyſician is like a Friend in re incerta cernitur, (you ſee I am for a ſcrap now and then, as well as he, but my hopes hereof are diſcouraged not only by his 2 firſt Books, in general, but an unlucky paſſage in the 31 page of that concerning Tumors. —and as we ſeldom ſee a wiſeman gain knowledge from a Fool, ſo is it as rare to gain a wiſe Medicine from an ignorant Block.—I would alſo know his Education, what eſteem his Perſon, and Books have among the worthy Brotherhood in the Town, what right he had to be called one of his late Majeſties Chirurgions in Ordinary, whether it were real, and he in ſalary, and attendance or it be only a Feather, obtained by the power of Guinia's, and become a Faſhion for every emperical pretender, to wear in his Cap, formerly uſed by them of little mony, to keep them from the men of Gath, now by them of little wit, and skill to delude the People into an opinion of their merit, on account of both your anſwer to thoſe particulars, and what elſe you know of the like nature concerning this buſy Squire, will gratifie an impertinent curioſity, of your true Friend and Servant.

Sutton Tueſday after Eaſter Week, 1685. FINIS