Theelement of fire, if ufed with discretion, will warm and cherish the body, but immoderately applied, it becomes deftructive; and wine, the most generous of cordials, which exhilerates and makes the heart glad, if taken in excefs, will benumb the fenfes, and turn the man to beast.

Like thofe perverted bleffings, are powerful medicines when mifapplied; for, that fovereign remedy the Peruvian Bark, and the almost divine powers of Opium, are in their own nature the fame, whether in the hands of the ignorant or fkilful; altho' the difference of their effect will be very great, according to their proper or improper ufe. It is not, therefore, only the thing itself, but also its ufe or abuse, which constitutes the remedy, or poison.

That fagacious and incomparable phyfician, Sydenham, whofe fkill was equalled by nothing so much as his exceeding honesty, after long and extenfive experience, at last

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comprised all his medical knowledge in his Proceffus Integri: This valuable production he carefully drew up for the use of his fon, but in a plain and fimple style, fuch as beft becomes the truth.

By diligent and repeated obfervation, he discovered what his envious co-temporaries could not before find out, with all their pretended fubtilty and acuteness of reafoning; namely, that the free and unlimited use of Fresh Air and cold Fluids were indifpenfably neceffary in the Small Pox ;'and that the contrary method was the fure way to kill the patient, altho' in his time it was the prevailing practice. This I mention to fhew the fuperiority of practical knowledge, and the fallacy of those who expect to cure diseases without it; as well as to demonftrate the power of Cooling Regimen, which did more in fubduing that deftructive difeafe, than all the Materia Medica put together.

If the efficacy of Regimen is fo very apparent in Acute Diseases; the propriety of its use in maladies of the Chronic Kind muft ftill be more evident; for as they are attended with lefs immediate danger; it may be longer continued and varied, according to the nature of particular circumstances, in fuch a manner as to produce a gradual, lafting, and falutary change in the bodily fyftem; especially when affifted with mild and fimple Medicines.

Inftead of this rational method of proceeding; a Farrago, or unnatural hodgepodge, is often directed for the patient, where many ingredients of contrary qualities are jumbled together, in fpite of their own enmity to each other. The jarring elements of Fire and Water might as well be expected to agree. But, even admitting the efficacy of the feveral ingredients when feparately confidered; according to fuch modes of prefcription, there

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is generally too small a quantity of any one of them, to make it act with fufficient power.

What then is to be expected from those compofitions, which, either confidered in whole or in part, exclude every idea of anfwering their propofed end? But should the event prove favourable, it would be impoffible to determine which of thofe feveral ingredients was moft conducive to the cure, confequently, no improvement could from thence be made in the art of healing. Such mixtures are well calculated to keep both patient and prescriber in profound ignorance of what is productive of good, if fortunately fuch fhould be their effect: They may indeed, as ufual, be said to be made according to Art, for nature has nothing to do with them.

From whence this extraordinary fondnefs for compound medicines could proceed, is not eafy to discover; without it was,

from our ignorance of the true qualities of Simples. Why fhould we attempt to do that which nature with her own falutary hand, and more than chemical exactnefs, has done much better? for every plant is, in reality, a compound of Oil, Spirit and effential Salt differing in fpecific quality, according to the proportion of those principles.

Such fubftances then are already prepared for the purposes of medicine; but if we torture and disjoin their parts, we defeat the intention of nature, by making them what they were not before; and thus convert natural medicinal fubftances, into dangerous artificial poifons.

The Bitter Almond, for example, contains both a Poifon and its Antidote; for, in its natural state, it may be taken as nourishment with the greatest safety, but only feparate from it the two forts of Oil, of which it is poffeffed, the one from its husk or membrane,