An historical sketch of medicine and surgery, from their origin to the present time, and of the principal authors, discoveries, improvements, imperfections and errors / by W. Black, M.D.

  • William Black
Date:
1782
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical sketch of medicine and surgery, from their origin to the present time, and of the principal authors, discoveries, improvements, imperfections and errors / by W. Black, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    50/338 (page 36)
    r ] formation. In attending to difeafe?, throughout all their changes and meanders, he was vigilant and indefatigable, his judgment profound arrd corred'. His conclufions and predidions are, not- vvithftanding, often built upon a finglc fymptom ; but to prefage future events, in conformity to his own rules, a more comprehenfive furvey fhould be made ot the difeafe, the remaining powers of the conftitution, and the probable fuccefs to be expeded fiom Medicine. Flis Aphorifms begin in the ufual Itile, of v/hich I before gave a fpeci- men. “ Vita brevis, Ars longa, occafio preceps, “ experientia fallax, judicium difficile,” &c. The Latin is put in place of the original Greek, which IS flill more compendious, and the didion adorned with greater majefty. Throughout, his language is clofe and compreffied *, and on moft fubjeds he is defedive in arrangement, perfpicuity, and elu- cidation. To beginners in Medical Studies he would be dry and frequently unintelligible. His Writings refemble rather a regifter or a ftore houfe of folid fads heaped together, than a pleafing nar- rative. He may, I think, be comparedto our Bacon, Lord Verulam : the one is in Phyfick what the o- ther, in modern times, was in Philofophy. Hippo- crates firll pointed out the true road to arrive at Me- dical knowledge, and made a beginning in almoft e- very branch of Medicine, although he brought none to perledion. In fo fiiort a time he did wonders for one man : but the fabric of Phyfick was infinitely too large and extenfive for a fingle perfan to frnifh. blip-