The dishonour of the gout: or, a serious answer to a ludicrous pamphlet, lately publish'd [by Philander Misiatrus], entitled, The honour of the gout; shewing, I. That the gout is one of the greatest misfortunes that can happen ... II. That all those afflicted ... would gladly be rid of it. And III. That there is a safe and sure cure for it / By John Marten.

  • John Marten
Date:
1737
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The dishonour of the gout: or, a serious answer to a ludicrous pamphlet, lately publish'd [by Philander Misiatrus], entitled, The honour of the gout; shewing, I. That the gout is one of the greatest misfortunes that can happen ... II. That all those afflicted ... would gladly be rid of it. And III. That there is a safe and sure cure for it / By John Marten. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/128 (page 7)
    Jp ] and Mathematicians, before and after him, that contriv’d Syftems of their own, and the Names of tfhefeus, fhemiftocles, Camillas, Ttmoleon, Julius Ctffar, Bellizarius^ Guftavus Adolphus, and 2#- renne, have not made more Noifedn the World than thofe of Pythagoras, Plato^ Democritus, Epicu- rus^Ptclomy, Copernicus, tfycho-Brahe, and De/cartes. But what Ufe their ingenious Guefles have been of to Mankind, is a Queftion not eafily to be anfwer’d; nay, many are of Opinion, that by put¬ ting Men upon Speculation, they have diverted them from the Stead inefs of Observation, and confequent- ly done more harm than good, as to the Improve¬ ment of real Knowledge. However, as long as their Invention is only employ’d to explain the Motions of the Heavens and Stars, the Meteors of the Air, the Flux and Reflux of the Sea, the Ver- tues of the Loadftone, and a thoufand other things that are without us, their Syftems can do us no man¬ ner of Prejudice if there were five hundred more *of them j for whether the Earth remains fix’d upon its old Foundation, and the’Sun goes round about it, as it ufed to do , or that the Sun ftands Hill, and the Earth is whirl’d about that, with greater Celerity than Balls flie from Canons, as long as both HypGthefes keep all things {landing as they are, no Body can fuftain any Damage by either. But when once thefe Guefles begin to be extended to our Infide, and Phyficians when we are Sick, to reflore us, turning Philofbphers, draw Con- clufions from them as if they were real Truths, then they may do us a great deal of Hurt: And if the Hypothefis be wrong, the Patient is in a miferable Condition. But that I may not be thought to move above my Sphere, and yet fhew the little Dependance that is to be had inPhyfick upon thefe ingenious Whim-’ fies of inventive Brains, I fhali repeat what has been