A letter to William Smellie, M.D., containing critical and practical remarks upon his Treatise on the theory and practice of midwifery / By John Burton, M.D. Wherein the various gross mistakes and dangerous methods of practice mentioned and recommended by that writer, are fully demonstrated. And generally corrected.

  • Burton, John, 1710-1771.
Date:
MDCCLIII. [1753]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to William Smellie, M.D., containing critical and practical remarks upon his Treatise on the theory and practice of midwifery / By John Burton, M.D. Wherein the various gross mistakes and dangerous methods of practice mentioned and recommended by that writer, are fully demonstrated. And generally corrected. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [236] he either wtis educated in, or follows the Praftice of Midwifery*, without which it is impolTible to be Ma- fter of the very Elements of the Science, which are the fure P'oundation whereon the whole depends: And as an eminent Writer fays ‘ It is in Criticifm, as ‘ in all other Sciences and Speculations, one who brings ‘ with him any implicit Notions and Obfervations ♦ which he has made in his reading the Authors, will ‘ find his own Reflexions methodized and explained, * and perhaps feveral little Hints that had paflfed in ‘ his Mind, perfedled and improved in the Works of ^ a good Criticwhereas one who has not thefe pre- ‘ vious Lights is very often an utter Stranger to what ‘ he reads, and apt to put a wrong Interpretation ^ upon itd Pope {c) gives very good Advice on the like Occa- fion, for he fays, Be fure yoUrfelf and your own Reach to know^ How far your Genius^ and Learning go,— Each might his feveral Province well command Would all hut ftoop to what they imderjtand,— Without all thefe before your Eyes,, Cavil you may, but never criticife. But this Objedtion, tho’ true, 1 fhall yet wave and pro» ceed^to fhew Kirkpatricks Partiality and want of Candor *, flrft obferving, that had there been any material Ob- jedtion either to the Theory or Pradtice recommended in my Pffay, we may reaibnably prefume, that Wri¬ ter would have difplay’d it with all his Rhetoric, with¬ out omitting the leaft Circumftance to prejudice the Reader ai2:ainfl: it *, fince he has endeavoured to wreft my Meaning very different from what it manifeftly ap¬ pears to be, and has g\wm falfe and partial Quotations to fupport his Attempts, as will be very apparent in the Sequel. [b] In the InffcSi. Numb. 291. \c) EJJay on 0-itidf?n, Lines 48, 49, 66, 67, 123, 124. In