Volume 2

A discourse on the preparation of the body for the small-pox: and the manner of receiving the infection. As it was deliver'd in the Publick Hall of the Academy, before the Trustees, and others, on Wednesday, the 21st of November, 1750 ... / [Adam Thomson].

  • Adam Thomson
Date:
1750
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse on the preparation of the body for the small-pox: and the manner of receiving the infection. As it was deliver'd in the Publick Hall of the Academy, before the Trustees, and others, on Wednesday, the 21st of November, 1750 ... / [Adam Thomson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ttrs, I have no where declared it ; having only contended in general', thaf Phyfick is a Science, founded on juft and rational Principles, and that the Knowledge of thefe Principles are abfolutely necefjary to qualify a Man for being a fafe practical Phyjician. V/hoeyer is poffejfed of the necefary Spuali- f cations, let him come by them which Way he will, and whether he has a Di¬ ploma or not (for it muft be owned a Diploma is often eafily and undefervedly obtained) is to all Intents and Purpofes, in the Senfe I have ufed the Term, a duly qualified Phyfician: And whoever has them not, be his Pretenfions what they willy. is a £>uack. ’Tis true, I have hinted, that this Matter is for the moft Part too fiightly examined into, and unqualified Perfons too often trifled in America \ but this is Jo-, notorious a. Truth) that it is almoft in every Body's Mouthy and I never*met with a Practitioner in America, even a- mong the low eft Clafs of them I ever convers'd with,..but what would freely own it. * At prefent, therefore, feeing there is no juft Caffe of Offence given,.. thC 1 have been frequently told great Offence has been taken, yet not being certain of it, having only heard.it in general, without any Names, I muff fup- Jpofe it either a falfe Rumour, or that, thofe who are offended, did not hear the Difcourfe, and have had a wrong Reprejentation of the Matter given them, which they will be, convinced of upon feeing the Piece itfelfi BUT as the Manner this Performance came to be ufjer'd into the World, was fo'mething uncommon in thefe Parts, I muff beg Leave to be a little snore particular concerning it,.. • ^ • ft » « T . 1? is a Thing very ^ well known, that in all Places fet apart for univer- fal Education, publick Orations on phyfical Subjells, as well as on any other Branch of natural Knowledge, are exceeding common. Tet in Reality the ' Difcourfe was not originally writ with that View, for 1 had aClually finifhed What I intended for the Publick on the SubjeCl, before I had any Thoughts of delivering it as a publick OrationBut refecting there was an Academy newly ereBed here,., and finding the Length of the Difcourfe would fuit fuch a Deftgn, I thought there would be nothing amifs in defiring the Prefident,. if he approv'd of it, to propofe it to the Truftees, which was accordingly done and agreed to without any ObjeBion, as I was informed both by the Prefident, and other of the Truftees, The Novelty of the Thing, howevery 1 under ft and, affords Matter of Sneer to fome few, who, perhaps, are un¬ willing to own the true Motives of their Difapprobation. But whatever thefe may be,. I am quite eafy under the Confcioffnefs of having meant well. X * ■ v > A S fome late Mifcarriages in Inoculation, tho’ but very few, had flag¬ ger'd many People about a Practice, which I was firmly perfuaded in my own Mind, was of the moft falutary Natare> I thought it my Duty to give a State
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