Copy 1, Volume 1

The works of Thomas Sydenham, M.D / Translated from the Latin edition of Dr. Greenhill, with a life of the author, by R.G. Latham.

  • Thomas Sydenham
Date:
1848-1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of Thomas Sydenham, M.D / Translated from the Latin edition of Dr. Greenhill, with a life of the author, by R.G. Latham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    4. Nevertheless, how great soever the efforts of others may have been, I, for my own part, have always considered that the breath of life would have been to me a vain gift, unless I, working in the same mine with them, contributed my mite to the treasury of physic. Wherefore, after long meditation, and the diligent and faithful observations of many years, I at length determined—firstly, to state my opinion as to the means by which the science of medicine was to be advanced ; secondly, to publish a sample of my endeavours in that department. 5. I conceive that the advancement of medicine lies in the following conditions: There must be, in the first place, a history of the disease ; in other words, a description that shall be at once graphic and natural. There must be, in the second place, a Praxis, or Methodus, respecting the same, and this must be regular and exact. To draw a disease in gross is an easy matter. To describe’ it in its history, so as to escape the censure of the great Bacon, is far more difficult. Against some pretenders in this way, he launches the following censure—“ We are well aware that there existeth such a thing as a Natural History ; full in bulk, pleasant From its variety, often curious from its diligence. Notwith- standing, whoever would take away from the same the citations of authors, the empty discussions, and, finally, the book-learning and ornaments, which are fitter for the convivial meetings of learned men than for the establishment of a Philosophy, would find. that it dwindled into nothing. Such a natural history is jar distant from the one we contemplate.”* In like manner it is exceedingly easy to propound some common-place cure for a complaint. It is far harder, however, to translate your words into actions, and to square your results with your promises. This is well known to those who have learned that there occur in practical writers numerous dis- eases, which neither the authors themselves, nor any persons else besides, have been able to cure. 1 “ Satis scimus haberi Historiam Naturalem, mole amplam, varietate gratam, dili- gentia ssepius curiosam: attamen si quis ex ea fabulas, et authorum citationes, et inanes controversias, philologiam denique et ornamenta eximat (que ad convivales sermones hominumque doctorum noctes potius quam ad instituendam Philosophiam sunt accommodata) ad nil magni res recidet. Longe profecto abest ab ea historia quam animo metimur.”—Descript. Glob. Intellect., c. iii, vol. xi, p. 8. [G.]