all the base and insolent Means he can to make himself taken notice of by those that are too easily credulous to specious Promises cloaked with Dogmatical and Resolute Positiveness But from what he hath already said of Nutrition in his former Book any one that understands common Sense so much as to be able to distinguish it from Nonsense will be satisfied that he is by no means qualifyed for a Physician Yet tho' he hath given the World one would think a clear Specimen of his Ignorance and that he is a mere vain pretending Emperick he hath still the Face to appear not only against Chirurgeons but a whole Body of Learned Physicians and tell the World that no Body knows any thing besides himself when it plainly appears that he is altogether ignorant shallow and widely mistaken in those things he most pretends to To make it appear I shall in the next place take a View of what he says of Acids in the Cure of Distempers and shall shew that he neither understands the Nature of Alkalies nor of those Acids he so much extols and also that what he irrationally and so dogmatically asserts contrary to all Learned Writers and common Experience is very foolishly advanced and that the consequences of such absurd Practice are very dangerous as well as the Practice it self very pernicious and not to be followed without the greatest hazard of the Lives of those that are so much misled as to make use of him and to commit themselves to the irregular and unreasonable Methods of such an absurd Practicer And before I examin the grand Mistakes of his Book I shall take notice of some things he hath premised in his Preface which will lay open his Design and the Method he takes to impose upon those that want Judgment to discover his Faults The first thing I shall there take Notice of is that in the fifth Page of his Preface he says There are some particular Preparations of Steel and Antimony the which giving as Alkalies and as they are generally believed to be did me very great Service but since I have well examined them instead of Alkalies I find them to be most noble Acids and the Distempers cured by them did not proceed from Acid but Alkalious Particles Here we may see what Methods this short sighted Reformer intends to take for where he hath not the least Pretence that Acids are useful in the Cure of Distempers there we must expect that rather then he will not promote his Doctrin of Acids he will change the very Names of Things and call Alkalies Acids and Acids Alkalies for those Medicines that are used in the Cure of Distempers and now called Alkalies he must needs call Acids by which Rule I would think him never the wiser if he could prove that Bitter Medicines will cure such Distempers as Alkalies are generally used in for it is but calling those Alkalies Bitters and then the Business is done and by the same sort of Reasoning for it is all the Reasoning he can pretend to I might prove to the World that he is worse then the very Beast of the Field for it is but changing his Name and instead of calling him Mr. John Colbatch A Wooden Statue but this is a way to raise new Opinions indeed If a Man must be no longer called so but a Horse and a Horse a Man it would not be an Improvement of Knowledge but an unnecessary Alteration of the Names of Animals at this Rate there might be as many Books writ as foolish Men could invent Names for Things But that Steel is not an Acid when it is used for an Alkalie I shall hereafter shew and that Alkalies are not the Causes of those Distempers that are cured by such Medicines in the mean time it is altogether sufficient for me barely to Contradict him since I have all Learned and Judicious Men to confirm what I say and he barely asserts without Proof or Authority A little after having made a Confession that he was an Apothecary in Worcester a little after that he endeavours to give an Account of the Qualifications of that Profession that People may judge whether he was not by that means qualified for a Physician but who would he have to judge if he describes the Qualifications of an Apothecary that Physitians might judge whether that Profession had qualified him for a Physician or not he might have saved himself the trouble for they know better what will qualify one for an Apothecary and how far that comes short of a Physician than he can tell them but if he designed those that do not understand Physic should judge of him he ought also to have informed them what Qualifications are necessary for a Physician otherwise they are not capable of judging but by his Writings it is plain he is not acquainted with those Qualifications neither indeed if we must judge of him by those Rules he hath laid down as Qualifications for an Apothecary is he qualified for an Apothecary for First he says An Apothecary must be well acquainted with the Vegetable Kingdom not only to know the Faces of Plants but their Natures and Manner of Operation upon Human Bodies Otherwise how can they tell how to handle them so as to make Compositions as they ought to be Now that he wants this first Qualification is very plain for if he does not understand human Bodies it is impossible he should know how they operate upon those Bodies that he does not understand human Bodies is manifest from the Account he hath given in his Novum Lumen which I have shewed to be False and Absurd But under this first Qualification he further says Every Physician supposes the Apothecary so Qualified when he prescribes to his Shop But here I must tell him he is mistaken for as it is not necessary that Apothecaries should be so Qualified so such Qualifications are not expected by Physitians that prescribe to them for an Apothecary may compound Medicines without knowing the Nature of those Medicines that he compounds for all Apothecaries make up their Compositions according to Receipts in which they are directed how to mix them and what Quantity of each is to be mixed so that it is enough for one that makes up a Receipt to know Weights and Measures and what Directions are writ before him and to be acquainted barely with the Faces of things For it not belonging to Apothecaries to apply or prescribe any Medicines except by the Order of a Physitian it is enough for them to know how to follow a Physitians Directions which they are enabled to do by knowing how to chuse Simples and Compounds so as to distinguish them by their Names and how to mix them according to Art He further says Let a Phisitian prescribe like an Angel c. I would willingly know how he comes to be acquainted with Angels Prescriptions and whether he has learnt them or not I am afraid they are seldom catched in
AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS BOOKS viz. I. Novum Lumen Chirurgicum II. Essay of Alkalies and Acids III. An Appendix to that Essay IV. A Treatise of the Gout V. The Doctrin of Acids further Asserted c. VI. A Relation of a Person Bitten by a Viper c. To which is added An Answer to Dr. Leigh's Remarks on a Treatise concerning the Heat of the Blood Together with Remarks on Dr. Leigh's Book intituled Exercitationes Quinque Printed at a private Press in Oxford without the License of the Vniversity AS ALSO A short View of Dr. Leighs Reply to Mr. Colbatch c. By RICHARD BOULTON of Brazen-Nose College in OXFORD LONDON Printed for A. and J. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster-Row 1698. Liber Coll. Omnanim Fidel. defunct in Oxon. TO THE Learned and ever Honoured CHARLES GOODALL Doctor in Physick Physician to the Charter-House AND CENSOR to the COLLEGE of Physicians London Learned SIR AS no one can be more concerned than your Self in Vindicating Learning and discouraging it's Opponents so without Presumption I may say no one is more able to take upon him such a Task of which You have long ago satisfied the World by appearing Publickly in the Defence of That College of which You are now a very worthy Member And as you have given a very full Proof that you are sufficiently qualified to Defend Learned Men from the Attempts of those who endeavour to Oppose them so it consequently follows that I could not possibly make choice of a fitter Patron for this Book which is a Vindication of all Learned Physicians from the vain and false Pretences of an ignorant Man And tho' I presume to ask your Patronage of this Book yet it is not because I think the Adversary I appear against nor all his adherents formidable Opponents but because any thing that carrys with it a Vindication of that Learned Society of which you are a Member cannot have a more proper Name prefixed to it than Yours who have so signally appeared in their Defence But tho' it be an Honour to appear in such a Cause yet it is not that which bears the highest Place in your Character For Religion and Vertue which are the Measures and Rules of all your Actions make you Useful both to the Church and State it being Part of your continual Care to instil into young Men a just Veneration for a Deity and noble and great Notions of the extraordinary Merit of so great a King And your Prudence is not more remarkable in respect of the Publick than your own Private Affairs where Judgment and Learning are the sure Guides of successful Practice and Vertue and Tranquility extend themselves throughout your Family These are but short Hints of so great a Character as the Conduct of your Life affords materials for a Character which claims a better Pen than mine to take a Draught of and which one that is intimately acquainted with those Vertues in their utmost Extent can only describe For which Reason I fear that whilst I only endeavour to shew my self sensible of those Obligations your Favours have laid upon me and for which Gratitude can be the least Return I shall rather be condemn'd by those who know how far I come short of your Merit for undertaking to mention any thing that belongs to a Character so much above my Reach Yet from your self I can easily hope for Pardon since you are so free to give it to all those that transgress not too far Divine and Human Laws nor unreasonably triumph in their Ignorance to the Dishonour of Learning and Learned Men for all which you have so great a Veneration and therefore I am more hold humbly to subscribe my self Learned SIR Your most Obliged Servant at your Command R. BOULTON THE PREFACE TO THE READER THE Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies hath been so long since rejected as False and Erroneous by the Famous and Honourable Robert Boyle Esq and others that it is a wonder any Man should have so much Impudence as to advance it afresh without answering those Objections which have sufficiently proved the Insufficiency of it much more to dare with so much Boldness to Contradict all Learned Men upon such false Grounds as Mr. Colbatch hath done And therefore I think it fit to acquaint my Reader briefly with the true State of the Controversy that he may more clearly judge how far he is from Truth in what he hath writ and what Reason I had to write in the Method I have In short then they must understand that Mr. Colbatch hath endeavoured to Account for and to cure most Distempers upon so false a Bottom as the Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies which hath been long since rejected and laid aside by all the most Rational Physicians and that herein he hath been so bold as not only to tell all the World that they were mistaken but hath taken upon him to call University-Learning nothing but fusty Philosophy and all Rational Physicians all the ill Names he could invent impudently complaining that he was sorry to see Physick a Scene of Slaughter These Imputations with a great many more hath he laid upon the World and if we look into his Books we shall see very little Reason for it for he hath not only Err'd with the Vulgar in building all his Writings on a false Doctrin but to shew how grandly he is mistaken he hath proved himself two Removes from Truth for granting the Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies true what he hath said will not hold so that he must needs be doubly mistaken And therefore in Answering his Books and laying open his Faults I all along proved that granting the Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies true what he says it false And here it is not amiss to declare a little more clearly that tho' I have argued against his Books as if the Hypothesis he built upon were true yet I don't at all grant it to be so only to shew how widely he is distant from Truth for to have shewn that he only Erred in assuming the Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies would but have proved him guilty of a Fault that hath been common to others as well as himself but his Faults are of a more absurd kind for which Reason it is excusable that I have treated him in such a proper Manner as to represent the Man as well as the Physitian However I must confess that tho' I have proved him guilty of such grand Faults both in Physick and his Behaviour towards the Learned World yet it wants an Apology and perhaps may be no small Disadvantage to my Arguments to mix such Remarks as I have amongst them for which Reason I desire my Reader to consider the State of the Controversy and the Person against whom I write it is not a Man who hath the good Opinion and Approbation of Learned Men but like a Mountebank the Cry of a few of the Rabble and one that
overcome by his weakness and misled by him who want Judgment and Knowledg to perceive his Errors and to arm themselves against large Pretences For the greatest Part of Mankind know so little of Physick nay are so Ignorant of it that when a Man is bold and positive they cannot imagin that he can have so much Impudence to pretend to Knowledg if he was really Ignorant that this is the Case of Mr. Colbatch I shall take Pains to shew what he writes being an Inconsiderate piece of confused and incoherent Assertions I shall therefore lay open his Errors so fairly that the World may be no longer imposed upon in a Matter that is of such Consequence as the Health or Destruction of some tho' a small Part of Mankind for if such fatal Absurdities as those which Mr. Colebatch hath broached were not corrected what Mischief might be done Or rather what might not be done By such Methods as he irrationally and injudiciously asserts and practises by his own Hands as well as other Physicians who are too easily credulous and misguided by him But it is not only to undeceive the Vulgar and Unlearned that are thus easily imposed upon that I engage my self in this Cause But to defend and vindicate the Royal Learned and Judicious Society the College of Physicians and all other Learned Men from his ungrounded Impudence his rude assuming Behaviour and the Aspersions he hath boldly cast upon all rational and regular Physicians daring to assert without Reason or Foundation what is repugnant to the most Celebrated Writers whose Writings are backed and confirmed by the daily Experience and Universal Consent of those Members who are not byassed by Interest or that dont value the Cry of the Vulgar above the Approbation of Learned Men and that have not engaged themselves to cry up one another tho' by never so dishonourable Methods or absurd Means And the Consideration of the Greatness of such a Design encourages me to slight and contemn all the Aspersions that may be made by such bold Impertinent Pretenders for I am so far from valuing the displeasure of half a Dozen of such above the meritorious Cause of a whole Body of Learned Men that I profess I had rather deserve the good Opinion of one ingenious Learned Man than oblige a hundred Block-heads And now if a Reason should be asked why I should be so zealously concerned in defending a Body of Men who are much more able to vindicate themselves I must also answer for them that it is below them to take notice of such mean and weak Assaults and to appear in Disputes with such impotent Assailants where so little is contained that the most suitable Answer to such an insolent vain Person from Men placed by eminent Learning and Judgment so far above him would oblige them in Justice to themselves and him as well as the Cause they Defend to reprimand him and correct his Folly with Words and Language more severe perhaps then what their Manners and Civility would permit them to make Use of For if such Men as the greatest Part of that Learned Society is made up of should so far condescend as to use Civil Language to him where he deserves the contrary they would by that means bring Reflections by the Learned upon their own Judgments and too much demean themselves in such sordid Company for should they convince that small Part of Mankind who are so easily captived by Mountebanks and such vain Pretenders that his Methods and Practice were never so distructive the Conquest would be no Advantage to them nor tend to their Honour it being below them to take notice of a Man Unlearned Ignorant and Vain yet Rude Self-conceited and Impertinent And truly had I any great Opinion of my self I should think my self no Gainer by such a Victory which the least Degree of true Sence and Reason can assure any Body of And as the Matter now stands I should think my time ill spent and should blame my self for making no better Use of it if the Reasons I have already given did not prevail with me viz. To undeceive the Vulgar and to Vindicate the Honour of so many Learned Men for what strange Notions must those that admire him frame of the College of Physicians and Him and what hard Thoughts must they beyond Seas have of our English Physicians to see such a poor Patch of a Phylosopher that hath but three Words of any thing that looks like Phylosophy in all his Scribling and those Nonscence set up for a Champion and one that boldly asserts without Reason or any shew of it undertake to be a Reformer of Physick in England a Nation that hath always abounded with the most Sagacious Learned Men and the greatest Improvers of Physick I say what must these think Should not his Vanity be corrected and deservedly exposed so that the Honour of such a Profession will yet be another Addition to my Apology for using him according to his Desert And it will be yet more excusable when by Representing truly his Character and Behaviour to all Learned Men and his Erroneous Absurdities in Contradiction to all Reason and Experience it appears how ill he deserves not only of Physitians but Mankind and how Impudently he is mistaken I shall therefore give a true Account of his Character and Behaviour which I shall do by way of Remarks on his Writings that they may not seem to be without Grounds and I shall unvail his Weakness and Mistakes in what he hath asserted and writ and shall prove that he hath more Reason to be ashamed than boldly fond of such Mistakes in which all I have said of him already or can will be but the same Measure that he hath Measured others and tho' he did not at all deserve it I might have more Reason to take any Liberty in the worst Sence with him and might make a better Apology for it than he can for what he hath said to Men to such his Superiours But this being a public Accusation and the Charge I have laid to him being also Public it is fit the Proof of it should be so too to which End it is necessary to take a View of those things he has wrote wherein the Grounds of this Charge is laid by his own Pen. The First Elaborate Piece of Service this famous Author was bold enough to do the World was to pass away two or three hours time for those that had two much leisure in Reading about six sheets of Paper to which he perfixed a Title and would have the Book to be thought Novum Lumen Chirurgicum a Title that made very fair Promises and might probably raise ones Expectation but when I look'd a little further upon the Title And saw his Name writ in Latin and withal his Book in English I was very impatient to read it over which when I had done I began to think that there was more Sense and Learning in the Title Page
see with what Reason Alkalies have been hitherto given in Small Pox Rheumatism c. It will plainly appear by this Experiment that the Blood of such Persons abounds with Alkalies and if so why should we croud in more Alkalies unless it were to prolong the Distemper or to encrease the Number of Fees All that I need to say to this is since I have manifestly made it appear that Acid is the Cause of those Distempers and that the Serum of healthful Peoples Blood will turn Syrop of Violets green and that the only observable Difference betwixt Distempered Blood and Healthfull Blood is that the Distempered Blood as well as some Part of the Serum is Viscid and that Viscidity proceeds from Acids and since an Ounce or two of Blood is so easily spared in those Cases Pray let People see with what great Reason Alkalies have been given and with what danger Acids are given for in his Chapter of the Gout I have shewed that since the Blood in a Natural state abounds with Alkalies even what he confesses about Drinking of white Wine which is an Acid proves that the more Acids we take the more that Alkalious Serum will be coagulated and consequently the Distemper encreased and it plainly appears by the Experiment he alledges and the Observation I have laid down to satisfy Ingenious Gentlemen that Acid is the Cause of Distempers and since it is so plain why should Mr. Colbatch croud in more Acids unless it were to prolong the Distemper to increase the Number of Fees He goes on People must long since have known the Truth of this Hypothesis or they must not if they have not known it it is plain they have groped in the Dark and they have cured Diseases with as much Certainty as a Blind Man can catch a Hare if they have known it before then the giving of Alkalies at the rate that hath been done is a plain Argument against them that they have not acted like honest Men but I dare acquit them from this Charge I do believe they have sworn in Verbo Magistri Wonderful what close arguing and what sensible Expressions of a blind Man and groping in the Dark this groping in the Dark is such a familiar Expression with him that one would think he were used to nothing else and the Absurdities his whose Books are made up of prove he is the only Blind Man in the Proverb or hath not Acted like an honest Man but tho' he were not an honest Man he is a mighty Piece of a Scholar and hath put in two Latin words here In verbo Magistri to shew that either he did not go to School long enough or hath forgot what he learnt there for that Piece of a Verse in Juvenal that he hath catched by groping in the Dark is not in verbo Magistri but in verba Magistri and indeed the Sence of in verba Magistri is so much different from in verbo Magistri that it is plain he was groping in the Dark most miserably when he wrote it for first it shews he knew not what he wrote or secondly that he did not understand it for what greater Mark of his Ignorance than instead of saying they were sworn to maintain the Words of their Master he says they were Sworn in maintaining the Words of their Master as if to defend the Words of their Master were to take an Oath He says further And because a few Book Learned Gentlemen have Dream't that the Bloods abounding with Acids hath been the Cause of Diseases therefore right or wrong it must be so tho' it be contrary to the most obvious and plain Experiments What a Block-head is this to tell all Learned and Ingenious Men they have Dream't what hath been confirmed and certified by all the Experience of learned Practioners in Physick but he would have those Gentlemen that he writes thus plain for to think that is only because Physicians are his Enemies but I ask those Ingenious Gentlemen that have been so imposed upon whether they think Men that writ their Observations 30 or 40 years ago and ever since could write what they did in opposition to him before he made his Pretenees and tho' all Physicians now were his Enemies those were not so that I would have Gentlemen consider that Physicians now in Opposition to him only confirm by daily Experience what was the Universal Observation of all Learned Men before his time and as for his most obvious Experiment I have shewed that it does him no Service at all but is against him so that we have Reason to think he alone has Dream't being in the Dark for want of Book Learning He goes on When I appeal to the Analizing of the Blood by the Fire my Appeal is then made to Physicians only and this I have already done but they have refused to do me Justice As to his Appeal to Physicians I have where he hath made it sufficiently answered it and proved that his Analizing the Blood as he calls it will do him little Service but that Physicians may do him no Injustice I shall refer Ingenious Gentlemen to a Book of the most famous and ingenious Mr. R. Boyle called his Sceptical Chymist which was writ before his and which will satisfy them that the Blood is turned into Substances very much different from any thing observable in the Blood by Chymical Analize and that Author who had such good Designs in all his Writings cannot be called his Enemy nor Truths having writ before him Page the 6th He says Now since Justice has been refused me by my Brethren they cannot be angry with me for making my Appeal to those whose Interest it is to do Justice to me and encourage me in my Honest Undertakings I really don 't see any Reason his Brethren have to envy him nor to be angry with him but whom does he call his Brethren The Apothecaries Physicians are not to be ranked with Mr. Colbatch yet except those as Ignorant as himself But as for those Gentlemen who value the World to come above this and the Happiness of a better Life above Mortality their Interest it undoubtedly is to encourage him by all means I shall not envy their Happiness in another World but may the Number of the Elect be soon accomplished but those that have a mind to live deserve to give him no other Encouragement but what Substantial Shoo-leather will according to his own Sentence Page the Fourth in kicking him out of the Common-Wealth In the same Page he says None can blame him for writing in that warm Manner he hath done because he hath not reserved one Secret to himself But for good Reason because there is not one thing worth Reserving but he is more to be blamed for his warm Writing except he had made some Secret known that would have shewn he had Reason sawcily to contradict all Mankind But in the latter End of his Page he complains He hath been too much
a small time whereas fixed crude Acids whose Parts are unapt for Motion are not so easily dissolved but mixed with those more fierce volatile Salts take off their force and dull the Edges of them and stop their Motion by lying in their way and from hence appears the Reason why Elixir Vitrioli abated the Symptoms for the present which he mentions Page 6 not because that Elixir expelled the Morbifick Matter but yoked up the more Volatile Parts of the Poyson for a while But to prove more fully that the force of this Poyson depends on a corroding Acid Salt let us consider the Method of Cure where he gives Fol. Rutae Rad. Angelic Hyspan Rad. Serpenter Virginens in great Quantities Now if we look into Sennertus the Medicines which are there are of the same Nature with these which are all used to expel Poyson and to correct Acidities which coagulate and thicken the Mass of Blood yet these Medicines Mr. Colbatch must needs call Acids but from hence it appears that they are so far from being Acids that they are indeed quite opposite and although as I have often taken notice Mr. Colbatch takes the Liberty to change the Names of Things and calls them what he pleases yet he might with equal Reason call Sower Bitter as Bitter Acid but since it is evident from the Taste of these Medicines that they are by no means Acids and from the Books of Learned Men that they are used amongst those Antidotes which expel Poyson and correct Acids it consequently follows that they cannot be Acids themselves but we have Reason to believe the Poyson is Acid because these which are of a contrary Nature to Acids expel it But Mr. Colbatch will say that tho' these be not Acids yet since he gave Acids along with them it could not have been cured without those but we are rather thence to understand how sorrily Mr. Colbatch understands the Practical Part of Physick who gives one Medicine to expel and another to to hinder it's Explusion and that Acid would hinder and not promote the Expulsion of the Poyson is plain from Mr. Colbatch his Method which he took with Esquire Turner for there to the Gentlemans great Disadvantage he acknowledges that the design of his giving Acids was to stop Sweating and to keep the Distempered Matter from going off by Transpiration and if Acids there would stop Transpiration and hinder the Distemper'd Matter from going off by the same Rule also it would hinder the Poyson from being expelled and it must needs contribute much to the Honour of the Ingenious Mr. Colbatch that he gives one thing to expel Poyson and at the same time another thing to prevent the good Effects of that Contradiction is one of his greatest Qualifications and therefore he ought to be looked upon for it withal the Respect due to such Merits And Mr. Stringer may thank God that he had such a Prudent Man as Dr. Slone along with him who knew how to manage so Dogmatical an Impostor as Mr. Colbatch for had there not been enough of Virginian Snake Weed to overpower the Acids and to expel the Poyson it would have soon return'd with it's full Force the Acid only being able to check it and keep it under for a while and by no means to prevent it's ill Effects for the future for as it is an old Maxim so it is as true Sincerum nisi Vas quicquid infundis acescit And thus much may serve in Answer to what Mr. Colbatch says concerning a Viper for tho' he hath troubled himself to tell a Parcel of idle Tales which are so much unfit to appear in Print that they ought not to be mentioned even in Conversation yet I shall not think it necessary to take notice of them all that he says in relation to the Cure of the Viper being contained in three Leaves An EXAMINATION of what Mr. Colbatch says further in Vindication of his Hypothesis HAving already proved that what he says concerning the Cure of the Person bit by a Viper so far from being any thing to his Credit that it only shews his Ignorance I shall now proceed to examin what he says further in favour of his Hypothesis And having before in my Examination of his last Book given my real Sentiments of this Controversy betwixt Mr. Tuthil and Mr. Colbatch viz. That they are both out of the way and are so far mistaken that neither of them says any thing to the purpose I shall not enlarge here but shall only take Notice of what Mr. Colbatch hath said further in favour of his Absurdities and shall pass by all those impertinent and frivolous Stories which are rather a Scandal to Physick than themselves because any Body that hath Judgment and reads their Nonsence are certified nothing better can be expected from them Yet notwithstanding their Ignorance they compliment one another very prittily and Mr. Colbatch declares his design in so doing is only to shew his respect to one that he hopes can do him no service in convincing him But to examin what relates to his Absurdities concerning Acids and Alkalies Page 25 He says In very many Consumptive Cases it is usual for the Patient to spit up perfect Chalk and that in great quantities Now if the Blood were overcharged with Acids in Consumptions the whole mass passing so frequently through the Lungs could not fail of being sweetned by the Chalky Alkaly How absurd it is to call tough Phlegm Chalk will be so evident to any one that mispends their time in reading his Book that it would be unnecessary to say any more concerning it and that tho' it were an Alkaly it would not at all contribute to sweeten the Blood will appear from what I have already said when he asserted the same Absurdity about that Coagulated Matter which makes up the Nodes in the Gout viz. that it lies out of the way of Circulation or if it did not it could absorb Acids no longer when once it's Pores were filled which would be in a Moment but it is evident that it is so far from being an Alkaly that it is only crude Serum too much thickned by Acids and hardned into Phlegm the Watery Parts being evaporated by Heat And that it is the Nature of Acids to thicken such Humors hath sufficiently appeared from what I have said and from himself in Mr. Turner's Case where he gives Acids which thickning the Serum of the Blood made it incapable of going off by Transpiration Page 27 He says The Phosporus is a true Animal fire and is to be extracted from all Animal substances and if it did not exist in them how is it possible for it to be extracted from them To this one that does not understand Physick may answer as possible as for a Cart Wheel to be made of a Tree which People don't therefore conclude existent in the Tree in the Form of a Wheell but this is an Instance which a Coach-Maker may
no Physician at all And therefore don't think your self the Wiser because you have lived longer than others except it appears from your Works that you have made greater Improvements and better Use of your Time But lest you should be too Partial on your own side and that those may know what a valuable Piece the Quinque Exercitationes are who don't think fit to Buy them I shall take the substance of what is there and satisfie you that whatever you may think of your self you are really a Youth in Physick and here I shall not take notice of every little Fault but of the main Things which you lay down as the foundation of your Books which if they be False or not your own you must blame your self and only ask me to pity you And first I shall take a View of your whole Book together where we may see that your Head hath not been out of order just upon Writing of your Remarks but your Distemper is of a longer standing and hath been coming on you a long time for in this Treatise I mean Quinque Exercitationes all that you can properly call your own is scarce worth owning In your Remarks you tell me I dictate like a Professor of the Chair which is a sign that you have good Thoughts of what I have Writ but if we look into your Book and compare it with Mine your own Modesty will be very remarkable for in my Books I have offered nothing but what I have given my Reasons for and that with submission to the Learned not to you mistake not your self but you have laid down every thing without giving the least Reason at all and tho' your Distempered Head hath forced you to fall out with your own Reason pray don't be angry that I use mine for if that be the distinguishing Faculty betwixt a Man and a Brute Men ought to use it or they are worse than those Creatures that have it not and tho' you have in your Remarks equalled your self in Observations with the Beasts of the field I would not be classed amongst the Pigs and Elephants whilst I have Reason to tell me I am of another kind of Animals But to shew that your Head hath been long out of Order let us take a View of your Exercitationes Quinque where we shall trace the first Symptoms of your Distemper And truly Doctor as for your first Exercitation de quis Mineralibus I have as slight an Opinion of it as of the rest of your Book and should not think it worth my while to take Notice of what Dr. Lister scorns to trouble himself with only for your own you may see what Reason you have to be humble and how far your Intellectuals are vitiated The First Thing I shall take Notice of in this Exercitation is your Absurdities in Respect of Dr. Lister himself for First Page 2 you say Ingenue fateor c. i. e. I confess ingenuously I have always had the greatest Respect for him for his sharp Wit and again Lubens quidem agnosco quod Hypothesis ista est Ingenio plena i. e. I acknowledge willingly that that Hypothesis is very witty and again Page 2 you say Quos itaqueVerborum praestigia c. i. e. Let those that are pleased with the fallacies of Words delight themselves with the sound of them they neither hurt one that is Ignorent nor help one that hath Knowledge Now Doctor were you right in your Senses I should ask you these Questions whether if what Dr. Lister writ were Witty or had you a Respect for him it would be a token of Respect due to one that deserved it to tell him he takes a delight to be deceived with Words and with their Sounds and that he cannot inform a Man of Sense which is signified by Scientem certainly you either don't think what you say or don't care for if you thought he deserved respect you ought to have shewed it him and if you thought his Book Witty how comes it to be only a Sound of Words Doctor are these Things consistent with your own Brain Perhaps Contradictions and Inadvertency may agree well enough but amongst Men of Sense these Things must expose you besides tho' you even Dr. Charles Leigh have said it and in the Form of a Proverb too Ignoranti nec nocent nec Scientem juvant betwixt Friends let me tell you your Proverb tho' of your own making won't hold for it is rather to be thought that to be delighted with sound of Words only and to be pleased with he Fallacies Ignoranti nocent and do 't greatest hurt to ignorant Persons because they make them loose their time without information when ignorant Men have least Reason to do so and this may put You in mind to mind your Business But to proceed let us see a little further how your Cariage answers the Character you gave of Dr. Lister Page 7 you say Pro me itaque c. that is for me let them dispute with Zeno against Autopsie and look at the Sun with Spectacles at mid-day How now Dr. are you as angry at Dr. Lister as you are at Me and can you were you in your Senses tell a Man that you respect and think Witty that he cannot see the Sun at Mid-day without Spectacles Dr. how does short Sighted and Acerrimum agree But perhaps you 'll suppose the Sun to be beyond a Cloud on a foggy Day and then indeed a Witty Man may put on his Spectacles before he sees it but if you don't suppose the Sun to be beyond a Cloud I am afraid you may put on your Spectacles before you see how to reconcile Short-sighted and most Acute but perhaps when you say you Respect Dr. Lister Propter ingenium acerrimum you may say Acerrimum signifies most Sower as well as most Acute and then indeed Short-sighted and Acerrimum may be in the same Man but then I should ask you how came you to respect a Man that is Short-sighted and Acerrimum i. e. most Sower was it for your own sake Truly I believe so for there are too many instances in your Book as well as Remarks that you are a shrowd Short-sighted Man But perhaps you 'll challenge me to shew you one If so you are more Short-sighted than I thought you was good Doctor read over this Answer from the beginning and you 'll find enough and if you 'll stay a while you shall have more than you can wish for But before we go any further let us see what other Methods you take to express your Respect to Dr. Lister Propter ingenium acerrimum Page 9 you respectfully say that the Pyrites haud plus vegetat quam triticum istud c. i. e. The Pyrites no more grows than that Wheat which fell out of the Clouds from the middle Region of which trifling Philosophers rave so much O fye Doctor By no means call your self the trifling Philosopher for the World will Judge you
hath done his utmost to cast all the Aspersions he can upon Learning and Learned Men and therefore he ought to be used in his kind to be serious with such weak Nonsence would be to betray Learning and to expose my own Understanding to the Censure of the Learned and to Compliment such a vain Person would be to make no distinction betwixt Men of Sence and Merit and the most notorious Block-heads which would be a greater Affront to Learned Men than any he hath given But without doubt Men ought to be Used according to their Merit and it would be Ridiculous as well as Unjust to put Learned and Ingenious Men upon a Level as to treat a common Offender and a just Man alike how Ridiculous and Weak would it be for a Lawyer when a Prisoner is indicted for heinous Crimes to moderate his Pleading as if he were a just innocent Man But that what just Reflections I have made may be no Disadvantage to my Arguments I would desire my Reader to consider the Arguments and them apart and so he will have the Advantage to see how my Arguments confute him and how my Remarks are grounded upon Conviction of his grand Errors and tho' it be common to say that Remarks tho' Just cloud Arguments and prejudice the Readers yet I would not lay such things to their Charge I believe Rational Men who have the Use of their Reason can distinguish betwixt Remarks and Arguments and can without prejudice consider the former as the Merit of the Man and the latter as against his Books And here I think it necessary to let the World know that Dr. Coward having lately writ a Book against some Part of Mr. Colbatch his Books Mr. Colbatch hath been pleased to put an Advertisement in the latter End of a Book published soon after wherein he says Dr. Coward 's Book is not worth an Answer I therefore shall tell him that he only says so because he cannot answer it and for that Reason I shall conclude that if he does not Answer Mine he really cannot and because I have made so many Remarks on him which perhaps may be too severe I shall put him in a way to prove that he does not deserve them which will be by shewing that the Reasons I have given against his Books are not valid but if he does not do that the Remarks properly belong to him being grounded upon his Errors There is one thing more which I must acquaint my Reader with which is that in Answering his Novum Lumen Chirurgicum his Essay of Alkalies and Acids his Appendix to that Essay and his Book Entituled The Doctrin of Alkalies and Acids further Asserted c. I have all along quoted the first Impression of those Books that the Reader may if he pleases turn to those Quotations which will save those that have the First Impression the Trouble of looking into the Second All that I have further to say is that if there be any Faults in the following Sheets I must beg the Reader to ascribe them to the haste in which they were writ the whole being writ in a Month's time when I was in London the last Spring except the last concerning the Person bit by a Viper which Book of his being not published before I return'd to Oxford a few vacant Hours there were employed in an Examination of it And now least the Reader should think that I publish the haste they were writ in rather to be taken for a quick Writer than to excuse my Faults it may not be amiss to tell him that my chief Reason is that I would not have the World to think that the Confutation of so weak an Adversary required longer time than was necessary to write it for I would by no Means have the World to think the following Sheets the Product of a longer Consideration Mr. Colbatch his Faults being easily discern'd at the first Sight by any one that hath made a Progress in Physic sufficient to enable him to distinguish betwixt Truth and Error and therefore I humbly submit them to the impartial Reader hoping they will convince the World of his Mistakes and deter young and less judicious Practioners from following his Absurd Methods in doing of which if they may be serviceable to young Physicians I have my Desire I say young ones because Men of riper Judgment are already convinc'd of his Mistakes Candid Reader Your very Humble Servant R. BOULTON AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS Novum Lumen Chyrurgicum Wherein his Absurdities and False Opinions in Physick and Chirurgery are truly Represented and fully Confuted LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS Novum Lumen Chirurgicum c. PRIDE and Incivility are such Natural Concomitants of Ignorance and Self-conceit that wherever the Latter and Naturally imbred in a Man void of common Sense the former unavoidably flow from them as Natural Consequences of a depraved Reason It is on this Account that I have undertaken to correct the Insolence of this Author by shewing how weakly he manages his erroneous and invalid Assertions and also how widely and uncivilly he his mistaken contrary to Experience and Reason and the Authority as well as the private Opinions of Learned and Judicious Men. But before I proceed to lay open his Absurdities I must make an Apology to the World for taking that Liberty in my Expressions which most properly represents him in his Character As for himself all I shall say is that if what I shall write of him displeaseth him he must blame himself for it and not me it is from what he hath published that I draw his Demerits and if he hath published Asurdities he can best Apologize to himself and must not blame me for saying only what he himself hath laid publick Grounds for However it is not without some Reluctancy that I engage my self in such a Cause where the Ignorance and base Designs of a self-conceited Man obliges me in Justice to his Character to make use of Language I should otherwise be ashamed of But the undoubted Merit of that very unlearned Mr. Colebatch never too much admired for his wonderful Genius in scribling Nonscence and his Dogmatical Positiveness in laying down Falsities to the great Satisfaction of all those who love Nonsense in a homely Dress I say this mighty Hero hath taken such Pains to write down such Specimens of his profound Disabilities and his assuming Boldness that should I not study for such Expressions I should be guilty of Misrepresenting him But before I engage my self in a Confutation of such mean and indigested Nonsense I think it may not be unfit to let the World know that it is not with a design to get Victory Credit or Applause that I oppose such a mighty Champion since all Judicious and Learned Men laugh at his Childish Crude and Shallow Notions and are amazed at his Impudence but it is partly to undeceive those People who are
than the whole Book for it was not only a neat Composition of Capitals but Learnedly writ in Latin and which signified something tho' very insignificant I mean HIMSELF whereas his whole Book was but a Composition of a greater Number of Letters which signifie nothing at all but incoherent Blunders But he was not only Cheat enough to sett a false Light in the beginning of his Book to mislead People in their Expectations and to second that with his Name in Latin but also had the Pride and Vanity to fix the Name of so GREAT and ILLUSTRIOUS a MONARCH as our present KING before it either because he thought it a Noble Present or that the GREATEST of Princes and the Patron of all Europe would be pleased to take notice of such erroneous and grand Mistakes which Dedication was sufficient to shew that he had very ill Designs or very foolish and vain Thoughts But to come to the Treasure and to lay open this Fountain of Light we may take Notice that Pag. 2d He acknowledges his Account of his Discovery maimed and imperfect without premising an Account of Nutrition So that if his Account of Nutrition be false by his own Mouth his own Discovery is confest Maimed and Imperfect that he may first then be judged by the Words of his own Mouth I shall now shew him that that is not only False but Ridiculous For Pag. the 3d. he says The solid Food we eat being well chewed in the Mouth is the remixed with a Juice contained in the Glands dispersed all over the Mouth Before I go any further I shall here observe that he neither understands what he says or that Nonsence is so homogenous to him that his dull Sence can taste nothing else for how can we suppose that the Saliva in the Glands can possibly be mixed with Meat in the Mouth he might as well say that Water in a Cestern being mixed with Meat in his Stomach would dilute it for before that Saliva can be mixed with Meat in the Mouth it must be forced out of those Glands into the Mouth for as long as it is in them it is kept from mixing with the Meat by the Mediation of those Parts that lie betwixt the Glands and the Mouth but this is only a Lapsus Liguae and an Absurdity in Speech I grant it but then is not he the greater Blockhead that understands a thing no better than to speak one thing when he should say another Had the Notion been his own he might indeed have misexpressed it by being too intent and thoughtful not that the difficulty or abstruseness of the thing would have inclined him to such a Fault but his Dullness of Apprehension it being easy for any one to think that the Saliva must be in the Mouth or could not be mixed there without much Intentness but since it was not his own and he had only borrowed it from others he might have easily expressed it as those had done before him without turning Sence into Nonsense in Order to a well Performance as he calls it Pag. 2d Pag. 4th The Meat being well chewed and afterwards conveyed to the Stomach and there diluted with a proper Vehicle the more Generous the better is by means of the aforesaid Spirituous Saline Liquor divided into such minute Particles which constitute that viscid Liquor we call Chile That a hard Crust of Bread is usually well chewed before it is swallowed and then goes into the Stomach is no Discovery but what a Plowman or a Ballad-singer might have made and as for his more Generous the better it 's what all hot Heads usually argue for they had rather have the more Generous tho' any one that understands Reason will say Moderation is better and yet further Physitians will tell him that too high a Digestion raised by the more Generous is dangerous and is the cause of some very Violent Distempers And then here he hath committed just such another Absurdity as he did before for instead of saying Chyle is made or compounded of solid Meat dissolved and a proper Vehicle he says it is made of solid Meat dissolved which is diluted by a saline Humour and a Vehicle and that those Particles so dissolved constitute Chyle so that Chyle consists according to him of solid Particles and that Chyle is only diluted by a Vehicle but this is a Fault against his Will he meant it as it should be I warrant but still that shews what simple clowdy Notions he hath of things that he cannot tell a story after another Man without misrepresenting it and is he vain silly Creature a Reformer of Physick is this his Novum Lumen in one Sence indeed it may be said to be a Novum Lumen it being the first of this kind of Sence obscured by Nonsence and he may call it Light made New by being made Obscure and Ridiculous But he goes on and says Which Chyle is discharged out of the Stomach so fast as it is made by means of the Liver But here he is to learn that that which he calls Chyle is properly called Chymus and that becomes Chyle by being further digested by a Mixture and mutual Fermentation of the Pancreatick Juice and Choler with it in the Guts he is also to be taught that the Chymus is not forced into the Guts by the Liver but by the muscular Coats of the Stomach and partly disposed to that Protrusion by it's own Weight for the Liver is so far from pressing upon it since it is suspended to those Parts to which it's Ligaments are fixed that the Stomach rather presses upon the Liver when it is distended by taking up more Room in the Abdomen Pag. the 5th he says it is Carried by a large Vessel from the Receptacle of Chyle to the subclavian Vein here again Poor Man our Author Mr. Colbatch hath gravely in the midst of his dull Dogmatical Positions forgot himself for the Chyle is not carryed thence by one but by two Vessels which communicate with one another in their Ascension so that all he hath hitherto said is made a Novum Lumen or new kind of Light by his unlucky Lapsus Linguae or rather Errores Calami but here for once his Memory hath fail'd him He says further that it is driven by the systole of the Heart through the Arterial Vein into the Lungs where by the Contraction and Dilation of the Lungs it is there mixed with the Blood and that part which is fit for that Purpose is made Blood He did well to say that Part which is fit for that Purpose but I am perswaded none is fit for that Purpose as soon as mixed with the Blood Neither is mixing with the Blood enough to turn fresh Chyle into Blood if it were we should never be so long recovering lost strengh after great Evacuations but here our Novum Lumen hath found out too quick a way to make Blood for Chyle requires a long Digestion and Fermentation and
enough for it the Page before From Pag. the 12. to the 17. he hath filled his Book with Quotations unworthy to be placed in his Book all which prove That the Maxim nil dat quod in se non habet as he used it before is false and that several sorts of Liquors are made out of one but he confesses Pag. 12. he knows not how Pag. 17. I think there is no difference only secundum majus minus between those Wastes made by Transpiration which are Natural and a Wound made by Force which is Preter-Natural What he hath hitherto writ I have proved to be made up of nothing but Mistakes in Speech and Memory but here we have an Instance that his Memory is not only very bad and his Tongue worse but withal he is worse at thinking and these Imperfections must needs qualify an Apothecary for an Eminent Physician but as for his Thought I think it as foolish a one as ever I reard and truly if it had not been placed in his Book I should have guessed it could have been properly applyed to no Body but himself it essentially agreeing with him secundum majus minus for the difference betwixt a Consumption of the Parts of the Body by Transpiration and a Wound is so great that there is no Comparison to be made betwixt them Besides Wastes by Transpiration are not Natural but Preternatural Pag. 18. Suppose a Wound be made and it is no matter where it is for what will cure a VVound in one Place will do it in another Indeed Imaginary Wounds are as easily cured in one Part as another and it is no matter where they are but with real Wounds it is not so for in some Parts they are incurable and that the same thing that will cure one Wound will not cure another any old Woman that knows how to plaster a cut Finger would have told him Pag. 19. He says There is no Wound made by Incision but may as properly be called a Contused one But here I must inform him that as the Word Incision is only proper to signify a Wound made by a sharp Instrument so Contused signifies a Wound made by a blunt one and the Distinction is proper and necessary for when I say a Wound is made by Incision it implys that the Labia of the Wound are not jagged and torn but when I say a Wound is a Contused one it signifies that besides a Division of Parts there is a sort of Dilaceration of the Parts so separated and the Difference betwixt a Contused Wound and a Wound by Incision is more than what he says viz. a larger space betwixt the Labia for in a Contused one the Labia are not only more separated but are hindred from growing together again by the bruised Parts that lie betwixt them but indeed if he would signifie a Bruised Wound by the Word Incision and a Wound commonly called by Incision by the Word Contused then it would but be the same thing as to call him an Ass instead of a Man and an Ass a Man and both those Wounds cannot with so great Conveniency be signifyed by one Word viz. Incision as an Ass and a Man as far as the latter relates to him might be expressed by the Word Ass But as by the Word Ass being applyed both to Mr. Colbatch and a Pedlar's Ass there would follow some Difficulties and it would be a hard thing to know by that Word whether of them was meant so it would be inconvenient to signify a Wound by Contusion and an Incised Wound by one Word without Distinction Pag. 20. I stick not to call a Fibre a Vessel Truly it is manifest that he will stick at nothing that would go down with one that hath lost both their Sense and Taste but he ought if he had understood any thing to have stuck at it for a Fibre is used to distinguish those Vessels that are subordinate to others and of which others are made but if he will make no Distinctions betwixt things He may stick at nothing be it never so absurd but call black white and white black Pag. 21. He very Learnedly tells People That whenever they receive any Wound it presently pains them This is such a mighty Discovery such a wonderful piece of his Novum Lumen that it is scarce to be thought he was in his Senses when he wrote it for if he were could he ever imagine that he made any Discovery when he tells People they have Pain which they know themselves better than he does Pag. 22. he says that A Fever in the terms of many great Men is nothing else but a Nixus Naturae or endeavour of Nature or a Sanguipurgus and Purifier But here I must tell him that those great Men are mistaken and speak improperly when they say so for instead of being a Nixus Naturae it is rather a preternatural affection of Nature and sometimes it is such a Sanguipurgus that it leaves the Mass of Blood a dull effete Mass the best Spirits being spent and the Sulphureous Particles of the Blood almost consumed for which Reasons some People after long Fevers are subject to Abscesses and hard Swellings He in the same Page says A late Learned Author in his Treatise of Intermitting Fevers the One only Rational Piece in my Opinion that ever was writ upon that Subject plainly makes it appear that the Seat of Agues is in the Cortex of the Brain Here I must tell him that his Learned Author will do him very little Service towards his Nova Lumina should he use all the Flattery he can think of but as for that very Rational Piece it is never the more so for being so in his Opinion for it appearing from what he hath hitherto said that he is always mistaken in his Opinion it will be but a sorry Recommendation to that Book that it hath his Opinion along with it but to say it is the only Rational Piece is to say he knows not what Reason is for the very Learned and most ingenious Dr. Willis hath writ a far more Rational Piece on that Subject and the Learned Dr. Morton hath said more on that Subject than his Learned Author who hath not demonstrated the Seat of it but suppose he had what 's that to his Credit he bears no share in the Performance I suppose Pag. 23. He says I could bring many more Arguments to prove that not only Symptomatick Fevers but all sorts of Continued Ones do proceed from Heterogeneous Particles Truly what Arguments he could bring prove nothing till they are brought but I have not seen any One yet for before the 22. Page he said a Fever was nothing but a Sanguipurgus and a Nixus Naturae but now in contradiction to that it 's come to Heterogeneous Particles but if his Memory is bad who can blame him yet one would think he might easily have look'd back to the Page before but there is yet an Excuse
to be made for him That empty and shallow Heads like hungry Dogs who have empty Stomachs so eagerly pursue and are so taken up with what 's before them that they scarce take notice of what they have swallowed Pag. 24. I don 't at all see or understand that she i.e. Nature is assisted by the Medicines they afterwards use Really I don't know how he should for the Methods the Generality of Prudent Chirurgeons use are above his Understanding but because he does not understand them are they ever the worse for that Is that an Objection Having given an Account of Nutrition after a simple and incoherent Manner an Account made up of nothing but Mistakes and Forgetfulness and having made some rude Reflections on a Body of worthy and experienc'd Chirurgeons from Pag. 26 to Pag. 40. He goes on to applaud and cry up a Medicine to that Height and to endeavour to cry down a whole Body of ingenious Men that all the World might think him the only valuable Man in his Trade and would fain make the World believe that he can do more with his Medicines than all of them and this most ridiculous Piece of Insolence he endeavours to confirm by a few pretended Instances of Cures As for his Account of Nutrition I have sufficiently laid it open so that it plainly appears to be nothing but a confused dull Lump of Mistakes and Blunders so that for such a Man that cannot write common Sense in a Matter too where he needed only to follow what was ready to his hand for such an ignorant short-headed Man to pretend to huff and abuse and set himself above Experienced Men in their Business is a Piece of Insolence so unpardonable that I can scarce be blamed for using him no harder than he deserves for had he had Reason to boast of his Medicine might he not have taken a fair and honest Method to make the best Advantage of it without endeavouring to captivate the Common People and to raise in them a great Opinion of him by being saucy and rude to his Betters Ingenious Men are so far from discouraging Improvements in the Arts they profess and have always such an Esteem for them that make them that they give them all the Honour and Applause due to their Merits so that he might though civil and modest towards his Superiours had Justice done him without so much Noise and Impertinence but he himself being conscious of his own Weakness and of the small Value of his Medicine takes all the Pains he can to applaud himself and because he knows it would not answer what he pretended and might of consequence be justly exposed for his vain Pretences he takes care to tell the World the Chirurgeons were all his Enemies when at the same time himself alone was to be blamed for giving them just Reason but this was only done that People might think them so much his Enemies as not to believe what they said But can he think that the World will be long so imposed upon and so easily Perhaps a sort of People that are easily drawn aside by a Parcel of Mountebanks and vain Pretenders may but surely wise People will sooner believe a great Number of honest and sober Men than one silly vain conceited Man that hath Folly enough to contradict them As for his Medicine that he so much boasts of it is but an old Preparation new vampt up whose Effects are so small that Sea Water and Urine have oftentimes done greater Cures and Common Salt or a Solution of Vitriol will as soon cure a fresh Wound where no large Vessels are cut as his Powder And though in some fresh Wounds where Musculous Parts are divided it is of use yet I am assured by a very ingenious Chirurgeon's own as well as the Experience of others that it is of no use or very little where Tendons are divided in which and such like Cases they are furnished with better Medicines of their own than any he can pretend to I need not say any thing to those Experiments he fills up his Book with since they have been sufficiently confuted and the Falsness hath been proved in a Book called Novum Lumen Extinctum c. He would indeed endeavour to defend them by a few more as notoriously false as the former which he has laid together in his Vindication but one Falsity is altogether unable to prove another true and though he pretends they have always succeeded when he had fair Play yet since when he tryed his Experiments before Witnesses they did not succeed the World hath Reason to believe that he used the Joint Assistance of some common Medicine when he used it by himself But I have sufficiently tired my self with such nauseous Stuff as this Book is filled with and when I reflect on 't cannot imagine how much Conceit and Vanity he must have to call such Rubbish and weak Inconsistences a Novum Lumen and I wonder how he could boast so much since the weakest in that Profession might be ashamed that they knew no more As for his Medicine there was no need to write a Book about it since a Gazette was too good for it but if he would needs let the World know that he had found out something of some small Use to Chirurgeons he might have taken the same Method as Daffy hath with his Elixir and People would have made as much Use of it as they do now provided it answered Expectation but there was no need for Impudence except in a bad Cause and he had no Reason to boast of a thing that cures nothing but what was cured by the Use of other Medicines equally as good as his AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS ESSAY OF Alkalies and Acids Wherein his Absurdities and Erroneous Opinions In the Small Pox Scurbey Gout Rheumatism Consumptions c. Are Demonstrated to be very Dangerous and highly Prejudicial and are therefore truly Represented and fully Confuted LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch His ESSAY of ALKALIES and ACIDS c. CHAP. I. Contains Remarks on his Preface to this Essay HAving gone through his Novum Lumen Chirurgicum clouded and stuffed as it is with nothing but incoherent Mistakes and notorious Blunders I should now go on to shew that he not only hath the Impudence to boast of and value himself upon the most unreasonable Grounds in Chirurgery but also finding that the World will not be imposed upon one way he endeavours to do it another but he must expect that Physicians are not to be more easily deceived with Pretences then Chirurgeons He has pretended to such Miracles in Chirurgery as might justly encourage Ingenious Men to make Tryals of his Skill but his Pretences being but Vain and False and all that plentiful stock of Impudence which he made use of in vindicating his Folly being not sufficient to procure him Business amongst Chirurgeons he now is resolved to turn Physician and use
proper Medicine But to conclude this Chapter it will give us no little Light into the strange Insolence of this Man who notwithstanding such ingenious Books as the Learned Dr. Willis Dr. Morton c. have writ concerning Consumptions and what the ingenious and truly Honourable Theod. Mayern and Dr. Willis have wrote of the Gout and also Dr. Lister with a great many more who have largely handled those Subjects this Man can have the Impudence to write not only contrary to them but also common Experience and that too neither with any Method or Reason for whereas those Learned Men have observed a great deal of Variety as to the Cause and Cure of those Distempers and that the Cure is to be varyed according to the different Tempers and Constitutions of Men he boldly and very irregularly says little or nothing to the purpose but that without any regard to the difference of Causes or the several peculiar Constitutions of Men's Bodies but it is not strange that one that hath so much Ignorance should have an equal share of Impudence for vain pretending Quacks and Mountebanks have no other way to cheat the World but by incredible Relations of Cures that were as unlikely as false But I shall not here enlarge on a Subject so copious as his Vanity and Boldness makes this but shall go on to consider the remaining Part of his Book there being Matter enough and too much for me to mispend my time upon CHAP. VII His Conclusion Examined PAGE 103 he says For all sort of Flesh abounding with large Quantities of Volatile Alkalious Salts if the said Alkalious Salts were in some measure locked up and mortified by means of the Sea Salt What then Nothing at all of a Conclusion I here expected some Inference or other would be drawn from it but his profound Phansy being lost and overwhelmed in a Salt Rock in Cheshire no less than twenty yards thick he forgot himself or rather overlooked what he was writing so that this Page and the next is a Speech without applying it to any thing Page 105. There is some Reason to believe that People before the Flood did not eat Flesh but lived altogether upon Vegetables as Fruits Herbs and Roots which I suppose was one great Reason of their Longaevity and it may be observed in Herefordshire and other Countries abounding with Fruit the People are longer lived then in those Countries that want them This truly is a Sign the Man's Thoughts have run a little further then his Wit and then his shallow Head is capable to go with any steadiness and truly by the incoherent Style of his Book one would guess he was no little way out of his Depth But I suppose this Noble Addition to Dr. Burnet's Theory was no otherwise designed but that People might know he had heard of such a Book whose Arguments he says are to him unanswerable but why so Because they are too Noble and Curious for him to understand and much more to answer but however ingeniously that Book is writ which truly I think for the Nobleness of the Thought the Elegancy of his florid Style and the Command which he seems to have of his Thoughts and Expressions with the greatest Ease and without straining for them makes it one of the most valuable Books our English Language is adorned with yet it 's not exempt from that Fate which all Books on that Subject have hitherto had and it is only a sign of Mr. Colbatch his shallowness and not of the reality of what 's contained there that makes the Arguments unanswerable to him though this must needs be said of them that though they are not really true yet they are delivered in such a Method that they would Insensibly wind one into a favourable Thought of 'em if one were not sufficiently Armed with Judgment and Reflection but so Ingenious and so Learned a Man as Dr. Burnet is being too good Company for such Ignorance as he is Eminent in I shall not mix their Names together any further least the Lustre of Dr. Burnet's Name should so dazle Peoples weak Eyes as not to perceive the Obscurity of the others and shall only consider the latter separately that the Light which might be borrowed from the former may not increase the faint Obscureness of his but that he may appear in his proper Colours And how absurd and ridiculous it is for to assert that eating Fruit preserves Peoples Lives and is the Cause of Longaevity whereas the generality of our English People as well as Physicians are certain that Fruit causes more Distempers in Children than any one thing amongst Non-naturals besides From Page 107 to Page 112. He tells a long story of a Child that was cured of a Tympany by being Bathed in Sea Water but what is that to his Credit Or what does this signifie to the Use of Acids in the Small-Pox Scurvey Gout Rheumatisms and Consumptions The common People certainly would laugh at him should they hear him affirm that they all proceed from the same Cause he might as well expect Fire to cool heat moysten and to dry the same Body But as for that Case of the Childs had he had the Luck to have advised that Girl to Bath in Sea-Water it would have been something for him to have talk't of but as it is an old Woman would have told a story that she had heard from another as well if not better than he hath done and now should he cure one by that same means it would be no Credit for him since he would do no more than what had been done in HEREFORD-SHIRE Page 112 He tells us what Helmont hath found by Experience in the Strangury viz. to cure it by cool Diureticks and what Discovery is this pray any rational Physician would have given either that or a Medicine much better in the same case but Helmont's Observations are none of his and he hath no share in the small Credit of it Page 113 He says An eminent Man took off Heart of Urine by Juice of Oranges and what then do not other Physicians give cold Diureticks upon the like occasion neither do they value themselves upon such things at all as are common and every where practised but this it seems induced him to try Tincture of Antimony in the like case which since I have already shewed to be an Alkaly and that he only calls it an Acid to serve his turn I need not enlarge any more now But the Reason why he thinks it Acid I believe in this case may be because he observed that Acids cured this Distemper and could give no other Reason why Tincture of Antimony should except it were an Acid and therefore concluded it was not an Alkaly but to help him over that difficulty I shall tell him that whether that Acrimony which causes Heat of Urin be corrected by Acids or dispersed and carry'd off by Sweat upon the Use of Alkalies it is all one and since a
Decoction of Diaphoretick Wood will cure that Acrimony as well as Diaphoretick Antimony there is the same Reason to be given for both and as Acids correct the Humour and alter it by dulling and taking off the Edges of it so Antimony carrys it off by Sweat and the Acrimony by being so diverted the Symptom ceases Page 125 He says I have only brought my Doctrin of Acids upon the Stage as a general one in Opposition to the general and pernicious Doctrin of Alkalies A very fine Man truly and much to be admired He asserts only for the sake of contradiction and really in this Point he speaks Truth for with what other Design would he change the very Names of Things but to seem to differ from others in trivial Matters for the Names of Things are so indifferent that it matters not what they are called so they have but a Name to distinguish them and when he says Tincture of Antimony will take off such a heat of Urin whether the Name of it be Alkaly or Acid it matters not if it were generally as well as all other things of the same Nature known by that Name but when the Names of things are given them and generally received it is absurd to alter them without Reason From Page 116 to 132 He heaps up a parcel of incoherent Stories of specifick Medicines but to what end except to fill up his Book I cannot imagin for he neither gives Reason for them neither can they any ways confirm the Truth of any thing he hath asserted but if to tell a Parcel of Tales is sufficient to make a Man an Author Old Women are fitter to write Books then he being stocked with a greater Variety of Storys As for what he hath said of the Cortex Peruvianus I shall take another opportunity to give my Thoughts of it when I have time to propose something concerning the Reason of Agues and to examin what his worthy Friend hath said on this Subject But to Apologize for telling us all these Stories he furnishes us with many more which may indeed be grounds for an excuse for him if we would change that old Maxim which is all relating to the Aristotelian Philosophy which he understands Nihil dat quod in se non habet in English what can one expect more in a Calves Head than Brains or as the Proverb usually runs what can one expect more of a Cat than her Skin Page 136 He says that Acton Epsom Dullage or Northall Waters c. are allowed to be Acids and according to the Difference of the Acid contained in them they have different Operations but I must ask him by whom they are allowed to be so By no Body that I know of for Dr. Grew hath extracted that Salt and it appears to be so far from an Acid that it is evidently in Taste a bitter pene trating Salt and I never heard that a bitter Salt could be allowed to be an Acid except Gall differed not in Taste from Sevil-Oranges AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS APPENDIX TO HIS ESSAY Wherein his Absurdities and False Opinions in Physick are truly Represented and fully Confuted LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS APPENDIX TO HIS ESSAY c. THUS far I have shewed the Absurdities of what this Man delivers and what little Reason he hath to be so insolent and saucy with his Superiors infinitely so in Knowledge and Learning as well as Fortune But it is but common for Fools to think themselves Wise Men whereas wise Men are more subject to suspect themselves and not to appear especially in Print with that Impudence which is the only Support of Ignorance I shall now proceed to examin his Appendix to this Essay and all that I shall take Notice of in his Preface to this is that he says I don't at all pretend to arrive at so much certainty as by the Methods I take to make People immortal and that no Body shall die Here methinks he begins to be sensible of his Weakness and is conscious that he wants to make an Apology for the frequent Departures of his Patients which Guess of mine is confirmed by the large strain of Divinity that follows it But to proceed The Pretence of this Appendix is to explain and make his Terms Alkaly and Acid more Intelligible and to answer some Objections made against his Essay As for the Terms they have been explained sufficiently already every Body knowing what is meant by Alkaly and what by Acids and what Medicines are ranked under each though some Ignorant Men have misused those Words But without doubt to serve a Particular Turn we must expect from him a Particular Explanation But before he goes about his Explanation Page the 3 He says I have not published the Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies out of any design of appearing singular or of being the Head of a Faction but out of mere pity and compassion to Mankind my fellow Creatures whose deplorable Circumstances under mistaken Methods I have long bewailed to see Physick made the Scene of Slaughter c. But if he does not write out of a Design of being singular there is no such thing as being singular for does he not cure some Distempers by Medicines that have been all along used in Rheumatisms and the Scurvey and only varies from others by a foolish Method and boast of a New one and only because he hath changed the Names of those Medicines But this is done out of compassion to his Fellow Creatures pray where sies the Compassion Might not Steel and Antimony do as much good when called Alkalies as when called Acids Does changing Names alter the Vertue Or increase the Value of a Thing Is not a Dog as valuable or contemptible equally whether it be called a Dog or a Horse But he said a little before he hath advanced this general Method in Opposition to Alkalies but I 'll assure him he hath not for though in the Small-Pox he hath altered Dr. Sydenhams Practice absurdly enough yet in the Scurvey Rheumatism c. he hath only altered the Names of some Medicines And come short of others by the help of his Ignorance and yet bewails Physick to see it a Scene of Slaughter but if it was it would be so still will Steel or Antimony cure a Distemper nay and the same Distemper better for being called an Acid than if it were an Alkaly and how can this Man with such Boldness reproach Reason and Experience and tell the World that they are sent to their Graves by that which he in some Cases follows as well as he can like a Man that hath lost his way by running into the Dark and only masks it with a new Name Page the 4 and 5 He begins to explain the Term Alkaly and says It derives it's Name from the Herb Kaly from the Ashes of which is extracted a large quantity of Salt and the Ashes of most Herbs
affording a Salt of the same Nature with those of the Herb Kaly are equivocally called Alkalies and all other things of the same Nature as Crabs-Eyes Oyster-Shells Now what he here says being granted it is plain that those Medicines that he alters the Names of and calls Acids are properly by this Rule of his own to be called Alkalies they being of the Nature of Crabs-Eyes Oyster-Shells and that they are of the Nature of Crabs-Eyes is very evident because as Crabs-Eyes cure Acidity in the Stomach so do they only more powerfully and also Acidities in the Blood so that he here undermines himself and contradicts his own Judgment but it is a good while since he wrote the last and his treacherous Memory as he calls it is to be blamed but yet one would think that the same that is Truth now would have been so then when he thought of the same Matter Page the 6 He supposes Acid to be derived from the Arabian Word Acaid which signifies Acetum Upon my word a mighty profound Schollar He understands no less than a whole Word of Arabick and it 's a wonder he did not write his whole Book in it but lest he should be too proud of himself and value himself too much upon this mighty Piece of Scholarship I shall do him a kindness as to keep his Stomach from rising and tell him that Vinegar or Acetum is not Acid but Acrid and had he understood one word of Latin along with his Arabian Word he would have found that Vinegar takes it's Name from Vinum Acre or sharp Wine and that Acrimony is derived from Acre so that he is mistaken if he calls those things that are like Vinegar Acid for they are Acrid And As for Fruits and the Natural Juices of Plants there are but very few Acid Ones like Acrid except that sweet be like bitter Page 7. All metaline Sulphurs are to be ranged amongst the Number of Acids But if we compare the Effects of Sulphur with the Effects of Acids there is so little Reason to call Sulphur Acid that Acid is as like Alkaly as Sulphur is like Acid the Effects being quite contrary for whereas Acid cools and abates the Heat of the Blood Sulphur exalts and encreases it so that Sulphur is a Body of as distinct a Nature from Acid as Bitter and Sowre But to what purpose would it be to reason with a Man who calls Oyls and Balsoms and Bread Acids since any Body that can Taste will tell that Balsam hath a different taste from Juice of Lemmons And one might as well say Iron is Wood because one may make a Chair of it as that Bread is Acid because an Acid Spirit be made of Part of the Substance of it Page the 10th in order to a well Performance of I know not what he begins to compare Sal Kaly as he calls it with Vinegar and here Page 11 and 12 he takes care to mention a mischievous sort of Alkaly to represent the whole Class of Alkalies which is never at all used in Physick and takes no notice of all those Alkalies as Steel Antimony Cinnaber c. with many more which are the best and most valuable Medicines supplyed by Nature or Art for their universal Success in Physick and then he says Alkalies by breaking the Globules of the Blood cause Scurvey Rheumatisms Gout c. whereas before in his Essay he told us that the Coagulations of the Blood in these Distempers proceeded from Alkalies Coagulating those Acids which were taken into the Blood But Contradictions Forgetfulness and Mistakes are so Natural to him that he must not be blamed poor Man That this is a Mistake of the first Magnitude is as plain as that Coagulation and Dissolution two Opposites can make it Having thus represented Alkalies from Page the 12 to Page 17 he takes all the care he can to represent Acids with all possible Advantage by Vinegar of which he takes care to say all the Good he can but not a word of the Mischief it does to Scorbuticks Phthisicks and sore Throats c. so that if we reckon up but what Mischief Vinegar might do if it were made ill use of they would out-ballance all the Good and more than the ill Effects of Alkalies do their Good ones But now he hath made his Comparison betwixt Alkaly and Acid I might take the same Liberty and compare the best of Alkalies with the worst of Acids which would represent his Acids worse than he can do Alkalies but we are not to judge of any thing by the ill Use that may be made of it but by the good Effects and every thing is valuable for the Good which it does though in different cases and by the same Method he takes to perswade People from using Alkalies we might perswade People from the Use of Fire for it will burn and cause ill Effects worse than the Sal Kaly yet if moderately is almost of universal Use So that though Sal Kaly should have such Effects there are a great many Alkalies as Steel Crabs-Eyes c. which do as much Good But by the Method he takes Christians would be represented worse than Heathens for if he should compare Seneca with a Christian who is a Thief a Murderer and the worst of Men how odiously must Christians be if all were to be judged by that one but what Ill will not a Man do to carry on a bad Design From Page the 17 to the 21 he reckons up all the ill Effects he can of Arsnick as an Alkaly but what poysonons Design he hath in it he best knows for this can signifie nothing to the crying down of Alkalies though it were Alkaly since none are so wicked as to give such without a Design to poyson People But since he thinks it a way to cry down Alkaly by shewing that Arsnick is an Alkaly I shall hear only two Witnesses against him who writ long before his simple Books were writ to prove that it is a dangerous and a pernicious Acid. And first the Ingenious Sir John Floyer in the first of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Page 27. says Arsenick is like common Sulphur and is compounded like it of an Oyly part which in Arsnick is more peircing and an Acid. And again Page 231 of the second Part. Arsnick is corrosive by a particular Texture of Sulphureous Particles and Acids And Secondly the Famous Ettmuller in his Schroderi dilucidati Mineralogia says Arsenicum quod reverà est minerale volatile Sublimatione exaltatum Recte vocatur Arsenicum ab authore fuligo quaedam Mineralis pinguis inflammabilis Nam reverà est Sulphur summe Volatile propter Volatilitatem valde corrosivum valde venenosum Arsnic which is really a Volatile mineral Sulphur and exalted by Sublimation Arsnic is truly called by the Author a kind of mineral soot fat and inflamable for it is really a most Volatile Sulphur and by it's Volatility very corrosive and a
almost tastes like Mace be of the same Taste with those Oranges the same Method they may take with all the Medicines he uses and if they find Juniper Berries c. taste like Oranges then Mr. John Colbatch is in the right otherwise they know he is mistaken But the last Medicine he mentions is Tartar Vitriolat but there is so little in that Medicin of it and the Effects of it will be so small that it is not much matter whether it be Alkaly or Acid. In his Third Case for Convulsions he gives Vitriolated Tartar Crem Tartar and Costor Ag. Paeon Rorismarin and Puleg all of which are known to be Absorbers of Acids and Correcters of them except the two first for they manifestly abound with a Volatile and Spirituous Oyl and if the two former were Acids yet the latter being of a quite contrary Nature and more in Quantity all that can be said of this Medicine is that it neither did good nor harm the one part of it answering the other and obstructing the Force of it and it was all one as if one should mix hot and cold Water together to cool ones thirst and if that Patient recovered it was not to be ascribed to the Vertue of his Medicine but the Mildness of the Cause of that Distemper which would have gone off as soon without it The remaining Pages of this Book are filled up with a Catalogue of Distempers sent to him by Dr. Jones who because Colbatch hath Imposed upon some part of the Kingdom would needs be seen in so Meritorious a Cause but what will not some Men do when they value a private Design before Truth and Honesty and an Account of the Use of Beverage at Sea but this being not at all to the purpose but to fill up his Book I shall only further take notice That Pag. the 86th He says he could never hear that the Peruvian Bark cured one Consumption neither from Apothecarys nor Phisicians but I can tell him that I knew more than one cured of a very Violent Hectick Fever only by the Use of that Bark and Balsamick Syrup in which it was given and a Composition of Laudanum Pil. de Styrace with Safron which the Learned Dr. Morton hath in this Phythiologia Having hitherto travailed through Clouds Ignorance and Absurdities through Contradictions Mistakes and Forgetfulness through an indigested Mass and a confused Congeries of incoherent Rubbish which though it is nauseous yet I shall not think a little time ill spent to undeceive the World from such a vain pretending Impostor that knows nothing but Nonsense and who and whose sole Support is Impudence and Boldness All that I have now to do is to examin his Treatise of the Gout and to shew what Absurdities and Mistakes he is guilty of there and the ill Consequences of his Erroneous Practice AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS TREATISE OF THE GOUT Wherein his Absurdities and False Opinions in Physick are truly Represented and fully Confuted AS ALSO It is made evident that the EXPERIMENT he there alledges in Vindication of his Hypothesis is strong Proof against himself AND LASTLY That his Practice is very Dangerous though his ill grounded and erroneous Hypothesis were allowed LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS TREATISE Of the GOUT c. CHAP. I. In which are contained Remarks on his Dedication and Preface with an Application to Dr. Cole THE next and last Part of this nauseous Task that I have undertaken is to examin and lay open the Mistakes of his Book concerning the Gout but before I set about that there are two Things which lie in my way and which I must take notice of viz. a Dedication and a Preface The first thing I shall take a View of is his Dedication where he begins and says My Love to Truth and the Good and Welfare of Mankind have ingaged me in Publishing of the following Piece But however specious this Pretence is it appears that it is not for the Good nor Welfare of Mankind but on the contrary will tend to their great Destruction and the Ruin of their Constitutions since it will easily appear that it is made up of the same Materials that the rest of his Books are viz. notorious Mistakes and Blunders and such plain ones too that one can scarce think but that he was either conscious of them or very ignorant But as I would not have him thought to be quite so ignorant so I rather think that he was conscious of the Falsness of what he asserted and only did it with a Design to get a Reputation amongst the Injudicious which he designed to impose upon how much soever he exposed himself to the Ridicule and Contempt of the Judicious and Learned by his weak and inconsistent Falsities And truly thus far he is in the right It wants a much better Champion tho' he 's pleased to call himself a Champion to assert and defend a false Cause against so many Potent Adversaries who have Truth on their side for were he in the right all that could be said of his Book is that he is dully and foolishly in the Right but since it will presently appear that he is so much mistaken he is much less to be valued for daring and endeavouring to impose on the World But the remaining Part of his Dedication being most of it a Compliment to Dr. Cole which were it true would but sorrily recommend Dr. Cole to the Learned World I shall make Remarks on what follows and then make my Apology to Dr. Cole for presuming to shew the Absurdities of a Book which the Author tells the World tho' I believe falsly is agreeable with his Practice The Compliment bestowed on Dr. Cole is I presume to prefix your Name before it knowing that if you but please to espouse it my Business is done and the Conquest gained But I dare venture to say that though Dr. Cole should espouse his Cause which I believe he will not the Victory would not be gained since the Cause hath neither Truth nor Reason on it's side and here I shall for some Reasons make a short Apology to Dr Cole An Apology to Dr. COLE Learned Sir IT is now almost a Year and half ago since I was brought into your Company by a very Ingenious and Experienc'd Chirurgeon Mr. Geeke living in Salisbury-Court And Sir that Civility you were pleased to shew me and the Freedom you took in Conversation with me who was both a Stranger and so much Inferior to your self both in Learning and Judgment as well as Reputation gave me Reason to entertain such Thoughts of you as I believe one of your Years and Character might deserve And truly I had such an Opinion of you that I could not then imagin that you would ever be concerned in Patronizing of a Book that is not only False and Absurd but Weak and Inconsistent and not only so but rudely contradictory to all
Learned Men whose private Designs do not byass their Sentiments and what is more without any shew of Reason or appearance of Truth And I could rather have believed that you would not be concerned in such a Cause for this Reason because it is below any Man of Sense or Learning to appear at the Head of such a Cause which is against both And I fain would have such Thoughts of you still and conclude that you only did it to satisfy the Importunities of one that had been formerly your Apothecary in Worcester This Sir is the Interpretation I would willingly put upon it in Favour of your Reputation which must needs be lessened otherwise especially amongst the Learned by Patronizing any thing which directly and manifestly is repugnant to Learned Men and Truth since the common Interest of the former so far as it is consistent with the latter should incline you rather to defend both than Patronize their Opponents viz. Ignorance and Falsity upon any consideration whatever This I say is the Interpretation I should put upon it though if it were so it would not be blameless to oppose Truth and Learned Men to serve a Friend or your Self were there not something in that Dedication so plain and evident as to suggest some other Reason for your Patronage For Mr. Colbatch says the Doctrin advanced in his Book is not new to you it being what you long ago Practised even before he knew you how he came to know what your Practice was before he knew you looks to me like Contradiction and I am inclined to believe he strained to say so much beyond Truth only that your Name might the better recommend his Book so that it seems if your Name will serve him by adding Authority to his Book he 'll tell an Untruth to serve you so that I am apt yet in Favour of your Reputation to understand that you have permitted him to say it is your Practice to recommend it to the World that his Applause of you might go the farther And the Truth is this either your Practice agrees with what he says or you can make no good Excuse for permitting him to say so And truly Sir if what he says be not true you 'd do your self Justice to tell the World in Vindication of your Judgment and Practice that he hath imposed upon you but if you allow what he hath said I am sorry the Absurdities and Falsness of his Book obliges me to lay open the groundless and unreasonable Assertions there laid down because they are tho' falsely said to be so agreeable with your Practice But in this particular I must beg your Pardon for as I shall never write for the sake of Writing but Truth so I shall always endeavour to detect Falsities and vindicate the latter And though I shall ever have all that Respect for you and all Learned Men that I think due to Learning and Qualities so I must ever shew as little Respect to those that make it their Business to run down Learning Learned Men and Truth and without Reason tho' not some base and private End for tho' I have Learning or Knowledg little enough to make me so zealous in their Defence yet I shall ever think it worth my while to Defend that which I am willing to spend my time in the search of And were I in your Case I should never condescend so far as for Interest to Patronize that which I could give no Reason for But Sir The simplicity and falsness of his other Books I have already shewn and when I have laid open this I hope the World will see the shallowness of Mr. Colbatch and the Falsness of what he says so plainly that it will be no longer misled by him in a Matter that relates to the future Ruin of their Constitutions And Sir it at the best will be but little Credit to profess your self of the same Opinion with Mr. Colbatch an Apothecary and much less is it Honourable to joyn in a Cause with such a one that hath neither Knowledg nor Learning but Arrogancy and Boldness to support his Ignorance and to forsake the Cause of Truth and Learning to make a Party with such For all the Cry and Noise he can make of you will tend less to your Honour than your Reputation amongst Learned Men tho' it may help to captivate those who are easily deceived But Sir as I had formerly a great Opinion of your Merit so I would fain perswade my self still that you only permit him to say what he does in compliance with his too earnest Requests than any Opinion you have of the Truth of what he says and therefore when I have run over his Preface without any other Apologies I shall proceed to detect his Errors and shew the Falsness of what he there asserts without entituling you to so weak and open Errors and profess my self as ever Your very Humble Servant R. Boulton The next thing that comes in view after his Dedication is his Preface where Page the 11th he says The History of the Blood is to be fetched out of the Fire there being not one Page in it that does not cost me near a days Labour and Attendance at home in my Laboratory That he fetches it out of the fire I am afraid is ominous and that it will scarce be fit for any thing else but to return to that Element for there is so little Analogy betwixt Chymical Preparations and the Parts of a Mans Body that he 'll discover little to the purpose there to make the Use of them more intelligible and sorry I am he takes so much Pains to no purpose Page the 12 He says The following Piece is a Composition of Observations and Speculations at Coffee-Houses and such Places A very fit Place for such Compositions for any thing may serve for a News-House for want of better but it would have been better for him to have considered it at home in his Study for I am afraid he drank his Coffee so hot that he was scarce qualified for what my Lord Bacon says viz. That a cool Head is fittest for Consideration But how came he to take Observations of the Gout in Coffee-Houses Those I thought had been only to be made with his Patients but perhaps he had as many Patients there of that Distemper as any where else and consequently it might be as fit a Place to make Observations in But why not rather in his Study I warrant he had taken notice that the Ingenious Sir Richard Blackmore had writ his Heroic Poems in Coffee-Houses and such like Places and because he thought it sounded well to say so he must needs be a Wit too nay in time he may do well but I would have him think of the old Saying Nosce teipsum for if he were sensible of his own Weakness it would be better for him to take a private Thought at it if he knows how to think In the same Page He says
meal-mouthed and too modest His Modesty indeed is of a new kind and very remarkable and as for his meal mouth I cannot well interpret it except his disrespectful Behaviour towards his Betters be the Meal that fouled it Page 7. He says The following Treatise of the Gout is built upon my Hypothesis of Alkalies and Acids upon which Score I thought it necessary by way of Introduction to Publish the foregoing easy Experiment that thereby the whole World might be satisfied of the Truth or Falshood of his Hypothesis Having therefore shewed that his Hypothesis of Alkaly and Acid is False and Incoherent his Treatise must need be so too his easy Experiment together with my easy Observation shewing that his Hypothesis is Erroneous so that I might save my self the Trouble of a further Examination were it not for the sake of Ingenious Gentlemen who are not competent Judges Page the 8th He says Were there any one Acid that would turn a Solution of Syrup of Violets from a Blew Colour to that of Redness c. I should not insist so much upon the Experiment as I have done To what purpose he hath insisted upon the Experiment I have already shewn but that he may insist upon it the less in his own Thoughts I shall instance one Acid that turns Syrup of Violets Green as well as Arsenick his exalted Alkaly as he calls it which is Mercurius Sublimat but perhaps he 'll call it an Alkaly and therefore I shall satisfy Ingenious Gentlemen if two Witnesses against one Man will be Evidence The Ingenious Sir John Floyer in the Second Part of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Touch Stone of Medicines Page 232. Hath this Mercury Sublimate is Corrosive by a particular Texture made by the Particles of Quicksilver dissolved by an Acid and this vomits corrodes and produces Convulsions but this going into the Blood coagulates it and produces Salivation This Acid is absorbed by Fixed and Volatile Salts and so the Corrosive Texture is destroyed And Page the 19th before Sublimate has the Acid of Spirit of Salt joyned with it by Sublimation and a little after he says it is a kind of Vitriol And What he says is confirmed by the Famous Etmuller who Schroderi Dilucidati Mineralogia Page 260. says Mercurius Snblimatus quocunque modo preparatus nihil est aliud nisi Mercur qui se conjunxit cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibus Corrosivis admistis beneficio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortioris secum sublimavit adeo utut etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ia sint fixa Mercur. Volatilis nihilominus Acida 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ia fortiter aggrediuntur Mercurium cum eodem se uniunt c. And just after he says Et quidem utut Mercur. sublimatus fiat cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communi Nitro nihilominus nihil secum in Sublimatione assumit quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commune From whence it sufficiently appears that Sublimate is for the most Part an Acid most of the Ingredients which are used in it's Preparation being Preparations of the same Vitriolated Acids as Mr. Colbatch uses in the Cure of Distempers But undoubtedly he 'll tell them they are mistaken No-body can see besides himself But these Mens Opinions will be taken before his since he cannot at all pretend they were his Enemies both their Books being wrote before his Time Page the 8th and 9th He says Physicians he owns have been able to Cure some few Diseases but how they have done it themselves could never tell they without inquiring nicely into the Natures of them or being at the trouble of Analizing have given Steel Antimony c. By means of which they have Cured several Diseases but they have given them as Alkalies when they will appear to an Inquisitive Person to be Acids c. Now their giving of these Things hath stood them in some stead and cured many Distempers by a way they were ignorant of How unreasonably he hath changed the Names of these Medicines I have already shewn and therefore I shall not repeat it again I shall only here take notice how he contradicts himself no less then three times in one Page For First He says they have been able indeed to cure a few Distempers And then they have cured several Distempers and last of all a many Distempers and those Distempers he says they have cured no Body knows how because they were not at the trouble of Analizing but if he were not forgetful he would scarce think himself the only Chymist in the World for would he allow any Body a small share of Knowledg besides himself he would know that much more Pains hath been taken by wise and able Chymists Men that knew better how to make Observations than he does who wants Natural Philosophy to direct him as well as Judgment and Skill and there are now Men so qualified And tho' Chymistry be of great Use in Philosophy as well as Physick when cultivated by Ingenious Men yet notwithstanding all the Pains they had taken it proved in vain to enable them the better to discover the Principles or rather Texture and Complexion of those several Humors in a Man's Body and their Insufficiency the famous Mr. Robert Boyle hath sufficiently shewed and therefore we may well think since we have Reason his Pains will prove to no more purpose for let him spend more time than he hath or never so long it will still be in Vain for Bodies loose their former Complexion when Chymically dissolved every Particle being modified anew But it is no Disparagement to Chymistry neither is it the less valuable because it will not discover ultra terminos and beyond it's Bounds no more than a Plow because it is of no use at Sea But he says Physicians have cured some Distempers they know not how Here I shall take Occasion to propose one thing to the Consideration of those Honest Gentlemen who have had the ill Fortune to be deluded by him they being induced to think he hath Skill and Ingenuity because some People recover whom he misuses viz. whether since I shewed he is mistaken in all he hath asserted they may not reasonably conclude he cured them he knew not how I for my own Part am sure he knew not how but as for those Ingenious Gentlemen I leave it to their own consideration whether one Man may not sooner be mistaken than one Thousand who agree in the same Opinion which Number tho' it be not in London yet it is double in Europe whose Practice agree in Success and Reason in Opposition to his and two or three Adherents Page 11. He says I have all this while been talking as a Physician but not as a Naturalist for though I account for the Cause and Cure of Distempers from Alkalies and Acids yet I don't pretend to account for all the Phaenomena of Nature from those two Principles those there have been those that have undertaken so to do but I
of the same Medicines he had given before what I have said sufficiently answers them As to the first He says he had his Patient in a Fit about a Month in which I shall observe that Page 93. He says This was the most dreadful Fit of the Gout I ever saw And had not the Medicines well suited with the Distemper to have abated the Violence of the raging Pain I believe he had certainly never got over it To use the Words of Mr. Colbatch the Champion I believe he had certainly never got over it had not his Distemper been very mild of it self for from what I have already said it most evidently appears the Gout is caused by Acids and consequently that they will be so far from abating the Distemper that they are the Causes of that Pain so that we have strong reason to believe that the Distemper being mild was increased by his Acids for the Reasons which are up and down in this Book and also because notwithstanding the Use of his Acids or rather by reason of them it was the most dreadful Fit that ever he saw and continued for a Month. In the second Case he thinks it not for his Credit to tell how long the Distemper continued but from what hath gone before I am satisfied it would have gone off sooner without his Crem Tartar and Tartar Vitriolat I have now gone through his Treatise of the Gout and have fully laid open the grand Blunders and Absurdities the Unpardonable Mistakes and Falseness of every thing he asserts throughout his Book and have proved by plain Experiments and Observations both that the Foundation of his Practice is false those Experiments that he builds upon being strong Proof against him and also that the Practice he builds upon that Foundation is also Absurd and Dangerous I might now go on to his next and last Book wherein he further asserts his Doctrine of Alkalies and Acids but the latter end of this Book containing a Relation of Fevers I shall first make some brief Remarks upon the same And here all that I need to take notice of is that whatever Credit may be got by the Use of Acids in Fevers is not to be attributed to him it having always been the constant Practice of Physicians to use Acids in Fevers except Malignant in which Experience and Reason pleads against him so that did he lay down any thing as to the Cause or Cure of Malignant Fevers by Acids I should lay open his Ignorance by Reason and back my Reasons with the success of Alkaly used in those Distempers by Physicians for above an hundred Years But since here he only gives the History of five Persons in which he hath the liberty to tell as many Falsities as he did in his Novum Lumen Chirurgicum and since he only tells how he managed those Patients without laying down the Reasons of those Distempers and may say what he will Truth or Falsities as to the success of his Medicines all that I shall say to these is That since all that we have to judge of in these Cases is his own Account of himself which may be very likely false since we have found him notoriously guilty of such Faults before that we have reason to suspect him to give false Account of Distempers now and to make them worse than they were to applaud himself I say all I need to observe is the Absurdities in those Methods he here lays down and how much the Patients might suffer by his irregular Practice and how injudiciously and ignorantly he manages those Acids that have all along been used in Fevers only with more Discretion and Judgment than one of his Dullness can pretend to This I say might be the Subject of my Remarks but as he always affirms that he had good Success and is afraid to tell the Persons least he should be disproved I shall only say that if they recovered it was more to be attributed to the Mildness of the Distemper than his Management since he as an ill Painter who abuses his Colours makes an irregular Use of Medicines which by a prudent Hand might be of more use I shall therefore in the next place proceed to examine and lay open the Mistakes and Injudicious Blunders of his next Book having so truly represented this that Ingenious Gentlemen may very easily be satisfied of the Falseness of his Assertions and how egregiously he hath imposed upon Mankind which since it was writ for their sakes I hope they will so far consider as may prevent them from exposing themselves to his irregular Usage and the dreadful Consequences of it But all that he says in his Attempt to prove what Life is being nothing but as if it were incoherent Scraps and broken Thoughts which seem to be partly stol'n from Dr. Willis I shall refer him for an Answer to my late little Book of the Heat of the Blood and of the Use of the Lungs and shall first examine this Book as far as relates to a further Assertion of the Use of Acids and shall then shew how absurdly he used Esq Turner AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS DOCTRINE of ACIDS IN THE Cure of Diseases Further Asserted c. Wherein his Absurdities and Erroneous Opinions are truly Represented and fully Confuted AS ALSO A VINDICATION of the Proceedings of the Learned Dr. Fry of Oxford in a late Case of Edmund Turner Esq in Opposition to the Irrational Usage of Mr. Colbatch LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS DOCTRINE of ACIDS IN THE Cure of Diseases Further Asserted c. I Come now to the last part of my Task and truly were it not my sole Design to detect such grand Errors and to vindicate Truth established by long Observations of Ingenious and Learned Men and confirmed by daily Experience I should never prevail with my self to spend any more time with such nauseous and abominable Mistakes as his Book abounds with but for Truth 's sake and for the Good of those that are imposed upon by him I shall proceed to an Examination of what is contained in this Book And first I shall take notice that this Book is made up of three Parts First A further Assertion of the Use of Acids Secondly An Attempt to prove what Life is And Lastly An Account of Mr. Turner's Case which I shall therefore examine in three distinct Chapters But before I proceed to an Examination of his Book I shall first take notice of some things which are premised to the Reader where Page iii. He says I am every Day pestered with Objection of one kind or another and therefore to save my self the labour of writing Pacquets of Letters every Post-Day I have thought fit to answer those Objection that are worth taking notice of in this publick manner A very fair Confession upon my word This I hope will satisfie Ingenious Gentlemen nay and all knowing Women what a slippery Hypothesis Mr.
John Colbatch who was late Apothecary in Worcester hath advanced for it seems not only those that write against him are endeavouring to detect his Errors but whole Pacquets of Letters come daily to convince him so that Gentlemen may see that his Hypothesis is not only cryed down by those which he would represent as his Enemies but a vast Number of his Private Friends are satisfied of his Faults and those Letters I hope will be stronger Arguments because since they are private they cannot be thought to be writ out of a design to expose but to convince him But he says He hath thought fit to answer those Objections c. very cautiously done since it was Mr. Colbatch that takes this Method he does well to think it only worth his while to answer those which he thinks he can deal with and to keep those in private that are too hard for him but here I would advise those that write to him to be cautious for if it be Nonsence he 'll expose them if their Objections be sound they lose their labour for he 's resolved not to be convinced by any means knowing that as boldness in a bad Cause hath supported him hitherto so that is all he depends on for the future Page vi and vii He says I never yet pretended to make People Immortal my endeavour having all terminated in this viz. to be serviceable to my fellow Creatures in distress as much as I am able The Wise-Man says That no Man hath Power in the Day of Death and that there is no discharge in that War The Issues of Life and Death being only in the Hands of the Almighty This is the second time he hath thought himself bound to Apologize for the frequent Departures of his Patients and God knows not without need for how serviceable he may be to his Fellow Creatures I have already shew'd viz. in hastening the Number of the Elect and as it is never usual except upon the Death of Persons to fall into such strains of Divinity so I am induced to believe nothing else could bring him to his Bible Page viii After a Confession of his own Deficiency He says I dare almost be confident that even in my own Time the Cudgels will be taken up and the Hypothesis maintain'd and asserted by one who is able to go through-stitch with it better than I can To this I say that let him be who he will that will take up a Cudgel I have taken up one and tho I won't be confident yet I dare promise to engage my self his Opponent in this Cause being here he will have neither Truth nor Reason on his side but before I leave his Preface I cannot but take notice of a very Philosophical Word he here makes use of viz. Through Stitch and here I make bold to ask Mr. Colbatch one Question Whether through would not have expressed as much without stitch Truly it would but we must remember Mr. Colbatch hath had the Honour to be intimately acquainted with the Philosophical Glover Mr. Yardley of whom he makes an Honourable Mention in his Treatise of the Gout and no wonder that amongst the rest of his Improvments in his Critical Enquiry into the Skins he learnt this Learned Phrase Through-Stitch from him it being common for Glovers to Stitch through and through again Having made these brief Remarks to give Ingenious Gentlemen a Light in our Author from his own words I shall now proceed to examine what he says for a further Assertion of the Use of Acids and shall only first briefly take notice of the occasion of it which is this One Dr. Tuthill of Dorchester writ a Letter to Mr. Colbatch this last Winter dated August 9. 97. in which he raised some weak Objections which Mr. Colbatch finding to be of no force writ this Answer to and in his Preface dates it October the 8th 1697. And in Answer to this again Mr. Tuthill hath writ about three Sheets in Vindication of his Objections where he exposes his own Weakness more than in this Letter bringing very weak or false Arguments in proof of what he had ill grounded here but as Mr. Tuthill was brought into Print at the first perhaps without his Consent so he now is forced to say something in Defence of what he might carelesly write to Mr. Colbatch in a private Letter and therefore he is to be a little excused for the Faults of his Letter and consequently what he hath said in this last Answer may be thought only as a Flourish to repair or save his Credit and truly had he not submitted to use mean and servile Flattery to a Man that is so far from deserving such Complements I should have had a little better Opinion of him but to complement a Man that is more Ignorant than himself and to call what Mr. Colbatch hath writ in this Book Ingenious Solutions and to tell one that hath endeavoured to impose upon all the World that all the World is obliged to him looks as if Mr. Tuthill had a Mind to flatter Mr. Colbatch to stop his Mouth least he should spit at him again and I rather believe so because Mr. Tuthill in the beginning of those Sheets says he would not have writ them had he not been pressed and urged to it by some Friends and truly one would think by what he writes that it was with much ado squeez'd out of him and like Drops of Blood almost stuck by the way and he had done better had not it been pressed out of him because it is a very bad Sample of what is in him But as the Dispute betwixt these two Warriours is inconsiderable so I shall pass them by without any other notice than as they afforded me half an Hours Diversion for when I read them I thought indeed they were very hard matched and complemented as prettily as a Pedlar does on a Holiday and could compare them to nothing more properly than to two Drunken Men who fight in the Dark and strike at random without understanding what they are about or giving one another many Blows I shall therefore in favour of Mr. Tuthill who I think was brought into the Scuffle against his Will examine what Mr. Colbatch here says in favour of what I have already shewn to be notoriously false and shall lay open what he here says so fairly that it will instead of Vindicating what he said before prove against him The first thing that offers it self to be taken notice of is this Page 4 5. He says Whilst I was fairly jogging on in the ordinary Method of Practice a certain Gentleman recommended to me a powerful Acid which he told me I might rely upon in the Cure of some sort of Fevers When I considered the Thing as an exalted Acid I could scarce give the least Credit to what he said However considering the fatal Success that frequently attended the Use of Alkalies and Alexipharmicks which however at that time I durst
it and a great many of it's Nitrous Particles getting into the Pores of his Body for as Mr. Colbatch with his Spectacles perceived in his Treatise of the Gout the Skin hath Receptory Pores must needs thicken and coagulate the Serum of his Blood which in that Temper was capable of receiving the least Impression from without Now the Serum of the Blood being thus impregnated with Nitre and at the same time his Spirits being fixed and depressed by an internal Use of Acids and withal the Distempered Humor by that means kept in his Body Death was all that could be expected from such barbarous Usage but that Mr. Colbatch may be condemned by his own Words I shall here to close up this Chapter bring his Words to witness against him which prove that his giving of Acids inwardly and his exposing him to the Ambient Air in such a condition was enough to kill had he been in a better Condition then he was for P. 39 of this Treatise he says Sweat is an Alkalious Excrement and Page 37. All the Alkalies that there is to be found in the Blood is most certain an Excrement and in a way of being carried off by some of the Emuctories and if any one of the Emuctories be stop'd that this Excrementitious Alkaly hath not room to pass out by them then there is a Distemper of some kind or other caused the Blood being over Charged with this Excrementitious Matter How many Distempers are occasioned by what we call taking cold which is nothing else but a Constipation of the Pores And now from these Words it appears that whatever keeps this Excrement from going off causes a Distemper I having therefore from those Words in the beginning of his Book shewed that Acids by Coagulating keeps it from going off it must needs follow Mr. Colbatch by this Usage stoping that Sweat hindred this Excrement from going off and caused some Distemper which joyning with his other Distempers which he was scarce able to bear before so overcharged and oppressed Nature that the Poor Gentleman was forced to dye for it Thus I have briefly taken a View of Mr. Turner's Case wherein I have shewed the reasonable Proceedings of Dr. Fry and the most absurd and fatal Consequences of Mr. Colbatch his Acids I shall now leave Mr. Colbatch to value himself over his Nonsence and like a Dung-hill Cock to strut over his Rubbish he hath Reason to be proud without Question when he can perform such Exploits as these in the midst of his Knight-Errantry without Controul AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS RELATION OF THE CURE Of a Person Bitten by a VIPER c. Wherein it is proved That he neither Understands the Nature of those Medicines he applied nor the Cause of the Distemper LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. John Colbatch HIS RELATION OF THE Cure of a Person Bitten by a Viper c. WHilst the former Sheets were in the Press Mr. Colbatch having published another Specimen of his Ignorance I shall in the next place proceed to an Examination of it and tho' one would think what he has said was sufficient to make the World cautious yet I shall not think it too much trouble to undeceive it a little further and to shew that the Person whom he pretends to have cured by Acids was by no means cured by Acids but such Medicines as are generally used to correct Acids and sharp corroding Salts Which that I may do with all possible Brevity I shall take the substance of what he says passing by all those unnecessary Tales which have no Relation to the Cure For his Book from the beginning to Page the 6th is filled up with an Account how foolishly the Man came to be bit with the Viper and how inconsiderately he was hurried about the Town afterwards which being nothing to the purpose I shall pass to his Method of Cure And here First it will be necessary to consider wherein consists the Poyson of that Creature and then we shall be better able to determine what were his Proceedings in the Cure of it And because I don 't only write to satisfie the Publick who are not competent Judges but also to undeceive Mr. Colbatch himself I shall here confute what he hath said by his own Words we are therefore to believe that all Bodies from which can be drawn by Chymical Analization a Volatile Oyl are Acids it appearing from his Appendix of Acids and Alkalies that all Oleaginous Bodies are Acids now if Mr. Colbatch will believe himself he must disbelieve himself also for from what he says Page 12 viz. he affirming that the Poyson of Vipers is not Acid he denys what he said in his Appendix where it is by his own Words pronounced an Acid because it contains an Oleaginous Substance but well may Mr. Colbatch go on to contradict himself who hath so often done it before for from his Writings it is plain that the longer he writes the worse he manages what he pretends to But I shall not here urge that the Poyson of Vipers is an Acid from what he says in his Appendix having in answer to that made it appear that what he there says is false But we have great Reason to believe that the Poyson of Vipers is an Acid corroding saline Humor since in respect of the Blood it causes for the most Part the same Symptoms with Mercurius Sublimat which I have there proved to be an Acid for by that subtile corrosive Salt with which it abounds it corrodes and corrupts the Mass of Blood and by that Sulphureous Oyl which is mixed with it at the same time raises a Preternatural Ferment those Parts fermenting preternaturally with each other and that it is an Acid is further evident Because it hath the same Effects which Acids generally have for as it is commonly known that all Acids as Spirit of Vitriol Alum c. dispose the Mass of Blood to Coagulation and that when the Stomach abounds with Acids as in Childrens Stomachs it curdles so does this Poyson curdle the Blood Page 14 He Instances Lemery's Concessions to prove it an Alkaly but we have so much Reason to believe that it is an Acid that except Lemery or Mr. Colbatch prove it and disprove what I have said we deny what he so willingly grants But Page 16 Mr. Colbatch says Hoffman ridicules Charras for afferting that it is an Acid for says he if it were so how could the Juice of Citrons which is an Acid afford the Patient any Relief But if this be all the Reason that Hoffman or Mr. Colbatch have to ridicule Charras I am afraid they have very sorry grounds for it for it may very easily be understood how a Volatile Salt tho' Acid may be corrected by a crude Acid for Volatile Salts consist of Parts so minutely rarified that they are easily dissolved and put into so brisk a Ferment as to penetrate and corrupt the whole Mass in
give against his Book and therefore I shall give him a Philosophical One and shall leave him to consider whether there be fire in a green and growing Tree and if it be how comes it not to shew it self when we are certain most of it's Substance may be turned into Fire Page 31 He says I do still affirm that Fevers in general do proceed from a Constipation of the Emunctories And this Affirmation is very little to his purpose for since he elsewhere says that all the Excrements of our Bodies are Alkalies Alkalies cannot hinder their Evacuations but only Acids which by contracting the Pores of those Emunctories and withal thickning the Serum make it unfit to be carried off Page 34 He says By the way I beg of you that you will not rank the Rad. Serpentariae with the Pulv. è chelis and Spr. CC. for the Rad. Serpentariae belongs to me Truly Mr. Colbatch does well to claim his Priviledges but there is no other Reason why it should not be classed with Pulv. è chelis but this that it corrects Acids abundantly more powerfully and if that which evidently tastes Bitter and destroys Acids can be an Acid then Acid is Bitter and Black is White but till Mr. Colbatch can prove that Rad. Serpentariae will be no Acid. Page 35 He says I do boldly assert that in no Fever that ever I have yet met with let them be either Benign or Malign have I ever yet observed that the Patient hath been in the least Sensible of any Acidity in the Stomach or Mouth But notwithstanding Acidity is not perceivable in the Mouth yet it is probable and true that Acidity is the occasion of the foulness perceived there by making it too thick and clammy to go off by other proper Passages and Mr. Colbatch so far is Block-head-like in the Right of it for sometimes they have a clammy bitter Taste in their Mouths but yet according to his own Confessions Acids are the Cause of that Bitter Taste for he says Acids are Bitter Namely Rad. Serpentariae Again if Acids are Bitter perhaps he will say Choler is an Acid and no doubt but if it were for his purpose he would say so had he not elsewhere called it an Alkaly But that it may be more evident that Acidity is the Cause of all those ill Tastes which Feverish People have we are to remember that he often asserts that all the Excrements of our Body are Alkalies and if so Acidity is the Cause of those ill Tastes in the Mouth because they alone according to the Doctrin of Acids and Alkalies can hinder these Alkalies from going off by their proper Emunctories which I have sufficiently proved before and therefore need not say any more here Page 41. First He says The Life of Man is Flame c. And Page 42 he asks If Fire is not actually existent in Animal Bodies how is it possible it should be extracted from them As for the first of these I have Answered it sufficiently in my Treatise of the Heat of the Blood and therefore I shall refer the Reader to that for an Answer it being not necessary to transcribe all that I have there said in Answer to Dr. Willis his Opinion All that he further says from Page 42 to 54 is to assert that there is Flame in the Blood and that there is no Fermentation But it being only Dr. Willis his Opinion I shall also refer the Reader for an Answer there and I wonder Mr. Colbatch did not think fit to Vindicate Dr. Willis from those Objections but the Reason I believe is because he could not for when I was lately in London he told me he had writ something to this purpose and when I asked whether he had answered my Book he told me he did not love to mix his Notions with other Men's and that he would not read my Book till his was printed which I conceive was only an Excuse because at that time he had writ most of this Book against Tuthill and was willing to print it against him tho' at the same time he knew my Book contained a Confutation of it all that he says coming to no more than that the Blood grows hot by Accension and not by Fermentation the former of which is sufficiently confuted in my Answer to Dr. Willis and tho' I have asserted that the Blood grows hot by Fermentation yet any one that reads my Book and compares it with what he says will see that I don't mean by Fermentation such a Fermentation as he here denies but only such a Degree of Motion of the Minute Particles of Matter as are able to cause a Sensation of Heat upon our Sensory Page 44. To prove that Heat is not produced after the Cartesian Hypothesis He says I can assure you I know several Fluids the more brisk they are moved the colder they are as for Instance a River is always colder in that Place where there is a quick Current than where the Water stands still The Air is always more or less cold according as the Motion of it is greater or lesser and I can assure you I have been almost starved when forced to Travel in the high Winds in the Winter time at which Season the Air is most full of Nitrous Particles And again Page 50 He says If the progressive Motion from the Heart to the Extremities gives it it's Heat by the same Reason I think the Water which runs from our Cocks should be warm also Now from hence we way easily gather what an extraordinary Philosopher Mr. Colbatch is who attributes the Heat or Cold of Fluids to a collective Motion of a whole Mass instead of the Particles which constitute that Mass for he says a River is Coldest where the Current is greatest and to this I Answer that I having given the Reason of Heat in my Treatise of the Reason of the Heat of the Blood I need not repeat it again but least Mr. Colbatch when he finds it there cannot apply it I shall tell him that the Reason why Wind and Water tempestuously moved cause Cold is because those Parts are more forcibly driven upon the Sensory and how they cause a Cold Sensation there is plain from what I have said concerning the Vse of the Lungs in admitting Nitre into the Blood where I have asserted that tho' Nitre be in a gentle Motion it self when Fluid in the Air yet it is Naturally inclinable to rest and disposes those Humors to a rest with which it is mixed for which reason Water freezes in the Winter and tho' the Water and Air in which this Nitre swims be in Motion yet that is not such a Motion as causes Heat for a Sensation of Heat depends on Matter in such a degree of Motion as is a little above Nature which preternaturally affecting us causes Heat and that Motion is not a Motion of a whole Mass collectively but a swift intestin Motion of the Parts of that Matter
read his former Books over again lest he since he is so forgetful should be guilty of too much Repetition for in what he hath already writ he hath repeated the same thing so many times over that were the Repetitions taken out his Books might all be writ in half the Compass And now since I have answered them all I shall give him this Caution That if he repeats any thing again which he hath already writ without necessity I shall only need in answer to shew where I have already confuted it FINIS AN ANSWER TO Dr. LEIGH's Remarks ON A TREATISE Concerning the Heat of the Blood Together with Remarks on Dr. Leigh's Book Entituled Exercitationes Quinque Printed at a Private Press in Oxford without the Licence of the Vniversity AS ALSO A short View of Dr. Leigh's Reply to Mr. Colbatch c. Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit Odorem Testa diu LONDON Printed in the Year 1699. AN ANSWER TO Dr. Leigh's Remarks c. SOON after I returned from London to Oxford I received a Sheet of Paper entituled Remarks on my Book concerning the Heat of the Blood to which there being no Name prefixed I could not imagin who it should come from but presently after being inform'd by a Friend at Chester who was concerned to see that you had lost the Use of your Reason that it was the elaborate Work of such an unfortunate Author and also having received a Letter from one in Manchester to whom I am obliged for acquainting me that you are so fond of it as to own your self the Author of so polite a Piece I had Reason to ascribe the Praise and Honour due to a Work of so extraordinary Merit to the inconsiderable Author A Title which I profess I by no means envy you for and therefore with all the Submission due to a Man so mighty in his own Conceit and so contemptuous in the Opinion of the Learned I beg your Pardon if I am too forwards in contributing to your Character by letting the World know to whom I am obliged for such a signal Token of Favour and they for sharp Wit and such a wonderful Strain of Phancy Phancy Below the common Strain of rational Creatures yet the strongest Efforts of Dr. Leigh's Understanding and what I hear is according to your laudable Custom whenever you meet with any thing that is contrary to your own wild Notions or a Subject of your Envy I was indeed told by some Friends that nothing which Dr. Leigh could write would be worth my taking Notice of therefore this by no means was Nevertheless taking a Survey of your Remarks and finding throughout the whole terrible strong Symptoms of a sick Brain and not in the least Motives to any thing but Pity I thought it a piece of Charity to let you see your own Infirmities for your Understanding is not only very much distemper'd but withal your Reason so deprav'd if not altogether lost that I fear your Distemper is scarce curable your Remarks being nothing but a heap of Incoherences which are strong Arguments that you are very foul within and very far gone for would any Man in his Senses ever yoke a Pig and an Elephant together in opposition to a Treatise of the Heat of the Blood Or could a Man who had not quite lost his Reason compare a Mouse and a Cheesmonger together I warrant you thought my Book was two hard a Task for an Animal of your Size except it had sharper Teeth than your self or of a greater Bulk otherwise your depraved Cockloft which you call a Head would scarce have thought of an Elephant or a Mouse to devour it But to what Purpose it is to talk to a Man so strangly deprav'd Since it is an impossible to perswade you that you are not in your Senses as to cure you Nevertheless give me leave to tell you you 'll scarce be cured till made sensible of your Malady and tho' Crazy Men are usually angry at those that tell them so and not apt to believe it I desire you to be convinced for your own sake Yet it would be more advantage to me could I perswade the World that you are in your Senses because it might be presumed that you who in your Passion have expressed so much Zeal against me would also here have produced Reason against my Book had it lain in your Power and therefore your Remarks would be a Recommendation to my Book they shewing that Dr. Leigh can give no Reason against it For which Reason I would perswade the World that you are neither crazed nor mad because you never arrived at such a Degree of Wit to go mad which tho' a strong Argument will not prevail they think it is impossible any Man in his Senses should rave out such stuff and truly a Man in his Senses would scarce think ill Words without Argument sufficient to confute a Rational Hypothesis But I confess I can have little satisfaction in talking to a Madman and therefore for my own sake I shall only conceive all this proceeds from Passion and Ignorance and tho' it be not much better to talk to an Ignorant Man than to a Madman yet it is a little more excusable and I may make a better Apology to the World for it because one that is ignorant may be instructed But the Town of Manchester perhaps may ask Can Dr. Leigh be ignorant who tells News so prettily Should such a Question be asked I should desire them to read his Quinque Exercitationes and Remarks and they will find Physick requires more sound Judgment and Reason than News or than Dr. Leigh hath there laid down But they say he does some Cures in the Neighbourhood To which I answer that a serious old Woman with two Receipts would exceed him to admiration and that he is very ignorant in Physick will appear by and by for first his Remarks are only made up of Remarks on Pigs Mice Elephants Cocklofts c. and Questions concerning my Book which are rather an Effect of his own Ignorance than any Fault in my Book for some things he says he does not understand others he asks how can they be so and that other things cannot be so But I am to be blamed for taking no more notice of the Doctor than to neglect to direct my Discourse to him especially when I talk of Ignorance with which he is so well acquainted and therefore Doctor when you say that such things as I have proved cannot be I conceive it proceeds from rashness of Judgment rather than Reason because you have given none and therefore I would advise you to look into the first Chapter of the general Epistle of St. James v. 5. If any Man ask Wisdom let him ask it of God And when your Prayers have proved effectual you will be more capable of understanding those Questions which you ask by which means your Judgment will be better Qualified in respect of the latter And
turn to Dr. Willis de Fermentatione where Chap. 11. Paragraph the 4th you will by the Assistance of your Spectacles at Mid-day see these Words Rei cujusque Temperies quoad Calorem à Sulphure imprimis dependet i. e. The Temper of all hot Bodies in Respect of Heat chiefly depend on Sulphur where you see you are of the same Opinion with Dr. Willis exactly and it is good Luck to agree with such an Author but pray Doctor did you take this Notion of Heat from Dr. Willis or did he take it from you think of it and when you do remember that his Book was writ long before yours but again look back to Page the 32 of your own Book where you quote these Words from Monsieur le Grand Provenit ergò Thermarum calor à Bituminis Sulphuris Misturâ quae dum inter se confunduntur per quandam Fermentationem Calorem concipiunt i. e. The Heat therefore of hot Baths proceeds from a Bitumen and Sulphur which whilst they are mixed acquire Heat by Fermentation now Doctor what does this differ from your Opinion you say Heat depends on a Mixture of sulphureous Particles so does le Grand for a Mixture of Bitumen and Sulphur is but one sulphureous Body with another now it is strange that Dr. Leigh should be so angry at me when he hath so much more Reason to be angry at himself and really he is so for when Dr. Willis says Heat proceeds from Sulphur and le Grand is of the same Opinion Dr. Leigh cannot bear it he contradicts them and keeps the Reasons to himself yet when he himself affirms the same thing as his own he thinks he hath done well phy Doctor I thought you had not been quite so crazy if you go on at this Rate Bethlem will not hold you And now Doctor must not this argue that your Brain is extreamly hot that you cannot discern your self of the same Opinion with these Men but there are further Instances than this nothing will serve you but my Notion of the Heat of the Blood must be taken from Dr. Willis le Grand and the Exercitationes Quinque truly had it been taken from one it had been taken from all because there is no Difference betwixt them but no body that pretends to Knowledge will pretend to say that my Notion of the Reason of the Heat of the Blood is to be compar'd to yours I mean Dr. Willis his for the formal Cause of the Heat of hot Baths is widely different from the formal Cause of the Heat of the Blood for the Heat of Baths according to Dr. Willis depends on a Mixture and Fermentation of sulphureous Parts but the Heat of the Blood I say depends on a Mixture and mutual Fermentation of animal Spirits and Blood which Account in my Treatise is different from all others yet laid down and which I believe I have sufficiently proved and if what I have said will not be sufficient to prove Truth I conceive I am furnished with Reasons which will which I did not lay down in my Book because what is there is enough N. B. That where I have said the Heat is caused so or otherwise I mean a Power to cause such a Sensation upon our Sensory for Fire is not actually hot in it self but as it affects our Sensory as I have proved in my Treatise of the Reason of the Heat of the Blood But how came I to forget I was talking to Dr. Leigh Doctor I beg your Pardon for being so serious and for talking of Reason I did not remember such Talk would disturb your Head come come Doctor let 's divert you a Windmill Diego and his Spanish Geese Roger a Coverly the Elephant Cheesemonger or what you please chuse your Subject and pray talk to your self for it 's usual for one in your Distemper I for my part shall pass my time on Subjects which are more proper Objects of Reason Your next Exercitation Doctor contains an imperfect Account of a Fever in Lancashire which since it only appear'd in a small part of Lancashire it would be as impertinent to trouble the World with a Refutation of what you say as it was useless for you to write it had you done it ingeniously I shall therefore only take notice of the first Page of it which seems to be very ominous Page 54. Vix datur Lunae Circuitus quin Febris quaedam exaestuans populariter grassatur ac si Ignis elementaris sub concavo Lunae hospitans c. i. e. There is scarce a Month but some burning Fever is abroad as if that Fire in the Concave of the Moon continually broil'd Mankind c. But you should rather have said as if Mens Constitutions and Way of living were the Cause of it then Fire in the Concave of the Moon for to say as if Fire in the Concave of the Moon caused it is as much as to say as if there were no Cause for it because there is no such Fire but poor Man Diego and his Spanish Geese and the Moon have influenc'd you the one hath made you a Goose the other a Mad-man In the next Place let us consider the Substance of your fourth Exercitation de Febribus intermittentibus where Page 87 you say Supponimus Febres omnes intermittentes Particulis salinis esse ortis i. e. This is your Opinion of the Cause of intermitting Fevers now pray Doctor turn to Dr. Willis of intermitting Fevers Chap. 4. Paragraph the 4th where you will find these Words Haec Sanguinis Constitutio in hac sita est quod Sulphuris ac Salis plus debito impregnatur And again Chap. the 6th he says Quod in hoc Morbo Sanguinis Liquor à Natura dulci spirituosa balsamica in acidam nonnihil austeram instar Vini acescentis transierit nimirum adest Sanguinis Penuria Sanguinis Pars terrestris seu tartarea quae constat imprimis Sale Terra nimis exaltatur Where you see Dr. Willis and you both agree that there is too much Salt in the Blood in intermitting Fevers now you see how much you are mistaken for in your Remarks you told me that I had taken my Notions from Dr. Willis but it seems you are still under the Influence of the Moon for instead of me it 's your self bless me Who could imagine you so much out of your Senses to take me for Dr. Leigh does not Dr. Leigh know himself No alas Tertius è Coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but tho' you don't know your self Doctor one would think you might know your own Book but how should you when it 's plain you don't know your Name at all times for in your Exercitation de Thermis calidis in a heat you cry experto crede Roberto i. e. believe experienc'd Robert instead of Charles but perhaps you thought no body would believe Charles Leigh and therefore you cry Crede Roberto but perhaps there may be another Reason why
you cry experto crede Roberto because Carolo would not stand in the latter end of the Verse if this Doctor was your Reason you might have put a Negative before it and then it would have stood in Prose viz. ne experto crede Carolo Leigh Why Because he 's under the Influence of that Fire in the Concave of the Moon I come last of all to your last Exercitation and could really wish the first had been the last for how much soever you may be pleased with your own Book sure I am it is an ungrateful task to me to read over such Stuff Page 119 you say In duas itaque tantum species nos Hydropes dividimus c. i. e. We divide Dropsies into two Species to wit Cholerick proceeding from thick Cholerick obstructing the Pores and Glandules of the Liver c. Bless me Dr. I wonder at you that you should trust to your own Head as long as you borrowed from Dr. Willis and le Grand you were pretty safe and came off pretty well But now we find a Notion of your own and really it belongs to you this Exercitation I never suspected you for but Dr. is this a Production of yours that in your Remarks could divide betwixt the North and Northwest side of a Hair and can you divide Dropsies no better nay Doctor look as gruff as you please you are basely mistaken tho' you don't know where and therefore in compassion to you I shall show you your Faults for the obstruction of the Glandules of the Liver are an Effect of an Hydropical Disposition and by no means the Cause of it for as long as the Humors are in a right State they pass through those Parts without Obstruction but when for want of Spirits and good Blood an Hydropical Disposition is brought on then the Blood degenerating into a more phlegmatick State consequently obstructs the Glandules so that it is evident if the Indisposition proceeds the Obstruction the Obstruction cannot be the Cause of what went before And now Dr. I have taken a short View of your Remarks and also of your Quinque Exercitationes and if we reflect on the whole we may see there is little difference betwixt your Exercitationes and them and now Doctor you may see how ridiculous your Exercitations would be were they Printed in English but is is well they are in Latin because none can read them but those that think them not worthy to be taken Notice of And here Doctor I cannot but admire why you should be so angry with every Body that is not of your Mind and of Dr. Leigh's Opinion for we may observe that you are not only very angry at me but even with Dr. Lister whom you Reverence but why should I wonder at it it is the Nature of Men in your Condition and truly I pity it withal my Heart and am sorry that you have lost the Use of your Reason And Doctor may I ask you this Question what Reason have you now to complain of my Age And pray who is the younger Physitian I don't say the younger Man you have long enjoyed a head which I by no means envy you for may the Pudenda of a salt Bitch divert you make your Observations on Pigs Mice and Bog-houses I shall not in the least envy no not if you should take a Voyage with Diego and his Spanish Geese to the Moon for they would be very agreeable Company only consider whether you are not too near it already Pray do and keep out of Bethlem if you can But Doctor how came you to write your Remarks in English I thought you had too great Thoughts of your self to writ any thing in English vvas it because vvhen you vvere peevish and cross in Latin no Body took notice of you if so really you have got your self taken notice of vvith a Witness for vvhen I received your Remarks at Brazen-Nose having never seen such stuff in Print before I vvas very inquisitive to knovv vvhat Part of the World liked it and vvhat they said of it vvherefore I asked the Opinion of a fevv of the Younger sort and truly they told me they thought such things had never been Printed but it made them Laugh heartily but vvhen I consulted Men of Sense they advised me not to take notice of such Nonsense and truly Doctor I had taken their advice but vvhen about a Month ago I came to London and heard that Dr. Leigh vvas the Jest of the merry Philosophers of the Tovvn and that you had so miserably exposed your self as to be taken for a Mad-man I thought it necessary to let the World knovv that Dr. Leigh vvas in Manchester vvithout Bethlem or a Keeper But I have Reason to think that there is another Reason why you writ your Remarks in English viz. Ob defectum alterius to Use your own Phrase This Dr. Perhaps may startle you but for all you have writ a Book in Latin it 's true and you have Reason enough to write in English for the future for when your Book was Printing at Oxford there was such obscure Latin in it that several People could not tell what you meant for which Reason you may remember there were several things sent down to you to alter before they could be understood and pray let us see what a polished Piece it is at the last Page 2 you have this Piece of Latin at hanc semper vellet esse veram quia desiderium pati non potest adeoque Dogma tenacissimum ni fallor usque ad Iracundiam eorum quae annis prioribus edidit quod in Philosophia est maximum malum se in numerum plurium adduxit truly Doctor it is as like a Letter which I saw a Mad-man write to his Physician as any thing could be for the meaning is so Dark that one can scarce see what you aim at and it so posed two or three Scholars in Brazen-Nose that there were as many Opinions about the meaning of it as standers by and therefore Doctor for the future write English that People may understand your meaning and never let Ambition make you write in a Language you know so little of Page 3 and 4 you say Qui se solum intuetur mater Philosophatur opinioni haud Naturae se credidit O the wonderful Obscurity observable in Dr. Leigh And how well he understands Latin Opinioni haud Naturae se credit pray Doctor have you forgot what you Learnt at School quem casum regunt verba credendid A Dative but you had forgot and writ false Latin against your Will poor Man But let me tell you were you at School you would be taken up and Whipt soundly for such a Fault what Credidit se Phy Doctor I thought you had been too old to be Whip'd but it seems not too old to deserve it but suppose it did not deserve Whipping it is not Sense for credidit se Opinioni haud Naturae is most absurd
and sounds worse in English than Latin for how ridiculous is it for to say He believed himself to his Opinion not Nature truly Doctor it looks as if it came from Bethlem and by no means ab Agro Lancastrienst And should I run over your Book it is so full of Faults of this kind that there would be no end of it these therefore may suffice to shew what Reason you had to write in English but if you are not content with these you shall have a few more of your elegant Phrases and Idioms to chew on for Page 5 you have this Nullo modo capiam I can by no means take instead of Vnderstand so Capio and Intelligo are synonimous Words with Dr. Leigh again Page 7 your Idioms are not less elegant where you have pro me i. e. for me this puts me in mind of a piece of Latin in the beginning of Walkers Particles where but for you is by the School Boys elegantly rendred sed pro te and this Doctor is another bald Piece for which a School Boy would have been Whip'd severly But we must pass by some of your Faults or the Child will be Fleed alive there are a many pretty Idioms behind yet would deserve Rod or Ferule were you at School as abservatu in proclivi est instead of in promptu but your Thoughts Doctor perhaps were more in proclivi than in promptu and so you thought it the prettier Expression Again Page 64 and 66 we may observe what a vast variety of synonimous Expressions you are stock'd with viz. ad secundum ad tertium sic respondemus ad quartum sic regero here besides your stock of synonimous Terms we cannot but observe the very Symptoms of a Madman and Doctor certainly you cannot but rave for first ad secundum comes from no Body but when you come to tertium you that ad secundum were no Body are become double for it 's respondemus we answer but when you come to Quartum you fancy your self but one again and speak in the singular Number viz. sic regero Again here we may observe that Dr. Leigh hot in the third degree at tertium only fancies himself double but when crazed modo Quarto he talks Nonsence for sic regero in English is I carry back and not I answer And now Doctor don't you see what a fit Man you are to write a Book in Latin who are fitter to go to School again did I know the Master of Manchester School I 'll assure you I should write to him about you to take you into Correction What a Boy at Forty or Fifty and write false Latin And false Idioms To School for shame and let your Wife buy you a Sachel to lug your Books to School in and get a Grammar speedily and learn what Case Verba dandi govern and how the Nominative Case and the Verb agree and never write Credidit se Ego Respondemus sic regero But what do I talk of going to School when you have learn't past Grace already and are horn Mad mistake me not Doctor I do not say horned and mad too but mad enough to wear a Bethlem-Man's Horn for I suppose your Wife hath not learned past Grace though you have crazed your self But I shall leave this Subject least I should drive you madder than you are and shall only take notice of one thing more which seems to intimate how long you have been distempered in your Head and how you came to be so Page 24 you say Nihil severiori scrutinio dignum reperiri potest nec quid quod Philosophorum mentes adeo distorsit ac Thermarum calidarum Phaenomena i. e. nothing deserves a more severe search nor hath any thing distracted Men's Minds more than the Phenomena of hot Baths truly Doctor Severiori is a very strange Epithite for Scrutinio but it to speak the truth hath been a little too severe upon you if you by your search after these Phaenomena have distracted your self And really Doctor I cannot but pity you for Reason is a very valuable Faculty and like Credit when once lost hard to be got again however we must use the Means and now I having throughout your Remarks and your Exercitationes Quinque traced the Symptoms of your Distemper and now at last found out the Cause of it and having endeavoured to make you sensible of it I hope we have made a good step towards a Cure and therefore to close up this occasional Enquiry I shall transcribe a Piece of Advice for you from a very good Author but shall not tell you the Name of it least you should Burn it for Mad People are very apt to throw away their Medicines The Words are these I believe you are quite out of your Wits and are run away from your Keepers and therefore I advise you to Shave all the Hair very close off your Crown Then take away fifty or threescore Ounces of Blood at several times according as it shall be found that you come to your self and to the Vse of your Reason if you make use of Leaches be sure they be well cleansed if you Purge use very gentle things such as Manna and Syrup of Roses which they give to Madmen till your Distemper abates avoid all strong Meats Tobacco hot Spices and especially Coffee for the Powder hath sometimes been observed to settle into a Saracens head in the bottom of the Dish and above all things have a great care of Studying or of Writing Books till your Head is better and of Sleeping on your Back for Vapours will be apt to rise and you 'll Dream of nothing but Elephants Mice Bog-houses Diego and his Geese and Roger a Coverly When you have followed these Directions for a while you will be better able to understand my Book to see your own Errors and will be fitter to go to School again for in the Condition you are in you are fit for nothing pray Doctor don't refuse to take Advice for your Condition is desperate you need not fall out with the Directions because they are mine for that you might not make that Objection I have taken care to transcribe Advice from one that I hope you have no Reason to fall out with But not to detain you too long Doctor wishing you a good Recovery and the Use of your Reason if God give a Blessing to the Means I subscribe Your Humble Servant To instruct you R. BOULTON Postscript SOON after I had writ the preceding Sheets wherein I have traced the Symptoms of the Doctors Distemper I heard that Dr. Leigh had writ a Reply to Mr. Colbatch his Piece concerning the Cure of a Person bit by a Viper and therefore considering the Doctors and his Adversaries Conditions both together I thought it advisable and prudent to take a View of it before the Publishing of what I have before writ for several Reasons For since I have made it appear how much the Doctor is distempered and in
order to his Recovery have prescribed Rules I thought it not amiss to see whether his Distemper was either abated or increased that I might accordingly if there was occasion alter those Rules laid down for his Recovery but I find that the Symptoms are yet as strong and the Method prescrib'd by no means to be neglected The First Symptom is a Copy of Verses which fills the sixth Page where both by his Rhiming and the Excellency of his Poetick Strain it appears he is almost if not quite past hopes for what more evident Symptom can there be of Madness than for a Man to turn Poet who cannot write good English indeed had his whole Book been filled up with such Poetry I should have thought him much wiser for he would get more credit by writing Ballads than scribling Physick it being a more fit Employment for him besides a considerable Number of them might have gone off throughout the Kingdom and especially this St. Bartholemews Fair in London But it is in vain to advise the Doctor a crazy Pate hath as indeterminate Faculties as a neutral Spirit a Spirit of Dr. Leigh's Denomination Spirits which I suppose the Doctor converses with in agro Lancastriensi but I would willingly be certain what the Doctor means by a Neutral Spirit and how he came to give Spirit such an odd Epithite as Neutral but I cannot expect an Answer from one that knows not the difference betwixt Questions and Answers and one that is in such a raving Condition too for after his Poetry the next Remark is upon the Owl in a Crab-tree O Ingenium Acerrimum Nihil severiori scrutinio dignum reperiri potest nec quid quod Philosophorum mentes adeo distorsit Quinque Exercitationes Page 24 The Doctor having distracted himself with hot Baths hath fallen foul upon the Crab-tree and perhaps respects it for it's sower Qualities or in the Doctors own Words propter Ingenium Acerrimum but why should the Doctor Remark upon the Owl hath it been too Ominous to his Patients in agro Lancastriensi poor unhappy Bird that for it 's good Service and Prognostics where the Doctor 's Judgment failed him should have such hard Fate as falling into the Hands of Dr. Leigh but who can otherwise think of its Usage in such Hands He that against Dr. Lister brought a Shower of Wheat and Goats Wooll and in his Remarks on ME rav'd of nothing but Elephants Pigs Mice Cheesemongers Diego and Spanish Geese c. may well take a Touch with the Owl and Crab-tree But these Symptoms are not all Page 12. He hath brought the Grand Seignior into a Jest and well then may he fall foul upon the King's Subjects Dr. Lister and I may well be affraid of a Man that dare jest upon the Grand Seignior but like stormy Weather sometimes he 's at the Top of the House and presently as low again for Page 14 he ridicules the poor Mouse again a peevish Creature that was never brought into the Press before without Wit and Ingenuity is now prest upon without either Sense or Reason Page 15 Amongst the rest of his Symptoms he raves again of his Exercitationes Quinque and since no Body will quote it besides himself he 's resolved to name it as often as he can think of it alas Hinc ille Lachrymae And after all this Page 24 He reckons himself amongst the thinking Part of Mankind but surely he does not mean Physicians but Hawkers Cheesemongers Mice and Rat-chatchers and Sowgelders the Wisemen of Gotham and Lunaticks for from his Remarks his Reply and his Quinque Exercitationes it is plain that he hath employed his Thoughts most on such Subjects as those Tradesmen are employed about But notwithstanding those Symptoms which are still Arguments of the Doctors Distemper yet this I must needs say the Combat betwixt Mr. Colbatch and him may be diverting for Folly and Madness at variance will be hard match'd and really were not Dr. Leigh's Condition very desperate it would be advisable to let him enjoy his Distemper a little longer otherwise Mr. Colbatch will be too hard for him for tho' I have so slight an Opinion of Mr. Colbatch as to think him mistaken in every thing he writes and very unfit for an Author yet by all means he is to be preferred before Dr. Leigh for Folly is not so dangerous as Madness but as for Mr. Tuthil and Mr. Leigh let them go together with all my Heart And I have only this more to observe that Mr. Colbatch Mr. Leigh and Mr. Tuthil in this respect are all alike for first Mr. Colbatch hath cast a great many of base Reflections on the College of Physicians for which he deserves worse Usage himself because they gave him no Reason for it but he hath given them Reason because he hath abused them To be even with him Mr. Leigh hath reflected on the College and the University because they would not License his Quinque Exercitationes and hath reflected on me and is angry because I have had better Fortune than himself where he hath reflected on me without Reason for which I have just Cause to pitty him again Mr. Tuthil to be even with them both hath complemented Mr. Colbatch most unmercifully as if Complements were made for such Creatures and Pearls to be cast before Swine Secondly The Similitude betwixt Mr. Colbatch and Dr. Leigh runs farther For Dr. Leigh in his Preface to this Reply pretends to stand up for the Honour of Physick yet in his Remarks reflects on the most Honourable of them Again Mr. Colbatch in his Treatise of the Gout tells the World Physick is a Scene of Slaughter and yet pretends to complement our English Physicians or at least the Physicians of London as Men of the greatest Merit and the Parallel runs so far betwixt these two that I may well say Folly and Madness will never be more conspicuous and therefore I wish the one the Use of his Reason and the other Sense enough to discern his Errors and shall only add that I beg Pardon of the World for taking notice of either of them and I hope my Compassion to them will not by the Judicious be mistaken for a Fault since I hope I have writ nothing but what the Ignorance of the one and the Ignorance and Envy of the other have given just Grounds for FINIS Errata Page Line For these Errors Read these Corrections 10 1 reard read 38 8 to Physicians to a Physician 70 2 3 Alkalious Acids Alkalious Acids 90 3 Bitter and Sower Bitter from Sower 92 8 Odiously odious 92 21 Â I shall here only bring 99 14 lept Slept 134 5 Syrop Syrup 137 20 Analiz Analization 149 21 injuries injurious 151 5 dele from conclusion 151 12 make makes 153 Vlt. correct cover 158 8 Physicians Magicians 200 11 Nascitur Nascetur 258 16 ask Wisdom lack Wisdom 269 14 an Man a Man 270 30 Â your own sake that 271 28 with sound with the sound dele he Ibid. 29 Â and do the greatest hurt 273 9 Â a Showre of Wheat Ibid. 25 Bread Beard 276 35 do remember do remember