THE PREFACE
Togive an exact and particular Account of the Nature and Manner of acting ofPoisons, is no easie Matter; but to Discourse more intelligibly ofThemthan Authors have hitherto done, not very difficult. One may without much Pains shew their Effects to be owing to something more than the bare Qualities of Heat or Cold; and Discover the Footsteps ofMechanismin those surprizingPhænomenawhich are commonly ascribed to someOccultor Unknown Principle. But to Unravel the Springs of the several Motions upon which suchAppearancesdo depend, and Trace up all the Symptoms to their First Causes, requires some Art as well as Labour; and that both upon the account of the Exquisite Fineness, and marvellous Composition, of the Animal Machine in which they are Transacted, and of the Minuteness of those Bodies which have the force to induce in it such Sudden and Violent Alterations.
I have attempted somewhat this way in the followingEssays; in which I do not promise Methodical, and Finish’d Treatises, but only some short Hints of Natural History, and Rude Strokes of Reasoning; which, if put together, and rightly Improved, may perhaps serve to furnish out a more tolerableSPECIMENof theDOCTRINEofPOISONS, than has yet been Published.
The First Draught of this small Piece, I made some Years since, Entertaining my self at Leisure Hours, with Experiments onVipers, and otherVenomous Creatures; Examining now and then the Texture ofArsenic,Mercury Sublimate, and the like Malignant Substances; Turning over what Authors had said on the several Subjects, and making such Remarks as from Time to Time Occurr’d.
There continued Enquiries made up at last, Three or Four short Discourses; which, when I began to Digest into Order, the Increase of Business contracted the Intervals of my spare Time; and the Diversion of such Studies quickly giving way to the Severity of more Necessary Labours, They were quite thrown by, Till Talking not long since with Dr.Areskine, concerning theViper,I took Occasionto review my scattered Papers, and confirm my Reasonings by New Experiments. He very readily offered Me HisAnatomical Observations; These I have put at the End of the FirstEssay; Which do not promise aComplete Dissectionof theAnimal, but chiefly shew the Make of those Parts which are concern’d in thePoison.
My Design, in Thinking of These Matters, was, to Try how far I could carryMechanical Considerationsin Accounting for those Surprizing Changes, whichPoisonsmake in anAnimal Body; Concluding (as I think, fairly) that if so abstrusePhænomenaas These did come under the known Laws of Motion, It might very well be taken for granted, that the more obvious Appearances in the same Fabrick are owing to such Causes as are within theReachof Geometrical Reasoning; And that therefore as the first Step towards the Removal of a Disease is to know Its Origin, so he is likely to be the best Physician, who having the same assistance of Observations and Histories with Others, does best understand theHumane Oeconomy, the Texture of the Parts, Motions of the Fluids, and the Power which other Bodies have to make Alterations in any of These.
Nor indeed ought any One to Doubt of This, who considers that theAnimal Compagesis not an irregular Mass, and disorderly Jumble of Atoms, but the Contrivance of Infinite Wisdom, and Master-piece of that Creating Power, who has been pleased to do all Things by Establish’d Laws and Rules, and that Harmony and Proportion should be the Beauty of all his Works.
It were therefore heartily to be wish’d, that those Gentlemen who are so much afraid of IntroducingMathematical Studies, that is, Demonstration and Truth, into the Practice of Physick, were so far at least Instructed in the necessary Disciplines, as to be able to pass a true Judgment, what Progress and Advances may be made this way; They would not then perhaps Decry an Attempt of so much Moment to the Wellfare of Mankind, as vain and impossible, because it is difficult, and requires Application and Pains.
It is very evident, that all other Methods of Improving Medicine have been found Ineffectual, by the Stand it has been at these two or three Thousand Years; and that since of lateMathematicianshave set Themselves to the Study of it, Men do already begin to Talk so Intelligibly and Comprehensibly, even about abstruse Matters, that it may be hop’d in a short time, if Those who are Design’d for thisProfession, are early, while their Minds and Bodies are Patient of Labour and Toil, Initiated in the Knowledge ofNumbersandGeometry, thatMathematicalLearning will be the Distinguishing Mark of a Physician from a Quack; and that He who wants this necessary Qualification, will be as Ridiculous as one withoutGreekorLatin.
I have, as to what regards theAnimal Oeconomy, Referr’d as much as I could to the Works ofBellini, which have brought great Light into the Dark Regions of Physick, and Taught Us to argue clearly and consistently, instead of Amusing our selves with Unintelligible Words or PrecariousHypotheses. TheDissertationsof Dr.Pitcarne, who is the Honour of his Profession inScotland, are a Convincing Proof of the Advantage of such a Mechanical Way of Reasoning; nor couldMaliceit self deny This, were notIgnorancein Confederacy with it, which will secure any One from being Benefitted by the most useful Demonstrations.
Notwithstanding This, I have been forced now and then to make Digressions from my Subject, to clear some Doctrines necessary to be known which have not been Explained by others. For indeed theDatafrom which We argue in these Matters are by many too few. Dr.Cheyne, the Author of theNew Theory of Fevers, has enumerated several Particulars in which theTheoreticPart of Medicine still wants Improvement. If theseDeficiencieswere made good, We might with more Ease Proceed in our Enquiries into Human Nature, and should soon Convince the World, that the most useful of Arts, if duly Cultivated, is more than meerConjecture, or baseEmpiricism.
As to the Authors I have made use of, who have Treated ofPoisons, I have Quoted only those who Furnished me with Matter of Fact; For there are but fewOriginals; and very large Volumes on this Subject do many times contain little more than a Collection ofVulgar Errors.
I had once Thought to have carried theseSearchesfarther; in Particular, besides what is occasionally mention’d in the lastEssayconcerningInfectionin acute Diseases, to have enquired into the Nature ofContagiousandHereditary Distempers. But the Humour of Scribling would not hold out; And some perhaps will say, ’Tis well enough it didn’t; For I am not Ignorant how Few I am like to Please; If it be hard to Think and Write Justly, ’tis harder yet to Bring Others to one’s ownTaste; Nor shall I be at all Angry, if to Many I have afforded Matter ofSatyrandInvective; Less Wit suffices for These than for the Discovery of Useful Truths. They who have no Smattering ofMathematicalKnowledge, are incompetent Judges of what Service I have done towards the Improvement of theTheory, orPracticeofMedicine, and Those who are acquainted with these Matters, will, it may be, think it something to Talk Intelligibly on such difficult and abstruse Points. I neither wantApplause, nor fearCensure; and therefore be the Fate of These Papers what it will, as they were first Penn’d for my ownSatisfaction, and InnocentEntertainment; so I am resolved They shall never Ingage me in the Trouble ofQuarrelsorDisputes.
THE CONTENTS.ESSAYI.Of the Viper.AnAppendixconÂtainÂing AnaÂtomÂiÂcal ObÂserÂvaÂtions, and anAcÂcountof some other VeÂnoÂmous AnÂiÂmals.ESSAYII.Of theTarantulaand Mad Dog.ESSAYIII.Of Poisonous Minerals and Plants.ESSAYIV.Of Opium.ESSAYV.Of Venomous ExÂhaÂlaÂtions from the Earth, PoiÂsoÂnous Airs and WaÂters.