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P R E F A C E

0 F THE

COLLEGE.

ALM OST half a Century has elapfedfince our predeceflbrs executed thefame tafk we have now undertaken, no lefsto the praife of their judgement than theirdiligence. If Medicine, during that fpace,advanced not equally with other ufefularts, it received many valuable improve-ments; as well from the induftry and dif-coveries of others, as from thofe moreparticularly who have, of late, ftudied Che-miftry with unufual zealandpenetration.

As, forthat reafon, itbecame our dutytoex-amine anew the common inftruments oftheart of healing, we thought that duty requi-red us to employ all the afliftance whichcould be derived from modern chemiftry ;A 4 and,