x PREFACE.

sense, especially in a science which has been kept at such a dis-tance from common observation. It would, however, be no diffi-cult matter to prove, that everything valuable in the practical partof medicine is within the reach of common abilities.

It would be ungenerous not to express my warmest acknowledg-ments to those Gentlemen who have endeavoured to extend theusefulness of this Performance, by translating it into the languageof their respective countries. Most of them have not only given el-egant translations of the Book, but have also enriched it with manyuseful observations ; by which it is rendered more complete, andbetter adapted to the climate and the constitutions of their coun-trymen. To the learned Dr. Duplanil of Paris, physician to theConn' d'Artois, I lie under particular obligations ; as this Gentle-mau Las not only enlarged my treatise, but by his very ingeniousand useful notes, has rendered it so popular on the Continent, asto occasion its being translated into all the languages of modernEurope.

I have only to add, that the book has not more exceeded my ex-pectation in its success than in the effects it has produced. Someof the most pernicious practices, with regard to the treatment ofthe sick, have already given place to a more rational conduct ; andmany of the most hurtful prejudices, which seemed to be quite insur-mountable, have in a great measure yielded to better information.

Of this a stronger instance cannot be given than in the inocula-tion of the small-pox. Few mothers, some years ago, would sub-rcit to have their children inoculated even by the hauà of a Physi-cian ; yet nothing is more certain, than that of late many of themhave performed this operation with their own hands ; and as theirsuccess has been equal to that of the most dignified inoculators,there is little reason to doubt that the practice will become gener-al. Whenever this shall be the case, more lives will be saved byinoculation alone, than are at present by all the endeavours of theFaculty.*

* Allowance must here be made for the unacquaintance of the Author, at the time hewrote, with the blessings since derived from the inestimable discovery of vaccina-tion. The above observations nevertheless, will be equally good and applicable at thepresent day, by the simple substitution of one word for another, viz. — for Inoculation.to read Vaccination. Ed.