WILLIAM GEORGE MATON, m.d. f.r.s

FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS,VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE LINN.EAN SOCIETY,

&c. &c. &c

My dear Sir,

There is not an individual in the whole circle of the profes-sion, to whom I could with greater satisfaction, or with so much proprie-ty, dedicate this work, as to yourself.

Ardent and zealous in the advancement of our science, you must deep-ly deplore the prejudices that retard its progress ; — eminently enlighten-ed in Natural History, you can justly appreciate the importance of itsapplications to Medicine ; while your well known earnestness in uphold-ing the dignity, and in encouraging the legitimate exercise of our pro-fession, marks you as the most proper patron of a work, the aim ofwhich is to extinguish the false lights of empiricism, and to substitutea steady beacon on the solid and permanent basis of truth and science:at the same time, the extensive practice whichyour talents and urbani-ty so justly command in this metropolis, must long since have taughtyou the full extent of that empiricism which it has been my endeavourto expose, and the practical mischief of that ignorance which it hasbeen my object to enlighten.

Nor let me omit to mention the claims of that friendship which hasfor many years subsisted between us; be assured that I am gratefully<<>ensible of those personal obligations which so fully justify this public