the advancement of learning-第24部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　as　in　our　own　wish　and　advice；　the　inquiry　touching　human　nature　entire；　as　a　just　portion　of　knowledge　to　be　handled　apart。

X。1。　The　knowledge　that　concerneth　man's　body　is　divided　as　the　good　of　man's　body　is　divided；　unto　which　it　referreth。　The　good　of　man's　body　is　of　four　kinds；　Health；　Beauty；　Strength；　and　Pleasure：　so　the　knowledges　are　Medicine；　or　art　of　Cure；　art　of　Decoration；　which　is　called　Cosmetic；　art　of　Activity；　which　is　called　Athletic；　and　art　Voluptuary；　which　Tacitus　truly　calleth　ERUDITUS　LUXUS。　This　subject　of　man's　body　is　of　all　other　things　in　nature　most　susceptible　of　remedy；　but　then　that　remedy　is　most　susceptible　of　error。　For　the　same　subtility　of　the　subject　doth　cause　large　possibility　and　easy　failing；　and　therefore　the　inquiry　ought　to　be　the　more　exact。

＇42＇　2。　To　speak　therefore　of　Medicine；　and　to　resume　that　we　have　said；　ascending　a　little　higher：　the　ancient　opinion　that　man　was　MICROCOSMUS；　an　abstract　or　model　of　the　world；　hath　been　fantastically　strained　by　Paracelsus'　and　the　alchemists；　as　if　there　were　to　be　found　in　man's　body　certain　correspondences　and　parallels；　which　should　have　respect　to　all　varieties　of　things；　as　stars；　planets；　minerals；　which　are　extant　in　the　great　world。　But　thus　much　is　evidently　true；　that　of　all　substances　which　nature　hath　produced；　man's　body　is　the　most　extremely　compounded。　For　we　see　herbs　and　plants　are　nourished　by　earth　and　water；　beasts　for　the　most　part　by　herbs　and　fruits；　man　by　the　mesh　of　beasts；　birds；　fishes；　herbs；　grains；　fruits；　water；　and　the　manifold　alterations；　dressings；　and　preparations　of　the　several　bodies；　before　they　come　to　be　his　food　and　aliment。　Add　hereunto；　that　beasts　have　a　more　simple　order　of　life；　and　less　change　of　affections　to　work　upon　their　bodies：　whereas　man　in　his　mansion；　sleep；　exercise；　passions；　hath　infinite　variations：　and　it　cannot　be　denied　but　that　the　Body　of　man　of　all　other　things　is　of　the　most　compounded　mass。　The　Soul　on　the　other　side　is　the　simplest　of　substances；　as　is　well　expressed：

Purumque　reliquit　Aethereum　sensum　atque　aurai　simplicis　ignem。

So　that　it　is　no　marvel　though　the　soul　so　placed　enjoy　no　rest；　if　that　principle　be　true；　that　MOTUS　RERUM　EST　RAPIDUS　EXTRA　LOCUM；　PLACIDUS　IN　LOCO。　But　to　the　purpose：　this　variable　composition　of　man's　body　hath　made　it　as　an　instrument　easy　to　distemper；　and　therefore　the　poets　did　well　to　conjoin　Music　and　Medicine　in　Apollo；　because　the　office　of　Medicine　is　but　to　tune　this　curious　harp　of　man's　body　and　to　reduce　it　to　harmony。　So　then　the　subject　being　so　variable；　hath　made　the　art　by　consequence　more　conjectural；　and　the　art　being　conjectural　hath　made　so　much　the　more　place　to　be　left　for　imposture。　For　almost　all　other　arts　and　sciences　are　judged　by　acts；　or　masterpieces；　as　I　may　term　them；　and　not　by　the　successes　and　events。　The　lawyer　is　judged　by　the　virtue　of　his　pleading；　and　not　by　the　issue　of　the　cause；　the　master　of　the　ship　is　judged　by　the　directing　his　course　aright；　and　not　by　the　fortune　of　the　voyage；　but　the　physician；　and　perhaps　the　politique；　hath　no　particular　acts　demonstrative　of　his　ability；　but　is　judged　most　by　the　event；　which　is　ever　but　as　it　is　taken：　for　who　can　tell　if　a　patient　die　or　recover；　or　if　a　state　be　preserved　or　ruined；　whether　it　be　art　or　accident？　And　therefore　many　times　the　impostor　is　prized；　and　the　man　of　virtue　taxed。　Nay；　we　see　the　weakness　and　credulity　of　men　is　such；　as　they　will　often　prefer　a　mountebank　or　witch　before　a　learned　physician。　And　therefore　the　poets　were　clear…sighted　in　discerning　this　extreme　folly；　when　they　made　Aesculapius　and　Circe　brother　and　sister；　both　children　of　the　sun；　as　in　the　verses；

Ipse　repertorem　medicine　talis　et　artis　Fulmine　PHOEBIGENAM　Stygias　detrusit　ad　undas：

And　again；

Dives　inaccessos　ubi　SOLIS　FILIA　lucos；　etc。

For　in　all　times；　in　the　opinion　of　the　multitude；　witches　and　old　women　and　impostors　have　had　a　competition　with　physicians。　And　what　followeth？　Even　this；　that　physicians　say　to　themselves　as　Salomon　expresseth　it　upon　a　higher　occasion；　IF　IT　BEFALL　TO　ME　AS　BEFALLETH　TO　THE　FOOLS；　WHY　SHOULD　I　LABOUR　TO　BE　MORE　WISE？　　And　therefore　I　cannot　much　blame　physicians；　that　they　use　commonly　to　intend　some　other　art　or　practice；　which　they　fancy　more　than　their　profession。　For　you　shall　have　of　them　antiquaries；　poets；　humanists；　statesmen；　merchants；　divines；　and　in　every　of　these　better　seen　than　in　their　profession；　and　no　doubt　upon　this　ground；　that　they　find　that　mediocrity　and　excellency　in　their　art　maketh　no　difference　in　profit　or　reputation　towards　their　fortune；　for　the　weakness　of　patients；　and　sweetness　of　life；　and　nature　of　hope；　maketh　men　depend　upon　physicians　with　all　their　defects。　But　nevertheless；　these　things　which　we　have　spoken　of；　are　courses　begotten　between　a　little　occasion；　and　a　great　deal　of　sloth　and　default；　for　if　we　will　excite　and　awake　our　observation；　we　shall　see　in　familiar　instances　what　a　predominant　faculty　the　subtilty　of　spirit　hath　over　the　variety　of　matter　or　form：　nothing　more　variable　than　faces　and　countenances：　yet　men　can　bear　in　memory　the　infinite　distinctions　of　them；　nay；　a　painter　with　a　few　shells　of　colours；　and　the　benefit　of　his　eye　and　habit　of　his　imagination；　can　imitate　them　all　that　ever　have　been；　are；　or　may　be；　if　they　were　brought　before　him：　nothing　more　variable　than　voices；　yet　men　can　likewise　discern　them　personally：　nay；　you　shall　have　a　buffoon　or　PANTOMIMUS；　who　will　express　as　many　as　he　pleaseth。　Nothing　more　variable　than　the　differing　sounds　of　words；　yet　men　have　found　the　way　to　reduce　them　to　a　few　simple　letters。　So　that　it　is　not　the　insufficiency　or　incapacity　of　man's　mind；　but　it　is　the　remote　standing　or　placing　thereof；　that　breedeth　these　mazes　and　incomprehensions：　for　as　the　sense　afar　off　is　full　of　mistaking；　but　is　exact　at　hand；　so　is　it　of　the　understanding；　the　remedy　whereof　is；　not　to　quicken　or　strengthen　the　organ；　but　to　go　nearer　to　the　object；　and　therefore　there　is　no　doubt　but　if　the　physicians　will　learn　and　use　the　true　approaches　and　avenues　of　nature；　they　may　assume　as　much　as　the　poet　saith：

Et　quoniam　variant　morbi；　variabimus　artes；　Mille　mali　species；　mille　salutis　erunt。

Which　that　they　should　do；　the　nobleness　of　their　art　doth　deserve；　well　shadowed　by　the　poets；　in　that　they　made　Aesculapius　to　be　the　son　of　the　sun；　the　one　being　the　fountain　of　life；　the　other　as　the　second　stream：　but　infinitely　more　honoured　by　the　example　of　our　Saviour；　who　made　the　body　of　man　the　object　of　His　miracles；　as　the　soul　was　the　object　of　His　doctrine。　For　we　read　not　that　ever　He　vouchsafed　to　do　any　miracle　about　honour　or　money；　except　that　one　for　giving　tribute　to　Caesar；　　but　only　about　the　preserving；　sustaining；　and　healing　the　body　of　man。

3。　Medicine　is　a　science　which　hath　been；　as　we　＇43＇；　more　professed　than　laboured；　and　yet　more　laboured　than　advanced；　the　labour　having　been；　in　my　judgment；　rather　in　circle　than　in　progression。　For　I　find　much　iteration；　but　small　addition。　It　considereth　causes　of　diseases；　with　the　occasions　or　compulsions；　the　diseases　themselves；　with　the　accidents；　and　the　cares；　with　the　preservations。　The　deficiencies　which　I　think　good　to　note；　being　a　few　of　many；　and　those　such　as　are　of　a　more　open　and　manifest　nature；　I　will　enumerate；　and　not　place。

4。　The　first　is　the　discontinuance　of　the　ancient　and　serious　diligence　of　Hippocrates；　which　used　to　set　down　a　narrative　of　the　special　cases　of　his　patients；　and　how　they　proceeded；　and　how　they　were　judged　by　recovery　or　death。　Therefore　having　an　example　proper　in　the　father　of　the　art；　I　shall　not　need　to　allege　an　example　foreign；　of　the　wisdom　of　the　lawyers；　who　are　careful　to　report　new　cases　and　decisions　for　the　direction　of　future　judgments。　This　continuance　of　medicinal　history　I　find　deficient；　which　I　understand　neither　to　be　so　infinite　as　to　extend　to　every　common　case；　nor　so　reserved　as　to　admit　none　but　wonders：　for　many　things　are　new　in　the　manner；　which　are　not　new　in　the　kind；　and　if　men　will　intend　to　observe；　they　shall　find　much　worthy　to　observe。

5。　In　the　inquiry　which　is　made　by　Anatomy；　I　find　much　deficience：　for　they　inquire　of　the　parts；　and　their　substances；　figures；　and　collocations；　but　they　inquire　not　of　the　diversities　of　the　parts；　the　secrecies　of　the　passages；　and　the　seats　or　nestlings　of　the　humoors；　nor　much　of　the　footsteps　and　impressions　of　diseases：　the　reason　of　which　omission　I　suppose　to　be；　because　the　first　inquiry　may　be　satisfied　in　the　view　of　one　or　a　few　anatomies：　but　the　latter；　being　comparative　and　casual；　must　arise　from　the　view　of　many。　And　as　to　the　diversity　of　parts；　there　is　no　doubt　but　the　facture　or　framing　of　the　inward　parts　is　as　full　of　difference　as　the　outward；　and　in　that　is　the　CAUSE　CONTINENT　of　many　diseases；　which　not　being　observed；　they　quarrel　many　times　with　humours；　which　are　not　in　fault；　the　fault　beings　in　the　very　frame　and　mechanic　of　the　part；　which　cannot　be　removed　by　medicine　alterative；　but　must　be　accommodate　and　palliate　by　diets　and　medicines　familiar。　As　for　the　passages　and　pores；　it　is　true　which　was　anciently　noted；　that　the　more　subtle　of　them　appear　not　in　anatomies；　because　they　are　shut　and　latent　in　dead　bodies；　though　they　be　open　and　manifest　in　live：　which　being　supposed；　though　the　inhumanity　of　ANATOMIA　VIVORUM　was　by　Celsus　justly　reproved；　　yet　in　regard　of　the　great　use　of　this　observation；　the　inquiry　needed　not　by　him　so　slightly　to　have　been　relinquished　altogether；　or　referred　to　the　casual　practices　of　surgery；　but　mought　have　been　well　diverted　upon　the　dissection　of　beasts　alive；　which　notwithstanding　the　dissimilitude　of　their　parts；　may　sufficiently　satisfy　this　inquiry。　And　for　the　humours；　they　are　commonly　passed　over　in　anatomies　as　purgaments；　whereas　it　is　most　necessary　to　observe；　what　cavities；　nests；　and　recptacles　the　humours　do　find　in　the　parts；　with　the　differing　kind　of　the　humour　so　lodged　and　received。　And　as　for　the　footsteps　of　diseases　and　their　devastations　of　the　inward　parts；　imposthumations；　exulcerations；　discontinuations；　putrefactions