Page images
PDF
EPUB

Things; and Men who ftudy Things, feldom mind Words. A Man may have vaft Ideas or Conceptions of Things, and little or none of Words, And most People who spend their Time in difcovering any thing we do not know, or which is not in ufe, tell it us but confufedly at first.

'Tis neceffary that the Perfon who attempts to discover the Motions and Actions of Bodies whether Solids or Fluids, fhould have a large extenfive Capacity, naturally, to compare many Ideas at once; a good Share of natural Reason, and be instructed fo far in the Mathematicks as concerns the Solids, or Fluids he obferves, to enable him to make juft Obfervations, and to have fufficient Opportunity to make Obfervations and draw Conclufions; that he understand fo much of one Language, that others, who underftand the fame Language, may understand what he defigns fhould be understood. But 'tis not neceffary that he understand many Languages, nor that he know how many have made deficient Obfervations, and drawn falfe Conclufions. Such a Multitude of Opinions are likely rather to perplex or deceive, than to direct him to the Truth. Nay as our Comprehenfions are not infinite, the more Ideas he has of

Things

[ocr errors]

Things which concern not the Matter in hand, the less room he will have for those that are neceffary.

;

The prefent Phyficians read the Obfervations former Phyficians have made what Symptoms attend this or that Dif ease in their several Stages, and can thereby guess what the Patient has undergone, and what he has yet to undergo; and likewife the Effects that this or that fort of Medicine has had in clogging or dif charging the Matter, which, in this or that Cafe, produces fuch or fuch Symptoms; but this fhould be the leaft part of a Phyfician's Skill. Few or none of them ever look back to the Cause, and fhew us whence that Disease took Root, and what Causes produced thofe Effects. The principal Part fhould be to judge what the Matter is that offends, and how it offends; how it was produced or retained, and why it was not discharged; if any of the Glands have been too ftraight, to widen them; and if any have been too wide, to straighten them; or if the Juices have been too fubtle, or too crafs, to change them; if any fort of Meat, Drink, Action, either by Excess, Quality, or Deficiency, have produced it, to direct the contrary both in Quantity A 2

and

"

[ocr errors]

and Quality; that what offends might be discharged naturally without Force; and any new Productions or Increase of it, for the future prevented; why this is not better cleared, whether 'tis because they think fo long as they act by Example, they are fafe; or 'tis because it requires too much Labour and Study to understand natural Caufes; or that 'tis below them to condefcend to make Obfervations upon the most common or minute Things, and to begin to lay their Foundation on the Ground, and fo build upwards; or that Disorders come by chance, and are beft cured fo; or that 'tis fuch a Mystery that it can never be made a Science, or that 'tis against their Interest it fhould be made fo; or whatever be the Reafon, till the prime Agents be known, which work every thing in us, and the Manner how they act, and their Actions be demonftrated by plain, fimple, mathematical Rules (I had like to have faid mechanical) 'tis impoffible for them to lay down plain Rules how to prevent Disorders, remove them, or prevent their Returns. If ever thofe Matters be fet in a clear Light, it must be by those who ftoop fo low as to make. Obfervations upon all, even to the most minute Things,

Motions,

Motions, and Circumftances, which any way affect, or concern the Body, and without Regard to the received Notions or Opinions, give Judgment as the Things appear to them; and whenever there is an Attempt to do it, 'tis the fairest way to let the Brat have no Credit, nor Dif credit by the Parent; and if after 'tis fet forward, it cannot live by itself, to let it die.

CHA P. I.

Some Pofitions about the Motion of Bodies in Fluids.

[ocr errors]

not to be

accounted

Attempt not to account for the Qualities of Bodies, either Solids or Fluids, fuch as Gravity, Elafticity, &c. Nor for Primary the Sizes, Shapes, or Figures of the firft Qualities Corpufcles of each feveral Species of co Bodies, whereby each of the Bodies dif- for by us. fer from any other in feveral Qualities or Attributes: Thofe, and the Confequences which refult from them, fhew the great Power and Wisdom of the Creator, but come not within the Reach of Obfervation: Thereby we can only know what Qualities, Sizes, Figures, &c. thofe Maf

A 3

fes

fes which come under our Obfervation have, and how fome of them move, and are moved, impelled, and rebounded by themselves or by one another, downward, upward, &c. and how others are interrupted, and reft, by the different Qualities, or different Degrees of those Qualities in their feveral Maffes; and how those Motions are fucceffively renewed or repeated, their Directions varied, and how they move and reft alternately, by the Diminution, Augmentation, or Complication of fome of those Qualities occafioned by the Alteration in Magnitude, Figure, or Dimenfion of fome, the Maffes being divided, united, compreffed, extended, &c. And confequently how the feveral other Qualities or Attributes which refult from the Size, Figure, Contexture, Mixture, &c. of the Maffes, fuch as blunt, fharp, hard, foft, porous, folid, brittle, flexible, &c. are altered or complicated.

In the common Course of Nature here, all Compofitions or grofs Bodies are formed, and all Corpufcles, or fmall Maffes move in Fluids; and they and the Fluids are moved, either by external Causes or Agents, as Wind moves the Water, and Bodies in it, &c. or by the Impulfe of fome Agents put into Motion before they

enter

« PreviousContinue »