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Woodward’s state of physick and of diseases, p. 55.
ON
ELECTRICITY.
The many surprising effects of electricity,and the great cures performed byit, one would imagine, should awakenthe attention of all philosophersand physicians; but as these cures have been effectedby random experiments, every body hasadmired, but no body seems to have consideredhow, or by what means, they were performed.Whence
Notwithstanding all these surprising phænomena,from which many have entertained hopesof a great addition to the healing art; yet notone tolerable account has been given, how, orfrom what cause, these phænomena proceeded;except what has been done by Mr. Freke, surgeonto Bartholomew hospital; whose admirable pieceshews the great penetration of its worthy author,with whom I shall join in thinking “it may possiblybe the beginning of much good.”
One would think, this silence, on so interestinga subject, in this enlightened age, can proceedfrom nothing but a prejudice in favour of wrongprinciples of philosophy: That this is certainlythe taste of the present age, M. Freke seems verywell convinced; for, at the end of his pamphlet,he takes notice of a show-man, who, “havingpublished some experiments in electricity, andhearing that Mr. Freke’s piece was publishing,own’d, he was much affrightened, because ofthe hard fate, as he said, of his booksellers;but, before he had read two pages, he likewiseowned he had recovered his spirits, when hefound Mr. Freke pretended to think for himself,and did not let Sr. Isaac Newton think forhim.”
Now, if all persons would take the same