Of the spleen, its description and history, uses and diseases, particularly the vapors, with their remedy. Being a lecture read at the Royal College of Physicians, London, 1722. To which is added some anatomical observations in the dissection of an elephant / [William Stukeley].

  • Stukeley, William, 1687-1765.
Date:
1723
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Of the spleen, its description and history, uses and diseases, particularly the vapors, with their remedy. Being a lecture read at the Royal College of Physicians, London, 1722. To which is added some anatomical observations in the dissection of an elephant / [William Stukeley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/170
    * T O T H E READER. HIS difcourfe was wrote under the difadvantage of 1® having only one preparing body, and read with no o- therfolemnity thanfomepreparations offpleens befire ^ us, and of the abdominal veffels inf Bed with wax $ becaufe the executed bodies could not be procur'd according to ufage. When l was induc'd to print it, 1 hop'd for many opportunities of re-examining my own opinions by the fountain of truth, in more frequent diffeBions, which is the reafon of delay ing its publication. But being defeated in thofe expeB a- tions, andfome feniorfellows of the College reminding me of my promife; obliged my comply ance in the only command I Jhould unwillingly obey. They fuggefted to me, that a leBure ought not to be look'd upon as a regular and finifh'd work, and that if I thought fit, I might afterwards at my leifure improve it, and then it might pro¬ perly be put into the learned language, and become a new book. I mu[l add the fame apology for the plates, which tho’ drawn without the neceffary affiftances fuch works reafonably require, yet I believe they are tn the general not fo materially different from nature, but that they may be correBed without much deformity. This mufi be attributed to the great difficulties we lye under of get¬ ting a fufficient number of bodies, feeing the fanBion of aBs of parliament in our favor is fo notorioufly eluded by the infolence of the mob at our executions, well worthy the further regard of the legiftature, from which only we can expeB a remedy in what tends fo much to the good of the commonwealth, and mankind in general’ However 1 am convinc'd that the world has loft much improvement from the modefty of the learned, lwill not fay from its own feverity in judgment. But they that are moft converfant in human nature will know, that perfeB treatifes upon any fubjeB, are not to be expeB- ed from any perfon. For my own part, it will ever be my temper to love and honor thofe that correB my errors for truths fake. And a n \