Anatomical and practical observations in St. Thomas's Hospital, 1674-1677 / by James Molins ; edited, with an introduction and notes from the MS. in the British Museum, by J.F. Payne.

  • Molins, James.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Anatomical and practical observations in St. Thomas's Hospital, 1674-1677 / by James Molins ; edited, with an introduction and notes from the MS. in the British Museum, by J.F. Payne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    “ they despersed those misty vapours of their understandings, *‘so I (by their example), endeavor to perfitt myselfe in the “ knowledge of itt. Thus proposing with myselfe that I (not “ being ignorant in all Chyrurgicall denominationes and ex- “ pressions) should undertake at the first reading over of “ any author, perfectly to understand his true meaning and method ; that this I say would surpass my weake appre- “ hension, with little benefit to my understanding. I “judge it therefore much better to transcribe an approved “author [carefully] than to read him over many times. For by transcribing I engrafted the sense more into my memory. “ Likewise I understood the true meaning of every sentence, “ and so made those expressions familiar to me, which before “ were unknown, and I must ingeniously confess that this “ way is laborious, yett that many benefitts that [accrue] “ will [repay] the labor and trouble. “ I speake this to young beginners (as my selfe am). “ But to those who are well grounded in Chyrurgery, they “ will gain as much by once reading an author as a young “ beginner shall in 3 or 4 times. In these following Trea- “ tises are found many errata, which may be excused “ through the indiscretion and the inability of the tran- “ scriber, “ Who is “ Youre Loving Friend, “ James Molins. “January the 1, 1671.” The translation of John Ardern’s book does not appear; but, as will be shown below, there is something which sug- gests that it was well known to the writer. The anatomical chapters on bones and muscles, &c., are not of much im- portance, but they are introduced with a curious invocation to the reader. “ If yee doe not despise the Curiouse study of Anatomy, “or if yee delight youre selfes in the Science of Physick or “ Professions of Wisdome, I assure you that the subject of “ this treatise is not to be despised.^’ The rest of the volume contains nothing important, except the Observations on St. Thomas’s Hospital.