Dr. Willis's practice of physick being the whole works of that renowned and famous physician wherein most of the diseases belonging to the body of man are treated of, with excellent methods and receipts for the cure of the same : fitted to the meanest capacity by an index for the explaining of all the hard and unusual words and terms of art derived from the Greek, Latine, or other languages for the benefit of the English reader : with forty copper plates.

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.

WE have observed, that it hath been of exceeding great Benefit to many other Arts and Sciences, that Experiments and Observa∣tions either by chance or on set purpose being found out, that presently the Aetiology or the Reasons thereof, as much as may be, should be set down, which thing we have much desired in Physick, which may be justly placed amongst the noblest of the Sciences. In Mathematicks and Mechanicks, Experience and Practice did first assist the Theory, then this shewing the causes of things and the means of their effecting, hath not only adorned, but very much increased and illustrated the Practice. But the Mechanical Art, although at first known to Empericks, and taken up by quacking Juglers and old Women, as if it were a Mystery into whose Reasons it were not lawful to search, has remained hi∣therto unexplicated: Wherefore the unlearned, and indeed sometimes the learned at this time give Medi∣cines (like People shooting at random) rashly and

almost fortuitously; being uncertain whither they will tend, or what end or effects they shall have. From hence it is, that not only some learned Cynicks, but the vilest of the scum of the people bark against and fling dirt upon Physick. And truly I know not how she will be wholly excused from being called a Lyar, Vain, and Jugler, so long as yet the reasons of curing by Me∣dicine, on which the life and health of Man much de∣pends, and oftentimes by which 'tis no less indanger∣ed, lye hid. But this Doctrine of Medicinal Opera∣tions either neglected or ignored, shewing like a great Chasm, hath been the only, or at least the greatest Im∣pediment that Physick is not come to its perfection, and its whole System rightly framed: For though the matter of Medicine gotten from each family of the Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals, seems sufficiently digested and compleated, and that the Types and Na∣tures of all Diseases being collected by most accurate Observations are explicated by innumerable Authors, and besides that the humane Body as it were a martial Field, where those Champions try their Skill, be exact∣ly described as to all its parts by Anatomists, yet what is of greatest moment, and without which the afore∣said things fignifie little, is not yet sufficiently and clearly detected; to wit, what the Weapons of those Champions are, what Furniture, what force and Re∣sistance they have, also what Action, Passion, and Re∣action may be between the Particles of the Medicine and the Spirits, Humors, and Solid Parts. But since almost the whole business of this Pharmaceutick Drame is acted behind the Curtain, therefore the various con∣gressions of Particles, Fermentations, Impulses, and other diversities of Motions, which performed with∣in, lye hid from the Senses, are to be searched out

by a more deep Scrutiny of the Intellect, which if it may be at last performed, there is nothing more will be desired, whereby Physick being performed in all its parts, may grow to a true Science and be practi∣sed with greater certainty, not inferiour to the Mathe∣maticks. For so the Empirical Remedies left us by the Antients would not be administred promiscuously and amiss (as is wont now by Medicasters) in every state of the Disease or case of the Sick, but oppor∣tunely and always according to the most apt inten∣tions of healing. Besides, new and more efficacious Me∣dicines (as often as some great and unusual Disease require them) may be easily and safely found out, without any error of the Physician or danger of the Patient. For whilst it clearly appears what kind of Particles in the Patient are either to be altered or stir∣red up into Motion, and what are required in the Agent for that work, it will be no difficult thing apt∣ly to design this, and rightly to accommodate one to the other. But the business is far otherwise per∣formed by those Pseudochymists with notable danger and abuse of the humane Body, who not contented with the use of received and approved Remedies, bragg that they have framed in their Furnaces no less than a great Elixir, a certain Panacea, or an uni∣versal Medicine, whilst in the mean time they un∣skilfully meddle with Minerals, expecting a certain uncertain event rather than designing any thing seri∣ously; If perchance there should appear an unusual product with this new Medicine (the Virtues of which are altogether unknown, or are none, or poyso∣nous) they promise themselves presently to Cure all Diseases, and give it boldly in every case, to the great hurt, and not seldom to the Distruction of the Sick;

so securely and rashly are these Executioners wont to sport with Man's Life, whilst they are led to the preparing or administring these Medicines (in which always lurks some venomous Sting) without any coun∣sel or direction of Method, but by meer chance and with a certain blind undertaking.

Therefore it is highly to be wished, both for the Dignity and Augmentation of Medicine, and for the Cure and Safety of Man's Health, that the Ener∣gies and Manner, as to the Nature of each, and as it were the Mechanical Means of the working of Me∣dicines in our Bodies might be laid open. For if it shall be plainly known by what means Medicines be∣ing taken do presently exercise their powers in the first Passages, and from thence by and by diffuse them through the whole Body, and by what alteration they receive in each Region, and what they do or perform upon the Spirits or Blood, and Humors or Solid Parts, then indeed Evacuation may be much more fafely and certainly used, and with greater Be∣nefit to the Sick.

But if having boldly assaulted this Province, to wit, the shewing a reason of the Pharmaceutical Ope∣ration, before untouched, I shall not sufficiently perform my Work, I do however deserve Pardon, because I am forced to travel through not only an unknown Country, but also one that is uneven and as it were a Labyrinth; and if perhaps going through this Tract I have not yet sufficiently found out all the more secret Recesses, and every more intimate Corner, and what is acted in them; yet I suppose that I have made way for others, who may have a mind more accuratly to find them out.

For truly if these two things which I have fol∣lowed in the whole Disquisition should be exactly known, viz. By what means Medicines or their Par∣ticles affect the Animal Spirits in every place, also by what and how many ways they Ferment the Blood and Humours, from thence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Path would lead to the unfolding the Reasons of every Evacua∣tion. For the better laying open of the ways of the whole curing by Medicines, we have taken care to have accurately discribed the Ventricle and In∣testines, even to all the Membranes and Fibres of them, in which the Animal Spirits dwell, and where they are first of all affected by the Particles of the Medicine. For although the Substances, Figures, Cavities, Sites and Connexions of these are long since sufficiently enough delineated, yet we have manifest∣ed most clearly without any Example or following of any other Authors, the Nervous and Musculary and Glandulous Membranes of each of them, and some Fibres meerly sensible, and others motional, as also the thick set enfoldings of the sanguiferous Ves∣sels, and innumerable Glandula's incrusting the Back of the interior Coat from the Mouth even to the Anum, this making very much for the illustrating the Pharmaceutical Doctrin: concerning which Ana∣tomical Inventions I must acknowledg my self to be beholden (as formerly to some others, so now again) to the Industry and sedulous Pains of the Learned Doctor King, and also my Friend Doctor Masters hath set to his helping Hand, in the finishing of this Task.

At the beginning of this Work I did design to handle the whole Pharmacie and to weigh the Reasons of all or at least its chief Operations: But whilst this

work was under my Hands it grew into so great a Bulk, through the Fertility of the Subject, that I was forc'd to break off long before the end, and to finish it before I had half done. For besides the universal Medicines, whose Energies and manner of working we have already described, there are other Remedies (commonly called Specifick and Appropiate) which belong to this Speculation; to wit, which are given to cure either some peculiar Diseases, or which are said to respect some Region or part of the Body. Of some of these, and especially of Medi∣cines proper sor the Breast, I had begun some Medi∣tations. But when I consider that I must Sail in a dangerous Sea, every where full of Rocks of Cen∣sures and Contumelies, I think it no Wisdom to ven∣ture my whole Cargo at once in this weak Bottom, but first of all with these few to try my Fortune, which if it be prosperous, I may perhaps be less affraid to expose the rest of this Nature hereafter.