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THE PREFACE TO John Colbatch.
SIR,
YOƲR Book fell first into my hands on Ash-Wed∣nesday, after I came from Church, and I was glad to think you had hit upon an absolute Cure of the Gout, a demonstrative one at least, as you please to call it, in the frontispiece. Your Dedication smelt somewhat of Gratitude, which is still well; but when I found this demonstration was to be turn'd upon Acid and Alkali, or a thing we do not understand, I began to suspect your knowledge; yet, I thought it possible that new lights might be discovered even by you, in this matter, and surely you had not the Impudence to pro∣mise us a Demonstration of a thing we know nothing of, after a great deal of enquiry; and really when I lookt first into your Preface you wou'd make us expect no less than Revelation: but all this soon vanish'd into Dream∣ing, Asserting, Defaming downright all foreign Phy∣sicians, then the lesser half of the College it self, and next the greater, for really the praise you give them is so invidiously turn'd, that tis one of the worst pieces of Satyr. The Scene thus odly chang'd, very strangely at least as to my expectation, rais▪d in me quite other ap∣prehensions: my Church thoughts were not the very same; my passion grew almost into fury, to see my