An examination of a late treatise of the gout wherein John Colbatch's demonstrations are briefly refuted, the College cleared from his scandalous imputations; and a short account of his vulnerary powder. By S. W. no inconsiderable branch of the College.

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

Masters so ill us'd, and one whom Nature had laid asleep, and forbid us to remember him to his disadvan∣tage; yet his Ashes were to be rais d for your trifle about the Gout. I confess I cou'd hold no longer, but the duty that s incumbent upon every man to defend his own, or his friend s Reputation, made me find some time from business to become an Author, tho' that was when I had attempted a second reading, and after ten days. 'Tis the defence of all foreign Physicians, and a great many of our own that I have undertaken; a task I acknowledge too bold for me, with any one but your self; and ev n these few that are excepted, must fall too when you are out of the apprehensions of an Answer, or any other inconveniency from them: this is no forc d and unnatural conclusion; for, notwithstand∣ing your turning over Books to no purpose, as you say very well, foreign Physicians and my Masters are agreed in most things of Physick; so that if your de∣sign were to destroy Opinions, and lay under no fears of Men, you might have as easily run down all the College, as Ignoramus's, as you have done the learned men abroad: all these foreigners since the beginning of the World, all our dead Gentlemen, and a third of what's alive; surely my living Masters that are spar'd cannot have better pretences than They; nay, I le an∣swer for them, that they re asham'd on your behalf, and angry too, that you have parted them from so good company; but esprcially that you huve join'd them to your self: Have not you done Dr. Cole a great deal of honour, in obtruding upon him your ridiculous jargon, and to call them his Opinions, Opinions he was very fa∣miliar with, or because you are the first that vends em, opinions that he has lenrn't from you? Is there any such stuff, in his Book de Secretione Animali, his letter of an Apoplexy, or his Book of Agues? if my memory fails me not, he s among one of your Dunces that make that Disease proceed from the Acidity of the Blood, as Dr. Jones does, and yet you may make him say here, that 'tis an Alkali that's the Original of that sickness; old People, men say, are twice Children, yet he is not quite

so old, as to forget what he said lately, to chatter after you: but since you use your Friend, your Patron no bet∣ter, I think your Doctors you make War upon have no reason to complain.

In this Preface of yours, you have got into a Cant of Experimental knowledge, Experiments upon the Blood, and such things you understand, and use the very same way that Enthusiasts do the Scripture: these are the best help to Natural Knowledge, as the Scripture are to Divine; but all this meer Jargon, Cant and Nonsense in your mouth who cannot under∣stand them: and in my opinion the only way of proselyt∣ing you, must be the same that the Church-men take with their Enthusiasts, to despise you. Are not you a rare Fellow to pretend to make an Experiment, who after all your toyl, all your reading, and all your Dis∣quisition, are pleas'd to tell us that Physicians have hitherto unanimously agreed that Acids have a∣bounded in all Diseases, this is as wonderful an ad∣vantage as you have gain'd by reading of them; for 'tis manifestly false, and if we were to look into the state of Physick in former Ages, or ev'n in our own time, we can find no such Ʋniversal Consent; but now when I think of it, you only said if turning over of Books wou'd do it, that you shou'd rest satisfied; but that will not do; nay distilling, and combining of Liquors so long as your eyes are open, will never make one Experi∣ment, without some Book-learning, which to you is a bug-bear. You see how well an accomplish'd Gentle∣man you are like to prove for making Experiments, and so you have very good reason to say that in your Introduction you have made use of a Familiar and easy Experiment to confirm the truth of your New Hypothe∣sis; and if any one shall take upon them to answer what you have said in this, or any of your former Pieces, you expect that they should back their Arguments with Ex∣periments, or you shall take no notice of them. What good service your Familiar Experiment is like to do you, turn the leaf, and there you ll find it: but pray, if one may ask questions, tell me what Syrup of Violets it self

is, Acid or Alkalin; according to this Familiar Ex∣periment, 'tis nothing; for Syrup of Violets, added to Syrup of Violets dissolv d in an aqueous Body, may aug∣ment the quantity, but will still be blue; Ergo tis nothing, because neither Acid nor Alkali: the next time you write, be sure to make a Syrup of Violets prin∣ciple, h. e. every thing that does not change the Colour, is Violaceous; and find some Disease to be made or Cur▪d by it, so there will be Three, and Musae gaudent Numero Impari, the principles of Sal, Sulphur, and Mercury are Three, Des Cartes's are Three, and yours are Three; but this I'm affraid you won't like, because you affect singularity.

And as for answering your pieces, I know no body will be at the pains, but a Porter; nay, I'le promise you that when I had done, I had a great dispute with my self if I shou'd do you the honour: but a little for my Masters, and helping off the Bookseller with the damn d Copy, did prevail; but here I faithfully promise and swear, that no more of my Stoln time from other business shall be employ'd that way. But, pray, Why are all your Books Pieces? nothing but Artillery sounds with you since you was in Flanders: the Preface before, was Powder and Ball, and now Pieces for the Powder and Ball; not so, good Member, your Pieces are harm∣less things enough, any body may attack them, and that more easily, and with more safety than nail d up Cannon, and you see the following Sheets are an At∣tempt of an Ordinary fellow.