This century was, however, distinguished by exertions more honourable for science. It was the era of the discovery of the circulation of the blood, a subject already noticed, and of the dissections of animals, to ascertain many important points of physiology. In both Harvey was a distinguished and active philosopher; and, while the circulation was decried or opposed by ignorance or prejudice, his other labours were warmly received. Spigelius, Sanctorius, Asellius, Pecquet, the two Barthalines, and Rolfincius, equally promoted physiology, or disseminated the discoveries of others, obtained by their dissections, assisted by the newly discovered art of injections, and the use of lenses; for microscopes, in the complex sense now affixed to the term, were the invention of the following century.

Another distinguishing and honourable feature of this century was the institution of medical and philosophical societies. Our own Royal Society was the first of these, and it was followed by the Academy of Sciences at Paris in 1667, established by the judicious and penetrating Colbert. The Academia Naturae Curiosorum was at first a private society, and its origin is traced from 1652; but it was established, some years afterwards, by the authority of the emperor Leopold, and then styled Academia Caesareo-leopoldina. Its publications were continued, under various titles, till within these few years. It will fill but a small space to pursue this subject. The Royal Society at Berlin was founded in 1700 by the advice of Leibnitz, and first published its transactions (Miscellanea Berolinensia) in 1710; the Petersburgh Academy in 1724, which first published its"commen-tarii" in 1726; the Bologna Society, founded by Marsi-gli, first published its"commentaries" in 1731. The Breslaw collection, afterwards called Commercium Noricum, was published from 1717 to 1731, under the former title; and from that time to 1745, under the direction of Dr. Trew, distinguished by the latter. The Royal Society of Norway began to publish their transactions in 1771; of Denmark, in 1745; and the Royal Academy of Sweden in 1739: the Royal Society at Upsal in 1720; of Bazil in 1751; of Gottingen in 1752; and of Montpelier in 1766. Within the years 1771 and 1792 we have seen philosophical societies established in Hesse, Philadelphia, Brussels, Boston, Ireland, Padua, Edinburgh, Calcutta, and New York. These have admitted into their plan medicine as a branch of natural philosophy, and several medical improvements of importance have been published in their successive volumes. . Establishments more closely connected with medicine are also numerous. The first work of this kind was Thomas Bartholine's Cista Medica Hafniensis, in 1662; and a similar one appeared in 1679, at Paris, entitled New Discoveries in every part of Medicine by Nicholas de Blegny. The Zodiacus Medico Gallicus, in Latin, by Bonnet, succeeded in the following year at Geneva; and in the same year, the lexicographer Blanchard published, in Holland, Collectanea Physico-medico. The Recueil Periodique dobservations de Medicine appeared at Paris in 1754, and was continued

6 F 2 under the title of Journal de Medecine; but this collection was preceded by the Medical Essays of Edinburgh, which were begun in 1733, and continued to 1742. These were succeeded by three volumes on a more extensive plan, entitled Essays and Observations Physical and Literary, and by the Medical Commentaries of Dr. Duncan. Two volumes of a collection entitled Acta Medicorum Suecicorum have appeared, which arc not, however, exclusively medical, and two volumes of collections of a medical society at Copenhagen. The Royal Medical Society at Paris published their first volume at Paris in 1779, and continued their volumes, at irregular intervals, till the year 1788. Four societies have collected medical observations in London; the college who published their first volume in 1768, and their third in 1785; a society who published"medical Observations and Enquiries" in six volumes, from 1757 to 1784; another society, to whom we are indebted for

"Medical Communications," of which two volumes have appeared, commencing in 1784, and concluded in 1790; the Medical Society, whose memoirs are still continued, and have extended to six volumes; and another society, whose collected labours are entitled Transactions for the Improvement of Medical and Chirurgical Knowledge, in two volumes, appeared in 1793 and 1800. A collection also, entitled Medical Facts, has been continued in numerous volumes; and medical journals in a profusion which baffles our enumeration.

The conclusion of the 17th century was distinguished by some of the brightest luminaries which have illustrated this science; Sydenham, Morton, Baglivi, and Boerhaave, though the fame of the latterwas chiefly conspicuous in the next century. Of Sydenham and Morton we need not speak, for their merits are sufficiently known; and the Boerhaavian system we have explained in a separate article. In treating, however, of this venerable and highly respected eclectic, we have mentioned a philosophical sect, whose tenets we have not explained. In fact, the sect fell so nearly within each century, that it was not easy to fix accurately its precise era. The application of mathematics to astro-nomy by Kepler, and to the laws of motion, as well as to the system of the world, by Newton, led to the opinion that its powers were irresistible, that it might unfold every secret of nature. Borelli, at the end of the 17th century, applied this science where it properly admitted of application to the motions of animals, and showed the advantages and disadvantages derived in these motions from the origin and insertion of the muscles. His scholar, Bellini, in the beginning of the following century, went farther, and, from mathematical data, endeavoured to explain many functions of the human body. Keil, a philosopher and a mathematician, rather than a physiologist, calculated from imaginary data the power of each organ, and gave the stomach, for instance, a force of compression which must so overcome the resistance as to destroy its organization; and Pitcairn, with his followers, calculated the ratio of medicines in proportion to that of the consitution. In the principles of medicine of this last author, and in some of the early volumes of the Edinburgh Medical Essays, this phrensy is carried to a most ridiculous height, indeed so far as to undermine its own best security; for, if such were truths, mathematics had no certain foundation. From the chemists and the mathematicians, as we have seen, Bocrhaave drew his theory; but his practice was founded on the sound observal of the Coan sage, and his most respected followers. The fatal doctrine of concoction held its ground, and was supported in all its rigour. Thus fever was not to be checked, but encouraged: most destructive delusion ! millions have been the victims to this fancy.