Medicina Flagellata Or, The Doctor Scarify'd   By: Anonymous

Ægrescitque medendo. Virg. Si tibi deficiant Medici, Medici, tibi fiant: Hæc tria, Mens læta, requies, moderata dieta.

LONDON: Printed for J. BATEMAN, at the Hat and Star ; and J. NICKS, at the Dolphin and Crown , both in St. Paul's Church yard . 1721.

Medicina Flagellata : OR, THE Doctor Scarify'd.

Laying open the VICES of the Faculty, the Insignificancy of a great Part of their Materia Medica ; with certain RULES to discern the true Physician from the Emperick, and the Useful Medicine from the Noxious and Trading Physick.

WITH An ESSAY on HEALTH, Or the POWER of a REGIMEN.

To which is added,

A Discovery of some Remarkable Errors in the late Writings on the PLAGUE, by Dr. Mead , Quincey , Bradley , &c. With some useful and necessary RULES to be observed in the Time of that Contagious Distemper.

LONDON : Printed for J. BATEMAN, and J. NICKS. M. DCC. XXI.

PREFACE.

It being usual for Authors, in Prefaces, to render an Account of the Occasion which gave Birth to their Writings, and to acquaint the Reader with the Design and Scope of their Discourses; I thought it convenient to continue a Custom approved by many illustrious Examples.

The Motive of publishing this Tract, is not the Intercession of Friends, for none had ever the View of any Part of it; and that it is not Design of Applause that has engaged me in this Undertaking, the Care I have had to conceal my Name will, I suppose, free me from such Suspicion: the chief Inducement proceeds from an Inclination to Mankind, to instruct them to preserve and prolong their Lives, thereby to prevent them from using fraudulent Quack Medicines (which are now become so universally vendible amongst them) or advising with such as are wholly ignorant; and I should think my self sufficiently rewarded for my Pains, if I could arrive to the Point of reforming the Abuses of the present, and restoring the Simplicity of the ancient Practice, by laying open to the World my Observations of the pretended and fallacious =Methodus Medendi=, and the Insignificancy of a great Part of their =Materia Medica=.

And here I will particularly address my self to all those Persons concern'd with me, who are the People or Patients; and the Physicians with their Followers, the Chirurgeons and Apothecaries: This Discourse is chiefly intended for the first, it being they who are most highly injured by the unwarrantable Practices of those we have therein accused; for although many understanding Persons among the People are sufficiently satisfied of the Abuses we have mentioned; and that it is of absolute Necessity some Reformation should be made: Yet all are not thus perswaded; for we may daily observe, that many who are less discerning, being deceiv'd by an imaginary Good, covet their own Ruin; and unless they be given to understand which is the Evil, and which is the Good, by Persons they have Reason to confide in, they must necessarily run much Hazard.

I have here endeavoured to undeceive them; which I should dispair of, did I only foresee Inconveniencies afar off (the Vulgar being led by Sense, and not by probable Conjectures); but since they do now actually labour under many, and those obvious, Inconveniencies, how short sover their sight be, the Senses of Feeling being no less acute in them than in others, I persuade my self, they will readily assent to those Truths I have largely discovered.