rcised it were
anciently not called Surgeons, but Physicians, tho' they attempted no
other Diseases but what were external; according to which Sense
_AEsculapius_ the first Physician, or Inventor of Physick, and his Sons
_Podalyrius_ and _Machaon_, are by History asserted to have undertaken
only those that wanted external Help; internal Diseases being in those
Days unknown, and by Temperance in their Diet, wholly debarr'd; and if
accidentally an internal Distemper did surprize them, they apply'd a
general Remedy (having no other) of poisoning or killing themselves with a
Dagger or Sword, thereby chusing rather to die once, and finish their
Misery, than to survive the Objects of Peoples Pity, or to endure the
Shocks of Death by every Pain or Languor, especially since the sage
Judgment of that Age did esteem it a signal Virtue to despise and scorn
the vain World, by hurrying out of it in a Fury, a Maxim most of the
Philosophers were very eminent in observing; and was likewise extended to
Children that brought any Diseases external or internal with them into the
World, their Cure being perform'd immediately by strangling, or drowning
them; neither was this Art of external Physick of short Continuance;
_Pliny_ writing that Six hundred Years after the building of _Rome_, the
_Romans_ entertain'd Chyrurgical Physicians from _Peloponesus_: Idleness
and Gluttony at last exchang'd their Ease into a Disease, which soon put
them into a Necessity of experimenting such Remedies as might re-establish
them into that healthful Condition, which Exercise in War, and Temperance
in Diet had for so many Ages preserved their Ancestors in.

Upon a competent Improvement of their Scholars in this external Practice
of Physick, and their deserving Deportment, they thought them worthy of
giving them Entrance into their Closets, to be instructed in such Matters
as the most retir'd Places of their Cabinets contained; which were their
Remedies and Medicines, and the Manner of preparing them: And then bending
his Endeavours to arrive to the Art of discerning the Disease by its
Signs, and making Observations upon the Prognosticks, all critical and
preternatural Changes: The Dose, Constitution, and all other Circumstances
of giving the Medicines which he did gradually accomplish, by his sedulous
Attendance on his Master, and his practical Discourses and Lectures from
him on every Patient he visited: Lastly, upon his Attainment to a Degree
of Perfection i