ated to the royal society, a letter
published in Italy in 1687 (a copy of which he met with in the course
of his travels) from Dr. Bonomo to Seignor Redi, containing some
observations concerning the worms of human bodies;[9] whereby it is
intended to prove, that the disease, we call the itch, proceeds merely
from the biting of these animalcules: this opinion is espoused by our
author in one of his latest performances,[10] wherein therefore he
directs only _topical_ applications for the cure of this troublesome
disease.

[9] An abstract of part of this letter was inserted in the
before-cited number of the philosophical transactions. Vid.
supra p. 10.

[10] Monita & praecepta medica, p. 211, &c.

The proofs our young physician had already given of literary merit,
recommended him soon after the above-mentioned communication, to a
seat among that learned body; in the same year he was also elected one
of the physicians of St. Thomas's hospital, and was employed by the
surgeons company to read anatomical lectures at their hall, which he
continued to do for some years.

In 1704 appeared his treatise _de imperio solis ac lunae in corpora
humana, & morbis inde oriundis_. At this time the Newtonian system of
philosophy, from whence our author had chiefly deduced his reasonings
upon this abstruse subject, were neither thoroughly understood, nor
universally received: nevertheless whatever cavils were raised
against his hypothesis, it was generally admitted, that his
observations had their uses in practice.

The doctor thought proper to revise this juvenile production, and to
give a new edition of it in 1748; when he not only altered the
disposition of some of the _old_, but also introduced more than a
little _new_ matter into that work: particularly he has placed some
mathematical points in a clearer light, than they before appeared; he
has entered into the discussion of "a difficult question, which has
raised great contention among philosophers: viz. whereas water is more
than eight hundred times heavier than air, how does it happen, that
the latter when replete with watery vapours, depresses the mercury in
the barometer; so that its fall is an indication of rain?[11]" he has
also enquired into "the weight of the atmosphere on a human body, and
its different pressure at different times;[12]" and he has illustrated
and confirmed the medicinal part by several additional observations
and cases, that promise rea