regard to geographical situation, governments, history, laws, population, productions, commerce, &c.

LESSON VIII.

OF MEDICINE AND PHYSIC.

Q. IN what does the art of medicine or phy

sic consist?

A. In the knowledge of such disorders as the human body is liable to, and the nature of such drugs and medicines as are necessary to remove them when they happen. And the person who possesses this skill is called a physician.

Q. How may this knowledge of the human body be acquired?

A. By the help of anatomy.

OF ANATOMY.

Q. What do you mean by anatomy? A. I mean a dissection of the human body, which affords an easy method of examining all its parts; and to discover what is able to diminish or strengthen the constitution.

Q. How is medicine divided?

A. Into theoretic and practical. The theoretic applies itself to the contemplation, and to the quality of remedies, or consideration of the nature of sickness; the practical discovers by experience, the particulars of each sickness, and applies such remedies as are proper to promote a quick cure. SURGERY,

SURGERY.

Q. What is surgery

?

A. Surgery (or chirurgery) is that useful branch of the healing art, which consists in the manual operations, with proper instruments; and as its effects are more evident than those of medicine, it has always been much cultivated.

Q. What disorders demand the surgeon's care, and make the subject of his art ?

A. 1st, All kinds of tumors or swellings. 2d, Ulcers, or running sores. 3d, Fistulas. 4th Inflammations, or strumous disorders. 5th, All kinds of wounds. 6th, Gangrenes, or mortifications. 7th, Dislocations, or disjointed limbs. 8th, Fractures, or broken limbs.

Q. What ought to be the proper qualifications of a good surgeon?

A. A good surgeon ought to be well skilled in anatomy, medicine, and other parts of learning; a man of good experience, great dexterity, an unshaken courage, and steady hand, a clear sight, quick thought, and of an ingenuous. and honest mind.

OF PHARMACY.

Q. Inform me what the other part of physic called pharmacy is?

A. Pharmacy teaches the choice, preparation and mixture of medicines. The science is no more than the profession of apothecaries. Pharmacy comes from pharmacon, which signifies a remedy. The book, directing how such medicines are to be made is called a dispensatory.

OF CHEMISTRY.

OF CHEMISTRY.

Q. What is chemistry?

A. Another part of medicine, that teaches to reduce mixed bodies, so as to know the parts, to separate the bad, to collect and refine the good; chemists have made discoveries of the highest use to physicians and surgeons.

OF BOTANY.

Q. What is understood by botany?

A. That other part of physic which treats of plants, herbs, and vegetables, and describes their nature, kinds, and uses in medicine, and other affairs of life. The word botany, is derived from the Greek word BOTANE, which signifies an herb. A book on this subject is called an herbal; and a professor of this art or knowledge is called a botanist, herbalist or simplar.

Is botany very necessary to a physician? A. Yes; for it includes the knowledge of all medicinal plants, without which it would be impossible for him to use any of them, but at a very great hazard of the life of the sick person, or, at least, doing him a great injury.

LESSON IX.

OF RHETORIC AND ORATORY.

WHAT is rhetoric?

A. The art of speaking and writing well and ornamentally on any subject; to please, to touch the passions, and to persuade, whether in speaking or writing A speech made according to the rules of this art, is called an oration, and the speaker an orator Q. What

Q. What are the qualifications of a good

orator?

A. It is necessary that he should have,

I. Invention, by which he finds out such reasons and arguments as are adapted to persuade or gain belief.

II. Disposition or order, that he may know how to dispose or arrange his arguments in a proper order or method.

III. Elocution, which is a clear and neat manner of expression, and is embellished with tropes and figures.

IV. Memory, which is the power of the mind to retain the things he has learnt, till he shall be in want of them.

V. Pronunciation, which relates to the delivery of a discourse or oration in a distinct and agreeable manner; with a pleasing modulation of the voice, and becoming gesture of the body; of all the qualifications of a good orator, this is certainly the most useful,

Q. You have mentioned tropes and figures, pray explain them to me; and first a trope?

A. A trope is an elegant and beautiful turning of a word from its proper signification to another. As charity is cold. You read Virgil, i. e. his writings. The clouds drop fatness, &c. Q. What are figures?

A. The figures of speech render it fine and beautiful; some regard the meaning of words ; as, If we ride, let's ride, i. e. push on; some the sound, as, he is not a friend, but a fiend; some the order, as, Meats are for the belly, not the belly for the meats: some relate to sentences, as, they change

change their soil, not their minds, who plow

the main.

Q. How many parts has an oration?

A. Five.

I. The exordium or beginning of the discourse. II. The narration, which consists in a recital of facts; it ought to be true, or at least probable, perspicuous and concise.

III. The confirmation or arrangement of the proofs in an order most likely to persuade.

IV. Confutation; for when the orator has confirmed his own arguments he naturally then proceeds to confute and disprove those of his adversary. The confutation ought to be lively.

V. The peroration, or as it is sometimes called epilogue, is a recapitulation of the principal arguments. The peroration ought to excite the feeling of hatred or pity in the minds of the persons to whom the oration is addressed.

Q. As it is so desirable a thing to be able to read and speak with propriety, give me, if you please, some practicable and easy rules by which this accomplishment may be acquired.

A. The rules that appear to be best adapted to form a correct and graceful speaker, are,

I. Aim at nothing higher, till you can read distinctly and deliberately.

Learn to speak slow, all other graces

Will follow in their proper places.

II. Let your pronunciation be bold and forcible.

III. Acquire a compass and variety in the height of your voice.

IV. Pronounce your words with propriety and elegance. V. Pronounce