the afflictions of the sufferer and completed the cure of his malady. Such is the language, in which the expeence of the eighteenth Century has taught us to describe the issue of a Disorder, which in every former age was considered under all circumstances, as the most terrific and irremediable of all Diseases, and as perpetually terminating in the final Death of putrefactive Dissolution. Thus we see, that the Disorder of Death differs from all other Disorders, which are considered as formidable, in this most essential and important point, that, when the Remedies applied for its relief, have been successful in their operation, it is perpectly cured in the space of a few hours, and likewise that no traces of it remain to injure or annoy the constitution, at any future feriod. The Disorder of Death likewise differs from all other Diseases, to which the art of Medicine is applied, in this important circumstance, that it may be justly considered as always attended by the 'fatal termination of putrefactive dissolution, when no remedies. are applied to its relief. If then Death be a Disorder which has been sometimes cured by the resources of Art, but which in the ordinary course of nature, may be said perpetually to terminate in the annihilation of life, when we do not afford our assistance to its relief; we shall at once see, that this Disorder of Death presents to us a case, which is peculiarly adapted for the attention of the artist, and in which he is singularly interested to employ all the devices of his skill, with vigour and perseverance. In a great variety of Disorders, Nature will operate in effecting her own cure, and she may therefore be safely neglected, and left. quietly to the efforts of her own resources. Nay, in some cases it has been shrewdly suspected, that the Artist would have done more wisely, if he had forborne to interpose his officious cares for her assistance, and had permitted her to work out her own preservation by her own process. But in the Disorder of Death all will be lost, unless the operations of nature are invigorated by the contrivances of art, and the Practitioner is summoned to her aid by every motive, which can excite the feelings or engage the understanding of man: He can not not justly be blamed under the present experience of mankind, with having interposed the officious exertions of destructive Art, and he is roused by the hope, or the possibility of producing good, without the chance or the possibility of incurring evil. When we consider the question under this obvious and intelligible point of view, we shall at once un derstand that Suspended Animation, or the Disorder of Death presents to the Practitioner, one of the most safe, proper and urgent cases; to which the inventions of his art can possibly be applied. It is here, where the wildest suggestions of Theory may be exhibited at least with security, if not with efficacy and success. It is here, where all the tricks and devices of Experiment may be exhausted, under every variety of form and uncertainty of operation. It is here and here only, where the frame may be safely consigned to the licentious applications of the hardy Practitioner or the desperate nostrums of the ignorant and adventurous Empiric. Such however is the wondrous perverseness of the human mind, that here and here only, neither theory, nor device, nor invention have been found to exercise their powers. It might have been imagined, that the Resuscitative Doctrine would at least have obtained a place amidst that variety of practises and opinions, which have prevailed among the Professors of Medicine; and however wild and absurd such a doctrine may appear, we shall not suppose that any reason of this kind operated against its admission into the code of Medical theory. On many ocasions, (I must again suggest,) this race of Artists has not been able to escape from the reproaches of those, who have suffered under the inflictions of their Art; and it cannot be denied, that these reproaches have been sometimes urged with considerable evidence of probability and truth. Here only, where no dangers are to be incurred, and where some glimpses of hope might be presented to the view; here only the boldness of resource does not venture to interfere, the hardihood of experiment has not dared to interpose. It is assuredly believed, that the most wild and extravagant opinions have been formed by the professors, or the followers of Medicinc, and that these opinions have been sometimes maintained, not only with all the absurdity of theoretical reasoning, but have been adopted likewise into practice, and effect effect, with all the perseverance of fatal and unfeeling obstinacy. In this case only, no latitude has been allowed to conjecture: No theories have been adopted, or proposed, or even conceived: No inferences have been drawn from those known' and established facts, which have lately been presented to our view; or from those familiar stories common to all times, which, though relating only to a few instances, were so interesting and so impressive. It might have been imagined, that the Professors of Medicine would have rejoiced to discover and to adopt, in so perilous a science, at least one mode of practice, in which there is a possibility of producing some good, and none of producing evil. To this fundamental idea we must perpetually recur in our observations on this subject, as it is the great and essential point, from which it is distinguished from almost all other Medical Theories, which have ever been exhibited. It is the business of these discussions to excite the attention of the Public and the Professors of Medicine to the practice of the Resuscitative process, as an object worthy |