This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 edition. Excerpt: ... prefatory essay. The old accusation of incredulity or indifference on the subject of Religion, so often brought against medical men, ought not to be regarded with indifference, either by them or by the public. If it were true that so large a body of intelligent men, whose education and habits of thought ought to have made them better acquainted than most men with the laws of Nature, and with the method of inquiring into natural truth, have either neglected to inquire into this subject, or are generally dissatisfied with the evidence on which the religious belief of most men rests, the fact would justly demand serious consideration. Without attempting entirely to absolve the profession from this charge, we may assert, that in so far as it has a foundation, the sceptical tendency of medical men has resulted chiefly from two causes, both of which, we may hope, have diminished, and are likely to diminish farther, with the extension of knowledge and civilisation among mankind. First, The religious profession of a considerable part of mankind has been associated with superstitions, from which intelligent men naturally recoil; or else, their religious instruction has been presented in an injudicious form, as not merely superior, but opposed to, or inconsistent with, that scientific knowledge on which medical men naturally set a high value. Secondly, The scientific instruction of medical men has very often been hastily conducted, partial, and imperfect; and therefore illustrates better, perhaps, than any other instance which can be cited, the truth of the axiom that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." That the view of human nature, and of the Divine nature, which presents itself to the candid and well instructed scientific inquirer, ...