“A man (says he) who from his youth upwards had had a strong passion for self-pollutions, which had rendered him extremely weak, never took opium, either to moderate a cough, or a diarrhœa, or with any other intention, without having, in the night, and to his great detriment, lascivious dreams, accompanied with a spermatic emission[163].” Here may I have leave to state a reflexion which presents itself naturally? It is this: the error of ETMULLERUS evidently proves: _First_, How great an influence an exact theory has over practice, which, without its help, cannot be but often false and erroneous. _Secondly_, How great an advantage must a man, furnished with such a theory, united with practice, have over one, who has no guide but a few observations, or who delivers himself wholly up to a systematical theory? _Thirdly_, How much may not the reading of even the best practical authors, but who were destitute of that exact theory which is due to our times, deceive such as, on the reading of them, can only have an implicit faith in them, and who are ignorant of those principles which ought to serve for a touch-stone, to discern, in physic, what is the good ore, or the base alloy? I shall conclude with two cases which fell under my observation; a greater number would be superfluous. A young man of twenty years old, who had had the misfortune of being addicted to self-pollution, had been, for two months, attacked with a continual mucous running, and now and then with nocturnal pollutions, attended with considerable wastings of his strength; he had frequent and violent pains of the stomach, he felt his breast extremely weak, and was apt to sweat much: I ordered him the following electuary: ℞. _Condit. rosar. rubr. unc._ iii. _Condit. anthos. Cort. Peruv. ana unc._ i. _Mastic. dr._ ii. _Cath. dr._ i. _Olei cinnam. gutt._ iii. _Sirup. Cort. aur. q.s.f. electuar. solid._ Of this he took a quarter of an ounce twice a day. In three weeks time he found himself recovered in all respects; and the running, or gleet, no longer incommoded him, unless after the nocturnal pollutions, which were become less frequent; a continuation of the same remedies for fifteen days more completely restored him.