In ten short years this mighty revolution in the intellect of man took place,--in a country too that may be considered the cradle of the future weal and woe, perhaps of the universe;--in ten short years we beheld Montesquieu, Raynal, Rousseau, Voltaire, Condillac, Helvetius, beaming like rising meteors in the dark firmament, and shedding a fearful gleam on the past, the present, and the future; boldly tracking a path once trodden with groping steps by Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, and Gassendi![1] No longer trusting in blind confidence to the scholastic rules of those dignitaries of science whose conclusions were considered sufficient to command our faith, man became sceptical and positive; doubt and disbelief were carried into every investigation; the reign of _prestiges_ was over; the former monopolists of power and of science, the two great levers of society (the more effective since their fulcra rested on timidity and ignorance), were thrown from their antiquated stand, and found themselves brought face to face in explanatory contact with their once all-believing and obedient pupils, but now become a neoteric generation;--the crown and the sceptre, the cap and the gown, were baubles in their eyes. When the faculty of reasoning was not able to prevail, the shafts of ridicule were drawn from the quiver of philosophic wit, and inflicted rankling wounds where they could not destroy. Ancient systems were exploded with ancient prejudices, theories were overthrown with dynasties, and doctrines with governments;--one might have imagined that the formidable power of steam had been communicated to the mind, illustrating the words of Milton, The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of hell, and hell of heaven. Science, now aimed at generalization-the physiologist, the chemist, became legislators, stepping from the academic chair to the senatorial seat, and from teaching how to benefit mankind they hurried to destroy, forgetful, in their ambitious dream, of the noble encomium of Cicero, "_Homines ad deos nulla se proprius accedunt, quam salutem hominibus dando_." Philosophy and the study of medicine were now inseparable; this generous science was not to be attained in books only, but in the study of mankind. Rousseau thus spoke of physicians when writing to Bernardin de Saint Pierre:--"_Il n'y a pas d'etat qui exige plus d'etude que le leur; par tous les pays, ce sont des hommes les plus veritablement savans et utiles_." Voltaire was of a similar opinion when he thus expressed himself:--"_Il n'est rien de plus estimable au monde, qu'un medecin qui, ayant dans sa jeunesse etudie la nature, connu les ressorts du corps humain, les maux qui le tourmentent, les remedes qui peuvent le soulager, exerce son etat en s'en defiant, et soigne egalement les pauvres et les riches_."