LIX. It would argue weakness and want of judgment, for any one to esteem a thing as a remedy for a particular disease, without reflecting and making a remark, the propriety of which must stare every man in the face, and that is, comparing the success of the practice of those who use that medicine, with that of those who do not make use of it. There have been physicians, who have declared themselves enemies to the administration of the bark; but notwithstanding this, there is no body at this day, who disputes its febrifuge efficacy in intermittent cases; for experience shews, that it will stop the fit, although it may return again afterwards, and although in the opinion of some people, the medicine may leave some bad impression on the body. If purging and bleeding would have the same effect, in some sort of fevers, we should all agree in attributing to them a febrifuge virtue; notwithstanding that some practitioners, might give the preference to other remedies, as more safe, and better adapted. But this is so far from being the case with respect to these evacuations, that their efficacy of removing fevers, is at this day strongly contested, for experience has not yet manifested, that they are remedies for these disorders, in any degree or manner, that is not exceedingly doubtful or disputable. SECT. XIV. LX. As far as the nature of the case will permit us (for all things are not capable of being mathematically or decisively demonstrated), we should endeavour to discover the truth, by imitating the diligence and attention which many English physicians exercised, in examining into the eligibility of the precautionary remedy called inoculation, practised by the Turks, to elude the fatal effects of the small-pox. This is a subject, that has been much talked on in other kingdoms for some years; although in Spain we have hardly heard it mentioned. The event of communicating the infection in this way, most generally is, that the person inoculated has the distemper very lightly, and is hardly ever obliged through the whole course of the disease, to keep his bed.