it upon my self, and that in more than one species of the same distemper. After all this, I suppose I had good reason to notify it to the world, and for the world's advantage; What I wrote was as an invitation to try a remedy apparently good, in a most cruel and common distemper; and an expectation that all fair tryals of it should be made known, for the confirmation or condemnation of the practise.
I thought too there was enough to justify me in not delaying the publication: and that an excuse would be allowed from the great consequence of the thing, and from the uncertainty of human life; if I had happened to be too precipitate. If the remedy proposed should have prov'd not altogether so successful and effectual as I at first imagin'd: yet such a publication might be extremely useful, in giving a hint to the world. Very often great inventions are not brought to the last perfection in the birth. They may require addition, method, correction, maturation. My sole view was to benefit the publick. It was impossible I should have any further interest in the thing, than that I my self was part of the publick, and should continue to reap the advantage of the practise in common with other people: or be timely disabus'd, if by experience it was found prejudicial.
There-
