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ingenious　dream；　which　lets　him　into　all　nature's　secrets　at　short

hand。　　On　the　principle　which　he　thus　assumes；　he　forms　his　table　of

nosology；　arrays　his　diseases　into　families；　and　extends　his　curative

treatment；　by　analogy；　to　all　the　cases　he　has　thus　arbitrarily

marshalled　together。　　I　have　lived　myself　to　see　the　disciples　of

Hoffman；　Boerhaave；　Stalh；　Cullen；　Brown；　succeed　one　another　like

the　shifting　figures　of　a　magic　lantern；　&　their　fancies；　like　the

dresses　of　the　annual　doll…babies　from　Paris；　becoming；　from　their

novelty；　the　vogue　of　the　day；　and　yielding　to　the　next　novelty　their

ephemeral　favor。　　The　patient；　treated　on　the　fashionable　theory；

sometimes　gets　well　in　spite　of　the　medicine。　　The　medicine　therefore

restored　him；　&　the　young　doctor　receives　new　courage　to　proceed　in

his　bold　experiments　on　the　lives　of　his　fellow　creatures。　　I　believe

we　may　safely　affirm；　that　the　inexperienced　&　presumptuous　band　of

medical　tyros　let　loose　upon　the　world；　destroys　more　of　human　life

in　one　year；　than　all　the　Robinhoods；　Cartouches；　&　Macheaths　do　in　a

century。　　It　is　in　this　part　of　medicine　that　I　wish　to　see　a　reform；

an　abandonment　of　hypothesis　for　sober　facts；　the　first　degree　of

value　set　on　clinical　observation；　and　the　lowest　on　visionary

theories。　　I　would　wish　the　young　practitioner；　especially；　to　have

deeply　impressed　on　his　mind；　the　real　limits　of　his　art；　&　that　when

the　state　of　his　patient　gets　beyond　these；　his　office　is　to　be　a

watchful；　but　quiet　spectator　of　the　operations　of　nature；　giving

them　fair　play　by　a　well…regulated　regimen；　&　by　all　the　aid　they　can

derive　from　the　excitement　of　good　spirits　&　hope　in　the　patient。　　I

have　no　doubt；　that　some　diseases　not　yet　understood　may　in　time　be

transferred　to　the　table　of　those　known。　　But；　were　I　a　physician；　I

would　rather　leave　the　transfer　to　the　slow　hand　of　accident；　than

hasten　it　by　guilty　experiments　on　those　who　put　their　lives　into　my

hands。　　The　only　sure　foundations　of　medicine　are；　an　intimate

knolege　of　the　human　body；　and　observation　on　the　effects　of

medicinal　substances　on　that。　　The　anatomical　&　clinical　schools；

therefore；　are　those　in　which　the　young　physician　should　be　formed。

If　he　enters　with　innocence　that　of　the　theory　of　medicine；　it　is

scarcely　possible　he　should　come　out　untainted　with　error。　　His　mind

must　be　strong　indeed；　if；　rising　above　juvenile　credulity；　it　can

maintain　a　wise　infidelity　against　the　authority　of　his　instructors；

&　the　bewitching　delusions　of　their　theories。　　You　see　that　I

estimate　justly　that　portion　of　instruction　which　our　medical

students　derive　from　your　labors；　&；　associating　with　it　one　of　the

chairs　which　my　old　&　able　friend；　Doctor　Rush；　so　honorably　fills；　I

consider　them　as　the　two　fundamental　pillars　of　the　edifice。　　Indeed；

I　have　such　an　opinion　of　the　talents　of　the　professors　in　the　other

branches　which　constitute　the　school　of　medicine　with　you；　as　to　hope

&　believe；　that　it　is　from　this　side　of　the　Atlantic；　that　Europe；

which　has　taught　us　so　many　other　things；　will　at　length　be　led　into

sound　principles　in　this　branch　of　science；　the　most　important　of　all

others；　being　that　to　which　we　commit　the　care　of　health　&　life。




　　　　　　　　I　dare　say；　that　by　this　time；　you　are　sufficiently　sensible

that　old　heads　as　well　as　young；　may　sometimes　be　charged　with

ignorance　and　presumption。　　The　natural　course　of　the　human　mind　is

certainly　from　credulity　to　scepticism；　and　this　is　perhaps　the　most

favorable　apology　I　can　make　for　venturing　so　far　out　of　my　depth；　&

to　one　too；　to　whom　the　strong　as　well　as　the　weak　points　of　this

science　are　so　familiar。　　But　having　stumbled　on　the　subject　in　my

way；　I　wished　to　give　a　confession　of　my　faith　to　a　friend；　&　the

rather；　as　I　had　perhaps；　at　time；　to　him　as　well　as　others；

expressed　my　scepticism　in　medicine；　without　defining　it's　extent　or

foundation。　　At　any　rate；　it　has　permitted　me；　for　a　moment；　to

abstract　myself　from　the　dry　&　dreary　waste　of　politics；　into　which　I

have　been　impressed　by　the　times　on　which　I　happened；　and　to　indulge

in　the　rich　fields　of　nature；　where　alone　I　should　have　served　as　a

volunteer；　if　left　to　my　natural　inclinations　&　partialities。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　at　all　times　with　affection　&　respect。







　　　　　　　　TORPEDOES　AND　SUBMARINES




　　　　　　　　_To　Robert　Fulton_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　August　16；　1807_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　July　28；　came　to　hand　just　as　I　was

about　leaving　Washington；　&　it　has　not　been　sooner　in　my　power　to

acknolege　it。　　I　consider　your　torpedoes　as　very　valuable　means　of

defence　of　harbors；　&　have　no　doubt　that　we　should　adopt　them　to　a

considerable　degree。　　Not　that　I　go　the　whole　length　（as　I　believe

you　do）　of　considering　them　as　solely　to　be　relied　on。　　Neither　a

nation　nor　those　entrusted　with　it's　affairs；　could　be　justifiable；

however　sanguine　their　expectations；　in　trusting　solely　to　an　engine

not　yet　sufficiently　tried；　under　all　the　circumstances　which　may

occur；　&　against　which　we　know　not　as　yet　what　means　of　parrying　may

be　devised。　　If；　indeed；　the　mode　of　attaching　them　to　the　cable　of　a

ship　be　the　only　one　proposed；　modes　of　prevention　cannot　be

difficult。　　But　I　have　ever　looked　to　the　submarine　boat　as　most　to

be　depended　on　for　attaching　them；　&　tho'　I　see　no　mention　of　it　in

your　letter；　or　your　publications；　I　am　in　hopes　it　is　not　abandoned

as　impracticable。　　I　should　wish　to　see　a　corps　of　young　men　trained

to　this　service。　　It　would　belong　to　the　engineers　if　at　land；　but

being　nautical；　I　suppose　we　must　have　a　corps　of　naval　engineers；　to

practise　&　use　them。　　I　do　not　know　whether　we　have　authority　to　put

any　part　of　our　existing　naval　establishment　in　a　course　of　training；

but　it　shall　be　the　subject　of　a　consultation　with　the　Secretary　of

the　Navy。　　Genl　Dearborne　has　informed　you　of　the　urgency　of　our　want

of　you　at　N　Orleans　for　the　locks　there。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　with　great　respect　&　esteem。







　　　　　　　　RELIGIOUS　FREEDOM




　　　　　　　　_To　Rev。　Samuel　Miller_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Jan。　23；　1808_




　　　　　　　　SIR；　　I　have　duly　received　your　favor　of　the　18th　and　am

thankful　to　you　for　having　written　it；　because　it　is　more　agreeable

to　prevent　than　to　refuse　what　I　do　not　think　myself　authorized　to

comply　with。　　I　consider　the　government　of　the　U　S。　as　interdicted　by

the　Constitution　from　intermeddling　with　religious　institutions；

their　doctrines；　discipline；　or　exercises。　　This　results　not　only

from　the　provision　that　no　lawshall　be　made　respecting　the

establishment；　or　free　exercise；　of　religion；　but　from　that　also

which　reserves　to　the　states　the　powers　not　delegated　to　the　U。S。

Certainly　no　power　to　prescribe　any　religious　exercise；　or　to　assume

authority　in　religious　discipline；　has　been　delegated　to　the　general

government。　　It　must　then　rest　with　the　states；　as　far　as　it　can　be

in　any　human　a