Preface

perfectly complete. And since the types and natures original: "Typi, & naturæ" of all diseases, collected through the most accurate observations, are explained by countless Authors; since, moreover, the human body—in which, as if on a Field of Mars original: "campo Martio"; a reference to the Roman military exercise grounds. Willis envisions the body as a battlefield where life and death struggle., the decision is made between those combatants—is most exactly described in all its parts by Anatomists: yet what is of the greatest importance, and without which those aforementioned things do not well agree, is not yet clearly enough discovered. We do not know what the weapons of those combatants are, what their equipment is, or finally what their force and resistance might be. Furthermore, we do not know the nature of the action, passion, and reaction between the particles of the medicine and the spirits, humors, or solid parts. For indeed, almost the entire matter of this pharmaceutical drama is performed behind a veil. For this reason, the various meetings of particles, fermentations fermentations original: "fermentationes"; in 17th-century iatrochemistry, this referred to internal chemical motions and transformations believed to regulate health., impulses, and other diverse motions, which remain hidden from the senses after they occur within, had to be investigated by a deeper scrutiny of the intellect. If this could finally be perfected by a fortunate discovery, nothing more will be desired to prevent the art of medicine art of medicine original: "Iatrice"; a term derived from the Greek word for healing, emphasizing medicine as a formal discipline., most complete in all its parts, from growing into a truly practical science with greater certainty. It would even be not inferior to mathematics mathematics original: "Mathesi"; Willis aspires for medicine to reach the level of a demonstrative science like geometry.. For in this way, empirical remedies from An-