4 - To the Reverend Thomas Contarine, [Edinburgh, c. December 1753]

Summary

Goldsmith gives here an account of his medical plans and intuitions to his uncle, indicating also that he is about to travel to the Continent to study further with some of the most eminent professors there. Though he suggests that Paris will be his next port of call, Goldsmith would instead travel to Leiden. His path may have been decided for him by some of the incidents referred to in the letter following.

The copy-text is the manuscript in the Beinecke Library, Yale. It was first published by Prior in 1837.

My D^rst Uncle,

after having spent two winters in Edinburgh, I now prepare to go to France the tenth of Next February, I have seen all that this country can Exhibit in the medicall way, and therefore intend to visit Paris, where the great M^r. Farhein Petit and Du Hammell du monson, instruct, their pupils in all the branches of medecine: they speak French and consequently, I shall have much the advantage of most of my countrymen, as I am perfectly acquainted with that language, and Few who leave Ireland are so, since I am upon so pleasing a Topick as self aplause give me leave to say that the circle of science which I have run thro before I undertook the study of Physick, is not only usefull, but absolutely necesary to the making a skillfull Physician such sciences enlarge our understanding sharpen our sagacity, and what is a practitioner without both but an Empirick, for never yet was a disorder found Entirely the same in two patients, a Quack unable to distinguish the particularities in Each disease, prescribes at a venture, if he finds such a disorder may be calld by the generall name of feve[r] for instance, he has a set of remedies, which he applies to cure it. nor does he desist till his medecines are run out or his patient has lost his life, but the skillfull Physician distinguishes the symptoms, manures the sterility of nature or prunes her luxuriance, nor does he depend so much on the efficacy of medecines as on their proper application.