Page:Of the Gout - Stukeley - 1734.djvu/29

Rh to the publick, and supported till their own excellency establishes them in the opinion of mankind, I have reason to say thus much, both from the violent opposition abovemention'd, and from Dr. Rogers the inventor's aversion to make himself or remedy publick. He never had the least thought of doing it: but I persuaded him to permit the World to reap the advantage of his labors, hazard, and pains, and to reward him for it. Providence directed me to the Cure of this parish in the year 1729, in which year in the month of May he first began to put in practise these oyls upon himself. I succeeded his brother, and he himself became my parishioner; but being of opposite partys, we had then no particular friendship. He had labor'd under the distemper in a most deplorable manner, being laid up frequently 6 months at a time with it. Life, he said was become a mere burden to him, and to try somewhat, the only hope left. His father was of great eminence for his skill in pharmacy, and no one will deny him the justice to say the same of him. The success answer'd to his great joy, and but to his own cure, for a year or two. 'Tis difficult to persuade the world to any thing new, till it's become a fashion: especially considering withal, that to give this medicin but its due praise, it appeared to extra-