(524)
French have given the English the first thought or notion of this Experiment. And why? because (say they) they are witnesses, that a Benedictine Fryer, one Don Robert de Gabets, discoursed of it at Monsieur de Monmors, ten years agoe. Surely, all ingenius men will acknowledge that the certain way of deciding such Controversies as these, is a Publick Record, either written or printed, declaring the time and place of an Invention first proposed, the contrivance of the Method, to practice it, and the instances of the success in the Execution. All this appears in the field for England.
Numb. 7. of the Transactions (printed An. 1665. in Decemb. acquaints the World, how many years since Dr. Christopher Wren proposed the Experiment of Infusion into Veins. And this was hint enough for the R. Society, some while after to advance Infusion to Transfusion; for the trial of which latter, they give order at their Publick Meeting of May 17. 1665. as may be een in their Journal, where 'twas registred by the care-of their Secretaries obliged by Oath to fidelity: The trials proving then lame, for want of a fit apparatus, and a well contrived Method of operation, the Learned Physician and Expert Anatomist, Dr. Lower, since found out such a Method, which is not only registred in the same Book, but also published in Print Numb. 20. of these Tracts; before which time it had been already practiced by the said Doctor in Oxford, who was followed by several ingenious men at London, that succesfully practiced it by the Publick Order of the aforesaid Society.
It seems strange, that so surprizing an Invention should have been conceived in France, as they will have it, ten years ago, and lain there so long in the Womb, till the way of Midwiving it into the world was sent thither from London: To say nothing of the disagreement, there seems to be about the French Parent of this fœtus, Monsieur de Gurye in the Letter above mentioned, fathering it upon the Abbot Bourdelot, but the Author of the French Journals, upon a Benedictine Fryer.
But whoever this Parent be, that is not so material, as that all that lay claim to the Child, should joyn together their endeavours and cares to breed it up for the service and relief of humane life, if it be capable of it; and this is the main thing aimed at and sollicited in this Discourse; not written to offend or injure
