Mydiseasewasnotacasewithintheprovinceofempirics，andI
bethoughtmyselfofconfidinginM。deisHayewhowasthendiningeverydaywithme，andmadenomysteryofhispoverty。Heplacedmeinthehandsofaskilfulsurgeon，whowasatthesametimeadentist。HerecognizedcertainsymptomswhichmadeitanecessitytosacrificemetothegodMercury，andthattreatment，owingtotheseasonoftheyear，compelledmetokeepmyroomforsixweeks。Itwasduringthewinterof1749。
WhileIwasthuscuringmyselfofanuglydisease，DelaHayeinoculatedmewithanotherasbad，perhapsevenworse，whichIshouldneverhavethoughtmyselfsusceptibleofcatching。ThisFleming，wholeftmeonlyforonehourinthemorning，togo——atleasthesaidso—
—tochurchtoperformhisdevotions，madeabigotofme！Andtosuchanextent，thatIagreedwithhimthatIwasindeedfortunatetohavecaughtadiseasewhichwastheoriginofthefaithnowtakingpossessionofmysoul。IwouldthankGodferventlyandwiththemostcompleteconvictionforhavingemployedMercurytoleadmymind，untilthenwrappedindarkness，tothepurelightofholytruth！
Thereisnodoubtthatsuchanextraordinarychangeinmyreasoningsystemwastheresultoftheexhaustionbroughtonbythemercury。