Glossology, or, The additional means of diagnosis of disease to be derived from indications and appearances of the tongue : read before the Senior Physical Society of Guy's Hospital, 4th November, 1843 / by Benjamin Ridge.

Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Glossology, or, The additional means of diagnosis of disease to be derived from indications and appearances of the tongue : read before the Senior Physical Society of Guy's Hospital, 4th November, 1843 / by Benjamin Ridge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    well-defined system of Glossology I would say—let them account for the different appearances of the tongue in scanlet-fever and measles: why in the former it is red, and in the latter limaceous, or white; and why, as an eruption on the skin appears in both, they are of different characters: that of scarlet-fever, as its name implies, being scarlet-coloured, and rough when the hand is passed over the skin; and in measles, brownish red, or livid, and the skin slightly prominent ? And let them at the same time account for the variety of treatment,—scarlet-fever requiring refrigerants, cool apartments, and cold spong- ings with vinegar and water, to lessen the fever; whilst measles require warmth and seclusion from the air, to keep the eruption out. Every one is aware that, if measles are driven inwards, the greatest danger ensues from congestion and inflammation of the lungs; and that scarlet-fever leaves a decortication of the skin, and measles a discoloration of that organ alone. As these diseases, and every feature of them, appear so different, I do not expect to be told, in answer to my queries, that the treat- ment usually adopted by rules of art does good, or that such and such remedies have been found to do good: I ex- pect a fair, philosophical reason given as to the cause of difference of each disease, and the cause of difference in the remedies—not the effects of medicines on the com- plaints, but the causes for these effects. We know well that both diseases are eflects of certain causes, and we know that certain medicines have certain effects upon them; but the philosophy of the present age is not satisfied with doing