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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    what has always been found to do good. The question why it does good must be satisfactorily answered, or we must remain content to be called Empirics, and a body of men practising under the system of “ Q,uot homines tot sententiae.” Whilst the art continues in this state, and the Faculty are satisfied to practise in this manner, the young men from memory of what they have read in books or learned orally from teachers, I am persuaded that legislation cannot benefit them. Our non-medical law-makers may summon to their councils men from every grade of their profession, and talk of medical reform; but their consultations will be unsatisfactory, and their results nothing. They will have from these patres con- scripti of the art as many opinions as men, or as many as they would give in obscure medical cases. The Profession must first become unanimous and phi- losophical in themselves, and in what they profess; and then, and not till then, can the senate form a code of laws for their protection and that of the public. It is to these ends that I would, first, place all on an equality who practise our noble art, as far as thorough knowledge of cause and effect can accomplish this by the best and surest means of diagnosis of disease; and, secondly, that all shall know the broad general principles of the treatment re- quired. The most diligent will always insure the most patronage; the young practitioner Avill, in that case, have as fair a chance of succeeding as his seniors; whilst those who have most experience will keep their standing, if they go with the times, and follow on the heels of what the