The diseases of children / by James Frederic Goodhart.

  • Goodhart, James Frederic, 1845-1916.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The diseases of children / by James Frederic Goodhart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    .f > 45 4y •A *V PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION Many medical students have expressed to me their want of a small Manual upon Diseases of Children. To this, and to a request from Messrs. Churchill that I would fill up a gap in their series of Students’ Guides, the appearance of the present volume is due. There are many who could have done the work far better than I ; but, if an excuse be needed for well- intentioned temerity, it may be supposed that others were unable to undertake it. As regards the scope of the work—in writing a book upon diseases of children I have not considered it my function to write one on general medicine, but so far as possible have kept in view the diseases which seemed to be incidental to childhood, or such points in disease as appear to be so peculiar to, or pro- nounced in, children as to justify insistence upon them ; and if the book meets the want it aims to supply, it will be due, I think, as much to its omissions as to its contents. For example, in dealing with pneumonia and bronchitis, there will be found no minute description of physical signs ; in heart disease, no con- secutive account of such general symptoms as are common to all ages of life. I have taken it for granted that the student already possesses some knowledge of general medicine, and have dwelt upon such points as belong peculiarly to childhood. This will explain a certain amount of disconnectedness which runs through the volume ; and if beyond this it still be thought that I have been less precise than is desirable, I would reply that it is always difficult to be at the same time dogmatic and exact. “ Knowledge brings doubts and exceptions and limitations, which are all hindrances to vigorous statement.” Moreover, what may be considered a fault in some ways is not without some, and perhaps equivalent advantages ; not the least being the fact that this conception of the student’s wants has enabled me to follow