The American physician, and family assistant / by Elias Smith.

  • Smith, Elias, 1769-1846.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The American physician, and family assistant / by Elias Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    muscle or bone out of place, a vein or an artery stop in its circulation, or a nerve unduly acted upon, cre- ates disease, pain, and misery ; is it not wonderful that we enjoy so large a portion of health and pleas- ure. Should not such considerations teach us the va- lue of prudence and temperance 1 Thick in yon stream of light, a thousand ways, Upward and downward, thwarting and convolv'd, The quivering nations sport ; till, tempest-wing'd Fierce winter sweeps them from the face of day ; Ev'n so, luxurious men unheeding pass An idle summer-life in fortune shine— A season's glitter ! Thus they flutter on From toy to toy, from vanity to vice :— Till blown away by death oblivion comes Behind, and strikes them from the book of life. Thomson. The nerves are soft white chords which rise from the brain, the focus of sensation, and disperse themselves in branches through all parts of the body. Impressions are received by the brain from the adjacent organs of sense; and the brain exerci- ses its commands over the muscles and limbs by means of the nerves. Thus, the body is enabled to avoid what is hurt- ful, to flee from danger, and to pursue every thing useful and agreeable. [Obs.—The proper object of vegetable organi- zation appears to be to supply food to animated na- ture ; and the wisdom of Providence is in nothing more evident than in the variety, wholesomeness, and abundance of vegetable provisions.] The ear is placed in the most convenient pari of his body near the brain, the common seat of all the senses, to give more speedy information. In man it is of a form proper for the erect pos-