Domestic medicine : or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines. With an appendix containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners. ... to which are added, some important observations concerning sea-bathing, and the use of the mineral waters; with many other additions / by William Buchan.

  • Buchan William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1805
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine : or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines. With an appendix containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners. ... to which are added, some important observations concerning sea-bathing, and the use of the mineral waters; with many other additions / by William Buchan. 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.

    29/804
    dered rational or ufeful, without being fubmitted to the common fenfe and reafon of mankind. I hefe alone ftamp a value upon fcience ; and what will not bear the ted of thefe ought to be reje&cd. 1 know it will be faid, that didufing medical know- ledge among the people might induce them to tamper with Medicine, and to trud to their own (kill, inffead of calling a phyfician. The reverfe of this, however, is true. Perfons who have mod knowledge in thefe mat- ters, are commonly mod ready both to afk and follow advice, when it is neceffary. The ignorant are always mod apt to tamper with Medicine, and have the lead confidence in phyficians. Indances of this are daily to be met with among the ignorant peafants, who, while they abfolutely refufe to take a medicine which has been prefcribed by a phyfician, will (wallow with greedi- nefs any thing that is recommended to them by their credulous neighbours. Where men will a£t even with- out knowledge, it is certainly more rational to afford them all the light yve can, than to leave them entirely in the dark. It may alfo be alleged, that laying Medicine more open to mankind, would lelfen their faith in it. This would indeed be the cafe with regard to fome; but ii would have a quite contrary effedt upon others. I know many people who have the utmod dread and horror of every thing prefaibed by a phyfician, but who will ne- verthelefs very readily take a medicine which they know, and whofe qualities they are in fome meafure acquainted with. Hence it is evident, that the dread arifes from the dodlor, not from the drug. Nothing ever can or will infpire mankind with an abfolute confidence in phy- ficians, but an open, frank, and undifguifed behaviour. While the lead (hadow of mydery remains in the con- duct of the Faculty, doubts, jealoulies, and fufpicions, will arife in the minds of men. No doubt cafes will fometimes occur, where a pru- dent phyfician may find it expedient to difguife a Medi- cine. The whims and humours of men mud be regarded by thofe who mean to do them fervicej but this can b 3 never