Formulae medicamentorum, or, a compendium of the modern practice of physic. To which is prefixed an essay on the effects and uses of blood-letting / by Hugh Smith.

  • Smith, Hugh, 1730?-1790.
Date:
1781
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Formulae medicamentorum, or, a compendium of the modern practice of physic. To which is prefixed an essay on the effects and uses of blood-letting / by Hugh Smith. 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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    caufes for the evacuation, it muft be com- plied with; although it were certainly better not to repeat it upon every trifling occafion. §. 19. We have hitherto been examining the effects of blood-letting, the intentions of cure it can anfwer, and the difeafes it fhould be recommended in ; it remains to enquire into, the ill confequences that may fucceed to its injudicious ufe, and point out the cir- cumftances which forbid the evacuation. And thefe indeed are many, which in practice are ftri£lly to be attended to, left, by its indlf- criminate ufe, jt fhould prove of more detri- ment than real fervice in the cure of difeafes. §. 20. From what has been above obferved, as to its eftedls, we ftiall eafily judge under what circumftances it can be prejudicial j for, as it can only a6l by attenuating the fluids and weakening the circulating powers, it will readily appear, that, where the fluids are al- ready too thin, or the circulation and action of the veflfels too languid, blood-letting can be of no advantage, but, on the contrary, may greatly hurt. A few hints, then, as to the impropriety of the evacuation under particu- lar circumftances, may,, it is prefumcd, be of fervice to the young praditioner, to whom opportunities of remarking the effedts of dif- ferent remedies in different difeafes may not frequently have occurred.