A philosophical and medical sketch of the natural history of the human body and mind ; to which is subjoined, an essay On the difficulties of attaining medical knowledge, intended for the information and amusement of those who are, or are not, of the medical profession : published for the benefit of the General Hospital at Bath / by James Makittrick Adair, M. D. member of the Royal Medical Society, and fellow of the College of Physicians, at Edinburgh.

  • Adair, James Makittrick, 1728-1802.
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A philosophical and medical sketch of the natural history of the human body and mind ; to which is subjoined, an essay On the difficulties of attaining medical knowledge, intended for the information and amusement of those who are, or are not, of the medical profession : published for the benefit of the General Hospital at Bath / by James Makittrick Adair, M. D. member of the Royal Medical Society, and fellow of the College of Physicians, at Edinburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    have afTerted that this difference is the refult of climate alone; but no inftance can be produced of an European in a hot chmate becoming black, or a negro becoming white in a cold or temperate climate: the diftinftion is oiiginal, and imprefled by the hand of nature. Sometimes the child of black pa- rents has been born of a white colour; but this is a mere error of nature. The nails are a continuation of the fcarf fkin condenfed; they grow after death, and in the embalmed body of a young lady who died above 250 years ago, they are cut every year. The difference of the colour of hair feems to be owing partly to climate; in the ori- ginal natives of hot countries it is black, and in the Africans wooly and curled. The fenfe of feeling is very exquifite in fome perlbns. The celebrated Queen of France, Ann of Auflria^ could not fleep in the finefi linen fheets, which to her feeling were coarfe and rough; and therefoj'e was obliged to ufe fheets of cambrick. The fenfe of feeling is fometimes depraved. Some per- fons cannot bear the touch of velvet, others of the downy peach; and I knew a captain of