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 / by William Buchan, M.D. fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edingburgh.

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1792
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 / by William Buchan, M.D. fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edingburgh. 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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    ment, while it produced many of the necefTaries of life. After working an hour in a garden, a man will return with more keennefs to his employment within doors, than if he had been all the while idle. Labouring the ground is every way conducive to health. It not only gives exercife to every part of the body, but the very fmell of the earth and frelh herbs revives and cheers the fpirits, whilft the perpetual profpect of fomething coming to matu- rity, delights and entertains the mind. We are fo formed as to be always pleafed with fomewhat in profpect, however diftant or however trivial. Hence the happinefs that molt men feel in planting, fow- ing, building, &c. Thefe feem to have been the chief employments of the more early ages: and., when kings and conquerors cultivated the ground, there is reafon to believe that they knew as well wherein true happinefs confided as we do. It may feem romantic to recommend gardening to manufacturers in great towns; but obfervation proves that the plan is very practicable. In the town of Sheffield, in Yorklhire, where the great iron manufacture is carried on, there is hardly a journeyman cutler who does not pofiefs a piece of ground, which he cultivates as a garden. This practice has many falutary effects. It not only in- duces thefe people to take exercife without doors, but alfo to eat many greens, roots, &c. of their own growth, which they would never think of pur- chafing. There can be no reafon why manufac- turers in any other town in Great Britain Qiould not follow the fame plan. It is indeed to be regretted, that in fuch a place as London a plan of this kind is not practicable; yet even there fedentary artifi- cers may find opportunities of taking air and exer- cife, if they chufe to embrace them. E 3 Mechanics