The hygienic treatment of pulmonary consumption.

  • Richardson, Benjamin Ward, 1828-1896.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The hygienic treatment of pulmonary consumption. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    POPULAR ERRORS REGARDING TREATMENT. 6 some earnest men in the profession who are afraid to abandon the routine of pills, draughts, lotions, and what not, because such abandonment knocks head against the foibles of those who seek to be cured by such means, and who will recognise no other means. Nor is there want of argument in this course, though its morality may be open to criticism. A dispensary patient came to me lately, to be cured of a headache. I saw what seemed to be the cause, and without prescribing on her letter, gave in words what promised to be the remedy. The patient came no more; but I asked after her casually one day of a friend who brought her to see me. Oh! was the reply, she has no faith in you; you only told her to sleep in a room with a chimney in it, and to sleep alone; so now she is getting cooling medicine from a druggist, and some days she is worse, and some days she is better. Always worse, I take it, after the cooling medicine. It would be easy to multiply these illustrations, but this one is a fair repre- sentation of others. It is vain, it is sticking in the slough of hopelessness, to pander to these popular imbecilities ; for though they must die out, and, indeed, are dying out daily, they will go the sooner if they are effectually damped, and if something real and common sense is put in their place. Scientice mutantur, et nos mutamur in Mis. There is a time when medicines are invaluable ; but if faith in medicines is to be retained, the times for their administration, as well as their selection, must be learned by knowledge, not by routine; and must be dic- tated by the circumstances of the case, not by the caprice of the patient. The executive of science must be independent, if it would keep in the path of truth and advancement. In such progress as has been made in the science of treat-