Medicine an art, and its truth to be attained. Being an address ... at the opening meeting of the "Library of the Exeter Dispensary", and the "Devon and Exeter Pathological Society" / [Thomas Shapter].

  • Shapter, Thomas
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medicine an art, and its truth to be attained. Being an address ... at the opening meeting of the "Library of the Exeter Dispensary", and the "Devon and Exeter Pathological Society" / [Thomas Shapter]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    rally. Now by a careful attention to the indications rendered by these facts, we are enabled to fix the seat of the disorder as without the skull, and therefore to affirm it not of dangerous origin. The Devonshire colic, as before shown, is due to the ab¬ sorption of lead into the system. Lead is known to be insoluble, and found to be inert, when combined with sul¬ phuric acid. The exhibition of this acid, or of such salts, as would afford it to the lead, was inferred would be a remedy in the disease, and so experience has proved it. Again, the colic and obstructed bowels, partly characteristic of the De¬ vonshire colic, were found to be due to spasms of the intestines, opium relieves spasm, hence its administration in this disorder is accompanied by that relief from the bowels which purgatives by themselves could not promote. Now here we have two simple practical truths established, and through the aid of the inductive process of reasoning. The application of bark and arsenic in intermittent fever has become practically established by a long series of observation ; while by a process of induction the curative powers of these re¬ medies, in some other affections, has shown, what was before not suspected, that these latter are modifications of that class of dis¬ orders of which the former is the type. I shall not multiply these examples,—they are sufficient to show that, by a careful and patient observation, and by colligat¬ ing and generalizing the results of appropriate ideal conceptions, simple facts and comprehensive truths are to be arrived at, and that from these may be deduced practical conclusions of the utmost value and importance. To adopt the words of Dr. Barlow, in the very admirable address* delivered by him before the Hunterian Society, “ I do not hesitate to express my con¬ viction that we are, at this time more especially, in need of some such simple and incontrovertible maxim, not only as a rule of philosophising, but as a principle of action. It cannot have escaped the notice of any observant member, either of our own body or of the community at large, that there is in the minds of * Vide Medical Gazette, May ] 847.