Medical cases and speculations : including parts IV. and V. of Considerations on the medicinal powers, and the production of factitious airs / by Thomas Beddoes, M.D. and James Watt.

  • Beddoes, Thomas, 1760-1808.
Date:
1796
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical cases and speculations : including parts IV. and V. of Considerations on the medicinal powers, and the production of factitious airs / by Thomas Beddoes, M.D. and James Watt. 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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    ( vlii ) Controverfies of fuch a nature appear to be for ever laid afleep. When a new fubftance comes from the Antipodes, if it bring with it a paffable characler, there is now fcarce a pliyfician who will hefitate to receive it into his prefcription, or an apothecary into his fhop. Had the Editor of thefe communications been content with advifing the trial of sal sodae pills in the cafes of pau- pers afflifted with calculus; of wood forrel for fcro- phulous fores; and of bodies containing loofely com- bined oxygene for fea-fcurvy, the moft fqueamifh fon of Hippocrates would never have felt himfelf fcanda- lized at his proceedings. To what is this advance in liberality to be afcribed ? Doubtlefs, in part, to the increafe ol knowledge, and to that habitual reference ot opinion to experiment, by which the mofl knowing are kept in modeft remem- brance of their ignorance. But I have fometimes fuf- pecled the agency of an auxiliary caufe ; and the pride of birth having yielded to the fpirit of commerce, why may not the fame fpirit of commerce have contributed to tame the no lefs ftubborn pride of ufelcfs erudition ? That this fort of facility extends as far as the LOVE OF GAIN will allow, and very little further, I had fut- ficient reafon to be convinced, long before I found myfelf in a fituation to meafure arguments with the enemies to invefligation in medicine. If a profit can be got by furnifhing or directing an article, what, among a generation, whofe fupreme good is gold—can be more in order, than that there fhould be at once perfons ready to furnifh and direa ? But there may be more trouble than profit in furnifhing the article, or in learn- ing