Domestic medicine; or, the family physician. Being an attempt to render the medical art more generally useful, by showing people what is in their own power, both with respect to the prevention and cure of diseases ... / by William Buchan. With notes, etc., by a medical gentleman.

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine; or, the family physician. Being an attempt to render the medical art more generally useful, by showing people what is in their own power, both with respect to the prevention and cure of diseases ... / by William Buchan. With notes, etc., by a medical gentleman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    IX confidence In any endeavours of his own. All his hopes of a cure are placed in fomething which he does not under- lland ; fomething myfterious, and quite above his capa- city, as herbs gathered under the influence of fome pla- net, charms, the noftriims of quacks and conjurers, &c. Such are the ridiculous and deflru€tive prejudices which prevail among the inhabitants of this country, even in this enlightened age ; and fuch is their entire ignorance of medicine, that they become the eafy dupes of every pretender to it. We make no doubt but the ladies, gentlemen, and clergy, who refide in the country, will readily concur with us in endeavouring to root out fuch pernicious and deftruclive piejudices. Their example will have great weight with their dependents and inferiors; and their ad- vice will be often liflened to with more attention than that of a phyfician. They will teach the poor the im- portance of a proper regimen, both in health and ficknefs - the danger of trufling their lives in the hands of quacks and conjurors, and the folly of their own fuperftitious no- tions. By this means they may prevent much evil, do fome good, and prove real bleffings to thofe amonfr whom they refide. Nothing is farther from the defign of the following pages, than to^ induce ignorant perfons to tamper with dangerous medicines, or truft to their own ikilJ, where Better afliftance can be obtained. But W'here fomething mufl; be done, and no medical affiftance can be had, it is certainly better to direft people what they ought to do, than to leave them to blunder on in the dark. There is no doubt but the more mercenary part of the Faculty, whofe ideas of medicine never rife above the for- did views of a trade, will do all in their power to difcre- dit every attempt of this kind with the public. With fuch as are able to fee through the difguife, their cenfure will pafs for applaufe ; and with the lefs enlightened, it will be little regarded. With us it can have no weight, fo long as we are confcious that we have the good of man- kind at heart; and that, however imperfecl the execution may be, the defign has been approyen by many w'hofe names do honour to the medical proftffion. CONTENTS