The whole works of that excellent practical physician Dr. Thomas Sydenham wherein not only the history and cures of acute diseases are treated of ... but also the shortest and safest way of curing most chronical diseases / [Thomas Sydenham].

  • Sydenham, Thomas, 1624-1689
Date:
1734
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The whole works of that excellent practical physician Dr. Thomas Sydenham wherein not only the history and cures of acute diseases are treated of ... but also the shortest and safest way of curing most chronical diseases / [Thomas Sydenham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    doubled .the Fits, or changed them into a continual Fever, as was. long ago obferved by Galez. The fame may be given with caution to young People in this Difeafe ; but I have long ago found them prejudicial to Children. But before I leave this Argument, I muft acquaint you, that thofe things which have been {poken of the Duration of Autumnal Agues, and of the time requir’d for the De- fpumation of the Blood, are fo to be underttood, viz. that we refpect now. only that which Nature is wont to perform by the afliftance only of common Medicines: for we have not defignedly difcourfed of thefe things, to dil- courage learned and diligent Phyficians from fearching for better Methods of Cure, and more effectual Remedies whereby they may haiten the Cure of fuch Difeafes, In- deed I am fo far from-thinking fo, that I do not defpair of finding out one day fuch a Method or Remedy, The Difeafe being removed, care muft be taken that — the Patient be purged: for it can fcarce be imagined how many. Difeafes are occafion’d by the Omiflion of Purging after Autumnal Agues; and I wonder this is taken fo lit- tle notice of, and ne more provided: for by. Phyficians: For whenever I have feen thele Difeafés happen to People fomewhat in Years, and Purging was neglected, I could certainly foretel that fome dangerous Difeafe would befal them, tho they had not the leait thought of it, being as it were perfectly recovered. | | ». But the Patient muft not be purged before the Difeafe — is:quite .vanquifh’d: for tho the natural Parts may feem by this means to be freed from the Filth which the Ague had caft-upon them, yer frefh Matter will fuddenly fpring up, being fupply’d by the Fever returning again by reafon — ot the Rorce of the Cathartick, and the Agitation of. the — Humours :, And fo all we gain by Purging, 1s'the rendring ~ the Dileafe more flubborn. And we find this daily by Ex- — amples of thofe who (yielding to that Theory, which pla- — ces all the hope of Cure in opening Obftructions, and in evacuating the melancholy Humour, which is vulgarly _ seckon'’d the Caufe of this Difeafe) are miferably punifh’d — by Gatharticks, repeated at che Declination of the Difeafe: — and indeed, whatever that Humour be which is evacuated with them, it is apparent that the Fever is more rooted ~ thereby, and obftinately maintains its Ground, by being — provoked. Wherefore Iyby no means give a Purge ner > a * | Brern that |