The principles and practice of the botanic system of medicine : a guide to the understanding of the nature of disease, its prevention and cure, by the use of simple, safe, and sanative means / by W. Dale.

  • Dale, W.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of the botanic system of medicine : a guide to the understanding of the nature of disease, its prevention and cure, by the use of simple, safe, and sanative means / by W. Dale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    this condition in some other portion of the system: and wherever there is an excess of the circulating fluids, there is also, and necessarily, an excess of animal heat, or caloric, as exhibited in cases of inflammation—and where there is the reverse of one of these conditions, there is, also, the reverse of the other. 22d. That all disease, or abnormal actions to which the various organs of the human system are subject, may be classed under the following heads : — 1. Excessive action; as, inflammation, diabetes, irritabi- lity, &c. 2. Deficient action; as dyspepsia in some of its forms, sup- pression of the various secretions, &c. 3. Morbid action; as, strange cravings of the appetite, false conception, gross absorption, madness, &c. 24th. That disease is in all cases produced in one or more of the following ways:—1st, By irritation; the application or introduc- tion of some agent to the system, which irritates organic sensibi- lity. 2d, By obstruction of the circulating fluids. 3d, By relaxa- tion ; exhaustion of the vital energy, or conservative organic power. 4th, By destruction ; ulceration of organic tissue. 25th. That the only rational method of curing disease is by removing the causes of irritation and obstruction, and by influenc- ing the vital energy, or conservative organic power, by appropri- ate agents. 26th. That remedies for disease are the opposites of its causes ! For example, if the body has become diseased from breathing unwholesome, impure air—a powerful and necessary remedy is fresh, wholesome, pure air. If from drinking impure or excessively hard water, pure soft water is a helpful remedy. If from drinking fiery, inflaming spirits, cold water, cooling, and mucilaginous medicines. If excessive labour has debilitated the body, rest and gentle exercise are remedies that will help to re- cruit it. If exposure to cold and damp, has contracted the vessels and caused obstruction, and destroyed the life of some portion of the tissues, or prevented the timely removal of worn- out material from the system—warmth, stimulation, and expan- sion are the appropriate and necessary means to be used for the removal of the disease. 27th. That no medicine, or medicinal application, that in its nature is essentially antagonistic or, destructive to life, is capable