Original cases with dissections and observations illustrating the use of the stethoscope and percussion in the diagnosis of diseases of the chest : also commentaries on the same subjects selected and translated from Avenbrugger, Corvisart, Laennec and others / by John Forbes.

  • Forbes, John, Sir, 1787-1861.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Original cases with dissections and observations illustrating the use of the stethoscope and percussion in the diagnosis of diseases of the chest : also commentaries on the same subjects selected and translated from Avenbrugger, Corvisart, Laennec and others / by John Forbes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    doubts very often, and mistakes not seldom, as to their real character, are things of daily observation, in the practice of even the most skilful. That the general adoption of the diagnostics recommended in this volume, would remove all these doubts, difficulties, and mistakes, I am very far from believing; but that it would remove some of them, and lessen others, I cannot possibly doubt. Indeed, the superior cer- tainty and precision of diagnosis afforded by the Stethoscope and Percussion, in many diseases of the chest, is so much a matter of simple fact, and can be so easily demonstrated in practice, that it would be idle to attempt to prove the thing by reasoning. For more than one instance of this kind, I hope I may be allowed to refer to the Cases in the present volume. At least, I can safely say, that the degree of precision of di- agnosis obtained in several of these, conld not have been at- tained by me, whatever it might have been by others, without the aid of the physical diagnostics employed. Any objections, therefore, that can be made against the adoption of these in practice, must apply to the utility of the minute diagnosis ob- tained by them, and not to their specific fitness to supply it. And as it is, I apprehend, with objections precisely of this kind, that they have to contend, 1 deem it necessary, in this place, to make a few cursory observations on the subject. Respecting minute diagnosis, it is said that, in most cura- ble diseases, it is useless, because the same treatment applies to the greater number of those likely to be confounded ; while in incurable diseases, it is obviously useless, because in them all treatment is equally unavailing. These objections seem, at first sight, pertinent; but I conceive they are more of appa- rent than real strength. The history of every science shows, that, generally speaking, every addition of knowledge has been an increase of power; and innumerable discoveries could be mentioned, which, at the time they were made, seemed of no value, but which eventually proved of the greatest importance. Many striking illustrations of this truth could easily be adduced from the history of Medicine. On this principle alone, then, were