The extraordinary case of a Piccadilly patient; or, Doctor Reece physick'd / by six female physicians.

  • Carpenter, Elias, active 1803-1848.
Date:
1815
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The extraordinary case of a Piccadilly patient; or, Doctor Reece physick'd / by six female physicians. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in many cases of internal complaints it cannot be done with certainty; a decision when given is often, conjectural, and frequently inaccurate. Dr. Sims accustoms himself to no such random practice. Had the whole college of physicians been in attendance on her, a better understanding of her case, we take on us to say, from our professional knowledge, could not have been given. In the opinion Dr. Sims gave of herself and her state of body, he shewed the soundness of his skill, as a physician, and the goodness of his heart as a man and a Christian. And, had all her medical attendants had the same penetration and integrity, she would have, in all probability, been delivered long before her death ; not of a child, but of the delusion. This would have been greatly to the advantage of herself and her mistaken followers, and developed that which now remains an impenetrable mystery. She was deluded, but not a deluder. According to our theory, Dr. Sims pronounced her diseased in the head, but not in heart. The first is a misfortune, therefore mild ; the last is a fault, therefore malig- nant. Happy, indeed, should we be, could we, with truth, speak of our poor patient as Dr. Sims spake of her; but, alas, that is not in our power; his is not a simple, but complicated, case, and diffi- cult of cure ; but tve resolve on doing what we can for him. After all the various consultations we have had on his case, it appears to us, the most efficacious means is to treat it as they used of old time to treat the Chorea Sancti Viti, St. Vitus’s dance, that is by music. Therefore, for the present, we shall pursue a course of this nature ; we have already ad- B