The library of health : and teacher on the human constitution / Wm. A. Alcott, editor.

  • Alcott, William A. (William Andrus), 1798-1859.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The library of health : and teacher on the human constitution / Wm. A. Alcott, editor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    practice to take salts. Oh, they are so harmless ! If they do no good they will do no harm ! Tremendous mistake. Yet it is everywhere made. We verily believe that thousands of American citizens go down to a premature grave every year, victims to this taking of salts, on every trivial occasion. But you would frighten us out of the use of all medi- cine ! Would to heaven we could frighten you out of the injurious habit of taking medicine of any kind what- ever, without consulting a physician. Would that we could drive you back from this wretched quackery on yourselves, and that encouragement of quackery which is still more wretched, to a greater reliance on the formation of judicious early habits by way of prevention, and to a firm and confident reliance on skilful common sense phy- sicians to assist you in the great work. Empiricism, quackery, everywhere rife in the community, destroys more lives than famine, pestilence, and the sword ! We might even say it destroys more than gluttony, intemper- ance, and licentiousness, were it not usually connected so closely with this abominable trio that it is difficult to dis- tinguish the proper effects which belong to each. We have full confidence in medicine and physicians. We would gladly have a skilful physician to advise us every quarter, at least, in regard to the future; and should we become sick, so as to feel incompetent for our own management, we should certainly give ourselves up most cheerfully to his management; just as we should do, were we the commander of a merchant ship, and found a pilot necessary. We should give up the ship, for the time, into his hands ; and not presume to say one word by way of authority, or even of advice. Would you take poisonous medicines ? Yes, if he ordered it. We are of opinion that there are cases which demand their use; and he certainly ought to know better