A treatise of incurable diseases: containing, I. An essay on the proper means to reduce the number of incurables. II. An attempt to settle a just notion of incurable in physick. III. A specimen of a rational method to discover the cures of reputed incurable diseases / [Peter Shaw].

  • Shaw, Peter, 1694-1763
Date:
1723
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise of incurable diseases: containing, I. An essay on the proper means to reduce the number of incurables. II. An attempt to settle a just notion of incurable in physick. III. A specimen of a rational method to discover the cures of reputed incurable diseases / [Peter Shaw]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ <5 ] fcquencc to knowhow to remedy thisDefed in the Art of Healing, and thereby diminilh, if poflible, the Number of Incurables, than to account for the flow Progrds of the phyfical Pradice 5 I fhall here confine my felf to the former Confideration, and endeavour to fhew what is the moft proper Method of proceeding in order to difeover the Cures of fuch Diftempers as obftinately refill the prefent Form of Pradice, at the fame Time that they give no other Signs of their being abfolutely and properly Incurable. The Method that I wou’d offer at in this cafe, is founded on a proper Ufe of our-natural.Faculties. If we will but open our Eyes, allow a free¬ dom of Rcafoning, and not be flow in reducing its Didates to Adion, there are good grounds to hope that the Number of reputed Incurables will foonbe lefien’d, or at lead their increafe be prevented 5 and a more accurate diftindion of Difeafes for the future be introduced. As by a reputed incurable Difeafe, I always mean fuch an one as proves too ftrong for ordinary Treatment, without affording any farther reafon to perfuade us, that the Cure of the fame Cafe is utterly impoftlble to be effeded hereafter, to attempt the Cure of a reputed incurable Dif- cafe, is in no wife Wild or Romantick. But the Way to difeover fuch 3 Cure, is not to flop fhort where the common Medicines fail, lazily term the Cafe Incurable, and then fit down contented, and applaud our felves for having got to the extent of our Tether : On the contrary, if we wou’d in earneft endeavour to benefit Mankind, by improving the Art of Healing, from an accurate Obfervation of the Phenomena of Difeafes, we fhould proceed to deduce their immediate Caufcs, and find out what kind of Re- medies'are wanting to remove them ; and then by the proper Experiments ob¬ tain thefe cDefiderata, or at leaft in defed of them, contrive to raife the known Remedies to their utmoft Power, in order to fee whether they will not then reach the more ftubborn Cafes. It is fuch a Kind of Geometrical Method, which appears to me the moft proper to be obferv’d in this Purfuit; that way of Reafoning from T^ata * to which has done Wonders in Philofophy, Aftronomy, and Mechanicks. But it happens moft unfortunately, that inftead of encoura¬ ging and purfuing this noble Method in Phyfic, we feem almoft entirely to difeoun-