The family remedy; or, Perkins's patent metallic tractors, : for the relief of topical diseases of the human body; and of horses.

  • Perkins, Benjamin Douglas, 1774-1810.
Date:
[1800?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The family remedy; or, Perkins's patent metallic tractors, : for the relief of topical diseases of the human body; and of horses. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    PERKINS’S PATENT METALLIC TRACTORS. Leiier, from Membet'of the-'Rdyal GGllege oj-Phyjicianij London.-^ '• • ■' ■ St\ Alban’s Street, , Pall l8oo. ^ “ De Aif SlR,~WliatcVer fentiments I may entertain, founded on that unerring ruleI muft ever'feel myfelf fully authDT;fed in cofomur^icating with coniVd’ehce, and more efpetially- rf'the benefit of “the Pubiicfoan thereby be promoted, '^hen I firfl heard'of your Tradlors, I candidly own, hiy .faithdn ttteir'effica'cyAyas.as-weak as that Of forneothers of my Brethren j and, unt'iil I happened by accident to- be prefent at an application, I regarded the Metallic PraOfice as a fpecies of Animal Magnetifna, I was induced b.y this,.and one or tlyo other cafes which cajTip to nty Knowledge, to put myieif much in the way of'witneffing further trials. Th^fe wore fo.fatisfadtprypthat a few months fince, 1 publicly notified myjntention.of eXQpioying the Traftors in fuch cafes, among mypatients, as fhould be thought luitable fubjeOfs. I'he refuit has been an'entire convij^ipn, that rhany painful Topical’Diforders .which ob'fti- nately refifl; the efforts of Medicinej'adminiflered by tbe.inoff Ikiiful in our art, may be-cured by the in¬ fluence of‘this innocent afidfiniple application. “The‘ effedfs of theTradlors in reducing, re.cent inflammations and tumefadflons, are often foinffan- taneoUs, as to hQ^vifibte.,- On infants^ and ini other.’cafes where imagination is equally inaftive, their effi¬ cacy is not lefs apparent. On this laid head I would obf rye, that you need to give yourfelf.little unea- lihefs in combating the opinion, which is with.no moderate Zeal and induflry endeavoured to be propagated, viz. that the cures are effected through the medium of imagination. The late experiments you have publiflied on Infants, and on Horfes, and various others of a. fiinilar tendency which have been made, will abundantly fatisfy any candid enquirer; -when thofe w.bo at prefent attempt to deerj' tii© Tradlors on thofe grounds, fhall have feen fo much of the pradlice of medicine as I have, for thefe twenty years paft, and fhall dlvcft themfehes of frejudkey and .take the-proper mode for afcertaining their merits, they will have ample caufe for acknowledging their error. “ Before I clofe.tlus note, I beg leave to fuggefl, as the fefult of my experience, the neceffity of perfe- verance in many chronic cafes, for feveral weeks, Ihould the diforder not give way in a fhorter time.— With every wifh for your fuctefs, hi relieving the affli'dlcd, 1 remain, dear Sir, yours, &c.. JOHN MATHER.” Communkated by Mr. Richar!d Teed, of Lancafier-court y Sir andy a Gentleman 'iveil •verfedin EkBrldtjy and other Branches of Phllofophyy Feb, 15, 1800. “ DeAR Sir,—In the courfe of my experiments with the Metallic Tra6lors, I have not been more amufed and furprized in obferving their effedfs than on this dayT i was-this morning vifited by Mifs B—, a young lady about 16 years of age, an intimate acquaintance in my family, who had been confined two months, and-greatly reduced by a violent nervous fever. Her extreme irritibility of body and fenlibility to any imprelfion, occafioned by her fickneff, fuggefted to my mind the ficnefs of her cafe to try the curious experiment related by profeifor Abildga-ard, and which I have the pleafure to inform you-has. fully confirmed its. truth,, and unequl.vocajly demonftrated the exiftenceof the Metallic Influence. I perfuaded this young lady to be blinufolded with an handkerchief 5 in this fituation I firlb prefented my linger to her face, without touching her, when fhe allured me that fhe'fclt a tickling fen- Ifition. On approaching her th-n with the Tradfors, in the fame way, flse ftarted, ,and felt a whiiling vv'ind, and fo powerfully that ihe could eafily tell to what part of the face they were prefented. Her own report, indeed, was uuneceffary to convince us of their influence, for vve could obferve a tremor in the ' mufcles near to which .th.e Tradf ors pointed.' This exp^fltrl'ent was faithfully tried twice in the pr.efcnce of feveral perfons, arkd uniformly with the fame efl'e<ff : She had no knowledge that different fubftances were prefented to her face, which determines, in the moft unequivocal manner, not only chat an effedt is produced'by applications in this Way, but the fuperior power of the Tradfors. I might here add, if neceffary, fome extraordinary cures, but .fuppofe ypu receive fo many from ‘•“Others they would not be particularly interefting. The Metallic Tradtors need only to be ufed by un¬ prejudiced perfons to be very highly appreciated. I am, dear Sir, your very humble Servant, RICHARD TEED*.” • CASES ON Horses. ■ThefollgwltigCafelsccfnmunkatedbylZ.Q. FAVC'weo's.Tn'^y of Bath. ' CASE.—SeverE CoNTu'sioN. ’ A Horfe of Nr A. Vigors, Efq. of St. James’s Square, Rath, in landing from one of the Holy- head packets, fome months flnee, received from the pully-ropes an injury in his Gambril, which pro¬ duced a great degree of f wcllihg, extending from that part to the paflern, and up' to his belly. This . i fvvelling took place, not withftanding he was-put under the care of Ikiiful farriers in Bath, who applied ’! various ointments without any effcft. '■ At length Mr. Vigor s purchafed a fet of the Tradfors, and i; immediately applied them in the prefoiice of many fpedlators,' VkJio, in a few minutes, expreffe4 their li furprife on feeing the f welling'abate. The Tradlors we ire ufed five times onlyj v.dien the Iwelliag waS' li entirely removed.' He has continued well ever fince,;and .has performed his regular huntiijg, ItTs jJ now fix weeks fince the Tradlors \yere firfl applied.” ' ' ‘ i Cotnmunkdtedby ]on'H p>ic''K. 'e.n^'orti'-Efq' of Leighton Houfey -Leighton Euztoardy Bedfordshire. ii • ^ . -i ' C-A'S'E.—SEVERE CoaJTU'SlQNS. ' ' ' ij . The, length of this letter precludes'the pofrjbillty of infepting the whole j fiiffice it, to fay, his ' [ hq/iter, by an a'cei^ent-in the-flall, felK 'a'nH'fc^fcreJ.y btuifed the'mufcle^on_one fide. Large fwellirigs, »j of the fize of two hands arofe on the rurnp, on the hip bone, and on the flifle. Hot fomentations, || fpirics of v.'ine, and Goulard, were tried without effedl. The mare had a great fever, arrd is was-fup-^ ■j pofed fhe would dip, .She wap blpd,, and, fpnie-what,Telieyed, but the fweliings did nog abate even by^ ii the next day. . i. . . ' . , ; ' ' .1 ■/ . t ■ F ji * Thefe Two lafi Qommtificationfbeing 'reQTnh^dfAeelFefublidSitlW %vhi(h (he dhcrt are extradi- Ij tdy appear no’iv in Print for the fr^ Time, ■