A dictionary of materia medica and therapeutics / by Adolphe Wahltuch.
- Wahltuch, Adolphe.
- Date:
- 1868
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of materia medica and therapeutics / by Adolphe Wahltuch. 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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![It is not suflftcient, moreover, to note merely the prominent symptom of a disease, and to try to act upon it with the help of the first pre- scription that may offer. Before the choice of one remedy or another, rationally adapted to the treatment of a given disease, can be made with any prohahility of its proving efficient, we need full acquaintance with all the facts of medical science, and of its various branches and accessories. It requires also many years of study; the careful perusal of many books, and of the records of many men's thoughts and ex- perience; a thorough acquaintance, too, with the ordinary laws of nature, and with the structure of the human frame; and, above all, plenty of careful personal observation. Then only can sound logical conclusions be arrived at, L'etude de la matiere medicale, says Mon- tain, et de la th^rapeutique est le complement de la science medicale. In one word, the art of healing cannot be taught in a single volume. Far less can it be learned from a few lines as to the composition of a medicine, or what malady that medicine is adapted to, and to which we have first found our way by means of an index. It is quite a mistake, accordingly, for people to regard books upon domestic medicine, miscellaneous prescriptions, patent drugs, and so forth, as giving them power to deal successfully with the sick. There is more probability of harm being done than good. So to view the matter and to act conformably, appears to be hke throwing a heavy piece of iron into a dark room, filled with glass and porcelain orna- ments, with the object of killing some creature, whose presence there is known only by the noise it makes. Some valuable vase is sure to be broken sooner than the missile will find its mark. Having thus labelled my work with the word Poison, as a caution to the non-professional and the inexperienced, I address myself to that portion of the public for whose benefit I have ex]3ended so many hours. The book is simply one of reference, contains plenty of information upon materia medica and therapeutics, for these whose time is valuable and whose memory is overburdened. To produce one available for such purposes has been my sole object in the compilation ; it will serve for no other; and on these merits, such as they are, I am content to send it forth. Before proceeding to describe the plan of the work, I wish to state that I am'^ in no degree opposed to lifting the veil of mysticism from the healiug art, nor to the enlightenment of the public. The rays of knowledge are like those of the sun—the common property of every human being. By all means remove the obstacles to their free passage, and let every man enjoy light. It is better, at the same time, to introduce the non-professional man somewhat cautiously into the consecrated temple of science,—to show him by degrees the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21082935_0012.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
