A narrative of the life and medical discoveries of Samuel Thomson : containing an account of his system of practice, and the manner of curing disease with vegetable medicine, upon a plan entirely new : to which is added an introduction to his New guide to health or, Botanic family physician, containing the principles upon which the system is founded, with remarks on fevers, steaming, poison, &c. / written by himself.

Samuel Thomson

Date:: 1822

Credit: A narrative of the life and medical discoveries of Samuel Thomson : containing an account of his system of practice, and the manner of curing disease with vegetable medicine, upon a plan entirely new : to which is added an introduction to his New guide to health or, Botanic family physician, containing the principles upon which the system is founded, with remarks on fevers, steaming, poison, &c. / written by himself. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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$:ious to know by what moans be had boon relieved from so desperate a situation. On my informing him, he seemed well pleased with the information; and ob- served that he was willing to allow, that the greatest knowledge that doctors ever obtained was either l>\ ac- cident or through necessity. So the discovery of a cure for this desperate disease by necessity, was of great use both to me and the doctor: notwithstanding, however, the information he gained ot me, instead of giving me credit for it, he charged me for his useless vis t. 1 was in the habit at this time of gathering and pre- serving, in the proper season, all kinds of medical herbs and roots that 1 was acquainted with, in order to be able at all times to prevent as well as to cure disease ; for 1 found by experience, that one ounce of preventative was better than a pound of cure. Only the simple arti- < le of mayweed, when a person has taken a bad cold. by taking a strong cup of the tea when going to bed. will prevent more disease in one night, with one cent's expense, than would be cured by the doctor in one month, and one hundred dollars expense in their charges, apothecaries drugs and nura 1 had not the most distant idea at this time of ever en- gaging in the practice of medicine, more than to as my own family; and little did 1 think what those severe trials and sufferings] experienced in the cases that have heen mentioned, and which 1 was dro\e to by necessity, were to bring about. It seemed as a judgment upon me, that either myself or family, ie living with me, were sick most of the time the doctor lived on my farm, which was about seven wars. Since I have had more experience, and become better acquainted with the subject, I am satisfied in my own mind of the cause. Whenever any of the family took a cold, the doctor was sent for, who always either would bleed or give physick. Taking away the blood reduces the heat, and gives power to the cold they had taken, which in- creases the disorder, and the coldness of the stomach causes canker; the physick drives all the determining powers from the surface inwardly, and scatters the canker through the stomach and bowels, which holds the cold inside and daves the heat on the out-$

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