A defence of a late treatise intitled, An inquiry into the nature, cause and cure, of the present epidemick fever. In answer to the objections of Dr. Henry Hele. In which the rise and progress of the controversy, on this subject, is explain'd. Together with an appendix. Containing, all the papers, relating to it, which have hitherto been printed ... / [John Barker].
- John Barker
- Date:
- 1743
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A defence of a late treatise intitled, An inquiry into the nature, cause and cure, of the present epidemick fever. In answer to the objections of Dr. Henry Hele. In which the rise and progress of the controversy, on this subject, is explain'd. Together with an appendix. Containing, all the papers, relating to it, which have hitherto been printed ... / [John Barker]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![£33 ]. miflaken in ?ny 'Judgment, will appear hearaftcr But I muft, at prefent take Notice of ano¬ ther Circumftance in his firft Letter to Dr. Hele. Mr. Hillman there fays, that He found1 Relief by Bleeding, Dr. Hele affirms the fame, nay more, he fays, that all the dangerous Symptoms went of, in half an Hour after the fourth Bleed¬ ing (t). All I fhall fay, as to the Improbability of this furprizing Cure, is, that the Dodtor, I prefume, is not as yet endued with a Power of working Miracles, tho’he may perhaps be ar¬ rived, in his own Opinion, at Infallibility. But I muft obferve that Relief is a word of ambigu¬ ous Signification, and may mean either a tran- fienqor a lading Relief > an Abatement of the Symptoms of a Difeafe, or of the Difeafe itfelf. Thus, for Inftance,a Perfon, who has almoft de¬ ft roy’d his Conftitution by Hard drinking, is re¬ lieved by every Dram he takes, but no body will fay, he is ever the nearer being freed from his Diforder, by drinking Spirituous Liquors. And thus a Perfon in a Fever may think him~ felf reliev’d by Bleeding, or may receive pre¬ fent Eafe from thence,whilft, at the fame time, it may weaken his Conftitution, retard the Crifis, and render the Difeafe more obftinate and Dangerous. And this was really the Cafe during the late Epidemick Fever, as I have obferv’d, in the Inquiry, in fpeaking of the Method of treating it atjBriJlol.*“ Some ad- <6 vifed Bleeding to relieve the Plead, upon a €c Suppofition, that the Delirium was occasioned by an Inflammation of the Brain. This Me- ts thod](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30517278_0053.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
