First lines of the practice of physic / by William Cullen, M.D. ... ; with practical and explanatory notes, by John Rotheram, M. D. ; in two volumes ; vol. I[-II].

  • Cullen, William, 1710-1790.
Date:
1805
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First lines of the practice of physic / by William Cullen, M.D. ... ; with practical and explanatory notes, by John Rotheram, M. D. ; in two volumes ; vol. I[-II]. 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.)

    28/600
    be changed. Our knowledge of these particulars, however, is still incomplete, is in many respects doubtful, and has of- ten been involved in mistake and error. The doctrine, there- fore, of proximate causes, founded upon that knowledge, must be frequently precarious and uncertain. It is, how- ever, possible for a judicious physician to avoid what is vul- garly called theory, that is, all reasoning founded upon hy- pothesis, and thereby many of the errors which have for- merly taken place in the Institutions of Medicine. It is pos- sible'also for a person who has an extensive knowledge of the facts relative to the animal ceconomy in health and sick- ness, by a cautious and complete induction, to establish many general principles which may guide his reasoning with safety ; and while at the same time, a physician admits as a foundation of practice those reasonings only which are simple, obvious and certain, and for the most part admits as proximate causes those alone that are established as mat- ters of fact rather than as deductions of reasoning, he may with great advantage establish a system of practice chiefly founded on the doctrine of proximate causes. But when this cannot be done with sufficient certainty, the judicious and prudent physician will have recourse to experience alone ; always, however, aware of the hitherto incomplete and fallacious state of Empiricism. 5.] With a strict attention to these considerations in the whole of the following Treatise, I proceed to treat of par- ticular diseases in the order of my Methodical Nosology. PART I. OF PYREXIA, OR FEBRILE DISEASES. 6-] T)YREXLE, or febrile diseases, are distinguished X by the following appearances. After beginnin°- with some degree of cold shivering, they show some in- crease of heat, and an increased frequency of pulse, with the interruption and disorder of several functions, particu- larly some diminution of strength in the animal functions 3 a a & PyrcxitE l have formed a class, and have subdivided it into five orders of fevers, inflammations eruptions, hemorrhages, and FLUXEs.-See Synopsis -Nosologiac Methodicae, Edit, 3. nso.