Domestic medicine, or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines : containing observations on the comparative advantages of vaccine inoculation, with instructions for performing the operation, an essay, enabling puptured [sic] persons to manage themselves, with engravings of bandages, which every person may prepare for himself, and a family herbal / by William Buchan, M.D. of the Royal College of Physicians, Edingburgh ; to which are added, such useful discoveries ... as have transpired since the demise of the author.

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1823
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine, or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines : containing observations on the comparative advantages of vaccine inoculation, with instructions for performing the operation, an essay, enabling puptured [sic] persons to manage themselves, with engravings of bandages, which every person may prepare for himself, and a family herbal / by William Buchan, M.D. of the Royal College of Physicians, Edingburgh ; to which are added, such useful discoveries ... as have transpired since the demise of the author. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

    86/522 (page 80)
    gestion. It ought to be chiefly of the vegetable kind, as panaiia, roasted apples, gruels, and such like. Poor people, when any of their family are taken ill, run directly to their rich neighbour for cordials, and pour wine, spirits, &c. into the patient, who perhaps never had been accustomed to lake such liquors when in health. If there be any degree of fever, this conduct must increase it; and if there be none, this is the ready way to raise one. StuHing the patient with sweatmeats and other delicacies is likewise very pernicious. These are always harder to digest than common food, and cannot fail to prove uijurious. Nothing is more desired by a patient in a fever tlian fresh air. It not only removes his anxiety, but cools the blood, revives the s])irits, and proves every way beneficial. Many patients are in a manner stifled to deatli in fevers for want of fresh air; but such is the unac countable infatuation of most people, that the moment they think a person in a fever, they imagine he should be kept in a close chamber, into which not one particle of fresh air must be admitted. Instead of this, there ought to be a constant stream of fresh air let luto a sick person's chamber, so as to keep it moderately cool. Indeed its de gree of warmth ought never to be greater than is agreeable to one lo perfect health Nothing spoils the air of a sick person's chamber, or hurts the pa- tient more, than a number of people breathing in it. Wh^n the blood is inflamed, or the humours in a putrid state, air that has been breathed repeatedly will greatly increase the disease. Such air not only loses its spring, and becomes unfit for the purpose of respi- ration, but acquires a noxious quality, which renders it in a manner poisonous to the sick. In fevers, when the patient's spirits are low and depressed, he is not only to be supported with cordials, but every method should be taken to cheer and comfort his mind. Many, from a mistaken zeal, when they think a person in danger, instead of solacing his mind w itl. the hopes and cosolations of religion, frighten him with the views o hell and damnation. It would be unsuitable here to dwell upon the impropriety and dangerous consequences of this conduct; it often hurts the body, and there is reason to believe seldom benefits the soul. Among common people, the very name of a fever generally sug- gests the'necessity of bleedmg. This notion seems to have taken its rise from most fevers in this country having been formerly of an in- flammatory nature; but true inflammatory fevers are now seldom to be met with. Sedentary occupations, and a different manner of hving, have so changed the state of diseases in Britain, that there is now hardly one fever in ten where the lancet is necessary. In most low, nervous, and putrid fevers, which are now so common, bleed- ui is really hurtful, as it weakens the patient, sinks his spirits, &c. We would recommend this general rule.—^Never to bleed at the beginning of a fever, unless there be evident signs of inflammation. Bleeding is an excellent medicine when necessary, but should never -be wantonly perlbrmed.