The village-pastor's surgical and medical guide, in letters from an old physician to a young clergyman, his son.

  • Skrimshire, F. (Fenwick), 1774 or 1775-1855.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The village-pastor's surgical and medical guide, in letters from an old physician to a young clergyman, his son. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    The public being now accustomed to professional works written by surgeons and physicians of emi- nence, a sufficiency of general readers will, no doubt, continue to be found, to create a demand for further publications of the kind. The ques- tion therefore is not, whether such works do good or harm, but what style and character of writing will best instruct the reading public on a subject, so interesting to all, as the preservation and restora- tion of health. The object of such a work, I apprehend, should be to prepare the reader to meet sudden emer- gencies, and to treat minor accidents and ailments; to teach him to discern danger, and to impress upon him the necessity of calling early to his aid the superior judgment, and acquired knowledge of the experienced practitioner in all cases of im- portance. With these views I venture to add to the number of professional works for non-professional readers. I have selected the epistolary style as most free and familiar, and therefore best adapted for the com- munication of useful knowledge, when the pedantry of the schools and the jargon of technicalities are purposely avoided; and I have addressed myself more particularly to the Clergy, because from edu- cation they are better prepared to receive instruc- tion, and to comprehend the limits, within which it b 3