Domestic medicine. Or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases, by regimen and simple medicines; with observations on sea-bathing, and the use of the mineral waters to which is annexed, a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners / From the 22d English ed., with considerable additions and notes.

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805
Date:
1828
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine. Or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases, by regimen and simple medicines; with observations on sea-bathing, and the use of the mineral waters to which is annexed, a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners / From the 22d English ed., with considerable additions and notes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    493/542 (page 497)
    APPENDIXs CONTAINING ty A List of Simples and of such Medicinal Preparations as are commonly used in Practice, with their proper Doses. 2. The Method of preparing and compounding such Medicines as are recommended in the former Part of the Book, with the Addition of several others of a similar Nature. 8. Remarks onthe Doses, Uses, and Manner of applying the different Preparations. Tue design of the following pages is, to exhibit such a list of drugs and medicines as may be necessary for private practice. ‘They are considerably more numerous indeed than those recommended in the former part of the book, but are still greatly within the number contained in the most reformed dispensatories. ‘The same medicine is seldom exhibited under different forms; and where different medicines answer nearly the same intention, there is commonly nosmore than one of them retained. Multiplying forms of medicine for the same intention tends rather to bewilder than assist the young practitioner, and the experienced physician can never be at a loss to vary his prescrip- tions as occasion requires. ‘he chemical and other diflicult preparations are for the most part omitted. All of them that are used by ary private practitioner are not worth preparing. He will buy them much cheaper than he can make them, Great care, however, is necessary to obtain them genuine. They are often adulterated, and ought never to be purchased unless from persons of known veracity. Such of them asare in common use are inserted in the lists of drugs and medicines. Their proper Coses and manner of application are mentioned in the practical part of the book, wherever they are prescribed. : Such articles of medicines as are to be found in the house or garden of almost every peasant, as barley, eggs, onions, &c. are likewise for the most part omitted. Itis needless to swell a list of medicines with such things as can be obtained whenever they are wanted, and which spoil by being kept. The preparations made and sold by distillers and confectioners are also generally left out. These people, by operating upon a larger plan, generally make things bet- ter, while it is in their power to afford them much cheaper than they can be pre- pared by any private haad.—The quantity ordered of every medicine is as small as could well be prepared, both to prevent unnecessary expense, and that the medicine might not spoil by keeping, Almost every medicine suffers by being kept, and should be used as soon after it has been prepared as possible. Even simple drugs are apt to spoil, and should therefore be Jaid in in smal] quantities; they either rot, are consumed by insects, or evaporate so as to Jose their peculiar taste or flavour, and often become quite insignificant. eee 2 In several compositions, the ingredient on which the efficacy of the medicine prin- cipally depends is increased, while the auxiliaries, which are generally ordered in such trifline quantities as to be of no importance, are left out, or only such of them retained as are necessary to give the medicine a proper consistence, or the like. , The colouring ingredients are likewise for the most part omitted. They increase the bulk and price of the medicine ; without adding any thing to its value. It would be well if they were never used at all. Medicines are often adulterated for the sake of acolour. Acrid and even peisonous substances are, for this purpose, sometimes In- troduced into those medicines which ought to be most bland and emollient. Oint- ment of elder, for example, is often mixed with verdegrise to give It a fine yreen col- our, which entirely frustrates the intention of that mild ointment. Those who wish to obtain genuine medicinés should pay no regard to their colour. Some regard is likewise paid to expense. Such ingredients as g price of any composition, without adding considerably to its virtue, are general y either omitted, or somewhat less expensive substituted in their place. Medicines oxe by ne means powerful in proportion to their price. The cheapest are often the ben besides, they are the least apt to be adulterated, and are always most readily ean that which seemed to be the most simple and natural, mentioning the different steps creatly increase the