Volume 1

The family physician: being a collection of useful family remedies / [Hugh Smith].

  • Smith, Hugh, 1736?-1789
Date:
[between 1770 and 1779]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The family physician: being a collection of useful family remedies / [Hugh Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    73/78 (page 39)
    [39] fymptoms of an inflammatory fever attend upon the diforders, the fever muft firft be conquered, and afterwards, if necefllty requires it, let blifters be applied. Should they caufe a ftrangury, which will fometimes be the cafe, give the patient plentifully of marfh- mallow drink, or barley water with a little gum arabic diflolved in it; or if there is a purging, which you would wifh to be flopped, of the hartfhorn drink ; and this inconvenience will foon be remedied.. In regard to the management of blifters, the plafter fhould be fpread upon a piece of an old glove, and bound on to the part intended; after twenty-four hours, the ftrength of the flies being pretty well fpent, you may remove the blifter, and, if you cannot procure the proper dreflings, a little Turner’s cerate, fpread upon a piece of fine rag, may fupply its place. Should any blifters appear unbroken, fnip them with a pair of fciffars; if they give violent pain, this may be done when the plafter has been applied only twelve hours ; when, by difcharging the water, and laying it fmoothly on again, you eafe the patient, and give the blifter an opportunity of adfing more effedtually. Thus much has been advanced in conformity to the prefent pradiice, in which I have endeavoured to affift the intelligent reader, by familiar language, to form clear ideas of the various difeafes treated of in this book. The cure of difeafes is certainly a laudable and noble ftudy. It is a fcience which dignifies human nature : many important truths have been illuftrated both by the antients, and fome modern writers—yet much remains to be known: which future experience and accurate obfervation may poflibly difcover. Permit me to fay that, in my humble ftation, I have reaped the advantage of both ; and if a diftant period fhould afford me leifure regularly to digeft my thoughts upon the cura¬ tive intention of difeafes, I fhall not hefitate to promulge dodtrines, which are, perhaps, at this time not generally underftood: and if I continue to be fo happy as to recommend them by a fuccefs- ful pradtice, I hope to live to fee my opinions generally adopted by medical pradtitioners, for the good of this country, and the benefit of the world in general. 3 This