Buchan's Domestic medicine modernized; or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicine : containing, ... observations on the comparative advantages of vaccine inoculation, ... an essay, enabling ruptured persons to manage themselves ... a family herbal: and such useful discoveries in medicine and surgery as have transpired since the demise of the late William Buchan.

  • Buchan William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1809
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Buchan's Domestic medicine modernized; or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicine : containing, ... observations on the comparative advantages of vaccine inoculation, ... an essay, enabling ruptured persons to manage themselves ... a family herbal: and such useful discoveries in medicine and surgery as have transpired since the demise of the late William Buchan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    So e;rea» is power of the mind over ibe body, that, by Us in- . fluenct^ the whole vital mr)tions may be accelerated or retarded to almolt any degree. Thus chcorfulnels and mirth (juicken the eircu- laticii, anil piomote all the fecretions; whereas jadnefs and prolbimd ihouglit never fail to retard them. Hence it would appear, thatevea a decree of thoiightlelfnefs is neceflary to health. Indeed the perpe- taarthinker i’fldom enjoys either health or fpirils; while the pcrfoii who can hard'y be faid to think at all, generally enjoys both. Perpetual thinkers, as the\' are called, I’eldom think long. In a few years they generally become quite ftnpid, and c.vliihit a melan- choly proof how readily ihegreatelt blellings may be abided. Think- ing, like every thing elfe, when carried to extreme, becomes a vice; nor can any thing afford a greater proof of wildom, than fora maa fret]uon'.ly and feafonabiy to unbend his mind, 'i bis may generally be done by mixing in cheerful company,adtive diverlions,or tlie like. inftead of attempting to invefligtite the nature of ih.at connedtioii which fnblilts between the mind and body, or to inquire into the manner in which they miiUially affccleach other, we ihall only men- tion thofe difeafes to which the learned are more peculiarly liable, and endeavour to point out the moans of avoiding them. Studious perfons are very fubjcc^f. to the gout. This painful difeafe in a great meafure proceeds iVom indigeftion, and an obdrueffed. perfpiralion. It is impoHible that the man who fits from morning till nigiit H) juld eitlier digeit his food, or have any of the fecretions in due quantity. But wlion that matter which Ihould be thrown off by theiliin is retained in die body, and the luunours are not duly pre- pared, difeafes nuilt enfue. The ftodious-are iikewife very lialde to the ftone and grave!. E.x- ercife greatly promotes both llic fecretion and difeharge of urine; confecjucntly a fedentary life muff have the contraryqliefft; Any one may be fatis'ied ofthis by obferving tiiat lu> palfes mueh more urine by day than in the night, and alfu when he walks or rides, than whea he fits. The circulation in the liver being flow', obftrudlions in that organ can hardly fail to be the coiffbquence of inactivity. Hence fedentary people are frequently afflicted with fehirrous livers. But tiie proper fecretion and difeharge of the bile is fo neceffary a paig of the ani- uial ceconomy, that where thefe are not duly performed, the health muft focn be impaired. Jaundice, indigeftion, lots of appetite, and a wafting of the whole body, fcldoiu fail to be the eonfequences of a vitiated ffale of the liver or obfirudtions oi'the bile. Pew difeafes prove more fatal to the lludious than coiifumptions of the lungs. It has already been obferved, that this organ cannot be duiy expanded in thole who do not Lake proper e.vercife ; and where that is the cafe, obflruiStions and adhefions will enfue. Not only want of exercife, but the polture in which ftudious pcrlbns ge- Jierallyfitjisvery hurtful to the lungs. Thofe who read orwi ite much Hre ready to contradt a habit of bending forwards, and often |)icls with their breaft upon a table or bench. Thi.s pollure cannot fail itt hurt the lungs.