Domestic medicine; or, A treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines ; With an appendix containing a dispensatory. For the use of private practitioners / [William Buchan].

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805
Date:
1786
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 an appendix containing a dispensatory. For the use of private practitioners / [William Buchan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    29/862
    It may alfo be alleged, that laying Medicine more open to mankind would lefien their faith in it. T hi^ would indeed be the cafe with regard to fome; but it would have a quite contrary effect upon others. I know many people who have the utmoft dread and. horror of every thing prelcribed by a phyfician, but who will, neverthelefs, very readily take a medicine which they know, and whofe qualities they are in fome meafure acquainted with. Hence it is evident, that the dread arifes from the doCtor, not from the drug. Nothing ever can or will inlpire mankinci with an abfolute confidence in phyficians, but an open, frank, and undifguifed behaviour. While the leaft fhadow of myftery remains in the conduct of the Faculty, doubts, jealoufies, and iufpicions, will arife in the minds of men. No doubt, cafes will fometimes occur, where a prudent phyfician may find it expedient to difguile a medicine. The whims and humours of men mud be regarded by thofe who mean to do them fervice *, but this can never affeCt the general argument in favour of candour and opennefs. A man might as well allege, becaufe there are knaves and fools in the world, that he ought to take every one he meets for fuch, and to treat him accordingly. A fenfible phyfician will always know where difguife is necef- fary; but it ought never to appear on the face of his general conduct. The appearance of myflery in the conduCt of phy- ficians not only renders their art fufpicious, but lays the foundations of Quackery, which is the very dis- grace of Medicine. No two characters can be more different than that of the honed phyfician and the b 3 quack]