The principles and practice of medicine / by John Elliotson ; edited by Nathaniel Rogers and Alexander Cooper Lee.

  • John Elliotson
Date:
1844
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of medicine / by John Elliotson ; edited by Nathaniel Rogers and Alexander Cooper Lee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    general indications;— neglecting the peculiar properties of remedies in particular diseases. Medici Insjusce aetatis, lie says, licet generates inlentiones curatio- nuin lion male persequantur; particulares tamen medicinas quae ad curationes mor- borum singulorura proprietate qutidam spectant, aut non bene nornnt, aut non religiose observant.3 He remarks that they merely go on, in their prescriptions, addendo, et demendo, et nuitando, ciica medicinas, prout iis libitum fuerit; et fere, pharmacopoeoFiim untie, quid pro quo substituendo;b and he advises that some physicians et eruditione et praclica insignes, opus aliquod confidant de inedicinis probatis et experimentalibus ad morbos particulares.0 Such experimental facts, however insulated they may at first appear, gradually arrange themselves with others into general principles; and thus what is, at first, little better than empiricism, becomes science. I confess that I look with more hope to this source of improvement, than to any other.d Medical Education in England.—From the want of a University, Medicine and Surgery were, for along time, scarcely taught in London at all;—notwithstand- ing the ample means presented by the population and the hospitals. The student was compelled to travel to France, Holland, Italy, or (in later times) to Germany or Scotland, for the purpose of acquiring a true professional education; for our own two Universities neglected almost entirely to teach medicine. It is doubtful whether this arose from the want of anatomical and clinical means, the hopelessness of ri- valling the great continental and Scottish schools, or the idea that their proper end was to teach general knowledge,—to impart only what all educated persons should know; or from the circumstances mentioned in a powerful and remarkable article upon the Universities of England, in the one hundred and sixth number of the Ed- inburgh Review:—the ascendency of the Colleges over the University;—the sub- version of the professorial system by the tutorial. Time was, says the reviewer, when the Colleges did not exist, and the University was there; and were the 1 Physicians of the present day, it is probable, may fulfil the general indications of cure not inefficiently; but the particular medicines which, by some special properly, are fitted for the cure of particular diseases, they either do not well know, or do not sufficiently regard. b Adding;, diminishing, and changing medicines, as freely as possible; and generally, according to the custom of apothecaries, substituting one drug for another of similar value. c Eminent both for learning and experience, should prepare a work on the approved and the doubtful medicines, adapted to particular diseases. d To such investigations, therefore, I have sedulously applied myself; and those of my results which were successful, are before the profession:—I. Cases illustrative, of the Effi- cacy of Hydrocyanic Acid in affections of the Stomach; with a General Report upon its Medical Powers. It. Some Facts respecting the Inertness of ordinary Anlimonial Powder. III. The Use of Opium in Diabetes; and the Necessity of Varying the Doses of Medicines, in Various Circumstances. The foregoing were published, in the year 1820, in one ociavo volume. IV. Nine Papers, published in the 12th, 13th, l!jth, lfith, and 18ih volumes of the Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, on the following subjects: — 1. The Medical Properties of Quinine (Volume 12, Page 543). 2. The Use of the Sub-Carbonate of Iron in Chorea, and its General Properties (Volume 13, Pages 263 and 464). 3. The use of Sub-Cat b;>nate of Iron in Tetanus (Volume 15, Page 161). 4. The Use of Sulphate of Copper in Chronic Diarrhoea (Volume 13, P.ige451). 5. Rupture of the Stomach (Volume 13, Page 26). 6. Fallopian-Tube Pregnancy (Volume 13, Page 51). 7. Glanders communicated from the Horse to the Human Subject (Volume 16, Page 171). 8. The Discharge of Fatly Matters from the Alimentary Canal and Urinary Passages (Volume 18, Page 67). 9. Additional Facts respecting Glanders in the Human Subject (Volume 18, Page 201). V. Lumleyan Lectures on The Recent Improvements in the Art of Distinguishing the Various Diseases of the Heart. VI. Two Papers in the Cyclopaedia of Practical Medicine:—1. Acupunc- ture (Volume 1, Page 32). 2. Neuralgia (Volume 3, Page 165). VII. A Paper on Acu- puncture, in the Cyclopaedia of Practical Surgery (Volume 1, Page 44). I make this statement for the purpose of easy reference; as some of my frir-nds wish me to collect into one volume these,—the whole of my professional attempts, except the English edition of Blumenbich's Physiology, and an Introductory Lecture upon State-Medicine [delivered in Mr. Grainger's Theatre, Southwark, on Thursday, November 1, 1821]; and I feel disinclined to follow their advice. [To the above list we may add Dr. Elliotson's Edin- burgh Thesis (on Inflammation); his Address delivered at the Opening of the Medical Session, in the University of London, October 1, 1832; and a Letter to the Gentlemen who composed Dr. Elliotson's Class of the Practice of Medicine, in University College.— (March 4, 1839,)J
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