The morbid anatomy of the stomach, bowels, and liver : illustrated by a series of plates ... and a summary of the symptoms of the acute and chronic affections of the above-named organs / by John Armstrong.

  • John Armstrong
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The morbid anatomy of the stomach, bowels, and liver : illustrated by a series of plates ... and a summary of the symptoms of the acute and chronic affections of the above-named organs / by John Armstrong. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    request and urge an examination on the ground that, as such a case was the representative of others which must afterwards fall under his care, so they, in like manner, would, in all probability, be fatal, unless the veil of ignorance should be removed by some particular dissection. And, on the other hand, when such a request is made, with becoming delicacy to surviving relations or friends, they should remember that they are under certain social obligations, which are of a serious and even sacred cha- racter. If their feelings should be so exclusive as to prevent the medical attendant from making an examination when he is at a loss to determine the nature of the disease, they occasion to some of their fellow-creatures, through his consequent ignorance, an affliction as deep and irrevocable as their own; and thus, while they violate their duty as members of society, they moreover preclude the practitioner from acquiring a clear insight into those hereditary tendencies, which, in a preventive view, might enable him to be really useful to themselves, as branches of the same stock. More than half the evils in the world arise from the predominance of the selfish over the social feelings; but, if knowledge and virtue should advance together, mankind will be more under the influence of that general principle of sympathy which inculcates a constant attention to the welfare of the community. At least, it is imperative upon the me- dical philosopher to be guided by this principle, that he may, on all proper occasions, endeavour to instruct himself, and overcome those prejudices by which the advancement of pathological anatomy has been so much retarded in this country, compared to some parts of the conti- nent, where so laudable an example has been set by many of our foreign brethren. It must not, however, be inferred, from the tenor of such remarks, that any importance is attached by me to the present attempt, which is put forth, with great deference, not as an elaborate production, but as an imperfect offering of good will, under the expectation that it may stimulate others to exertion. In truth, these Illustrations were originally
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