Domestic medicine : or, the family physician. 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 / by William Buchan.
- Buchan William, 1729-1805.
- Date:
- 1817
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Domestic medicine : or, the family physician. 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 / by 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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![] fleer at every attempt to relieve the sick which is not conducted by the precise rules of Medicine. These gentlemen must, how- ever, excuse me for saying, that I have often known such well- disposed persons do much good; and that their practice, which i generally the result of good sense and observation, assisted by a little medical reading, is frequently more rational than that of the ignorant retainer to physic, who despises both reason and obser- vation, that he may go wrong by rule; and who, while he is dos- ing his patient with Medicines, often neglects other things of far greater importance. Many things are necessary for the sick besides Medicine. Nor is the person who takes care to procure these for them, of less importance than a physician. The poor oftc-ner perish in diseases for want of proper nursing than of Medicine. They are frequently in want of even the necessaries of life, and still more so ol what is proper for a sick bed. No one can imagine who has not been a witness of these situations, how much good a weli- disposed person may do, by only taking care to have such wants supplied. There certainly cannot be a more necessary, a more noble, or a more godlike action, than to administer to the wants of our fellow creatures in distress. While virtue or religion are known among mankind, this conduct will be approved; and while Heaven is just, it must be rewarded! Persons who do not choose to administer Medicine to the sick, may nevertheless direct their regimen. An eminent medical au- thor has said, That by diet alone all the intentions of Medicine may be answered*. No doubt a great many of them may; but there are other things besides diet which ought by no means to be neglected. Many hurtful and destructive prejudices, with regard to the treatment of the sick, still prevail among the peo- ple, which persons of better sense and learning alone can eradi- cate. To guard the poor against the influences of these preju- dices, and to instil into their minds some just ideas of the im- portance of proper food, fresh air, cleanliness, and other pieces of regimen, necessary in diseases, would be a work of great merit, and productive of many happy consequences. A proper regimen, in most diseases, is at least equal to Medicine, and in many ot them it is greatly superior. To assist the well-meant endeavours of the humane and bene- volent in relievin'? distress; to eradicate dangerous and hurtiul prejudices; to guard the ignorant and credulous against the frauds and impositions of quacks and impostors; and to shew men what is in their own power, both with regard to the prevention * Arbuthnot.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21722092_0028.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
