A treatise on the diseases of children : with directions for the management of infants / by the late Michael Underwood.

  • Michael Underwood
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the diseases of children : with directions for the management of infants / by the late Michael Underwood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    Though the writer has taken the liberty of commending and censuring the works of others, he has done it with a good design, whilst he is perfectly sensible of the numerous defects in his own, and relies again upon the indulgence of the pub- lic; though he hopes, that, as this edition will be found more complete, it may be proportionably worthy of a continuance of that favourable reception, wherewith the former ones have been so generally honoured. Particular acknowledgments, indeed, are due for the approbation of the faculty; and the like candour, it is hoped, will accept the alterations attempted in the three'preceding editions, to render the work appropriate to medical readers. For the style in general, indeed, the author pretends to have but little to offer; though it is hoped, that many of the greater imperfections which appeared in the former edi- tions are here done away. Prompted by a laudable ambition of being useful in his ge- neration, and leaving behind him something beneficial to pos- terity, the only way he could attempt it, he is persuaded the benefit will not end here; but that others will be excited to perfect this long-neglected, but most important branch of the profession. It has indeed been universally lamented, that in no age has the study of the disorders of children kept pace with the advancement of science ; nor have the improve- ments in the practice of physic in the present century, pro- duced as full and accurate accounts of them, as of the diseases of adults. Indeed, till of late years little more has been at- tempted than getting rid of the wild prejudices, and anile pre- of a former day is not less so ; I mean antimonial wine. An emetic dose of this medicine has proved fatal. Repeated doses have, I have reason to believe, proved fatal in a still greater number of instances. The symptoms observed in such cases are pallor, weakness, sickness, a relaxed state of the skin and of the bowels, and an obvious state of sinking of the vital powers.—M. H.]