First lines of the practice of physic / by William Cullen, M.D. ... ; with supplementary notes, including the more recent improvements in the practice of medicine / by Peter Reid.

  • Cullen, William, 1710-1790.
Date:
May - 1807
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First lines of the practice of physic / by William Cullen, M.D. ... ; with supplementary notes, including the more recent improvements in the practice of medicine / by Peter Reid. 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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    P 11 E F A C E TOTHE LAST EDITION BEFORE THE AUTHOR's DEATH, . ■ - Id deliver a Syftem of the Dodrines ar,d 'lules prop'er foV directing: the Pradice of Phylic, is an undertaking that ap-. pears to me to be attended with great difficulty ; and, after an experience of more than forty years in that pradice, as well as after much reading and reflexion, it was with great diffidence that I ever entered upon fuch_ a vork. It s' as, however, what feemed to be my duty as a Piofeflbr that in- duced me to make the attempt, and I was engaged in it by the fame fenti- mentsthat the illuftrious Dr. Boer HAAVt has exprcfied m the foUowmg paffiage of the Preface to his Inftitutions : Simulenim docendo admotus e~ ramfenfhpropriorum cogitntonim expUcctione decentem plvsprof.ctre., quaim ^^fi opus ah alio conj'criptum interpretarifnfcipi't. Sua qv.ippt optime intdligit, fua cu'iquspra: ca:terh placent, unde'dariorfLredcftrina, htque ardmatctple- *' rimquefequitur.oratio. Qui -verofenfa alterius exfonit^ infdiciuyfa-penumerc eadem ajfequitur ; quumque fuo qui/que ferifu abundat,77iulta refutfind.a fre- *' quer.ttr inventt, tindegravemfrujira laborefn aggra'vat.,mixiufqiie tncitata dinione utitiir. It is well known that a Text book is not not only extreme- ]y ufcful but neceflary to Students ^^vh0 are to to hear Ledurf s ; and from ;hc fame confiderations,that moved Dr. Boerhaave, I alfo wifhed to have one for myfelf; while at the fame time, from fome peculiar circumfiances m my fituation, I had fome additional inducements to undertake fuch a work. Before I waseftablifhed as a proteflbr of the Piaftice of Phyfic in this U- niverfity, I had been employed in giving Clinical Lefturcs in the Royal _ In- firmary, and upon that occafion had delivered what, in my own opinion, feemed moft juft with regard to both the nature and the cure of the difeafes of which I had occafion to treat ; but I foon found that my dodrmes were taken notice of as new and peculiar to myfelf, and were acct)rdingly fevere- iy criticifed by thofe who, having long before been trained up m the fyflem of Boerhaave, had continued to think that that fyftem neither required a- ny chanee, nor admitted of any amendment. I found atthcfam.e time, that my doafineii were frequently criticifed by perfons who either had not been informed of them correctly, or who feemed not to urderfland them fully ; and therefore as foon as I was employed to teach a mere complete Syftena of the Praftice of Phytic, I judged it neceflary to publifli a Text book, not only for the benefit of my hearers, but that I might alio have an opportuni- ty of obtaining the opinion of the Public more at large, and thereby be ena- hied either to vindicate my dodrines, or be taught to correft them. Thcfe were the motives for my attempting the Volumes I formerly pubhlhed ; and now, from many years experience of their utility to my hearers, as well as from the favorable reception they have met with from the Public, I am induced to give a new edition of this Work, not only, as I hope, more cor- 3