Volume 2

A discourse on the preparation of the body for the small-pox: and the manner of receiving the infection. As it was deliver'd in the Publick Hall of the Academy, before the Trustees, and others, on Wednesday, the 21st of November, 1750 ... / [Adam Thomson].

  • Adam Thomson
Date:
1750
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse on the preparation of the body for the small-pox: and the manner of receiving the infection. As it was deliver'd in the Publick Hall of the Academy, before the Trustees, and others, on Wednesday, the 21st of November, 1750 ... / [Adam Thomson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ 23 ] ■ On this-Gee?, fion for the Safety and Security of the Patient, a judicious and fkil-fui ’’Thyfieian only can judge. In Matters of Property and Intereft prudent Men are always cautious and circumfpecft, in proportion to the Value of the Thing in ’Danger. Now here, Life itfelf, the moft valua¬ ble of all earthly Things, is liable to be put in the moft imminent Danger by Mismanagement and want of Skill ; and yet of all Profeffions in A- merica, the true Qualifications of a Phyfician are the leaft examin’d into. This feems Something ftrange and inconfiftent, but the Fact is notorious. It may, perhaps, be occafion’d, in fome Meafure, by a Notion which prevails even among fome from whom better Things might be expected, that Phyfic is not a real Science, founded on juft and rational Principles, but a Sort of Knack to be got intirely by Practice, which an ignorant, il¬ literate Perfon, may as readily attain, as one of Learning and Knowledge, who had taken due Pains to ftudy it. If this was the true Notion of Phy¬ fic, the Diftinction betwixt Phyfician and Quack would be without Foun¬ dation, for that is in Reality the Principle on which Empiricifm is founded. But the ableft Phyficians in all Ages have repeatedly confuted it, and prov’d it to be in the higheft Degree fenfelcfs and abfurd. They have bore their publick Teftimony againft it, as an injurious Slander on their Profeflion, exceedingly hurtful too in its Confequences to Mankind, as ferving for a Cloak to fereen Impoftors. In every Country of the known World, where Learning flourishes, Phyfic is regularly taught as a Science, and Studied as fuch by all thofe who qualify for practical Phyficians. But without entering minutely into the Argument, whoever will be at the Trouble of making only a flight Examination into this Matter, will foon be convinc’d that the human Body is a pure Machine, and that its Diforders are not to be underftood, however often they may be feen in Practice, without a particular Knowledge of its Organization and Structure. They would foon confefs with Dr. Mead, that tc *He is likely to be the belt Phyfician, who having the fame Afliftance of Obfervations and Hiftories with others, beft underftands the Human OEconomy, the Texture of the Parts, Motions of the Fluids, and the Power which other Bodies have to make Alterations on any of thefe.” In the Knowledge of thefe Things, confifts what is call’d the ctheory or Principles of Phyfic, without which, fays Sydenham^ He who endeavours to conquer Difeafes, will be fomething like the Roman Andabatce, a fort of Gladiators, that us’d to fight blindfolded ; or like a Mariner, who goes to Sea without a Compafs. That fome Things in this Human OEconomy are not thoroughly underftood, may be eafily granted, and is undoubtedly true ; yet nothing follows from the Con- ceflion, but that the Science is not perfect j and I would defire to know what * Mechanical Account of Poifont. Fourth Edit. Page 13, of the Preface. Opera Univerfa. Pagin. 490,
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