Family thermometry : a manual of thermometry, for mothers, nurses, hospitalers, etc., and all who have charge of the sick and of the young / by Edward Seguin.
- Édouard Séguin
- Date:
- 1873
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Family thermometry : a manual of thermometry, for mothers, nurses, hospitalers, etc., and all who have charge of the sick and of the young / by Edward Seguin. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![rate the latter, whose advantage consisted in coming at the begrinnins: of the defervescence. Her surface-thermometer will soon tell her that, and more. For instance, she will soon find out the times of the exacerbations and remissions of local infiammations, whose hours and numbers in the day may differ from those of general fevers ; observations which offer her the precious opportunities of allaying the coming exacerba- tions, and of taking advantage of the remissions to in- duce sleep, to inti’oduce food, etc. But I think I have insisted long enough on the power of thermometry to clearly trace the march of diseases, and to iiermit to predict their natural issues. Now, let me show what virtual power there is in ther- mometry to direct, avert, or postpone these issues. I promise you, Madam, not to launch you in the prac- tice of physic; but I feel the responsibility which would weigh upon me for keeping you in that state of passive observation before the sick, which has, long ago, been characterized as a meditation u]30n death. Between the two extremes of disheartening reading of sealed fates, and of interference in ills unknown with drugs whose virtues are as mysterious to you as those of Roman or Indian amulets, I mean to lead you—who bear the charge and the responsibility—toward a rational ful- filment of your duty, by showing you how to use the thermometer to favor the resolution of inflammation, and to re-establish the normal ustion through the whole organism. So far, your instrument has been used as a measurer of life (biometer), to calculate in degrees the fatal action of extreme temperatures on vitality. Henceforth you](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24991715_0035.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
