Domestic medicine, or, 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:
1803
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine, or, 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 King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    often end in confumptions. Befides, the proper a£lion of the lungs being abfolutely neceffary for making good blood, when that organ fails, the humours foon be- come univerfally depraved, and the whole conftitution goes to wreck. Being of a foft texture, and in continual aiftion, their fun&ions are eafily obftruffed by preffure. The fedentary are not only hurt by preffure on the bowels, but alfo on the inferior extremities, which ob- ftrufts the circulation in thefe parts, and renders them weak and feeble. Thus tailors, fhoemakers, &c. fre- quently lofe the ufe of their legs altogether : befides, the blood and humours are, by ftagnation, vitiated, and the perfpiration is obftrufted ; whence proceed the fcab, ulcerous fores, foul blotches, and other cutaneous difeafes, fo common among fedentary artificers. A bad figure of body is a very common confequence of clofe application to fedentary employments. The fpine, for example, by being continually bent, puts on a crooked fhape, and generally remains fo ever after. But a bad figure of body has already been obferved to be hurtful to health, as the vital functions are thereby impeded. A fedentary life feldom fails to occafion an univerfal relaxation of the folids. This is the great fource from whence moft of the difeafes of fedentary people flow. The fcrophula, confumption, hyfterics, and nervous dif- eafes, now fo common, were very little known in this country before fedentary artificers became fo numerous; and they are very little known Hill among fuch of our people as follow active employments without doors, though in great tovyns at lead: two thirds of the inhabit- ants are afflicted with them. It is very difficult to remedy thofe evils, becaufe many who have been accuftomed to a fedentary life, like rick- etty children, lofe all inclination for exercife: we (hall, however, throw out a few hints with refpecft to the moft likely means for preferving the health of this ufeful let of people, which fome of them, we hope, will be wife enough to take. It has been already obferved, that fedentary artificers are