Volume 1

Biographic clinics / by George M. Gould.

  • George M. Gould
Date:
1903-
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Biographic clinics / by George M. Gould. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “‘A long hairy-eared jackass/ as he called some eminent Edinburgh physician, had ordered him to give up tobacco, but he had ordered him to take mercury as well; and he told me that along with the mercury he must have swallowed whole hogsheads of castor oil.” (Ibid.) “ On days when moderately well, I feel as happy as others; happier, perhaps.” . . A Mr. Badams, a graduate in medicine, though his business is in chemical manufactures in Birmingham, . . . is one of the most sensible, clear-headed persons I have ever met with. . . . After going about for a day or two talking about pictures and stomach disorders, in the cure of which he is famous, and from which he once suffered four years in person, what does the man do but propose that I should go up to Birmingham for a month and live with him that he might find out the make of me, and prescribe for my unfortunate inner man. I have consented. ... Of his skill in medicine I augur favorably from his general talent, and from the utter contempt in which he holds all sorts of drugs as applied to persons in my situation. Regimen and exercises are his specifics, assisted by as little gentlest medicine as possible. On the whole, I think I never had such a chance for the recovery of health. ... I am going to take books and read,” etc. (28.) Eight weeks with Badams brought no relief. “ The con¬ tempt of drugs which Badams had professed in London had been rather theoretic than practical,” says Froude. Carlyle puts it thus: “ I have been bephysicked and bedrugged. I have swallowed about two stoupfuls of castor oil since I came hither; unless I dose myself with that oil of sorrow I cannot get along at all.” Badams wished him to come back “ for another month until he had completed his doctorial and castor oil system with me. Some of Badams’ drugs had not pros¬ pered with me, and I fell below par in point of health.” (29.) Badams himself took to drink, as described by Carlyle six years later, “ for the sake of an intolerable headache which brandy was wont to cure,” and soon “ died miserably.”
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