Free thoughts on quacks and their medicines, occasioned by the death of Dr. Goldsmith and Mr. Scawen; or, a candid ... inquiry into the merits and dangers imputed to advertised remedies ... To which is added some remarks on the nature, cause and remedy of the scurvy and gout. Also a plan of the dispensary for the poor, instituted in 1773 / [Francis Spilsbury].

  • Spilsbury, Francis, 1733?-1793.
Date:
1777
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Free thoughts on quacks and their medicines, occasioned by the death of Dr. Goldsmith and Mr. Scawen; or, a candid ... inquiry into the merits and dangers imputed to advertised remedies ... To which is added some remarks on the nature, cause and remedy of the scurvy and gout. Also a plan of the dispensary for the poor, instituted in 1773 / [Francis Spilsbury]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the art of repairing the damages which vices,, intemperance, debauch, and luxury, bring daily on the conftitution and lives of thofe they left behind them in the world. There, free and undifturbed, thofe pious votaries give themfelves up to all forts of ftudies and avoca¬ tions, according to the natural turn and dif- pofition of their minds; and there is no art, no fcience, and we might almoft fay, I be¬ lieve, even no trade now extant, but what is highly indebted for its improvement to the deep meditations, trials, combinations, re- fearches, experiments, and long practice of thofe cloifteral Solitaries. Such, therefore, of thefe as ever did, or now do give themfelves up to the ftudy of phyfick, and daily practife it in their infirmaries, with an averred fuccefs, are not certainly regular-bred phyficians ; but, can one fay, however, that they are iefs learn¬ ed in the art than thofe who pique themfeves upon that vain, that frivolous, that infigni- ficant denomination ? Who will dare to al¬ ledge it; to advance fuch an abfurdity? i fay, they do really, juftly, and pofitively pof- fels (without the lanclion of an univerfity, and without the futile ceremony of a regular, unintelligible courfe of lectures, often as badly digefted as they are negligently attended) every \