An inaugural dissertation on mercury : embracing its medical history, curative action, and abuse in certain diseases / by John W. Francis, A.B. Vice-President of the Medical and Surgical Society of the University of New-York.

  • Francis, John W. (John Wakefield), 1789-1861.
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on mercury : embracing its medical history, curative action, and abuse in certain diseases / by John W. Francis, A.B. Vice-President of the Medical and Surgical Society of the University of New-York. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    PREFACE. An attempt has been made in the folloiving pages, to exhibit a concise account of the natural and me- dical history of Mercury : to found the theory of its curative action upon principles believed to be less liable to objection than those upon which it has hi- therto been explained: and to offer some observa- tions on the mercurial practice, now more generally employed by the physicians of this country, in the treatment of certain diseases. With regard to the first of these objects, little has been said on the natural his- tory of this metal, in order that the other part, its medical history, might be considered at greater length. The subject is, indeed, extremely interesting, and might of itself easily be made to occupy a volume. All, however, that is embraced in these pages, are the principal ccras or periods in which particular alterations and improve- ments were made, either in the principles or practice of those who had recourse to this remedy. But to do this only was a task of some difficulty, and required an ex- tensive examination of authorities, and some care in selecting those to which a preference ought to be given, particularly when it was perceived how materially wri- ters of equal celebrity differed as to certain preparations, both with regard to the time when, and the individuals by whom they were adopted. As to the second object, the theory of the curative action of mercury, which is now first made public, it was originally suggested in the lec-> lures on the materia medica delivered by the author's