A probationary essay on feigned and factitious diseases, chiefly on soldiers and seamen : submitted, by authority of the President and his council, to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, when candidate for admission into their body, in conformity to their regulations respecting the admission of ordinary fellows / By Hector Gavin, M.D. Licentiate for the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, formerly President of the Hunterian Medical Society, member of the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh.

  • Gavin, Hector.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A probationary essay on feigned and factitious diseases, chiefly on soldiers and seamen : submitted, by authority of the President and his council, to the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, when candidate for admission into their body, in conformity to their regulations respecting the admission of ordinary fellows / By Hector Gavin, M.D. Licentiate for the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, formerly President of the Hunterian Medical Society, member of the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    he is disgusted with the service ; and also when the supervention of the disease is contrary to its usual mode of attack^ When he has an aversion to take his medicine, or evinces an excessive an- xiety to adopt some means of recovery; when incompatible symptoms occur, and the progress of the disease is not according to the usual course; ami when the medicines are reported not to be followed by their usual effects. In general hos- pitals, where soldiers are separated from the medical officers of their corps, who are intimately acquainted with their character, impositions are most frequently attempted, and in them it is impossible to prevent much fraud with regard to the simulation of disease ; for though a me- dical officer may have strong presumptive evi- dence in many cases, that no material disease exists, yet it is seldom that he can demonstrate the imposition. The greatest discretion is at; .1 times required where presumption or probability (perhaps the only evidence afforded by medical science) points one way, and testimony another; in doubtful cases, we are frequently liable either to deceive ourselves, or to be deceived. For the most part, nothing but the closest observation, constant and long watching, favoured by concur- ring circumstances, are likely to be successful in detecting impostors. A11 intimate knowledge of the duties, habits, good and bad qualities, of sol- diers and sailors, will contribute considerably to prevent us being misled by their attempts to de- ceive. But this is a species of information which