An inaugural dissertation on the use of the Digitalis purpurea in the cure of certain diseases : submitted to the public examination of Samuel Bard, M.D. President ; the vice-president and professors of the college of physicians under the authority of the university of the state of New-York, for the degree of doctor of medicine, on the fourteenth day of May, 1811 / by Thomas Edward Steell, of New-Jersey.

  • Steell, Thomas Edward, 1788 or 1789-1818.
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation on the use of the Digitalis purpurea in the cure of certain diseases : submitted to the public examination of Samuel Bard, M.D. President ; the vice-president and professors of the college of physicians under the authority of the university of the state of New-York, for the degree of doctor of medicine, on the fourteenth day of May, 1811 / by Thomas Edward Steell, of New-Jersey. 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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    \)i' acute rheumatism.* My own observations would prompt mc to reject such practice, and this opinion is confirmed by Dr. Miller's observations and trials in the New-York Hospital, in the winters of 1807-8, where several cases happened in which fair experiments demonstrated the impropriety of the practice. Climate, soil, government, and other causes operate in producing a difference in the symptoms of diseases and their consequent treatment. These no doubt have tlieir full operation. But there is another cause that affects nations as opinions do in- dividuals. Hence arises a national practical preju- dice, if we may so call it. Dr. Rush observes, that whole nations are as much distinguished by it as they are by language and manners. In Eng- land, cordial and sweating medicines; in France, bleeding, injections, and diluting drinks; in Ger- many, alterative medicines; in Italy, cups and leeches; in Russia, hot and cold baths; and, in China, frictions, constitute the predominating and fashionable remedies in all their respective dis- eases.! Universities tend to establish such opinions and practice when they do not allow that liberal discus- sion and expression of sentiment which is pecu- liar to the government and medical institutions of the United States. National ideas may thus con- tribute to the adoption of digitalis in opposite dis- eases. Be this as it may; it is intended in this dis- * Notes on Dr. Miller's Clinical lectures. t Six Introductory Lectures, published in PbiUdelpliig, 1801