Natural history, pathology, and treatment of the epidemic fever : at present prevailing in Edinburgh and other towns, illustrated by cases and dissections / by John Rose Cormack.

Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natural history, pathology, and treatment of the epidemic fever : at present prevailing in Edinburgh and other towns, illustrated by cases and dissections / by John Rose Cormack. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    or even longer intervals,—in place of founding their statements upon an analysis of facts committed to paper, at the very time that they were being observed, at the bedside of the living pa- tient, or at the dissection of the dead. Neglect of this somewhat irksome, but only safe system of recording Medical experience, has proved one of the most fruitful sources of discrepancy among us, regarding the Natural History of diseases, and the selection of therapeutic agents for their treatment. It is in consequence of such laxity, as often as from dishonesty, that facts are changed, in order to harmonize with theories. “ When the mind,” says Bacon, “ is once pleased with certain things, it draws all others to consent and go along with them; and though the power and number of instances that make for the contrary are greater, yet, it either attends not to them, or despises them; or else, removes and rejects by a distinction, with a strong and pernicious preju- dice, to maintain the authority of its first choice inviolate.” It is proposed, in the following paper, first, to describe the disease in its ordinary form, drawing the description from cases, i little, if at all, influenced by therapeutic agents. The severer I and more unusual varieties of the fever will then be considered, i by which we will be introduced to important details illustrating the next topic—its Pathology. The memoir will also embrace statistical details, and practical considerations.