Rational medicine, its position and prospects : an oration delivered before the members of the Hunterian Society, on the 15th February, 1860 / by Stephen H. Ward.

  • Ward, Stephen Henry, 1819-1880.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rational medicine, its position and prospects : an oration delivered before the members of the Hunterian Society, on the 15th February, 1860 / by Stephen H. Ward. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    rational practitioner is not fettered by any stereotyped conclusions, and reserves to himself the exercise of judgment in the administration of drugs when they may seem to be required. Thus, in the fever in question, should the evacuations be copious and exhausting, astringents and opium may be necessary. I cannot refrain from introducing the following per- tinent remarks by my colleague, Dr. Barnes :— Some practitioners have been early taught by precept and example to believe, that fever must be treated by the unlimited exhibition of brandy and other stimulants. Impressed with this doctrine, they take care never to witness a case treated in any other way. They pour in brandy, and the patient recovers; he recovers because he was well treated! They pour in brandy and he dies j he dies because he could not swallow enough ! Under the influence of such preconception, a rational knowledge of the power of Nature is plainly excluded. How useful would it be, could such men have the good fortune to observe a dozen fever patients treated on the principle of non-interference ! I would add my protest against undue interference in fevers or the exanthemata, either in the way of stimulation or elimination, for Nature generally admir- ably adapts her operations to the powers of the patient. When she is unequal to her task, the assistance of the medical practitioner will, of course, be required. Cases of severe chronic or sub-acute dysentery have also shown me what mere hygienic measures will efibct. I^atients who, before they were brought into the hos-