New guide to health ; or botanic family physician : containing a complete system of practice, upon a plan entirely new; with a description of the vegetables made use of, and directions for preparing and administering them to cure disease : to which is added a description of several cases of disease attended by the author, with the mode of treatment and cure : to which is annexed, A narrative of the life, &c. of the author / by Samuel Thomson.

  • Thomson, Samuel, 1769-1843.
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: New guide to health ; or botanic family physician : containing a complete system of practice, upon a plan entirely new; with a description of the vegetables made use of, and directions for preparing and administering them to cure disease : to which is added a description of several cases of disease attended by the author, with the mode of treatment and cure : to which is annexed, A narrative of the life, &c. of the author / by Samuel Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library at Emory University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, Emory University.

    28/344
    when you are steamed with them. If they appear languid and faint, the outward heat is high enough; put a little cold water on the face or breast, which will restore the strength, then rub them in a cloth wet with vinegar, spirit, or cold water, put on clean clothes, and put them in bed, or let them sit up, as their strength will permit This is safe in all eases of cold and obstructed perspiration. It ought always to be borne strongly in mind to give a child drink often, when un- der the operation of medicine, or while steaming; if this is not done they will suffer much, as they cannot ask for it In all cases of falls or bruises, steaming is almost infalli- ble; and is much better than bleeding, as is the common practice, which only tends to destroy life, instead of promot- ing it. If the person is not able to stand over the steam, it must be done in bed,as has been described. Give the hottest medicine inside, that you have, and keep the perspiration free till the pain and soreness abates, and the strength will be soon restored. If the advantages of this mode of treatment were generally known, bleeding in such cases, or any other to re- move disease, would never be resorted to by the wise and prudent The use of steaming, is to apply heat to the body where it is deficient, and clear off obstructions caused by cold, which the operation of the medicine will not raise heat enough to do; for as the natural heat of the body becomes thereby low- er than the natural state of health, it must by art be raised as much above as it has been below; and this must be repeated until the digestive powers are restored sufficient to hold the heat by digesting the food, then the health of the patient will be restored by eating and drinking such things as the appe- tite shall require. In this way the medicine removes dis* ease, and food, by being properly digested, supports nature and continues that heat on which life depends. Some who practice according to my system, boast of car- rying their patients through in a shorter time, without the trouble of steaming; this is easily accounted for; steaming is the most laborious part of the practice for those who attend upon the sick, and the most useful to the patient; as one ope- ration of steaming will be more effectual in removing dis- ease, than four courses without it; and to omit it is throwing the labor upon the patient, with the expense of three or four operations more of the medicine than would be needed, did the person who attends do his duty faithfully.