Shakespeare's medical knowledge / by Charles W. Stearns.

  • Stearns, Charles W. (Charles Woodward), 1818-1887.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Shakespeare's medical knowledge / by Charles W. Stearns. 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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    happy without the aid of philosophy or courtly arts. Health and disease are questions of such importance, that it would be strange indeed if their phenomena had found no place in Shakespeare's world. Doctor Johnson said that the practice of physic was a mean attendance on human misery. He also said some things just about as much worth mind- ing, of patriotism, pensions, oats, &c. So we can afford to forgive the noble old hater for his sounding libel on Medicine ; as we find that in Shakespeare's plays phy- sicians and their art are always spoken of with kindly consideration and respect—greater sometimes than, for ourselves, we should dare lay claim to. The number of passages going to show the poet's acquaintance with medicine and its collaterals which we are able to present, is probably much greater than most persons would have guessed could be found. And yet, as I did the work of hunting for them while cooped up in rail-cars and summer