The improved American family physician, or, Sick man's guide to health : containing a complete theory of the botanic practice of medicine, on the Thomsonian and hygeian system, with alterations and improvements : to which is appended a concise formula for compounding medicines for the cure of every complaint incident to human nature : also, a complete digest of midwifery, so that the old proverb may be verified, that every man may be his own physician.

  • Day, L. Meeker.
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The improved American family physician, or, Sick man's guide to health : containing a complete theory of the botanic practice of medicine, on the Thomsonian and hygeian system, with alterations and improvements : to which is appended a concise formula for compounding medicines for the cure of every complaint incident to human nature : also, a complete digest of midwifery, so that the old proverb may be verified, that every man may be his own physician. 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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    name is but the cummin and anis, but in the knowledge of the origin of a malady, and its antidote, lies the weightier matters of this science. This knowledge makes the genuine physician ; all without it is real quackery. It has been a general opinion that extensive study and great erudition, are necessary to form the eminent phy- sician. But all this may bo as Paul saithv but science, falsely so called. A man may have a scientific know- ledge of the human frame, he may know the names in every language of every medicine, mineral and vegeta- ble, as well as every disease, and yet be a miserable physician. But there have been men without this to boast of, from the earliest ages of the world, who have u arisen, blest with the sublimer powers of genius, who have as it were, with one look pierced creation, and with one comprehensive view, grasped the whole circle of science, and left learning itself, toiling after them in vain. A man never can be great without intellect, and he never can more than fill the measure of his capacity. There is a power beyond the reach of art, and there are gifts that study and learning can never rival. The practice of the regular physicians, that is, those who get a diploma, at the present time, is not to use those means which would be most likely to cure disease ; but to try experiments upon what they have read in books, and to see how much a patient can bear without producing death. After pursuing this plan during their lives, they know just about as much as they did when they began to practice, of what is really useful to man- kind. If a patient dies under their hands, why, it is the will of Grod, and they are sure to get extravagantly paid for their trouble, and nothing more is said about it; but if one out of hundreds of my patients die, and where the doctors have given them over as incurable, they at once cvy out, that it is quackery, that I gave them poison, &.C., for the purpose of running me and my medicines down, and to prevent its being used by the people. The fact is well known to thousands who have uaed my medicine, and to which they are ready to attest, that it is perfectly harmless, and I defy the faculty to produce one instance wherein it has had any bad effects.