An epistle to a friend, on the means of preserving health, promoting happiness : and prolonging the life of man to its natural period : being a summary view of inconsiderate and useless habits that derange the system of nature, thereby causing premature old age and death : with some thoughts on the best means of preventing and overcoming disease / by Charles W. Peale.

  • Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827.
Date:
1803
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An epistle to a friend, on the means of preserving health, promoting happiness : and prolonging the life of man to its natural period : being a summary view of inconsiderate and useless habits that derange the system of nature, thereby causing premature old age and death : with some thoughts on the best means of preventing and overcoming disease / by Charles W. Peale. 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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    be so fool-hardy as to deny the salutary effect thus far—but the candid will allow that by a re- petition of the injection, that the whole of the intestines may be relieved ; for as the lower parts are evacuated, the contents of the upper will press forward, aided by muscular force. I do not say that in no case other means may not be necessary, yet I am well convinced that this does not happen once in one hundred cases. In the yellow fever I have known injections given e'oery hour, and in less than 12 hours the patient from imminent danger, was in a fair way of recovery Bathing accompanying injections have proved very efficacious ; tepid bathing rather cool than hot, is prefered. One of my children, about two years old, had a complaint of his bowels, at first it was thought of no account, and ripe fruit alone in such cases had frequently been found a sufficient remedy. Cherries, then in season, were given him, a fruit too hard and sour, a better choice would have been strawberries, rasberries, or e- ven blackberries. His complaint increased so fast, that in a short time we found his life in dan- ger ; a fever succeeded with the most danger, ous and distressing symptoms—debility increas-