The principles and practice of medicine : founded on the most extensive experience in public hospitals and private practice; and developed in a course of lectures delivered at University College, London / by John Elliotson ... ; with notes and illustrations by Nathaniel Rogers.

  • Elliotson, John, 1791-1868.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of medicine : founded on the most extensive experience in public hospitals and private practice; and developed in a course of lectures delivered at University College, London / by John Elliotson ... ; with notes and illustrations by Nathaniel Rogers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. The Art of Medicine is to be perfected, I conceive, by improve- ments in our knowledge of the nature of diseases, by improvements in diagnosis, and by improvements in our acquaintance with reme- dies and their application. Improvements in our knowledge of the nature of diseases, must be obtained through the cultivation of Anatomy and Physiology, and of Morbid Anatomy and Morbid Physiology; or, in other words, from an acquaintance with the derangements that take place in structure and function. It is evident that no one can be acquainted with a disease, unless he be acquainted, more or less, with the part dis- eased,—its situation, form, and structure; and the more accurate and minute his acquaintance with these particulars, the greater (ceeteris paribus) will generally be his knowledge of the lesion. I say “ cseteris paribusbecause a mere knowledge of Anatomy, however accurate and minute, does not imply a knowledge of disease,—its symptoms, history and causes,—or skill in treating it;—any more than a knowledge of the alphabet, and the ability to read, imply a literary character. Nothing can be more absurd than for the public to pre- sume that a man is a good practitioner, merely because he is a good anatomist. An anatomist is not necessarily even a physiologist; and Mery was accustomed to say,—66 We anatomists are like the porters of Paris; who are well acquainted with all its streets, as well as all its lanes and alleys; but who know nothing of what passes within the houses.” The most assiduous examination of the dead body, can disclose but little of the functions and properties of a living one. The structure of the brain would never teach us that it is the b ‘2