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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    some lemon-juice, and fresh meat, and vegetables, were prescribed; and he was well in a week or two. The surgeons, who were not aware of the nature of the complaint, were well-informed men; and the disease was one which all have heard of, and the leading symp- toms of which are universally known. But though formerly very prevalent and fatal in London, it is now uncommon; and from the want of having witnessed it, these two gentlemen thus committed a serious error. It is of great importance to the student, that he should have witnessed also all the rarer accidents, and the rarer surgical operations. For all this a large hospital is indispensable; and I trust that we shall one day see a hospital connected with this institution, containing lying-in wards, for the purpose of an obstetri- cal clinique, and wards for the reception of mental diseases. If we but make a beginning, I feel confident that the public will support us. For to say nothing of the advantages of an hospital to the Uni- versity, one is absolutely wanted in this situation. The eastern extremity of the metropolis, and the southern side, have the two great Borough hospitals, St. Bartholomew’s, and the London. The western extremity has St. George’s and the Westminster. But between the east and west, on the northern side, there is merely the small Middlesex Hospital; and in this immediate most populous neighbourhood, none at all; so that not only it, but the adjoining county, has not the advantages possessed by all the other districts within or around the metropolis. Were our University not in existence, the benevolent, on having these circumstances pointed out, would come forward; and if once a fund were established, legacies would be left as to other institutions, which have already more than they can advantageously spend ; and when the benevolent see that by their support they would do more than further the ends of cha- rity,—that they would, at the same time, aid in supplying their country with a succession of highly-informed practitioners, the double incentive, I am certain, would realize our most sanguine hopes. While I rejoice in the establishment of an English school of Medi- cine, in a city, and on a plan, which will render it, if well conducted, equal to any, and far superior to most others, in the civilized world, I rejoice also that this school forms part of a University* Nothing is more to be desired, than that those who go forth into the world to practise the healing art, should be men of excellent education. In most countries of the Continent this is the case. The great body of practitioners there, receive a general education at a University, pre- viously to commencing the study of their profession. They in truth receive what ought to be the education of a physician ; and they are physicians. In this country those who carry on the great mass of practice,—those who, in addition to their original occupation of apothecary, have risen to the office, though not to the name, of phy- sicians,—are indebted chiefly to their own exertions, for even their professional knowledge and skill. All the lectures, excepting per- haps those on Anatomy and Surgery, have been too scanty and