Domestic medicine, or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines. With an appendix containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners.

  • Buchan, William, 1729-1805.
Date:
1791
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Domestic medicine, or, a treatise on the prevention and cure of diseases by regimen and simple medicines. With an appendix containing a dispensatory for the use of private practitioners. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    and fools in the world, that he ought to take every one he meets for fuch, and to treat him according- ly. A fenfible phyfician will always know where difguife is neceffary ; but it ought never to appear on the face of his general conduct. The appearance of myftery in the condudt of phyficians not only renders their art fufpicious, but lays the foundations of Quackery, which is the difgrace of Medicine. No two characters can be more different than that of the honeft phyfician and the quack; yet they have generally been very much confounded. The line between them is not fuffi- ciently apparent; at lead it is too fine for the gene- ral eye. Few perfons are able to diftinguifh fuffi- ciently between the conduct of that man who ad- minifters a fecret medicine, and him who writes a prefcription in myftical charaders and an un- known tongue. Thus the condud of the honeft phyfician, which needs no difguife, gives a fanc- tion to that of the villain, whofe foie confequence depends upon fecrecy. No laws will ever be able to prevent quackery, while people believe that the quack is as honeft a man, and as well qualified, as the phyfician. A very (mail degree of medical knowledge, however, would be fufficient to break this fpell; and nothing elfe can effectually undeceive them. It is the igno- rance and credulity of the multitude, with regard to medicine, which renders them fuch an eafy prey to every one who has the hardinefs to attack them on this quarter. Nor can the evil be remedied by any other means but by making them wifer. The mod effedual wav to deftroy quackery in any art or fcience, is to diffufe the knowledge of it among mankind. Did phyficians write their pre- icriptions in the common language of the country, and explain their intentions to the patient, as far as he could underftand them, it would enable him to b 3 know