A rational exposition of the physical signs of the diseases of the lungs and pleura : illustrating their pathology, and facilitating their diagnosis / by Charles J.B. Williams.

  • Williams, Charles J. B. (Charles James Blasius), 1805-1889.
Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A rational exposition of the physical signs of the diseases of the lungs and pleura : illustrating their pathology, and facilitating their diagnosis / by Charles J.B. Williams. 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.)

    12/222
    Vlll PREFACE. cessful as our knowledge of the functions or properties, on which they depend, is scanty and imperfect; and in- quiries of this kind have been proportionately unsatisfac- tory and unprofitable. But physical signs stand on the broad and intelligible basis of physical laws, and are as readily explained as other simple phenomena, illustrated by natural philosophy. It has been my endeavor to ex- hibit them, as far as possible, in this intelligible view; to show the mechanism by which the signs are produced, and the manner in which, according to fixed laws, they result as phenomena ; to make a knowledge of the pa- thology predicate the signs, and a knowledge of the signs indicate the pathology ; and by thus familiarising the mind with their principles, to enable it to understand the multifarious forms which, by combination, these signs may assume, and to judge of the corresponding physical changes that modify or produce them. I have not refrained, when the subject seemed to re- quire it, or where I had any new view to offer, from en- tering on some questions of general pathology. T am not clear tfiat I have been judicious in so doing; for the slight views, that I have given of these questions, may be deemed too superficial and unsupported to be satisfactory ; and had I developed them in the manner in which I am prepared to do, it would have completely changed the size and nature of the work. These opinions, as well as my acquaintance with the physical signs, are the result of some extent of study and of observation, prosecuted chief- ly in the wards of La Charite, where Laennec taught, and Andral prosecuted his studies. Most of the facts which I have described have appeared in the works of these illus- trious men; and wherever my exprerience has not ena- bled me to give the same as the result of my own obser- vation, I have referred to their competent authority. Where, in point of fact, or opinion, I have differed from them or from others, I would wish my dissent to be viewed rather as a question to be answered by others,