The Domestic physician, or, Guide to families : containing directions for the preservation of health, and the removal of disease : also, a plain and accurate description of the complaints generally incident to the human frame : with an account of the most efficacious remedies, and directions how to use them : chiefly selected from the best authors, and made plain to persons of common understanding.

Date:
[1814]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Domestic physician, or, Guide to families : containing directions for the preservation of health, and the removal of disease : also, a plain and accurate description of the complaints generally incident to the human frame : with an account of the most efficacious remedies, and directions how to use them : chiefly selected from the best authors, and made plain to persons of common understanding. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    constitutions, however dissimilar, is, at least, a branch of the same tree; for it is a fact, supported by the soundest experience, that what may be of great service to one constitution, may to another be highly detri- mental, though labouring under the same disease. Simple as is this assertion, and of little consequence as it may be thought, I am persuaded that it is from ignorance, or inattention to this point, that people are apt to increase their maladies; nay, often make that, which would, if left to itself, have been mild, become dangerous, by applications not adapted to the particu- lar nature of the constitution. For as the cure of dis- eases greatly depends on the knowledge of this par- ticular, by which we can more certainly appropriate our remedies to the benefit of the afflicted, so doubt- less must it be a more essential point in preventing, or shortening their duration; as in all our endeavours we must attempt to preserve the constitution in, or bring it to, a state of health. But, without such knowledge, how can this be accomplished by persons applying remedies, or fixing on any regimen ? In order, therefore, to attain this point, it appears necessary to give some account of the human machine, as far as relates to the structure, dependencies, and action, of its several parts, before we enter on the means to be used in particular cases; that every reader may be informed of the materials upon which his re- medies and regimen are to operate ; and hence proceed with some degree of regularity and certainty. The human machine consists of Solids and Fluids, differently disposed for the purpose of supporting each other; so that as the parts are worn