Prospects & retrospects in physic and surgery : being the annual address delivered before the Harveian Society of London, January 15th, 1863 / by Thomas Weedon Cooke.

  • Cooke, Thomas Weeden.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prospects & retrospects in physic and surgery : being the annual address delivered before the Harveian Society of London, January 15th, 1863 / by Thomas Weedon Cooke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and other baths, when directed by a practitioner skilled in the knowledge of the diseases proposed to be brought under their influence; and now we find, after the lapse of a quarter of a century, that these views are propounded as new discoveries by far-seeing philosophers, whose telescopic vision is restricted to by-past ages of a defunct civilization. The mania for this dolce far niente cure for everything, is happily passing away; but it is to be hoped that in the general collapse which has overtaken the proprietors of Turkish Baths, some one or two of the best will escape the wreck; and that we shall still have the opportunity of obtaining comfortably, and even luxuri¬ ously, the unquestioned advantages of the hot- air bath, in many forms of disease; more especially those which depend on suppressed secretions, or a vitiated circulation. Amongst the many subjects of public and professional Animal interest, Animal Magnetism did not fail to attract the Magnetlsm* attention of the Society; and its merits and bearings on Medical and Surgical practice were most fully and freely discussed, with the most liberal desire to dis¬ cover if any, and what, therapeutic effect was to be derived from this supposed power. The decision arrived at by the profession on this subject, has been well sup¬ ported by what we may call posterity; for although a Mesmeric Hospital is still supposed to be in existence, the Zoist I fear is defunct, and we no longer find young ladies sipping water which has been mesmerized by a medium some few hundred miles away. The subcutaneous division of Tendons for the cure Orthopedic of Club-foot was most ably and fully brought before the Society in 1838 by Mr. Benjamin Phillips, a sur¬ geon distinguished for a most extensive acquaintance