An introductory lecture on medical education; delivered at the commencement of the annual course of lectures on botany and materia medica. Published at the request of the students of medicine / by David Hosack.

Date:
1801
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An introductory lecture on medical education; delivered at the commencement of the annual course of lectures on botany and materia medica. Published at the request of the students of medicine / by David Hosack. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    LECTURE, &c. i Mankind, in the early ages of society, when their diet, dress, and modes of life, were simple, and their wants were those of nature, instead of the artificial appetites which are suggested by fashion and caprice, were subject to but few diseases, except such as proceeded from external accidents. Con- sequently, medicine was in so little demand, that it was not of sufficient importance to be constituted the object of a separate profession; and the remedies which were employed in the cure of diseases were few and simple. Hence we learn that this branch of know- ledge was, at first, chiefly confined to the fa- thers or heads of families.* But society ad- vancing in arts, also advanced in luxuries; the catalogue of diseases became enlarged; * See l’Origine des Lolx, des Arts, et des Sciences, tom. II. lib. iii. p. 9. lies peres avoient soin d’cnseigner a leurs enfans ce qu’ils pouvoient en sgavoir. C’est ceque nous apprennent les plus anciennes traditions.— Diod. lib. i. p. 30.