Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 428 - Volume 17, New Series, March 13, 1852 by Various
page 64 of 68 (94%)
page 64 of 68 (94%)
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the course of the one, and that of the other. The unvarying treatment of
a disease looks odd to a thinking bystander. The same medicines are administered in case after case; the dose follows the symptom with the certainty of fate. The patient dies--the patient recovers. What then? The doctor has done his best--everything has been according to rule! The following are the rules laid down for practitioners on the new system:-- '1. Never prescribe medicines when hygiene will do as well and can be enforced. '2. Never permit the patient, or those around him, to expect more from medicines than medicines can perform. '3. Never prescribe medicines, except avowedly as mere palliatives, when the period is gone by for them to be of ultimate service. '4. Never conceal the _general_ intention of the treatment; that is, whether it be adopted with a view to cure, or only to mitigate the disease, or merely to alleviate a symptom or symptoms. '5. Never prescribe medicines more powerful than are necessary; or continue a powerful medicine longer, or repeat it oftener, than the disease actually requires. '6. Never attribute to the medicine-giving part of the management of a successful case more than its due share of credit.' We have called this a new system, but a new system is nothing without a |
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