Advice to the people in general, with regard to their healthTissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
Science
Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health
Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
Hygiene -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. -- Early works to 1800; Medicine, Popular -- Early works to 1800
It is obvious, that the first Gentlemen I have my Eye upon, are the
Clergy. There is not a single Village, a Hamlet, nor even the House of
an Alien in the Country, that has not a Right to the good Offices of
some one of this Order; And I assure myself there are a great Number of
them, who, heartily affected with the Distress of their ailing Flocks,
have wished many hundred Times, that it were in their Power to give
their Parishioners some bodily Help, at the very Time they were
disposing them to prepare for Death; or so far to delay the Fatality of
the Distemper, that the Sick might have an Opportunity of living more
religiously afterwards. I shall think myself happy, if such truly
respectable Ecclesiastics shall find any Resources in this Performance,
that may conduce to the Accomplishment of their beneficent Intentions.
Their Regard, their Love for their People; their frequent Invitations to
visit their principal Neighbours; their Duty to root out all
unreasonable Prejudices, and Superstition; their Charity, their
Learning; the Facility, with which their general Knowlege in Physics,
qualifies them to comprehend thoroughly all the medical Truths, and
Contents of this Piece, are so many Arguments to convince me, that they
will have the greatest Influence to procure that Reformation, in the
Administration of Physick to poor Country People, which is so necessary,
so desirable, an Object.
In the next Place, I dare assure myself of the Concurrence of Gentlemen
of Quality and Opulence, in their different Parishes and Estates, whose
Advice is highly regarded by their Inferiors; who are so powerfully
adapted to discourage a wrong, and to promote a right Practice, of which
they will easily discern all the Advantages. The many Instances I have
seen of their entering, with great Facility, into all the Plan and
Conduct of a Cure; their Readiness and even Earnestness to comfort the
Sick in their Villages; and the Generosity with which they prevent their
Necessities, induce me to hope, from judging of these I have not the
Pleasure to know, by those whom I have, that they will eagerly embrace
an Opportunity of promoting a new Method of doing good in their
Neighbourhood. Real Charity will apprehend the great Probability there
is of doing Mischief, tho' with the best Intention, for want of a proper
Knowledge of material Circumstances; and the very Fear of that Mischief
may sometimes suspend the Exercise of such Charity; notwithstanding it
must seize, with the most humane Avidity, every Light that can
contribute to its own beneficent Exertion.
Thirdly, Persons who are rich, or at least in easy Circumstances, whom
their Disposition, their Employments, or the Nature of their Property,
fixes in the Country, where they are happy in doing good, must be
delighted to have some proper Directions for the Conduct and
Effectuation of their charitable Intentions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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