Medicina Flagellata; Or, The Doctor Scarify'dAnonymous
Science
Medicina Flagellata; Or, The Doctor Scarify'd
Anonymous
Hygiene; Medicine -- Practice -- Early works to 1800; Plague -- Early works to 1800; Quacks and quackery
every one would become his own Physician, and would be convinced that he
never met with a better.
It would be to little Purpose to study the Constitution of other Men;
every one, if he would but apply himself to it, would always be better
acquainted with his own than that of another; every one would be capable
of making those Experiments for himself which another could not do for
him, and would be the best Judge of the Strength of his own Stomach, and
of the Food which is agreeable thereto; for in one Word, 'tis next to
impossible to know exactly the Constitution of another, their
Constitutions being as different as their Complexions.
Since no Man therefore can have a better Physician than himself, nor a
more soveraign Antidote than a Regimen, that is to study his own
Constitution, and to regulate his Life according to the Rules of right
Reason.
I own, indeed, the disinterested Physician may be some time necessary,
since there are some Distempers, which all human Prudence cannot provide
against, there happen some unavoidable Accidents which seize us after such
a Manner, as to deprive our Judgment of the Liberty it ought to have to be
a Comfort to us; it may then be a Mistake wholly to rely upon Nature, it
must be assisted, and Recourse must be had to some one or another for it;
and in this we have much the Advantage of the irregular Man, his Vices
having heaped Fewel to the Distemper; but on the contrary, by a regular
Course of Life, the very Cause is not to be found, and the Disease
retreats from you.
And here the fam'd _Cornaro_, who being at Seventy Years of Age, had
another Experiment of the Usefulness of a Regimen, and 'twas this; A
Business of extraordinary Consequence drawing him into the Country, and
being in the Coach, the Horses ran away with him, and was overthrown, and
dragg'd a long away before they could stay the Horses; they took him out
of the Coach with his Head broke, a Leg and Arm out of joint, and in a
Word, in a very lamentable Condition. As soon as they brought him Home
again, they sent for the Physicians, who did not expect he should live
three Days to an end: However, they resolv'd upon letting of him Blood, to
prevent the coming of a Fever, which usually happens upon such Cases. He
was so confident that the regular Life which he had led, had prevented
the contracting of any ill Humours, of which he might be afraid, that he
rejected their Prescription, and ordered them to dress his Head, to set
his Leg and Arm, and to rub him with some Specifick Oils proper for
Bruises, and without any other Remedies he was soon cured, to the
Amazement of the Physicians and of all those that knew him. From hence he
did infer, that a regular Life is an excellent Preservative against all
natural Ills; and that Intemperance produces quite contrary Effects.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account