The philosophy of the bath; or, Air and water in health and disease - Durham Dunlop - Google Bøger

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CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.

SECTION I.-The case stated-Health, bodily and mental, its

importance-Ignorance of " Educated classes" concerning the

science of life a main cause of Medical Empiricism....................

SECTION II.-Opposition of the Medical Profession to New Truths

-The Priest Physicians of the Pagans and Christians-Hip-

pocrates-Division of Medicine into Surgery, Physic, and

Pharmacy, a great source of corruption and evil-Medical

Knowledge-Its constituent parts, Anatomy, Physiology,

Pathology, Hygiene, and Therapeutics-Distinction between

Medicine as a Science, and the mere Art of Physic-Opinions

of Medical authorities thereon.....

SECTION III.—Popular belief respecting Medical qualifications—

Facts concerning present condition of the Medical profession

-The Medical Act of 1858-The General Council: its defec-

tive administration-Deplorable condition of Medical Educa-

tion-The Licensing bodies-Their numerous licenses and titles

rejected by Army and Navy as no test of qualification-Opi-

nions of Medical authorities on shameful state of the profes-

sion, and destructive character of Medical practice.....

SECTION IV.-Medical Schools and Colleges-Special Hospitals

-General incapacity of teachers-Reaction on the Profession

-Opinions of Medical authorities on the subject.........

SECTION V.-Value of Medical Opinion considered-Experience

alone an unsafe criterion to judge by-Great knowledge con-

sistent with gross ignorance-Scientific experience testifies

against Drug Medication-Admissions of High Medical Autho-

rities, Sir John Forbes, Sir Thomas Watson, etc., concerning the

Inutility of Drugging-The Helpless Condition of the Drug

SECTION VI.-The general character of Medical Practice-High

authorities quoted-Successive variations-Conscientiousness

no palliation for the evils caused by Drug Practitioners-Per-

versity of medical men in rejecting natural Therapeutic Agents

―Their revival and successful progress notwithstanding medi-

cal opposition-Honest inquirers become zealous advocates-

The term "Hydropathy"-Its accepted meaning-Hydropathy

a Science-Its agents irreconcilable with those of the Physic

School-Mineral Poisons unknown in ancient Medicine-Their

introduction by Paracelsus-Hydropathy as practised by the

Ancients-Hippocrates, his use of Hydropathic agents-His

successors, the Greek and Roman Physicians-Use of cold

water in disease in Africa, Asia, and Europe-First works on

Hydropathy in the sixteenth century-Progress during the

seventeenth century-Practice general over Europe early in

eighteenth century-Its great curative success-Decline of its

practice-Again revived at the close of eighteenth century—

Dr. Currie and other Hydropathists-Opposition of Medical

Practitioners-Again falls into disuse-Revival by Priessnitz-

Rapid extension over Europe-Its success and permanent esta-

blishment-Authorities confirmative of its principles and prac-

Origin of Warm Bathing-Thermal Springs used by the Priest-

Physicians-Converted into Baths by various nations-Origin

of the Hot-Air Bath-Its existence in Greece, etc.-The Early

Roman Baths-The Hot-Air Bath adopted from the Greeks—

The magnificent Baths of the Roman Emperors-Knowledge

of the Bath carried to Britain-Decline and Destruction of the

Bath in Rome and Western Europe-Is preserved in Asia,

Africa, &c.-Description of the Baths of the Russians, Fins,

Egyptians, Intertropical Africans, Chinese, Japanese, North

American Indians, &c., and of the Irish-The Universality of

the Hot-Air Bath conclusive as to its utility to Mankind............ 112

The Bath in Britain after the departure of the Romans-Its sub-

sequent destruction-The Baths of Europe during the Middle

Ages-Early advocates of the revival of the Roman Bath--

Apathy of Medical Men-The story of its ultimate revival and

successful establishment-Opposition of Drug practitioners

-The Bath the perfection of Hydropathic practice............ 156

The Physiology of Life-Its Departments, the Mechanical, Intel-

lectual, and Nutritive-Primary Importance of Healthy Nu-

trition........

Nutrition-The Blood: its circulation the main source of Nutrition

-Its impurity a source of Disease-The Excretory Organs:

action of Bath thereon......

The Skin-Its structure and uses-Its functions essential to

The Skin considered in relation to Animal Heat-its suscepti-

bility of being made a Curative Agent in Disease......

The action of the Bath as Preservative of Health, and Preven-

tative of Disease-It subdues evils arising from artificial

habits of civilised life, and corrects, eradicates, or checks in-

herited predispositions to disease..........

The Bath as a Curative Agent-The value of Temperature-

Popular errors concerning Heat and Cold-Ignorance of

Medical Men respecting the Therapeutical properties of Tem-

perature-The Bath as a Therapeutic-It should not be

employed in conjunction with Drug remedies-Its general

applicability to alleviate all forms of bodily derangements... 218

Ignorance of Disease by the Drug School-Proofs afforded by

the London Physicians-This ignorance the basis of Drug

Practice Disease as a remedial effort of Nature is sub-

ject to fixed and discoverable laws-Opinions thereon-

Mal-Nutrition the source of all Established Disease-Evils

arising from Medical Nosology-All Diseases naturally divisible

into Organic and Functional, and has its primary source in

imperfect or perverted nutrition.........

The natural test of what can prove remedial in disease-

Remedies must harmonise with Nature-Effects of Food and

Drugs contrasted-Nature's operations in Disease-The true

office of the enlightened Physicial-Deceptive teaching of

Drug Schools-Alleged change of Type in Disease-The theory

that Disease forms part of the plan of Creation-Effects of

Drugs in producing new forms of bodily derangements, dis-

tinguished as Drug Diseases"-A list of some of them—

Medical authorities respecting them--Suggestions by Sir John

Forbes for the reform of Practical Therapeutics-The evi-

dence concerning the use of Drugs in Disease summed up—

Conclusions.........................

The difference between Hydropathy and Physic-The same

sources of knowledge open to both-The difference in

the use made of them-Physic practice not based on the

truths disclosed by Physiology and Pathology-Those truths

perverted to sustain old theories-Errors in Practice the result

of Errors in Education-Responsibility of Medical teachers—

Erroneous Pathology-Symptoms mistaken for diseases-Mul-

tiplication of diseases by names-Hydropathic and Physic

practice contrasted in Fever........

Opposition to new truths a characteristic of the medical profes-

sion-Illustrations supplied by the cases of Harvey, Sydenham,

Paré, Jenner, Hunter, Sir Charles Bell, and the history of

anæsthetic agents-The opposition to the Bath of the same

The animus of the senior members of the profession in opposing

the Bath-The objections advanced by Sir Dominic Corrigan—

His opinions valueless-They are based on theory and igno-

rance of what the Bath is, and opposed to Physiology and

experience-Eminent authorities who have studied the Bath

contradict his statements-Action of the Bath misrepre-

sented-Desire to suppress the truth, and keep the profession

and the public in ignorance,

The fear of catching cold from the Bath illusory-Cold bathing,

its danger as commonly practised-The Bath fortifies the

system against cold-Opinions of medical authorities............ 315

The supposition that the Bath weakens and debilitates opposed

to Physiology and experience-The fantastical objections of

Dr. Richardson........

In Abnormal conditions of the Heart, or predisposition thereto,

the influence of the Bath most salutary-Opinions of scien-

tific and practical authorities thereon-The action of the Bath

in affections of the Head, Throat, Chest, and Lungs, or in pre-

dispositions thereto-Authorities quoted....

The objections of a Queen's College Professor of Medicine-

Their ridiculous futility-A reason for "the cold and passive

indifference" of Dublin practitioners to the Bath-Two cases

illustrative of Drug and Hydropathic practice-Medicated and

Mineral Baths..........

Hydropathy in Disease-Illustrative cases: Dr. James Wilson,

Dr. Griffith, Dr. Bennett, &c., &c.-Medical men the most

appreciative Hydropathic patients—The Bath in Croup con-

trasted with Drug-practice-The Bath in all Infantile Disease,

and as a means of saving young life-The Bath a domestic

The Bath falsely represented as a panacea-Its true merits-

Curable and Incurable Disease—Drugging and Hydropathy

contrasted-Illustrative cases-Skin Diseases....................................................... 363

The effect of Drug treatment in Cholera-Its universal failure--

The Hydropathic treatment-The disease properly known as

"The Black Death"-The Drug treatment of it on the Conti-

nent-The mal-practice of Irish Physicians despite of all ex-

perience-Effects of Temperature

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