下载辰思小说免费APP
[NoteB。]
Letmeillustratethispropositionbeforeyoudecideuponit。Ifitwereknownthataprize-fighterweretohaveadrasticpurgativeadministeredtwoorthreedaysbeforeacontest，oralargeblisterappliedtohisback，noonewillquestionthatitwouldaffectthebettingonhissideunfavorably；wewillsaytotheamountoffivepercent。Nowthedrainupontheresourcesofthesystemproducedinsuchacasemustbeatitsminimum，forthesubjectisapowerfulman，intheprimeoflife，andinadmirablecondition。Ifthedrugortheblistertakesfivepercent。fromhisforceofresistance，itwilltakeatleastaslargeafractionfromanyinvalid。Butthisinvalidhastofightachampionwhostrikeshardbutcannotbehitinreturn，whowillpresshimsharplyforbreath，butwillneverpanthimselfwhilethewindcanwhistlethroughhisfleshlessribs。Thesufferingcombatantisliabletowantallhisstamina，andfivepercent。maylosehimthebattle。
Allnoxiousagents，allapplianceswhicharenotnaturalfoodorstimuli，allmedicinesproper，costapatient，ontheaverage，fivepercent。ofhisvitalforce，letussay。Twentytimesasmuchwasteofforceproducedbyanyofthem，thatis，wouldexactlykillhim，nothinglessthankillhim，andnothingmore。Ifthis，orsomethinglikethis，istrue，thenallthesemedicationsare，primafacie，injurious。
InthegameofLife-or-Death，RougeetNoir，asplayedbetweentheDoctorandtheSexton，thisfivepercent。，thiscertainsmallinjuryenteringintothechancesisclearlythesexton’sperquisiteforkeepingthegreentable，overwhichthegameisplayed，andwherehehoardsuphisgains。Supposeablistertodiminishaman’spain，effusionordyspnoeatothesavingoftwentypercent。invitalforce；hisprofitfromitisfifteen，inthatcase，foritalwayshurtshimfivetobeginwith，accordingtoourpreviousassumption。
Presumptionsareofvastimportanceinmedicine，asinlaw。Amanispresumedinnocentuntilheisprovedguilty。Amedicine——thatis，anoxiousagent，likeablister，aseton，anemetic，oracathartic——
shouldalwaysbepresumedtobehurtful。Italwaysisdirectlyhurtful；itmaysometimesbeindirectlybeneficial。Ifthispresumptionwereestablished，anddiseasealwaysassumedtobetheinnocentvictimofcircumstances，andnotpunishablebymedicines，thatis，noxiousagents，orpoisons，untilthecontrarywasshown，weshouldnotsofrequentlyheartheremarkcommonly，perhapserroneously，attributedtoSirAstleyCooper，butoftenrepeatedbysensiblepersons，that，onthewhole，moreharmthangoodisdonebymedication。Throwoutopium，whichtheCreatorhimselfseemstoprescribe，forweoftenseethescarletpoppygrowinginthecornfields，asifitwereforeseenthatwhereverthereishungertobefedtheremustalsobepaintobesoothed；throwoutafewspecificswhichourartdidnotdiscover，andishardlyneededtoapply[NoteC。]；throwoutwine，whichisafood，andthevaporswhichproducethemiracleofanaesthesia，andIfirmlybelievethatifthewholemateriamedica，asnowused，couldbesunktothebottomofthesea，itwouldbeallthebetterformankind，——andalltheworseforthefishes。
Buttojustifythisproposition，Imustaddthattheinjuriesinflictedbyover-medicationaretoagreatextentmaskedbydisease。
Dr。HookerbelievesthatthetyphussyncopatiaofaprecedinggenerationinNewEngland“wasofteninfactabrandyandopiumdisease。“Howisaphysiciantodistinguishtheirritationproducedbyhisblisterfromthatcausedbytheinflammationitwasmeanttocure？Howcanhetelltheexhaustionproducedbyhisevacuantsfromthecollapsebelongingtothediseasetheyweremeanttoremove？
Lastly，medicationwithoutinsuringfavorablehygienicconditionsislikeamputationwithoutligatures。Ihadachancetolearnthiswellofold，whenphysiciantotheBroadStreetdistrictoftheBostonDispensary。There，therewasnohelpfortheutterwantofwholesomeconditions，andifanybodygotwellundermycare，itmusthavebeeninvirtueoftherough-and-tumbleconstitutionwhichemergesfromthestruggleforlifeinthestreetgutters，ratherthanbytheaidofmyprescriptions。
Butifthemateriamedicawerelostoverboard，howmuchmorepainswouldbetakeninorderingallthecircumstancessurroundingthepatient(ascanbedoneeverywhereoutofthecrowdedpauperdistricts)，thanaretakennowbytoomanywhothinktheydotheirdutyandearntheirmoneywhentheywritearecipeforapatientleftinanatmosphereofdomesticmalaria，ortothemostnegligentkindofnursing！IconfessthatIshouldthinkmychanceofrecoveryfromillnesslesswithHippocratesformyphysicianandMrs。Gampformynurse，thanifIwereinth
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