medical essays-第53章

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figures　that　look　more　like　Diana　of　the　Ephesians；　as　given　in　Calmet's　Dictionary；　than　like　any　angels　admitted　into　good　society　here　or　elsewhere。

I　do　not　find　any　particular　record　of　what　his　patients　suffered　from；　but　I　have　carefully　copied　out　the　remedies　he　mentions；　and　find　that　they　form　a　very　respectable　catalogue。　　Besides　the　usual　simples；　elder；　parsley；　fennel；　saffron；　snake…root；　wormwood；　I　find　the　Elixir　Proprietatis；　with　other　elixire　and　cordials；　as　if　he　rather　fancied　warming　medicines；　but　he　called　in　the　aid　of　some　of　the　more　energetic　remedies；　including　iron；　and　probably　mercury；　as　he　bought　two　pounds　of　it　at　one　time。

The　most　interesting　item　is　his　bill　against　the　estate　of　Samuel　Pason　of　Roxbury；　for　services　during　his　last　illness。　　He　attended　this　gentleman；for　such　he　must　have　been；　by　the　amount　of　physic　which　he　took；　and　which　his　heirs　paid　for；from　June　4th；　1696；　to　September　3d　of　the　same　year；　three　months。　　I　observe　he　charges　for　visits　as　well　as　for　medicines；　which　is　not　the　case　in　most　of　his　bills。　　He　opens　the　attack　with　a　carminative　appeal　to　the　visceral　conscience；　and　follows　it　up　with　good　hard…hitting　remedies　for　dropsy；as　I　suppose　the　disease　would　have　been　called；and　finishes　off　with　a　rallying　dose　of　hartshorn　and　iron。

It　is　a　source　of　honest　pride　to　his　descendant　that　his　bill；　which　was　honestly　paid；　as　it　seems　to　have　been　honorably　earned；　amounted　to　the　handsome　total　of　seven　pounds　and　two　shillings。　Let　me　add　that　he　repeatedly　prescribes　plaster；　one　of　which　was　very　probably　the　〃Dr。　Oliver〃　that　soothed　my　infant　griefs；　and　for　which　I　blush　to　say　that　my　venerated　ancestor　received　from　Goodman　Hancock　the　painfully　exiguous　sum　of　no　pounds；　no　shillings；　and　sixpence。

I　have　illustrated　the　practice　of　the　first　century；　from　the　two　manuscripts　I　have　examined；　as　giving　an　impartial　idea　of　its　every…day　methods。　　The　Governor；　Johannes　Secundus；　it　is　fair　to　remember；　was　an　amateur　practitioner；　while　my　ancestor　was　a　professed　physician。　　Comparing　their　modes　of　treatment　with　the　many　scientific　follies　still　prevailing　in　the　Old　World；　and　still　more　with　the　extraordinary　theological　superstitions　of　the　community　in　which　they　lived；　we　shall　find　reason；　I　think；　to　consider　the　art　of　healing　as　in　a　comparatively　creditable　state　during　the　first　century　of　New　England。

In　addition　to　the　evidence　as　to　methods　of　treatment　furnished　by　the　manuscripts　I　have　cited；　I　subjoin　the　following　document；　to　which　my　attention　was　called　by　Dr。　Shurtleff；　our　present　Mayor。　This　is　a　letter　of　which　the　original　is　to　be　found　in　vol。　　lxix。　page　10　of　the　〃Archives〃　preserved　at　the　State　House　in　Boston。　　It　will　be　seen　that　what　the　surgeon　wanted　consisted　chiefly　of　opiates；　stimulants；　cathartics；　plasters；　and　materials　for　bandages。　　The　complex　and　varied　formulae　have　given　place　to　simpler　and　often　more　effective　forms　of　the　same　remedies；　but　the　list　and　the　manner　in　which　it　is　made　out　are　proofs　of　the　good　sense　and　schooling　of　the　surgeon；　who；　it　may　be　noted；　was　in　such　haste　that　he　neglected　all　his　stops。　　He　might　well　be　in　a　hurry；　as　on　the　very　day　upon　which　he　wrote；　a　great　body　of　Indians　supposed　to　be　six　or　seven　hundredappeared　before　Hatfield；　and　twenty…five　resolute　young　men　of　Hadley；　from　which　town　he　wrote；　crossed　the　river　and　drove　them　away。


HADLY　May　30：　76

Mr　RAWSON　Sr

What　we　have　recd　by　Tho：　Houey　the　past　month　is　not　the　cheifest　of　our　wants　as　you　have　love　for　poor　wounded　I　pray　let　us　not　want　for　these　following　medicines　if　you　have　not　a　speedy　conveyance　of　them　I　pray　send　on　purpose　they　are　those　things　mentioned　in　my　former　letter　but　to　prevent　future　mistakes　I　have　wrote　them　att　large　wee　have　great　want　with　the　greatest　halt　and　speed　let　us　be　supplyed。　Sr　Yr　Sert　WILL　LOCHS


（Endorsed

Mr。　Lockes　Letter　Recd　from　the　Governor　13　Jane　&　acquainted　ye　Council　with　it　but　could　not　obtaine　any　thing　to　be　sent　in　answer　thereto　13　June　1676


I　have　given　some　idea　of　the　chief　remedies　used　by　our　earlier　physicians；　which　were　both　Galenic　and　chemical；　that　is；　vegetable　and　mineral。　　They；　of　course；　employed　the　usual　perturbing　medicines　which　Montaigne　says　are　the　chief　reliance　of　their　craft。　There　were；　doubtless；　individual　practitioners　who　employed　special　remedies　with　exceptional　boldness　and　perhaps　success。　　Mr。　Eliot　is　spoken　of；　in　a　letter　of　William　Leete　to　Winthrop；　Junior；　as　being　under　Mr。　Greenland's　mercurial　administrations。　　The　latter　was　probably　enough　one　of　these　specialists。

There　is　another　class　of　remedies　which　appears　to　have　been　employed　occasionally；　but；　on　the　whole；　is　so　little　prominent　as　to　imply　a　good　deal　of　common　sense　among　the　medical　practitioners；　as　compared　with　the　superstitions　prevailing　around　them。　　I　have　said　that　I　have　caught　the　good　Governor；　now　and　then；　prescribing　the　electuary　of　millipedes；　but　he　is　entirely　excused　by　the　almost　incredible　fact　that　they　were　retained　in　the　materia　medica　so　late　as　when　Rees's　Cyclopaedia　was　published；　and　we　there　find　the　directions　formerly　given　by　the　College　of　Edinburgh　for　their　preparation。　　Once　or　twice　we　have　found　him　admitting　still　more　objectionable　articles　into　his　materia　medica；　in　doing　which；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　he　could　plead　grave　and　learned　authority。　　But　these　instances　are　very　rare　exceptions　in　a　medical　practice　of　many　years；　which　is；　on　the　whole；　very　respectable；　considering　the　time　and　circumstances。

Some　remedies　of　questionable　though　not　odious　character　appear　occasionally　to　have　been　employed　by　the　early　practitioners；　but　they　were　such　as　still　had　the　support　of　the　medical　profession。　Governor　John　Winthrop；　the　first；　sends　for　East　Indian　bezoar；　with　other　commodities　he　is　writing　for。　　Governor　Endicott　sends　him　one　he　had　of　Mr。　Humfrey。　　I　hope　it　was　genuine；　for　they　cheated　infamously　in　the　matter　of　this　concretion；　which　ought　to　come　out　of　an　animal's　stomach；　but　the　real　history　of　which　resembles　what　is　sometimes　told　of　modern　sausages。

There　is　a　famous　law…case　of　James　the　First's　time；　in　which　a　goldsmith　sold　a　hundred　pounds'　worth　of　what　he　called　bezoar；　which　was　proved　to　be　false；　and　the　purchaser　got　a　verdict　against　him。　　Governor　Endicott　also　sends　Winthrop　a　unicorn's　horn；　which　was　the　property　of　a　certain　Mrs。　Beggarly；　who；　in　spite　of　her　name；　seems　to　have　been　rich　in　medical　knowledge　and　possessions。　The　famous　Thomas　Bartholinus　wrote　a　treatise　on　the　virtues　of　this　fabulous…sounding　remedy；　which　was　published　in　1641；　and　republished　in　1678。

The　〃antimonial　cup；〃　a　drinking　vessel　made　of　that　metal；　which；　like　our　quassia…wood　cups；　might　be　filled　and　emptied　in　saecula　saeculorum　without　exhausting　its　virtues；　is　mentioned　by　Matthew　Cradock；　in　a　letter　to　the　elder　Winthrop；　but　in　a　doubtful　way；　as　it　was　thought；　he　says；　to　have　shortened　the　days　of　Sir　Nathaniel　Riche；　and　Winthrop　himself；　as　I　think；　refers　to　its　use；　calling　it　simply　〃the　cup。〃　　　An　antimonial　cup　is　included　in　the　inventory　of　Samuel　Seabury；　who　died　1680；　and　is　valued　at　five　shillings。°　There　is　a　treatise　entitled　〃The　Universall　Remedy；　or　the　Vertues　of　the　Antimoniall　Cup；　By　John　Evans；　Minister　and　Preacher　of　God's　Word；　London；　1634；〃　in　our　own　Society's　library。

One　other　special　remedy　deserves　notice；　because　of　native　growth。　I　do　not　know　when　Culver's　root；　Leptandra　Virginica　of　our　National　Pharmacopoeia；　became　noted；　but　Cotton　Mather；　writing　in　1716　to　John　Winthrop　of　New　London；　speaks　of　it　as　famous　for　the　cure　of　consumptions；　and　wishes　to　get　some　of　it；　through　his　mediation；　for　Katharine；　his　eldest　daughter。　　He　gets　it；　and　gives　it　to　the　〃poor　damsel；〃　who　is　languishing；　as　he　says；　and　who　dies　the　next　month；all　the　sooner；　I　have　little　doubt；　for　this　uncertain　and　violent　drug；　with　which　the　meddlesome　pedant　tormented　her　in　that　spirit　of　well…meant　but　restless　quackery；　which　could　touch　nothing　without　making　mischief；　not　even　a　quotation；　and　yet　proved　at　length　the　means　of　bringing　a　great　blessing　to　our　community；　as　we　shall　see　by　and　by；　so　does　Providence　use　our　very　vanities　and　infirmities　for　its　wise　purposes。

Externally；　I　find　the　practitioners　on　whom　I　have　chiefly　relied　used　the　plasters　of　Paracelsus；　of　melilot；　diachylon；　and　probably　diaphoenicon；　all　well　known　to　the　old　pharmacopoeias；　and　some　of　them　to　the　modern　ones；to　say　nothing　of　〃my　yellow　salve；〃　of　Governor　John；　the　second；　for　the　composition　of　which　we　must　apply　to　his　respected　descendant。

The　authors　I　find　quoted　are　Barbette's　Surgery；　Camerarius　on　Gout；　and　Wecherus；　of　all　whom　notices　may　be　found　in　the　pages　of　Haller　and　Vanderlinden；　also；　Reed's　Surgery；　and　Nicholas　Culpeper's　Practice　of　Physic　and　Anatomy；　the　last　as　belonging　to　Samuel　Seabury；　chirurgeon；　before　mentioned。　　Nicholas　Culpeper　was　a　shrewd　charlatan；　and　as　impudent　a　varlet　as　ever　prescribed　for　a　colic；　but　knew　very　well　what　he　was　about；　and　badgers　the　College　with　great　vigor。　　A　copy　of　Spigelius's　famous　Anatomy；　in　the　Boston　Athenaeum；　has　the　names　of　Increase　and　Samuel　Mather　written　in　it；　and　was　doubtless　early　overhauled　by　the　youthful　Cotton；　who　refers　to　the　great　anatomist's　singular　death；　among　his　curious　stories　in　the　〃Magnalia；〃　and　quotes　him　among　nearly　a　hundred　authors　whom　he　cites　in　his　manuscript　〃The　Angel　of　Bethesda。〃　　Dr。　John　Clark's　〃books　and　instruments；　with　several　chirurgery　materials　in　the　closet；〃　a　were　valued　in　his　inventory　at　sixty　pounds；　Dr。　Matthew　Fuller；　who　died　in　1678；　left　a　library　valued　at　ten　pounds；　and　a　surgeon's　chest　and　drugs　valued　at　sixteen　pounds。'


Here　we　leave　the　first　century　and　all　attempts　at　any　further　detailed　accounts　of　medicine　and　its　practitioners。　　It　is　necessary　to　show　in　a　brief　glance　what　had　been　going　on　in　Europe　during　the　latter　part　of　that　century；　the　first　quarter　of　which　had　been　made　illustrious　in　the　history　of　medical　science　by　the　discovery　of　the　circulation。

Charles　Barbeyrac；　a　Protestant　in　his　religion；　was　a　practitioner　and　teacher　of　medicine　at　Montpellier。　　His　creed　was　in　the　way　of　his　obtaining　office；　but　the　young　men　followed　his　instructions　with　enthusiasm。　　Religious　and　scientific　freedom　breed　in　and　in；　until　it　becomes　hard　to　tell　the　family　of　one　from　that　of　the　other。　　Barbeyrac　threw　overboard　the　old　complex　medical　farragos　of　the　pharmacopoeias；　as　his　church　had　disburdened　itself　of　the　popish　ceremonies。

Among　the　students　who　followed　his　instructions　were　two　Englishmen：　one　of　them；　John　Locke；　afterwards　author　of　an　〃Essay　on　the　Human　Understanding；〃　three　years　younger　than　his　teacher；　the　other；　Thomas　Sydenham；　five　years　older。　　Both　returned　to　England。　　Locke；　whose　medical　knowledge　is　borne　witness　to　by　Sydenham；　had　the　good　fortune　to　form　a　correct　opinion　on　a　disease　from　which　the　Earl　of　Shaftesbury　was　suffering；　which　led　to　an　operation　that　saved　hi