N. D. Falck

“ The fever now to be treated of is the most common amongst mankind; especially seamen, who are ever exposed, to have the perspiration obstructed. It however would save many from the grave, and almost as many from being food for the fish, was it a little more regarded than what it actually is.
The sound of a cold is so gentle, that custom has almost made it effeminacy to pay any regard to it; and yet, if we maturely examine, we shall find the most malignant, acute, and mortal diseases, first make their appearances by the symptoms of a cold,——But let us proceed to particulars. ”

“ Nature frequently produces a sweat without force or compulsion; and if so, it should be favoured, but never brought on by stimulants, or strong forcing medicines.
Perspiration, sweat and urine, are the natural evacuations intended, for the purifying the system from animal acrimony; and when these excretions are in a just balance with the secretions of the fluids and motion in the system, without pain or fatigue; then nature is at peace with itself. ”

“ Of all the various knowledges that distinguish the human species from the brute creation, what is of more value than that which tends to the preservation of life and health? I believe that every man who is actuated by motives of philanthropy will with me wish, that mankind in general would advert more to it in the principles of education, than what they at present do. ”

“ There is perhaps not a medicine in the modern materia medica, but what I have examined into, and opportunely experienced the virtue of; but so often have I been deceived in my expectations, that out of the many hundreds, with which I am acquainted, there are not above a score, or at farthest two, which in any case whatever I should expect any benefit from. Yet I mean not to throw out prejudices, for every physical man has his favourite medicine, and we are all apt to praise the bridge that carries us well over. ”

“ Seeing is that great faculty by which the form, colour, and motion of objects is represented to our ideas. The principal conveyer of this wonderful sensation, is the optic nerve; the eye is a telescope finished to the greatest perfection; or like a camera obscura, where objects are pictured to the utmost nicety, and a due proportion observed in their nature. It is a globe enrolled with a strong tendinous coat, and filled with three kinds of humours perfectly 46clear and transparent, which differ in nothing but their various degrees of liquidity and form. ”

“ There is something terrible in the sound of broken bones; and yet in common they are by far more easier managed and healed than a dislocated joint: nature is very kind; from the fractured parts of a broken bone, there exsudes a gelatenous matter called Callus, that very soon glews them together again, and makes them stronger than ever. As easy as a fracture is ruined, as easily it may be well treated. ”

“ Though the symptoms are in general too well known, not to be easily mistaken; yet I shall here describe this destructive disease in its various gradations.
When a patient first begins to be tainted with the scurvy, he feels a lassitude all over his body, and a peculiar proneness to indulgence and idleness; work becomes irksome; and neither has he strength, nor inclination, to do his work with the same chearfulness as before. He sleeps more in general, but his rest is for ever disturbed with heavy and melancholy dreams ”

“ There is scarce a disease that makes a patient more wretched, and unhappy, than the fever and ague. The causes of these kind of fevers is principally from a pituitous, or slimy blood, together with its being loaded with acrimony; and a flacidity of the moving fibres.
They are divided into various classes; though in fact all of one nature. When the ague with its succeeding fever comes on regularly every day, it is called quotidian, or every day’s ague; when every second day, tertian, or third day’s ague, and when every third day ”

“ The bones, though the hardest, are the most delicate parts in the whole body; but when it is affected, nature forms a new periosteum over the sound part, and gradually pushes forward the decayed scale. This wonderful work is performed by nature only, and must not be disturbed. By scraping, and boring of it, the tender periosteum will only be molested, the sound bone will become foul again, and so you may go on for ever; and I never saw a sore of that kind healed up by this improper method, till nature over-powered art, or the surgeon was tired with scraping, perforating, &c. ”

“ The Heart, as I before observed, has two chambers or ventricles, distinguished by the right and left; each of these chambers have also a valvular cavity call’d auricle, or ear. Each ventricle opens itself into an artery and auricle; and each auricle opens itself into a ventricle and vein. These openings have valves, which open and shut alternately, and by this, prevent any confusion or hindrance in the influx and efflux of the blood.
The right ventricle is the longest and greatest, but weakest: From this ventricle springs forth the pulmonary artery, which spreads itself throughout the Lungs. ”

“ The want of appetite in a fever is a natural cause, and very often is in the patient’s favour; but the mistaken notion, that a patient must eat, even against his inclination, in order to recover strength, is not only highly absurd, but has been the destruction of many, who otherwise would have recovered, had they with patience waited the kind dictates of Nature.
Let the system be free from diseases, and the stomach will soon crave food, when there is a probability that the aliment may be converted into good blood ”

“ In general however, a vomit is what nature points out; and which gives not only relief to the stomach, but assists in giving a general effort to the whole animal fabric. In short, there are so very few cases where bitters are of any benefit at all, except where the stomach has injuriously been used to those stimulants, that I have entirely exploded them from my catalogue; being persuaded that every body will do better without them. ”

“ There is nothing so plentifully, and nothing more curiously interwoven with every other substance, as the nerves; and so amazingly quick is their sensation, that the very instant a single nerve, even the smallest and remotest in the system, is affected, the soul, or the common sensorium, is sensible of the identical part so affected. ”

“ Again, when we consider that the blood is liable to become acrimonious, and thence by its stimulus apt to act upon the coats of its containing vessels, we see demonstratively plain, how the solids are subject to be excited to act upon the very blood that stimulates them.
Moreover, as motion must naturally produce heat, and heat motion, and motion expansion, and expansion rarefaction, we at once bring to view the principal laws of mechanism, that governs the human automaton in the various degrees of health as well as disease. ”

“ The nature of scalding then, is this: the hot water coming upon the body, separates immediately the scarf skin from the real skin, thereby opens the lymphatic vessels, so that they discharge their lymph under the cuticula, and thence arise blisters. But withal, the heat of the water irritating the nerves, they are excited to contract and constrict the delicate vessels, and hinder the circulation; thence ensues the fiery colour and inflammation, and create acrimonious tendencies. Thence we learn, that a relaxation of the solids is to be relaxed, and the humours to be rectified. ”

“ But to proceed; if the patient continues to be dry on the surface of the skin, and perspiration seems backward, a blister betwixt the shoulders, the bigness of the palm of the hand [15] , will greatly facilitate the crisis or turn of the fever; but let it not be erroneously supposed, that a blister will draw off the bad humour, or that it does good by such an operation; for this notion has proved destructive to many patients. All the good a blister does is to spur on the animal function; by which sometimes the acrimony is thrown off from the system ”

“ Soon these symptoms encrease. The peculiar soreness of the throat, which renders the swallowing liquids very painful, begins to create the utmost horror and dread of every thing that is liquid; and this first gives rise to the Hydrophobia, or dread of water, which compleats the patient’s misery in this terrible disorder.
The eyes become full and staring, the face bloated, florid intermixed with lividness; the mind is impaired; rage, lust and mischief, agitates the confused will ”

“ The apoplexy is a disease, wherein the patient falls down motionless, void of sense and sensation, and is, in fact, a temporary death. It will scarce however admit of a strict definition; for there are not only various degrees of this disorder, but even different disorders under the same denomination, that have quite distinct different causes for their effect. Many indeed may be accounted for, but many more cannot. ”

“ Nay, a fever is sometimes absolutely necessary; and proves to some constitutions a remedy on its own account, provided it is properly treated, and kept within due bounds.
Secondly, If the constitution of the patient before the accident was but slender, and of a phlegmatic nature, bleeding should be very little or cautiously performed; for the blood of itself being but poor, must naturally be impoverished by being lessened; and whilst the tenseness of the fibres is lost, it is the more acted upon and rendered more acrimonious, and still unable to strengthen the tone of the irritated fibres ”

“ When a person gets cold, he generally first feels a snuffling, and obstruction in the nose, then a sore throat or hoarseness, and lastly a cough; all which is a gradual defluxion from the pituitous membrane, which reaches from the cavity of the nose, all down the lungs. Whatever medicines therefore, are capable of yielding benefit, must be calculated to open and remove the obstruction, and promote universal perspiration; whence therefore we find it is impossible to cure one, without the other.—Medicines neither do, nor is it fit they should come immediately farther, than the top of the larynx ”

“ Whilst every thing moves free and agreeable to the talk prescribed by nature, the automaton is in a state of health; body and mind enjoy peace and tranquility. So closely are body and mind in the most perfect bond of friendship, that they share pleasure and pain sympathetically with each other ”

“ This incomprehensible Being let us ever remember to reverence and adore, when we examine into the stupendous contrivance of our fabric; HE is the fountain, the benevolent upholder of nature, and all the creation; in whom we live, breathe, and have our being. ”

“ But, when the humours that are obstructed get malignantly corrupted into a pernicious acrimony, and stimulate the distended solids, so that they stretch beyond their natural tone, without admitting any circulation, the parts become insufferably painful; the patient is restless, anxious, and attended with an acute fever; the humours become offensive and fœtid, and the parts at length turn of a livid colour, and this is then called a gangrene. Gradually the parts begin to putrefy and grow black, the humours acquire a cadaverous fœtor, the solids lose their natural texture, and die. ”

“ The great quantity of cold water will also be apt to chill the stomach and intestines; thereby destroy the sensibility, and prevent them from performing the peristaltic motion; and by the universal consent, destroy the whole nervous system, which is the spring of life, that promotes the blood to circulation, and consequently stops the animal motion, and life itself.
But the most common way of drowning is by suffocation; namely, a sudden constriction of the respirative organs; whereby the supply of the air is cut off, and consequently the circulation of the blood must stop. ”

“ I have only to observe, that we have frequent instances of the patient doing well without any other help than bleeding; and where there is no surgeon on board, this is the only remedy first to fly to, and gives the greatest chance for the patient’s life: next to this, shave the head, and treat him as circumstances shall direct, without meddling with the fracture, any farther than applying gentle fomentations, with flowers of chamomile (11) boil’d in claret, and some linament of soap (B) added to it; and if there is any wound, have it properly dressed as directed in the article of wounds. ”

“ Digestion is that act by which the aliment or food is prepared, so as to produce a good chyle, and consequently good blood, for the nourishment of the body. Though no animal has a more delicate stomach than man, yet it must be observed, that none has a stomach better adapted for all kinds of food. ”

“ If the patient was a stout hearty man, it naturally follows, that the fibres of his body were also in a rigid robust state; and the quantity and richness of the blood was in a due proportion; for this very reason, health being at such an acmé, a fever is the more to be feared, and ought studiously to be avoided.
If this patient has not lost any blood by the accident, by all means bleed him; but never exceed eight ounces at farthest; it is as much as the strongest man ought to lose at once. ”

“ Physic like religion is rendered intricate and abstruse, the more it abounds in errors and absurdities; but truth like the brilliant sun, drives away all the phantoms of perplext mysteries, and proves that both alike are simple and beautiful, founded on reason, and that its most useful part is comprehensive to common understanding. ”

“ The same method as above must be observed; which if medicine can avail, will afford benefit.
On the whole, I have this to observe, that all acute fevers are liable to become malignant and putrid; and in my practice I never found, that there was any real distinction to be made in the method of cure, whether the acrimony was generated in the habit by disease, or introduced by contagion; and if I may be allowed to judge by comparison, it must appear that my method is superior to the more general doctrine; because I have ever found it to be attended with much more success. ”

“ If the contusion is great, and the patient is full of blood, bleeding is necessary; for in such a case a fever is apt to ensue, which should be guarded against, and the patient treated accordingly.
SECT. IV. Of Dislocations There are many accidents by which a limb may become dislocated; the reduction of which is a material point in surgery. But if a surgeon is not at hand, a man ought nevertheless, not to remain in that painful and deplorable state, that endangers not only the limb of becoming useless, but even the loss of life itself. ”

“ The appetite fails; a flux frequently ensues; the urine will be thick and stinking; and the poor wretch gradually dies merely by putrefaction.
The scurvy has had many definitions, and has been divided into various classes. All the difference of the disorder is, that sometimes it is attended with a fever, only in some degrees, more in one habit, than in another; which may be owing either to the nature of the constitution itself, but principally depends on the climate the patient is in: to which I must not forget to add, that frequently the scurvy is complicated with other disorders. ”

“ If the lungs, or the larynx seem so contracted that it appears impossible to blow breath into him by the mouth, recourse must be had to bronchotomy, that is, opening the wind-pipe betwixt the third and fourth cartilage; to which a man should put his mouth and inflate the lungs; the throat should be tickled with a feather, a little pepper blown up the nostrils and the body here and there scratched with pins, or small wounds made in the legs and arms, and plentifully rubbed with salt. If there is salt enough to do it, the patient ought to be covered all over. ”

“ If this intense looking is continued beyond the strength of this noble organ, it relaxes from its proper destined expansion, and the objects are rendered obscure.
Darkness is ease and rest to the eye, because it is then out of action; whilst light always keeps it in exercise; And in diseases of the eyes, light should be kept away as much as possible. ”

“ For whereever the vibration of the nerves is obstructed, life or motion must in consequence cease.
The lungs are the ventilators in the system: they receive and let in the air; they sift it from all its gross particles, and extract the useful parts from this universal element of life; thus they give from every little vesicle, a due proportion of extracted air to the blood by the adjacent veins; and by the neighbouring arteries, again extract the foul air from the circulated blood, which by the mouth and nostrils is expelled again ”

“ The structure of the cutis is peculiarly curious, and may justly be considered as a continued secretory and excretory gland; or more properly, like the bark of a tree; for whilst there is continual transpiration from the body, it, at the same time, is capable to absorb the subtile particles of whatever surrounds it, and exclude the grosser. Over the whole surface are innumerable little pores, which are nothing but the little openings of the various lymphatics, and of the blood vessels corresponding with their peculiar glandules, called the milliary glans ”