Century of American Medicine, 1776-1876 e-bog

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Cullen, who flourished during the middle of that century, reasoning from apriori considerations, founded his patho logy and nosology upon pure theory. He not only did this, but he recognized the fact that he did so and defended himself in doing it. He declared it to be the duty of a philosophical inquirer in medicine to control his observations by his theories, and not his theories by his observations. In like manner he maintained that the medical practitioner should be guided at the bedside, less by the indications of nature than by theoretical considerations. Such was the attitude with regard to the theory and practice of medicine of one 'of the most philosophical thinkers and learned physicians of that period. He was by far the ablest of the solidists. His views met with general acceptance in Eng land, and excited a great influence upon the medical opinions and practice of this country, and especially of New England. Much of the practice of our fathers and many of their medical opinions may be traced directly to Cullen. He was too often obeyed as a superior. Fortunate was it that the common sense and independence of American physicians often led them to refuse obedience to his authority and to follow the guidance of rational empiricism.