Author: Daniel Drake

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2017-10-25

Total Pages: 522

ISBN-13: 9781527665637

Excerpt from The Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery, 1840, Vol. 2 Statistical medicine or political arithmetic, as it is some times called, is that searching department of our science which separates the ore from the dross. It melts down and con sumes the scaffolding which elevates empiricism, ephemeral success and accidental popularity, into high places. It unde ceivas the public by substituting for the caprices of the credu lous, the partial and the prejudiced, the unerring results of time and truth. Statistical medicine furnishes the key which opens to public view in a manner the most convincing, sim pie and summary the actual results of the regular and empi rical practice. The doctrine of annuities, successions, rever sions and life assurances, are all founded upon the truths af forded by statistical medicine. The facts, which it discloses in regard to the practice of medicine in this city, are well cal culated to make every member of this society proud of the profession to which he belongs and of the noble science to which it pertains. They show that the syren voice of the empiric is not to be trusted. They prove that there is no short road to knowledge in medicine - no safety for the afflict ed, but in the counsels of those who have patiently climbed the rugged hill of science - no reform to be found by descend ing lower, but by climbing higher. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.