| Description Of Item | The volume contains the following papers: 'Observations on the Fever which prevailed among the Soldiers of the South Fencible Regiment while quartered in Edinburgh Castle' by Dr Bell (pp1-36); 'What objections may be made to the doctrine of morbific matter; of the rationality of the Soul making efforts to remove morbid states; of the properties of the blood and fluids, as thick or thin, acid or bland, constituting the sound or morbid states and to that of spasm either with or without debility affords proper fundamental principles for medical reasoning and practice' by Mr Campbell, titled 'Brunonianism' in the index; 'On Ulcers' by Mr Lister; 'Has Sea Bathing any other effects on the constitution than the common Bath of an equal temperature? In what diseases ought it to be used in what avoided' by Dr John Young (pp1-30); 'Of some accidents from blood letting' by Mr J [John] Young, 14th April 1779 (pp1-32); 'What are the uses of perspiration and how far may the diminution of it be supplied by other evacuations?' by L Nihell, question proposed by H Slaughter; 'What are the diseases induced by a sedentary and literary life?' by Mr Fenwick (pp1-47); 'On chronic rheumatism' by Jacob Pattisson; 'De Fermentatione' by G Lister (in Latin); 'Is Mercury to be reckoned specific in the small pox?' by Dr Willan, read to the Medical Society of Edinburgh January 1780 (pp1-27); 'Excerpts from Experiments on the nerves of living animals' by Mr Cruickshank; 'Barometer' from De Luc (Jean-André Deluc, 1727-1817, Swiss geologist and meterologist. Not all the papers have authors but the index at the front gives their names.
The reference to the Medical Society of Edinburgh at the head of Dr Willan's essay has led to confusion with the earlier Edinburgh Medical Society (1731-1737). However, the Royal Medical Society was originally constituted as the Medical Society which presumably remained its name until the granting of the Royal Charter in 1778 and might explain Willan's term. The volume dating from shortly after the charter may explain why there is no reference to the name 'Royal Medical Society' in the volume. A note in the volume from the eminent American medical historian Guenter Risse reads 'Edinburgh Medical Society = Royal Medical Society. This volume unique. 1.9.72'. |