Dermatology Books
18th-Century
Medicine
The
18th century continued to be marked by unsupported theories.
The German physician and chemist Georg Ernst Stahl believed
that the soul is the vital principle and that it controls
organic development; in contrast, the German physician
Friedrich Hoffmann considered the body a machine and
life a mechanical process. These opposing theories of
the vitalists and the mechanists were influential in
18th-century medicine. The British physician William
Cullen attributed disease to the excess or deficiency
of nervous energy; and the physician John Brown of Edinburgh
taught that disease was caused by weakness or inadequate
stimulation of the organism. According to his theories,
known as the Brunonian system, stimulation should be
increased by treatment with irritants and large dosages
of drugs. In opposition to this system, the German physician
Samuel Hahnemann developed the system of homeopathy
late in the 18th century, which emphasized small dosages
of drugs to cure disease.
Other
unusual medical practices developed toward the end of
the 18th century include phrenology, a theory formulated
by the German physician Franz Joseph Gall, who believed
that examination of the skull of an individual would
reveal information about mental functions. The theory
of animal magnetism developed by the Austrian physician
Franz Mesmer was based on the existence of a magnetic
force having a powerful influence on the human body.
Despite
these unorthodox medical practices, the end of the 18th
century was marked by many true medical innovations.
British physicians William Smellie and William Hunter
made advances in obstetrics that established this field
as a separate branch of medicine. The British social
reformer John Howard furthered humane treatment for
hospital patients and prison inmates throughout Europe.
In 1796 British physician Edward Jenner introduced vaccination
to prevent smallpox. His efforts both controlled this
dreaded disease and also established the science of
immunization.
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