. Se 
1803.7 
and to this only can be imputed the ge- 
“neral ignorance of a distinction, which is 
~ familiar in most other parts of the world. 
~~ In Treland the flesk worm is well 
| known among the lower class, and among 
| such whose occupation obliges thein to 
_ associate with that class; and by these it 
is always distinguished from the itch. 
In- France ‘the ¢iron is as well known, 
and as generally distinguished “from la 
gale; and even the celebrated nosologist 
of that country Sauvage, describes. the 
two diseases in a manner, which, would 
lead us to suppose, that he did not con- 
sider them as confounded by any of his 
readers. The Germans have their reid- 
_ faus as weli as the itsch ; and formerly the 
_ wheal-worm was admitted into our Eng- 
_ Hishdietionaries. The Spaniards and Por- 
|-  tuguese have terms appropriated to each. 
_ The wheal-worm has not however been 
_ tarked by our medical writers excepting 
as an extraordinary occurrence ; and pro- 
_ bably to this cause We are to refer the 
| dispute among the moderns, whether the 
itch is animiaicular or not; some few hay- 
: ing discovered an insect in a cuticular 
~ disease, resembling the ifch; but all who 
- examined the true i/ch having been dis- 
appointed. 
Jt must be admitted that the strong dis- 
position to indulge the luxury which King 
’ James thought too great for a subject, for 
| the most part confounds the appearances 
of these diseases in sucha manner as to 
rs ve any accurate distinction; and 
the great anxiety in every family to be 
_ relieved, is almost prohibitory of minute 
_ Sbservation. The same may perhaps be the 
Hy Case with seuld heads; for certain it is that 
* Sr many of these cases yield readily 
‘ ‘to the tar ointment, yet the obstinacy 
4 
with which others resist all the known 
Temedies, should induce us, especially 
in all difficult cases, te examine the va- 
. tious appearance of cach; and this can 
only be done by leaving a part for a time 
without any dressings, and if possible, 
Uninterrupted by the fingers or nails of 
the patient. 
* Iwas led to these last reflections by 
; tree ¥ery obstinate cases in the same 
family of children, which for two years 
~ and a half resisted every remedy, empi- 
ical or gene by the regular practi- 
Honer, and were at last cured by a rela- 
on of one of the servants, who was only 
erred from offering her assistance soon- 
; : xy the apprehension of giving offence, 
heing laughed at, 
The remedy is as follows:— + 
lock root scraped and put into a galley pot 
fresh butter; it must boil some hours by 
attending to Poptlar Notions and Names of Diseases. 119 
the sidé of the fire, then be strained through 
muslid 3 and rubbed cold for some time very 
gently on the part, morning and night.” 
T have remarked that this remedy was 
suggested by a servant; because I am 
persuaded that many otliers have been 
applied by servants, and sometimes 
with ‘success, without the ‘knowledgé 
of the family. This could not be ea- 
sily done im the present instance, on 
account of the great attention the lady 
always pays tu her-children. Had it 
been otherwise, the remedy might hayé 
been used jong ‘before, and the family 
surgeon would have imputed the cure to 
his own, Such events must be reckoned 
among the causes of the great uncer- 
tainty Gf medicine, and should teach us 
to encourage a more free communication 
from persons of all classes on the subject 
of remedies, and even on the meaning 
they affix to their-apparently uncouth 
names of diseases. = 
IT need not remind your readers that the 
commander of a Syrian army, chamber~ 
lain to his king, was induced to ask the mi« 
raculous assistance of the God of Israel *, 
by the suggestion of a young female priso- 
ner, That afterwards he was'so indig& 
nant at the simplicity of the remedy pro 
posed, that nothing but the persuasion of 
his Servants could prevail upon him to 
make trial of -those means which were 
appointed instantly to relieve him froni 
an incurable disease. You will not think 
it necessary to remind me that the pre+ 
sent is no longer the age Gf mirdélés ;’ bet 
cause you must be aware that my obser 
vations are directed only to the ‘instrus 
ments by which Naaman was led to ap 
ply for, and to, make ‘use’ of the means 
by which he was restored. To? come 
however nearer our own times) and the © 
means within otr own’reach, as well as 
to show how completely [ have anticipa- 
ted the views of your Correspondent, let 
me transcribe a passage addressed a few 
months ago to the faculty. 
* After this shall we refuse to receive 
knowledge from any source? shall we 
forget that to the barbers we owe'the 
bold use of mercury—to *the Jesuits, of 
the Peruvian bark, which they learned 
of tue Indians—that an African showed 
us the value of quassia—that a Greek 
slave taught a woman the art of [noéula- 
tion, the blessings of which were fora 
time almost lost, by our fincied ini- 
provements, and ill directed cautions, 
Lastly, shall. we contrast all this~ with 
the manner in which a Fenner tias availed 
H j } j it 
* See 2 Kings, chap, v. , 
: himself 
