Part 2

A general Reader may be sometimes diverted with such Customs and Notions of the Swiss Peasants, as are occasionally mentioned here: and possibly our meerest Rustics may laugh at the brave simple Swiss, on his introducing a Sheep into the Chamber of a very sick Person, to save the Life of the Patient, by catching its own Death. But the humblest Peasantry of both Nations are agreed in such a Number of their absurd unhealthy Prejudices, in the Treatment of Diseases, that it really seemed necessary to offer our own the Cautions and Counsels of this principal Physician, in a very respectable Protestant Republick, in Order to prevent their Continuance. Nor is it unreasonable to presume, that under such a Form of Government, if honestly administered upon its justest Principles, the People may be rather more tenderly regarded, than under the Pomp and Rage of Despotism, or the Oppression of some Aristocracies.

Besides the different Conditions of Persons, to whom our Author recommends the Patronage and Execution of his Scheme, in his Introduction, it is conceived this Book must be serviceable to many young Country Practitioners, and to great Numbers of Apothecaries, by furnishing them with such exact and striking Descriptions of each acute Disease and its Symptoms, as may prevent their mistaking it for any other; a Deception which has certainly often been injurious, and sometimes even fatal: for it is dreadful but to contemplate the Destruction or Misery, with which Temerity and Ignorance, so frequently combined, overwhelm the Sick. Thus more Success and Reputation, with the Enjoyment of a better Conscience, would crown their Endeavours, by a more general Recovery of, or Relief to, their Patients. To effect this, to improve every Opportunity of eschewing medical Evil, and of doing medical Good, was the Author's avowed Intention; which he informs us in his Preface, he has heard, from some intelligent and charitable Persons, his Treatise had effected, even in some violent Diseases. That the same good Consequences may every where attend the numerous Translations of it, must be the fervent Wish of all, except the Quacks and Impostors he so justly characterizes in his thirty-third Chapter! and particularly of all, who may be distinguishably qualified, like himself, to,

--Look through Nature up to Nature's GOD!

Of all these the Schoolmasters, with us, may seem the most reasonably exempted from this Duty.

The AUTHOR's DEDICATION.

To the most Illustrious, the most Noble and Magnificent Lords, the Lords President and Counsellors of the Chamber of Health, of the City and Republick of Berne.

Most honourable Lords,

When I first published the following Work, my utmost Partiality to it was not sufficient to allow me the Confidence of addressing it to Your Lordships. But Your continual Attention to all the Objects, which have any Relation to that important Part of the Administration of the State, which has been so wisely committed to Your Care, has induced You to take Notice of it. You have been pleased to judge it might prove useful, and that an Attempt must be laudable, which tends to the Extermination of erroneous and inveterate Prejudices, those cruel Tyrants, that are continually opposing the Happiness of the People, even under that Form and Constitution of Government, which is the best adapted to establish and to increase it.

Your Lordships Approbation, and the splendid Marks of Benevolence, with which You have honoured me, have afforded me a juster Discernment of the Importance of this Treatise, and have inclined me to hope, most Illustrious, most Noble, and Magnificent Lords, that You will permit this new Edition of it to appear under the Sanction of your Auspices; that while the Publick is assured of Your general Goodness and Beneficence, it may also be informed of my profoundly grateful Sense of them, on the same Occasion.

See the Author's Preface, immediately following this Dedication.

May the present Endeavour then, in fully corresponding to my Wishes, effectually realize Your Lordships utmost Expectations from it; while You condescend to accept this small Oblation, as a very unequal Expression of that profound Respect, with which I have the Honour to be,

Most Illustrious, Most Noble, and Magnificent Lords,

Your most humble And most Obedient Servant,

TISSOT.

Lausanne, Dec. 3, 1762.

THE AUTHOR's PREFACE.

If Vanity too often disposes many to speak of themselves, there are some Occasions, on which a total Silence might be supposed to result from a still higher Degree of it: And the very general Reception of the *Advice to the People* has been such, that there would be Room to suspect me of that most shocking Kind of Pride, which receives Applause with Indifference (as deeming its own Merit Superior to the greatest) if I did not appear to be strongly impressed with a just Sense of that great Favour of the Publick, which has been so very obliging, and is so highly agreable, to me.

Unfeignedly affected with the unhappy Situation of the poor Sick in Country Places in *Swisserland*, where they are lost from a Scarcity of the best Assistance, and from a fatal Superfluity of the worst, my sole Purpose in writing this Treatise has been to serve, and to comfort them. I had intended it only for a small Extent of Country, with a moderate Number of Inhabitants; and was greatly surprized to find, that within five or six Months after its Publication, it was become one of the most extensively published Books in *Europe*; and one of those Treatises, on a scientific Subject, which has been perused by the greatest Number of Readers of all Ranks and Conditions. To consider such Success with Indifference, were to have been unworthy of it, which Demerit, at least on this Account, I cannot justly be charged with; since Indifference has not been my Case, who have felt, as I ought, this Gratification of Self-love; and which, under just and prudent Restrictions, may perhaps be even politically cherished; as the Delight naturally arising from having been approved, is a Source of that laudable Emulation, which has sometimes produced the most essential good Consequences to Society itself. For my own particular, I can truly aver, that my Satisfaction has been exquisitely heightened on this Occasion, as a Lover of my Species: since judging from the Success of this Work (a Success which has exceeded my utmost Expectations) of the Effects that may reasonably be expected from it, I am happily conscious of that Satisfaction, or even Joy, which every truly honest Man must receive, from rendering essential good Offices to others. Besides which, I have enjoyed, in its utmost Extent, that Satisfaction which every grateful Man must receive from the Approbation and Beneficence of his Sovereign, when I was distinguished with the precious Medal, which the illustrious Chamber of Health of the Republick of Berne honoured me with, a few Months after the Publication of this Treatise; together with a Letter still more estimable, as it assured me of the extraordinary Satisfaction the Republick had testified on the Impression of it; a Circumstance, which I could not avoid this publick Acknowledgement of, without the greatest Vanity and Ingratitude. This has also been a very influencing Motive with me, to exert my utmost Abilities in perfecting this new Edition, in which I have made many Alterations, that render it greatly preferable to the first; and of which Amendments I shall give a brief Account, after saying somewhat of the Editions, which have appeared elsewhere.

The first is that, which Messrs. *Heidegger*, the Booksellers published in the *German* Language at *Zurich*, about a Year since. I should have been highly delighted with the meer Approbation of *M. Hirzel*, first Physician of the Canton of *Zurich, &c.* whose superior and universal Talents; whose profound Knowledge in the Theory of Physick; and the Extent and Success of whose Practice have justly elevated him among the small Number of extraordinary Men of our own Times; he having lately obtained the Esteem and the Thanks of all *Europe,* for the History of one of her Sages. But I little expected the Honour this Gentleman has done me, in translating the *Advice to the People* into his own Language. Highly sensible nevertheless as I am of this Honour, I must always reflect with Regret, that he has consumed that important Time, in rendering my Directions intelligible to his Countrymen, which he might have employed much more usefully, in obliging the World with his own.

He has enriched his Translation with an excellent Preface, which is chiefly employed in a just and beautiful Portrait and Contrast of the true, and of the false Physician; with which I should have done myself the Pleasure to have adorned the present Edition; if the Size of this Volume, already too large, had not proved an Obstacle to so considerable an Addition; and if the Manner, in which *Mr.* *Hirzel* speaks of its Author, had permitted me with Decency to publish his Preface. I have been informed by some Letters, that there have been two other *German* Translation of it; but I am not informed by whom. However, *M. Hirzel's* Preface, his own Notes, and some Additions with which I have furnished him, renders his Edition preferable to the first in *French*, and to the other *German* Translations already made.

Le Socrate rustique, a Work, which every Person should read.

This Preface is indeed premised to this French Edition, but a Translation of it was omitted, to avoid extending the Bulk and Price of the Work. Dr. Tissot must then have been ignorant of this Addition, when first published at Lyons.

The Second Edition is that, which the younger *Didot*, the Bookseller, published towards the End of the Winter at *Paris*. He had requested me to furnish him with some Additions to it, which I could not readily comply with.

The Third Edition is a *Dutch* Translation of it, which will be very speedily published by *M. Renier Aremberg*, Bookseller at *Rotterdam*. He had begun the Translation from my first Edition; but having wrote to know whether I had not some Additions to make, I desired him to wait for the Publication of this. I have the good Fortune to be very happy in my Translators; it being *M. Bikker*, a celebrated Physician at *Rotterdam* (so very advantagiously known in other Countries, by his beautiful *Dissertation on Human Nature*, throughout which Genius and Knowledge proceed Hand in Hand) who will present his Countrymen with the *Advice to the People*, in their own Language: and who will improve it with such Notes, as are necessary for a safe and proper Application of its Contents, in a Climate, different from that in which it was wrote. I have also heard, there has been an *Italian* Translation of it.

After this Account of the foreign Editions, I return to the present one, which is the second of the original *French* Treatise. I shall not affirm it is greatly corrected, with Respect to fundamental Points: for as I had advanced nothing in the first, that was not established on Truth and Demonstration, there was no Room for Correction, with Regard to any essential Matters. Nevertheless, in this I have made, 1, a great Number of small Alterations in the Diction, and added several Words, to render the Work still more simple and perspicuous. 2, The typographical Execution of this is considerably improved in the Type, the Paper and Ink, the Spelling, Pointing, and Arrangement of the Work. 3, I have made some considerable Additions, which are of three Kinds. Not a few of them are new Articles on some of the Subjects formerly treated of; such as the Articles concerning Tarts and other Pastry Ware; the Addition concerning the Regimen for Persons, in a State of Recovery from Diseases; the Preparation for the Small Pocks; a long Note on the Jesuits Bark; another on acid Spirits; one on the Extract of Hemlock: besides some new Matter which I have inserted; such as an Article with Regard to proper Drinks; one on the Convulsions of Infants; one on Chilblains; another on Punctures from Thorns; one upon the Reason of the Confidence reposed in Quacks, and the thirty-first Chapter entirely: in which I have extended the Consideration of some former Articles, that seemed to me a little too succinct and short. There are some Alterations of this last, this additional, Kind, interspersed almost throughout the whole Substance of this Edition; but especially in the two Chapters relating to Women and Children.

The Objects of the XXXI Chapter are such as require immediate Assistance, viz. Swoonings, Haemorrhages, that is, large spontaneous Bleedings; the Attacks of Convulsions, and of Suffocations; the Consequences of Fright and Terror; Disorders occasioned by unwholesome or deadly Vapours; the Effects of Poison, and the sudden Invasions of excessive Pain.

The Omission of this Chapter was a very material Defect in the original Plan of this Work. The Editor of it at Paris was very sensible of this Chasm, or Blank, as it may be called, and has filled it up very properly: and if I have not made Use of his Supplement, instead of enlarging myself upon the Articles of which he has treated, it has only been from a Purpose of rendering the whole Work more uniform; and to avoid that odd Diversity, which seems scarcely to be avoided in a Treatise composed by two Persons. Besides which, that Gentleman has said nothing of the Articles, which employ the greatest Part of that Chapter, *viz.* the Swoonings, the Consequences of great Fear, and the noxious Vapours.

Before I conclude, I ought to justify myself, as well as possible, to a great Number of very respectable Persons both here and abroad, (to whom I can refuse nothing without great Chagrine and Reluctance) for my not having made such Additions as they desired of me. This however was impossible, as the Objects, in which they concurred, were some chronical Distempers, that are entirely out of the Plan, to which I was strictly attached, for many Reasons. The first is, that it was my original Purpose to oppose the Errors incurred in Country Places, in the Treatment of acute Diseases; and to display the best Method of conducting such, as do not admit of waiting for the Arrival of distant Succour; or of removing the Patients to Cities, or large Towns. It is but too true indeed, that chronical Diseases are also liable to improper Treatment in small Country Places: but then there are both Time and Convenience to convey the Patients within the Reach of better Advice; or for procuring them the Attendance of the best Advisers, at their own Places of Residence. Besides which, such Distempers are considerably less common than those to which I had restrained my Views: and they will become still less frequent, whenever acute Diseases, of which they are frequently the Consequences, shall be more rationally and safely conducted.