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 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART 
 
 NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS 
 
 STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL 1010a 
 
 (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 
 
^B^ 
 f- 
 
The Botanic Family Physician 
 
 /• 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM RENWICK RIDDKLL. LL.D.. F. B. S. (E.lin), Etc. 
 
 TORONTO. ONTARIO 
 
 \. 
 
 Reprinted from The .V-w York McdUal Journal for 
 September 13, I9i3- 
 
h'rtnnl.-d from tl,.- .V.tr T.-rt- M.-dhal .lour,H,i for 
 Seflcmhi-r i_;. I'ti.l 
 
 THE botanic; lAMlLY PHYSICIAN. 
 By William Renwick Riddf.ll, LL.D.. F. B. 
 (Edin.). Etc.. 
 Toronto, Ontario, 
 
 JuMuc. Appillaic Div.sior. -f the lli«h I >un 
 
 lit Oiita' 
 
 .1 18^2 there was published at Hamilton Lpi-er 
 Ca Ua a little vohtme which had cuns.derable 
 vo\ue in ?ts day ; but it is now rarely trnet w,th. and 
 hat passed into the limoo of forgetfulness. 
 
 At^that time, with a few exceptions, "o one could 
 practise medicine-"phys.c-; it ^^s called-or sur- 
 eerv in Upper Canada without a license from the 
 Srnor, after an examination before a med.ca 
 board appointed for that purpose And this was no 
 merely a prohibition on paper. tanadian> have al 
 wavs had an awkward way of insisting upon 
 obedience to the • statutes: and in those days the> 
 were N^nt to hang hor.se thieves and burglars and 
 banish, flog, and pillory o'-d'"^^^^ ^^leves and th 
 guiltv of less heinous crimes. So violators of the 
 Medical Act did not escape. I have before me the 
 oroceedings in court in Aprd. 183 , at York (nou 
 Conto\ when, before Chief Justice Robins^" and 
 a iury lackson Harrington was found guilty of a 
 ^demeanor for '"practising physic without a 
 
 lirense. 
 
 There was nothing, however, to prevent anyone 
 practising on himself and hi^ own family, or ad- 
 ?isine neighbors about their health so long as he 
 did not prictise for reward. Accordingly, the little 
 book I have mentioned made its way mto many a 
 home and was the vade mecunt of many a man xvho 
 was charitablv interested m the health of the com- 
 munitv. The New Guide to Health or Botamc 
 Famiix Physician, Containing a Complete System 
 of Pr'actice' upon a Plan Entirely Neu; &c., &c.. b> 
 
 (,.,.>vi«ht. .g.,1, by .\- R- K<1'"" l'"''li-.lm.K IVnipany. 
 
 \ 
 
Kiddill: liolunu I'imify Physician. 
 
 Samuel Thomson. Hamilton. Printed bv Smith & 
 Hackstaff, MDCCCXXXTI." is the title.' .\Fv cpy 
 was once the property of the Rev. Hcnrv Wilkin- 
 son, a well known Methodist minister and once 
 president of the conference. 
 
 Samuel Thomson is claimed as a son bv both 
 Massachusetts and New Hamf)shire. He was born 
 m 17Q, in territory now within the latter State; 
 but at that tmie and till si.x years later the Prn\ ince> 
 were under the same governor. Tiie cointrv was. 
 as he tells us, "almost an howling wilderness." <o 
 that his "advantages for an ed- ■'ticn .vere very 
 small." His mind. then, was ' , mckied bv the 
 visionary -ones and opinions .f others."' and 
 was entirei; free to follow his incIir.,tions by en- 
 quiring into the meaning of the great varietv of 
 objects around" him. He found man to be com- 
 posed of the four elements- -earth, water, air. and 
 hre. The earth and water were the solids, the air 
 and fire were the fluids ; the two fir^t the component 
 parts, the last two kept him in motion; and fire 
 prodiicmg heat, Thomson came to the concln.ion 
 that heat is life and cold, death. 
 
 The theory upon which he based his practice of 
 medicine is that the inside of the bodv should u-'c 
 ample heat, more heat than the outside. If the i- 
 side be allowed to become cold, "canker" is formed 
 which IS the occasion and cause of disease He no- 
 where defines "canker." but from manv hints 
 throughout the volume, he seems to have regarded 
 It as a coating deleterious in its effects, whi-h 
 forms on the inside of the stomach and intestines 
 when the mside is allowed to get coId°r than the 
 outside, the "fountain lower than the stream " 
 
 -Heat is life and its extinction death, a diminu- 
 tion of the vital flame in every instance constitutes 
 ( isease and is an approximation to death All 
 t'len, that medicine can do in the expulsion of dis- 
 order IS to kindle up the decaying spark and restore 
 Its energy. Accordingly, if a medicine is good in 
 any case, it must be absolutely so in all • if' its ad- 
 
KiddcU: HoUinic lamily PhysUian. 
 
 ministration can produce the required eftect m one 
 case, it mtist in all. and "it is evidently immaterial 
 what is the name or color of the diMase. whether 
 bilious, yellow, scarlet, or sprite.!, whether it is 
 simple or complicated, or whether nature has one 
 encmv or more." Extensive study and great erudi- 
 tion arc not necessary to form the eminent phy- 
 sician. Knowledge of the origin of a ma ady and 
 its antidote make the rci -line physician; all without 
 it i> real c|u.nckcrv. In the "Preface written by a 
 Friend." Thomson is made to repudiate the deriomi^ 
 nation "quack." but to accept i at of ' empiric, 
 one who =s governed in hi^ j^rac'ice h- his own ex- 
 perimental knowledge. ' .omst^n says he studied 
 nature, made eN|)crim<' s for tl ty vr and 
 
 now can OMifidcntly re .mmend h;.s sysie is sal i- 
 tarv ;i-id efficaciou- . i,- . 
 
 1 tc entirely disapproved of ••blt-eduH- itKi blister 
 ing and administering mercury, arsenic. '"♦■ 
 
 monv. opium. &c." But he also wain^ 
 vegetable poisons which grow comm 
 country, garden hemlock, nightshade, 
 poppv.' henbane, poke root, gargei i 
 parsnip, indigo weed, ivy, dogwfM^d, tube. 
 laurel. . 
 
 Six, and onlv six, medicines he has m hi'- 
 of practice— "the first three are used to rem- 
 ease, and the others as restoratives." 
 
 "\o I. To cleanse the stomach, overpuwc 
 cold and promote a free perspiration— en. 
 herb." i. e. Lobelia Inflata of Linuc^us. llns take. 
 bv the mouth is to "puke the patient," and ma . 
 prepared for use in three different ways: li 
 powdered leaves and pods, a tincture made o 
 the green herb, and the seeds powdered. Thom- 
 son does not -ly verv much in the lKK)k about 
 the US'- of lob-lia as an enema. I have more than 
 once heard mv old preceptor. Dr. Richard Hare 
 Clarke, of Cobourg, Ontario, one of the most sue 
 cessful of eclectics, describe the marvelous etfect- 
 of an enema of hot lobelia seeds ; but even he gave 
 
 nnti- 
 
 inst 
 ,i> 
 
 ' u, 
 VI Id 
 and 
 
 =cni 
 lis- 
 
HiddfU: Bntanic Family Physician, 
 
 up its use as early as the sixties. I'homj.on savs No. 
 I "not only acts as an emetic and throws off the 
 stomach everything that nature dcs tint rciuire 
 for support of the system, but extends its effects to 
 all parts of the body. It is searchinjf. enlivenini;. 
 quickeiiinfr, and has cfreat power in removiiijj all 
 obstructions." But it is not a complete cure in it- 
 self, "it soon exhausts itself, and if not follnwe.l bv 
 some other medicine to hold the vital luat till 
 nafire is able to support itself by dijjestinsj the 
 food. It will not be sufficient to remove a disease 
 that has become seated." What he means bv 
 • seated > r "settled" he explains in another place. 
 » remismp by sayinj,' that fever is not a disease, but 
 tlu- effect of disease, the struggle of nature to thmw 
 off disease, he goes on : "Support the fever and it 
 will turn mside, the cold which is the cause nf dis- 
 ease will be driven out. and health will be restored, 
 in ail ca.ses called fever the cause is the same in a 
 greater or less degree, and may be relieved by one 
 .general remedy. The cold causes canker and he- 
 tore the canker is seated the strife will take place 
 between cold and heat, and while the hot flashes 
 and cold chills remain, it is evidence that the canker 
 IS not settled, but as the contest ceases and the heat 
 IS steady on the outside, then canker assumes the 
 power on the inside : this is railed a settled fever." 
 \fter many experiments, he discovered "the best 
 and only medictie" so to hold the vital heat; and 
 this he calls "No. 2. To retain the internal vital heat 
 of the system and cause a free perspiration " This 
 is made of cayenne. He had tried ginger, mustard, 
 horseradish, peppermint, butternut bark, and many 
 other hot things, but settled down finallv on cayenne 
 povvdered and administered, half to a teasnoonful 
 in hot water. He adds "a teaspoonful of Cayenne 
 may be ta.,.., in a tumbler of Cider and is much 
 better than ardent spirits." (Of cour>e. de ^ustihus 
 no>, est d,spuUmdiim.) If cayenne cannot be ob- 
 tained, red peppers, ginger, or even black pepper, 
 may be employed as a substitute. 
 
Hiddrll n.'tami- / <">"'.v I'hysuian. 
 
 TV,, next is "No V To scour the Stomach and 
 The next is i^"- .v * , .• • ,. "(..r reniov- 
 
 Si'f bv'cold; and .her. >ull be mo,.; ..j >« "^t 
 in all casts or distaJ«^ [°I'' T. ..^niach ..n.l 
 
 nnd drv it is brd and .hould be av^o<ded The 
 root o Vhe bavberrv or candleberry the root of the 
 vhltc pond liiy. the inner bark or^-^^^f^- '^, 
 rr,„t of the marsh ros^eniary the eaves o n 
 •'witihha/ei;' of the red raspberry, both root an i 
 tf n o the cnunv weed, are all recommended, but 
 
 -,;?rttJ?S4u^rn?...^f;^du.n.s 
 
 --^r-tftt:riti.^r^^^^ 
 
 dizziness in anotlier sense of the word ^oou. 
 Thi>; fact Thomson docs not mention. 
 ^ "Xo 4 Bitters to cr rect the Bile and restore 
 Di-esdon" Thomson arns us agamst suppo^ns 
 Sat the bile or ,all is an enemy in case of s.cknes^. 
 There is no such thine: as too much gall. The 
 ifficultv i. caused by the stomach bevng cold an 
 iZ. so that the food i. not Prop^'-'y d.ge ed and 
 the bile, not being appropriated to .ts "J ^^ "2; 
 is diflfused throuRh the pores of the ^kin, wniui 
 becomes of a vellow color . . .. the only way to 
 effecTa cure is to promote persp ration, cleanse the 
 Stomach and restore the digestive powers; which 
 wmcause the bile to be used for the purpose nature 
 SenS '• He recommends bitter herb or balmony, 
 po7ar hark (either of the white or the stinking 
 
 K 
 
Riddcll: Botanic Family Physician 
 
 stones are almost as id- and ?"?^ ^"1 ^^f^" 
 
 ani one'which'frnot'vet' ^""TT'^ Preparations. 
 "No. 6. Kumatfc nrnnJ"''" forgotten, was his 
 
 mortificatio!;rTnd'pr?Srrn\ra7ht^?"^^^^^^ 
 
 of light wines^one Do»nT°/ ^''"^>'' ^'^ ^"^ kind 
 fine. Sne ounce of «ve„n.^T' '"•>""''^ P^""^^^ 
 and boil f or ^ 7 *^^y^?"«; put them in a stone jug 
 
 leaving !hf^„^ „':;i„S"!?' ■•'?„; S' f "f 
 
 ?eSaKESS3£r^ 
 
 of common size mav h^ aff^ ! j • . '*^" ^ family 
 time." is thus tabul'ied ''''^ "^''^ ^"""^ that 
 
 I pound of ginger 
 tJJ!"""' °^ **" rheumatic drops (No. 6) 
 Thomson strongly approved of steaming, indeed. 
 
Kiddell: Botanic Family Physician. 
 
 even his "system would in many cases without it be 
 insufficient to effect a cure." His method was to 
 take two or three stones and put them m the tire 
 till red hot, then put them into a pan or kettle of 
 hot water; the patient, undressed, with a blanket 
 around him. is placed over the steam, preferably on 
 an "open worked chair." 1 he stone^ are renewed 
 
 when cool. . . . 
 
 The medicines are not to be given ir.discnminate- 
 ly. "A regular course of medicine" is as follows: 
 "First give Xos. 2 and 3, or composition, adding 
 a teaspoonful of No. 6. then steam, and when in 
 bed repeat it; adding No. i, which will clean the 
 stomach . . . when this has done operating, give 
 an injection made with the same articles . . . m 
 violent cases where immediate relief is needed Nos. 
 I, 2, 3, and 6 may be given together." No. 4 and 
 No. 5 are for special cases. 
 
 Although these six medicines are all that are 
 needed, Thomson gives the qualities of a large 
 number of native plants— valerian, a nerve powder, 
 spearmint to stop vomiting, peppermint and penny- 
 roval to promote perspiration, summersavory for 
 toothache, hoarhound and elecampane for coughs, 
 mavweed for a cold, tanzy and featherfew for 
 hvs'terics. chamomile for bowel complaints, bitter- 
 sweet, mullein, and burdock for plasters, skunk 
 cabbage for asthma, wakerobin for colic, slippery 
 elm bark for sore throat, ginseng for nervous 
 affection, chivers, snakeroot, mustard, &c., &c., &c. 
 Many of these are still popular remedies. 
 
 Not all his science is to be found in this hand- 
 book; he had a system of midwifery and surgery. 
 But all who wished to understand these "must pur- 
 chase the right" which sometimes, at least, cost 
 "twenty silver dollars," and "all who purchase the 
 right may receive the necessary verbal instruction 
 to enable'them to do all that is required in the prac- 
 tice of midwifery, as well as to be able to become 
 their own physician and surgeon at a trifling ex- 
 pense." That some in Upper Canada purchased 
 
 
 
Riddell: Botanic Family Physida,.. 
 
 tain. .Vor is °Ls rE''';^^^'^^''"" '= ''?;> «- 
 taking five mTam oft. T^ "'"'"' " fc" d'vs. 
 
 "?hi'i.r" 'r'=' ^"'' !•- """arte'"" ''"' 
 
 tend Ezra LoveU Jr". ^' ^f ''Z ^^"^^ *« at- 
 come to that town ^h" ^'^^f-'^'^y- Mass. He had 
 
 said had tch^Zt^'d tK"fs ofT= ^"h*^ '^ ■^ 
 which he called hv <=„ 'u " " °* """"edicmes. 
 
 "coffee," -^vel mvlri S''^^'"''^'"^''^' "^"^^^ ^^ 
 
 doses within half an hn. 1^""^ ^^^"^t, all three 
 
 drinking copS;"o'7he '"c'oSe '"^ T'r'''' 
 proved to be an infusion n^f u ' which was 
 
 with bayberrv Lrk • e VoT Th'"''"'"'"^ '"'"^^'^ 
 next he was' dosed with tuL ^' ^^ "^'^^ ^»y and 
 on the followine da2 2 ^^^ '^"^^ medicines, and 
 two davs the doftor id noT'/n '^'"V"^- '^^' "^^^ 
 
 'owing da, he ad:n"[n;^;:.;?^r;;n^d"kr i^i^ 
 
Riddcll: Botanic Family riiysician. 
 
 and also the next day. The patient was now in 
 great distress, and when the doctor asked hini how 
 far down the medicine had got, and he replied 
 down to the breast, the doctor assured hini that it 
 would soon get down and unscrew his navel. Ihe 
 following day the natient became delirious and vio- 
 lent, but the doctor got one or two doses of lobelin 
 down his throat, telling the patient s tather that h.s 
 son had got the "hvps like the devil, but that his 
 medicines would fetch him down. The next morn- 
 ing the regular phvsicians were called in, b"t cou d 
 do nothing for the unfortunate who died shortly 
 afterward. Thomson was indicted tor murder 
 and tried on December 20 at Boston, before Lhiet 
 Justice Parsons and Justices Sewall and Parker, 
 and a jury. It was proved that the death was due 
 to the treatment which Lov.-tt had received, and 
 the prosecuting counsel stated that the prisoner had 
 administered like medicines to others who had died 
 in his hands. The onlv witness, however, who ap- 
 peared, swore that he had taken the emetic niedi- 
 cines as the prisoner's patient several time- in two 
 or three days, and was relieved permanentlv of lu^ 
 complaint, "an oppression at his stomach : ami 
 there was no evidence that in the course of his very 
 novel practice the pri-oner had experienced any 
 fatal accident among his patients. He was accord- 
 in'^lv acciuitted. The curious will find a tairly full 
 account of the case in No. 6. Massachusetts Re- 
 ports, p 1 S4- The followers of Thomson boast that 
 he was acquitted without being called on for his 
 defence. The fact, however, i^^ that he owed his 
 safety to the charge of the chief justice, that if the 
 medicine was administered with an honest intention 
 to cure, however ignorant the prisoner might be of 
 medical science, he should not be found guilty. 
 
 Thomson continued to practise in Massachusetts 
 for many years, and died in 1843. I cannot find 
 ihat he ever came in person to Canada. 
 
 There is no trace in this volume of some extra- 
 ordinary views attributed to him by some medical 
 
RiddeU: Botanic Family Physician. 
 e^'r^f Sivef af^eH- '^'"''^'^ ''^^ ^" the earth ,„ 
 
 up and awav from the ear'fh!^-^? P'*"*^ ^^ow 
 vegetable kingdom must ?.?' '"*^*^'^'n^s from the 
 keep him from th^ ^rave. "^ ^^^ P^^^^"^ a"^' 
 
 OsGooDE Hall.