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CURIOSITIES OF MEDICAL EXPERIENCE.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
INTRODUCTION.
OBESITY.
DWARFS.
GIGANTIC RACES.
UNLAWFUL CURES.
VOICE AND SPEECH.
ECSTATIC EXALTATION.
This volume gathers a series of unusual medical episodes and observations recorded by a veteran army surgeon and asylum physician in the early nineteenth century. Through vivid sketches of curious ailments, mistaken diagnoses, and improbable treatments, the author highlights how easily even respected authorities can be led astray by fashionable theories. The tone is both instructive and wry, encouraging readers to question prevailing wisdom and to seek solid evidence before accepting a cure.
Designed as a companion for medical students, the book also offers a broader cultural snapshot of a time when scientific progress raced ahead of reliable methodology. Each anecdote serves as a reminder that the path to knowledge is often littered with half‑truths and imaginative conjecture, urging practitioners to balance skepticism with compassion. Listeners will find the collection both entertaining and thought‑provoking, a window into the challenges of practicing medicine before modern diagnostics.
Language
en
Duration
~24 hours (1390K characters)
Release date
2012-03-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1782–1862
A British army surgeon who turned experience into stories, he wrote about war, medicine, duelling, and the quirks of human behavior. His books mix firsthand knowledge with a lively curiosity about how people think and act.
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