Now, as in the cure effected by the removal of the whole of the perceptible signs and symptoms of the disease the internal alteration of the vital force to which the disease is due - consequently the whole of the disease - is at the same time removed,(1) it follows that the physician has only to remove the whole of the symptoms in order, at the same time, to abrogate and annihilate the internal change, that is to say, the morbid derangement of the vital force - consequently the totality of the disease, the disease itself.(2) But when the disease is annihilated the health is restored, and this is the highest, the sole aim of the physician who knows the true object of his mission, which consists not in learned - sounding prating, but in giving aid to the sick.
FN
(1) A warning dream, a superstitious fancy, or a solemn prediction that death would occur at a certain day or at a certain hour, has not unfrequently produced all the signs of commencing and increasing disease, of approaching death and death itself at the hour announced, which could not happen without the simultaneous production of the inward change (corresponding to the state observed internally); and hence in such cases all the morbid signs indicative of approaching death have frequently been dissipated by an identical cause, by some cunning deception or persuasion to a belief in the contrary, and health suddenly restored, which could not have happened without the removal, by means of this mortal remedy, of the internal and external morbid change that threatened death.
(2) It is only thus that God the preserver of mankind, could reveal His wisdom and goodness in reference to the cure of the disease to which man is liable here below, by showing to the physician what he had to remove in disease in order to annihilate them and thus re-establish health. But what would we think of His wisdom and goodness if He has shrouded in mysterious obscurity that which was to be cured in diseases (as is asserted by the dominant school of medicine, which affects to possess a supernatural insight into the nature of things), and shut it up in the hidden interior, and thus rendered it impossible for man to know the malady accurately, consequently impossible for him to cure it?
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SUMMARY
The Physician's Role in Disease Management
Curing Disease
- Symptom Removal: The complete removal of perceptible signs and symptoms leads to the elimination of the internal alteration of the vital force, effectively curing the disease.
- Objective of the Physician: The primary goal is to abolish the totality of the symptoms, thereby restoring health.
Philosophical Perspectives
- Health Restoration: Annihilating the disease results in restored health, which is the ultimate aim of a physician's practice focused on aiding the sick rather than engaging in complex discourse.
Influence of Beliefs on Health
- Psychosomatic Effects: Predictions or beliefs about death can manifest symptoms of disease, demonstrating a link between internal changes and observable health states.
- Deceptive Remedies: In some cases, a belief in recovery can lead to the dissolution of symptoms, indicating the power of the mind over the body's condition.
Divine Wisdom in Healing
- Revelation of Healing Knowledge: The notion that God provides insight into healing emphasizes that understanding what to remove in disease is essential for restoration.
- Critique of Conventional Medicine: The dominant medical school is criticized for claiming an obscure understanding of diseases, which hinders accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
