Book 9780371646366

Lectures On The Principles And Practice Of Physic: Delivered At King's College, London by Thomas Watson. This 19th-century medical text compiles a course of lectures delivered to medical students at King’s College, focusing on the principles and practice of physic (medicine). It centers on diagnostic mastery through physical examination, with a strong emphasis on auscultation and percussion as revolutionary tools for inspecting the chest. The work outlines systematic methods for percussion (direct and mediated) and auscultation (breath sounds, voice sounds, and adventitious sounds), as well as auxiliary techniques like succussion, tactile fremitus, and the use of the stethoscope, while discussing their limitations and historical development. It covers a broad range of thoracic diseases, including catarrh, bronchitis, influenza, hay fever, hooping-cough, pneumonia, and the relationships between heart and lung function, with guidance on interpretation of signs and prognosis. Additional sections extend to other organ systems and conditions, such as skin diseases, Bright’s kidney, peritonitis, ascites, and abdominal tumors, reflecting a comprehensive educational aim and a pragmatic, empirical medical pedagogy of the era. The text also records pedagogical notes on teaching, patient care, and historical authorities cited to illustrate diagnostic reasoning and treatment heuristics of the time.