Lecture explores growth of popular medical texts
Dr. Brian Payton is a man who enjoys old books, so much so that he's learned the craft of bookbinding to preserve valued specimens. During the 25th alumni reunion, he shared his enthusiasm with an appreciative audience as he discussed the growth of lay medical texts in the 18th century.
Many of these popular books discussed the role of "non-naturals" in medicine. These are factors that affect health outside the body, such as air, food and exercise. Nicholas Culpepper became well-known as the author of The English Physician which included 369 medicines made of English herbs.
George Cheyne's 1724 Essay of Health and Long Life was another bestseller, giving advice on the best way of keeping fit. John Wesley's Primitive Physick or An easy and natural method of curing most diseases provided an alphabetized discussion of topics from abortion to womb. In North America, one of the most popular books was Gunn's Domestic Medicine which advocated do-it-yourself treatments.
But above all these authors stands out Dr. William Buchan, whose Domestic Medicine, first published in 1769, ran to scores of editions and was translated into numerous languages. An Edinburgh-trained physician, Dr. Buchan denounced the medical profession and stressed the capacity of ordinary people to treat their own disorders. He set great store by simple treatments, regarding diet, hygiene and temperance as more beneficial than expensive pharmaceuticals.
Books by Dr. Buchan and others were so popular and so frequently used that surviving copies tend to have a lot of wear and tear. So Dr. Payton learned the art of bookbinding and brought to his lecture not only information on these 18th century texts, but also some samples of the actual books that he has restored.
Comments or questions e-mail: 