Sheridan [née Chamberlaine], Frances (1724-1766)

Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph

London

Printed for R. and J. Dodsley

1761

"As I have an implicit faith in this good woman's skill, I remained perfectly satisfied with the judgment she had pronounced; and agreeing with her, that the sickness of the mind was beyond the power of medicine to reach."

I took my leave on this, and making a sign to the antient matron, she followed me out of the room, leaving her daughter at the bed-side of the lady. I asked her what she thought of the real state of our patient's health. She said she was certain that the whole of her disorder arose from the violent agitation of her mind, and that she believed a good night's rest would set all to rights again; that she had felt her hand, and thought her not in the least feverish; on the contrary, she had found her extremely low; and as her strength and spirits had been so much exhausted by her fainting-fits, she was of opinion that a glass or two of good wine would be of more service to her than all the drugs in the apothecary's shop. As I have an implicit faith in this good woman's skill, I remained perfectly satisfied with the judgment she had pronounced; and agreeing with her, that the sickness of the mind was beyond the power of medicine to reach, I contented myself with ordering the prudent dame to give the lady some of her own little innocent cordials, which she kept for her private drinking, and to pass them on her for the doctor's prescription.
(pp. 117-8)

Body::Disease

Searching in HDIS (Prose)

9 entries in ESTC (1761, 1767, 1772, 1782, 1786, 1796).

Text from Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph, Extracted from Her Own Journal, And now First Published. In Three Volumes. (London: Printed for R. and J. Dodsley, 1761). <Link to ESTC>

11/17/2004

07/27/2011