Doctor Quote by Benjamin Rush
![“Were I disposed to consider the comparative merit of each of them [facts or theories in medical practice], I should derive most of the evils of medicine from supposed facts, and ascribe all the remedies which have been uniformly and extensively useful, to such theories as are true. Facts are…” quote by Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da7/benjamin-rush-9439_doctor_were-i-disposed-to-consider-the-comparat_2482487.jpg)
“Were I disposed to consider the comparative merit of each of them [facts or theories in medical practice], I should derive most of the evils of medicine from supposed facts, and ascribe all the remedies which have been uniformly and extensively useful, to such theories as are true. Facts are combined and rendered useful only by means of theories, and the more disposed men are to reason, the more minute and extensive they become in their observations”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Medical Observations, 1790
Medicine’s progress depends on theories that organize facts; without theory, facts are useless, and reasoning deepens observation.
In simple terms: Theories turn facts into useful knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Use theory to guide practice.
Themes
medicine
theory
observation
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- clinical diagnosis
- research design
- education
- policy making
Key Concepts
epistemology
scientific method
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance theory and empirical evidence?
- When might theory hinder discovery?
A Different Perspective
Theories can bias interpretation of facts.
![“[W]here there is no law, there is no liberty; and nothing deserves the name of law but that which is certain and universal in its operation upon all the members of the community.” quote by Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b9e/benjamin-rush-9439_certain_w-here-there-is-no-law-there-is-no-liber_240226.jpg)
![“The business of education has lay[ed] the foundations for nurseries of wise and good men, to adapt our modes of teaching to the peculiar form of our government . . . . He must be taught to love his fellow creatures in every part of the world, but he must cherish with a more intense and peculiar…” quote by Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e9a/benjamin-rush-9439_affection_the-business-of-education-has-lay-ed-the_334284.jpg)
