Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-05-19
(Thomsonianism continued. }

Mn. EDITOR I'm continuing my review o.
Mr. Arnold's communication, whatever relates tn
me, personally, pass over as unworthy re-
ply. Whether am ''stcking to the profession
as a cat with one caw,''o in full and successful
practice, unmolested by quackery in any shape,
is matter in which the public have no concern
| shall found my remarks wholly upon such por-
tons as the author supposes are intended to rem
der disreputable the practice of medicine as
taught in our schools and TO propagate among
the credulous, the pepper notions, or as he would
have it, the "Botanic system"
Now what is this sysiem' purely botanical
innocent, 'congenial with nature and 'eflica-
cious to n WONDER we are told In other
words root and herb practice, AS though
the practice which they condemn was altogeth-
er mineral and poisonous. Now how is the lactl
The MateIia Medica in common use among the
! regular faculty, consists of some seventy or
eighty articles, eight or ten of which are derived
from the mineral, two or three from the animal,
and the other fifty or sixty from the vegetable
kingdom The main Thomsonian medicines
are the following :--Lobea or Indian Tobacco,
Cayenne Pepper and Gum Myrrll--al OF which
articles were described by writers on the Mate
ria Medca, and We're in general use, as far as
admissible, long before Thomson commenced
his imposition upon the patent Office and won
der-loving community. Then the only differ
ence is Ia this,-that whereas the scientific
practitioner applies them according to the ma
ture of the case, and the symptoms present;
the Thomsonian uses them as the lrishman did
his rum, "for meat, drink and lodging too" and
this on the assumed, preposterous and perni-
cious pathology, that all diseases proceed from
one and the same cause, to wit: Cold rifhin.
n Every practice must be based upon some kind
of theory, and no matter what, if it will only
take with the credulous and unobserving. Thus,
IL Ratn- nflr nj Pr0Vl-
dence, II. |. believed that all diseases depended
on heat ,cithin, Ga much more consistent theo-
iry) and cured all complaints with cold water,
direct fiom the clouds of heaven. The self
/, STYLED British College Of HEALTH or rather DR..
Morrison, contends that all complaints arise
, from impurities of the blood, and can only be
, cured by the Hygean Pills, Nos. and 2; and
in support Of which practice, as many and as
2 honorable testimonials could, at one day, have
been procured rs Mr. A. claims in support OF
. Thomsoniausm, although the operation OF the
two systems of practice are precisely opposite
E, And there is still another system, equally anus
] ing though not Of 50 dangerous character
+; which has lately originated in Germany. al
I lude to the homeopathic doctrines, propaga.
! ted by DR.. Hakncmann and his followers, and
: which are exciting much attention at this time
D in Europe. They contend that diseases artili
n cially produced, cause Immediately to cease
diseases which are analogous to them in char
: acter; and that remedies efhcacous although
d attenuated, TO a degree which appears impos
o sible To vulgar physicians, whose minds EN-
y brace only gross and material ideas. They de
, bend for cures on prescriptions like the follow
y ing:--Dissolve grain of tartar emetic in on
|, hogshead Of water, and give thousandth par
II of drop for dose. Surely MIR Arnold couI
o not complain of doses of that magnitude! an
- ban,y x.rould IA he for his Datients. MANY times
if his Lobea and Cayenne were equally diluted
re An amalgamaiion of the two systems woul
e prove a great blessing to mankind.
l. The affective sentence, dust thou art, an
r unto dust thou shalt rrturn," has uniortunatel
/, past upon the human family, and it will inevits
~ bly be executed, the boastings of Arnold an
le Haknemann to the contrary, Notwithstanding
l. And il is no great wonder that when the Ire
phne and the Leyator, guided by surgical ski
and extensive experience, fail in some instance
Il to cure broken heads, the 2 inch auger and gun
e, let in the hands of some patented mountebani
re should be occasionally resorted to. But the oil
ne jections 10 such instruments would come WI
r far better grace from men who use instrument
re well adapted to surgical operations, than frol
n. those who virtually condemn not only the tool
If hut the science which is calculated TO guic
r. them. The same inconsistency applies IN u
7 case of abstractng blood by the gallon, and CIV
ing caomel by the pound. Such may be an
he are weighty arguments against practising me'
We icine without knowledge of the structure
he the human body, the nature and tendency
h, disease and the medicines best adapted to resto
's healthy action in the system; but fail altogetl
II er TO establish the doctrine, that science is da
gerous, and the practice under it, hypothetic
no "''' ANXIOUS vERITATUS.
its