Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-10-12

ivcrense the general action at the hea'
and arteries, produce salvation, follow
ed by eniaciaiion and deollty, with an
extremity irritable state ol tho whole
system"
THE effects Of M rcury are expressly
mentioned, or virtually Admitted, by ev-
ery author, ancient and modern, who
/ ha, directed its use; and 1t must appear
! extraor binary that their full influence
should have been misunderstood, or, ut
least. not sufficiently regarded" ',
!. "Blood drawn from the arm of the
most delicate aud deblitated individual,
objected to course oi mercurial me-
dicines, exhibits the same buhy crust
with blood drawn from n person labOiing
under pleurisv. The secretions Of the
skin are greatly increased" "Reason-
| my upon this subject, It may be conclu
! ded that inordinate action Of the heart
and arteries, attended with an altered
state of tho blood, and with debility,
while the increased secretions attending
! this violent action have no tendency to
allay IT., health must be readily under
mined. Ii there be ulcerations in any
! part of tho body, they must degenerate
into malignant sores; as blistered surfa-
ces Doriliy, in cases where the living
powers are much exhausicdp DR..
! Rrecc's observations on the mercurial
! disease, have confirmed and established
! these remarks. Dentists have traced
! the progress of mercury in medical prac-
| tice 10y The progressive accumulation Of
! decay ed teeth, and other diseases Of the
! gums. But these nre the smallest evils
resulting from this practice; the morbid
effects Of mercurial medicine are almost
innnmerable; re,chlngs 10 the morning,
disturbed sleep, irightlul dreams, impair
I'd vision, aches and pains in different
parts Of the body, sudden failure Of
strength, IA if jus, dying, violent pa pi
taii"ns at the heart, difficult breathing,
with shocking depression Of spirits, in
iolernbIe feelings, nervous agitations,
rrmors, paralysis, incurable mania men
tai arrangement, tatuity, suicide, de-
fmmity, bones Of the face destroyed and
miserable death"
4 These maladies," continues The doc
tor, 'have embitlered life in such de-
gree, and rendered existence SO intoler-
able, that It is more than probable that
many of the suicides which disg race our
country, have resulted from this state Of
the nervous system, produced by mercu-
rial Iuaclice."
4 la The medical school Of Paris, Bishat
has established n new theory Of medi-
cine, from his discoveries in anatomy -
Broussias, practising upon this new sys-
TEN, gives the patient almost no medi-
cine and very little food. His object isI
to starve the diseuse; when, he says, III
will burn out OF itself
Therefore, to cleanse, and open, and
purify the stomach and bowels,he makes
the patient drink freely of mucilag inous
drinks, with very little or no food, and
If any, Of the very hghtest kind, and
wine to prevent debility. All his prac-
tice is said to be accompanied with re-
marka able success.
These beginnings Of opposition to this
fatal remedy or deleterious poison, al
though not accompanied with all the
success which we might expect, must
yet iniallibly gain influence, and finally
overwhelm the practice with abhorrcnce
and detestation.
! The poisons used for medicine are,
mercury, in various states of preparati on,
arsenic, or ratsbdne, corrosive sublimate,
white vi'ri"l, aDtinony, a metal SO pow
rriul and deleterious, that quantity SO
minute that it cannot be sensible IN the
finest balance, is capable Of producing
The most violen, effects, nitre, tartar
em-,ic, iron, opium, ioxglove, which
causes vomiting, syncope, coma and con-
vulsi"ns, hem'ock, the substance used
of old I" put maleIactors to death, dead
ly night shade, &c. This is the terrible
array mustered by the masters Of the
bealing art, against the life and peace
Of the distressed and wretched The
apology Of Paul can only avail them
81 did it through ignorance" said that
sublime Apostle, when recording the
time in which he had prosecuted Christ.
And the time will arrive, when future
generations shall look back on the theo.
ries and practice of medicine which now
prevail, with as much astOnishment and
abhorrence as did Paul upon his former
life. "They did it through ignorance,
will be the kind apology, while children
yet unborn will make for their prede-
cessors, while they shall heave a sigh
for the miserable victims which had been
sacrificed on the altars Of mineral poison,
and the reigning MoIoch of Mercury
The deplorable effects of administering
these poisonous medicines, can never be
ioreseen, nor defeated, with certainty;
because their operations depend upon