The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-09-27
From the IhomSonian Manuel.
FEW FACTS OF SOME INTERES'


Mn. EDITOR. the course of my read
ing, ! recently met with the following inter-
rogaions, made by the celebrated Locke:
" Would it not be an insufferable thing for
learned professor, and that which his
scarlet would blush at, to have his authori-
ty of forty years standing. wrought out of
hard rock, Greek and Latin, with no small
expense of time and candle, and confirmed
by general tradition and reverend beard,
in an instant overturned by an upstart nov
elist! Can any one expect that he should
be made to confess, that what he taught his
scholars thirty years ago, was all error and
mistake, and that he sold them hard words
at a very dear ru,e 7"
Sentiments like these, find lodgmeni in
multitudes Of hearts but il is very seldom
that they are clothed with language, and
spread out before the world. Mr.. Locke
appears to have asked these questions hu-
morousiy; yet, in regard to many, they are
full of sober truth; and, in reading them,
was forcibly struck with their peculiar ap-
picability to many of the regulars in rela-
iion to Thomsonism. Facts abundantly
prove that "general tradition" and the
deep-rootcd prejudices of education are n
mony the most potent obstacles to the
spread of truth. And il very unfortunately
happens, in this case, TINT those indiyidu-
ais, who, from their situation, are morally
bound to examine the botanic system, are
the very persons, to whom its triumph
would prove most mortDyingiy humiitiating.
Can any good thing come out of Nsza-
areth 2" asks the regular. Shall ignorance
he cnthroned upon the foundation of sci
ence Aud shall the system of ages" be
overturned by that Of day Shall the
hoary- headed scientific ask wisdom of an
ilIi,crate quack Human nature is stub
born. 1t is hard for old veteran calomel
distributors, who have cmptied one or two
generations into the grave, to confess that
their whole practice has been most eyre
giously wrong, and even when convinced of
the fact but few will acknowledge it.
Now, have in my minds eye, certain
regular, who had patient sick of fever,
taken from his care, and placed under that
of Thousonad aud whom he warned
ia sp,cly AL certain death, if treated on
the botnnic system. The patient was out
in three days, and entirely free from disease.
This rapid recovery carried conviction 10
the mind of the regular, aud, Nicodemus-
like, he went to the Thomsonian by night,
and cnjoined HIM to keep it secret from
the faculty :--confessed his inability thus to
arrest the progress of n fever, aud purchas-
ed " Family right" Here was a virtual
acknowledgment of The superiority of Thon-
sonisn, but n secret one, for fear of being
subjected to the modification of adopting
the views of an "upstart novelist" But
still, it was delightful spectacle, to wit
ness an ri. d., laden with the boosted wis
dom of ages, PROSTATE at the feet Of Thorn
sousm, doing it homage, and like liule
child, taking his first lessons in medical sci
ence, from "poor illiteraie quack," a
humble follower OF the "QUacK Of qu0cks."
Thus new laurcls are every day encircling
the brow of the immortal Founder of sys-
tenn, which is continually making converts
from the circles of fashion aud the ranks of
the learned, and which is advancing rapidly
to the conquest of the earth. But there
will yei lie many hard struggles. The dy-
ing strife Of the old system will be tremen-
dous, but it must come. This generation
IN many places, will witness it. There arc
wise heads among The regulars, that will
ye' confess, that what they taught aud prac.
."seu 'or ten, twenty or thirty years, was al
wrong; aud lh,st they sold their patient,
nara ~ords, and doses If Greek and Latin
~ /" very dear rate. Concessions crc fire.
g@en"y made, To the superiority of the bo
i""ie system, 10y the faculty, ia their conf