Richmond palladium., 1837-04-15

Fos The Riehmood Pasdism.
- that speaketh in an unknown tongue,
..,6lssh not the people"
!. .he last number Of the "Palladium," l
:s.d a communication signed "a friend to
~ee' with which, owing to the candour,
..esaly. and truly gentlemanly like spirit
s-.i.,ei therein, confess | was much pleas
I.s:d when there exists difference Of SEN
:set on any subject, 'sridicule and SATIRE
..ct be substituted for 'sreasOn and argu-
..ar-they will not satisfy the thinking part
~ community, they may serve to amuse
~ sAouehtless for a season, but can never
1910 10 overthrow even exceptionable
.-,aans supported by argumentat've reason
b, sr less those founded on the nature Of
~. "a accordance with the principles Of
n. s;eductivc philosophy" But 1t is well
~,heaticated fact, that he who aims at in
s-ati0n or contributes to Overturn long
.aablished opinions. however gross, must run
~ risk Of suffering the martyrdom OF ms
~.utstion, the loss Of property; must be sub
"a 70 incarcerations in dungeons vie; must
- the finger Of public scorn from those
rAoes right he is supposed to invade, and
-Aoee earth born minds never scared above
4. dismal sphere; he must jcoPardize his
0. and be subject to the Outpourings OF the
.vectiyes which the vulgar and interested
=. always ready to heap upon him.
Let the spirit Of him who shook the Papal
Aeaae TO the centre, and taught mankind
,IsAihe Pope was not an infalliable being;
~ nrit Of him who taught the world the
- principles by which the 1'Solar System
- governed and the spirits Of those who
saled their doctrines at the block, on the
safF,ld and ;ibbet bear witness that "bOnds
nd Affections" only await refOrmers in every
,ee Of the world.
''Tis not for them to be honored with the
ninpphal arch which awaits the cOnquerOr
vbo has slain his thousands, desolated the
nost fourishing kingdoms and laid in ashes
the most opuIent cities; its not to receive the
slden medal awarded to the destroyer Of his
eecies, neither the laureled wreath Of yore, ,on
s6ch fame delighted to Iinger, but it is em-
,haticaIIy ..bonds and affl,ctions''-and let
.one anticipate ought beside, but the fiat, let
very man know for himself, has long since
Wne forth and thousands of untram elled spl-
nts are no longer bound by early impress
nns and prepossessions, but have broken
trough those barriers which have retarded
he onward march Of science, and who now
sand as the champions Of reformation, and
AVE staked all dear to them on the issue,-
nong these we hope TO be found.
~But what is il which must undergo a re-
6matiOn, in what manner and on what prIn
uples is the reformation to be fuunded!'
We cannot answer at this time, all the
peries Of ssa friend to science" but surely
Ts will answer some. the balance in future.
The science of medicine we wish thorough.
" reformed and placed on the bases dieter
ad truth, against whose foundations the tenn
Hbo1
fude workings Of the volcano; the sophistica-
I'd arguments Of the vain, and the insidious
stacks Of the designing, may beat for ages
without displacing one particle Of the noble
sdl6ce.
But it may he thought by many that the
E,ence Of Medicine has through succession
u many centuries, received all the necessary
attention from the most enlightened, pene.
rating and sagacious Of the human species,
70 place it on that foundation from which no.
dill can ever displace it. Admit the funda-
nental principles were true, yet it is not a
rcof Of itself that the inductions drawn
Aereirom are such, and that they will guide
~ practitioner Of the healing art, with un-
srng certainty, i'll administering medicines
10 remove the mutitariOus forms Of disease
70 (which the oilsprings Of the children Of men
re subject.
We must judge Of the inductions, even
vhen drawn from a pure fountain, by the ef-
scts which they produce, and if pernicious
insults follow from their application every
rank, unbiased, and ingenious mind must ac
aow'edge they should ne Immediately sus-
fnded, and ''thorough reformation" ofsaid
uductions take place.
Let the records Of mortality for four thou
and years, and the millions who have gone /
own 10 the silent tomb in early youth as
nctims OF false theories and OF the deleteri- /
~ effects Of the most poisonous substances,
INCH the industry Of man could extract from
ne bowels Of the earth, or could torture from
llures most hidden recesses, rise as swift
shnesses against them.
ana even the most unexpected results Of
ne prevailing systems Of medical practice
MS day. go as prcsumptive evidence at
f1f that they ACT MT IN ,,nis.,n NTH 81 II