Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-04-21
FoR THE ARGUS.

Iwould ad wise all of those aoostId be Doc
ors Of medicine, whodenounced this potent
gent Of the materia medica last Summer,@
lpon the score that it even produced bleed
NC from the gums to read the following.
which is an extract from the manuscript lec-
ures Of N. Chapman, M. ID. Professor of the
heory and practice Of physic in the University
IF Pennsylvania, and one Of the Oldest and
most renowned physicians inthe United States
We viii remark, however, before We give theEz
extract, that according TO our experience eve
~ instance In which liberation or bleeding Of e.
the gums in the fevers Of last Summer, or any
other Summer, was the resultnot Of any pois-
onous tendency of mercury in such cases, but
of an abuse Of the article. We possess no
divine powers in the healing art, nor do We
wish to pack ourselves off on acredulous COM
Imunity as individuals inspired by q secret
communion with wise spirits whether they e
preside over roots or minerals. We,trust how q
lever that we can at least boast of plain CON-
mon sense, and as far as our practice is con-
scerned we are always governed by those plainS
general principles of medicine and that expo
srience of our fathers, which has stood the test
sof centuries and which it has ever been impos-
7sible for Empyrcs, imposters and pettifoggers
ito overthrow. Such are our pretensions, and (
1--WE viii assert and can prove by respectabes
smen, that we administered calomel in multi !
stude of cases last Summer, indeed in every VI
SoIent case, which occurred in the sphere Of ourA
spractice, in the manner described in the sub
joined lecture of DR.. Chapman, and in no IN
zstancc did we produce either cessation blee-
ding Of the gums, engagements of the glands oil
sthe jaws, or any ofthe specific effects ofmer-
#cury. Our success moreover did not fall farI
Snort of those self important and skillfu gen.
& tlemen who style themselves Faculty, who
wrought miracles with Snake root, Quinine
fsand Camomile flowers! We say miraclest! he
the grave yards of Mississippi say miracles =
s. the people say miracles the Steamers cry
e miracles! Neither did we fall very far short of
3the Botanic Medical Jupiter tonans, who went
~it with perfect looseness! We will ask thoFe
,Ngentlemen who condemned the propriety d
ssmercury last summer, for the sake OF getting
Fsbusiress, we presume two questions, which we
u think can be easily answered by any tyro il
n Pathology. That state of the organs IN Sum
Amer disease, (Fever,) constitutes mercury
4poison! And what symptoms contra indicat
SITS use. Oh We wise men who have inter
Ecourse with the Gods of medicine, and wit
the ghosts OF Eusculapaus, Hipocratcs and Ca
len, answer these questions. that the peopi
ozmay understand, and not be poisoned by Ii
Ia granamothcrs, who have always dealt free
oFsheretofore with this whitening bighting poison
Now comes the lecture, which we thin
Va states very properly the indications ofCalom
is Gin fever and how TO give It.
Il Gentlemen If you could see what almo
'yEdahy see, in my private practice in this cit
Epersons from the South in the very last stag
~ sof wretched existence, emaciated to a SkeletC
: NNith both tables of the skull almost complete
gperiorated in many places; the nose hall son
y s4With rotten laws, liberated Threats, breatl
so nore pestiferous, nore intolerable than the pt
So Assonous Upas limbs racked with the pans
nd sthe Inauisition, minds as imbecile as the pull
a crieyous burtlen TO themselves and
ssdi<pusting spectacle to others,-Gou would c
claim. as have often done, OH the CONNIE
.table rant Of science that dictates the abuse
!, It4Calomel in the Southern States Gentleme
'Se at IS disgracefu reproach to the profession
rms Medicine. It IS Guackery, horrid, unwarranl
quackery. What merit do gent
osttsnen Of the South flatter themselves they p
,ar ssisess by being able 10 Sdlirate patient! u
- sa1not the verest fool in Chrlstendom Sallvat
III suiye Calomel until the mouth bleeds {" i
All will ask another question. W hos 1t t
it,Ican stop the career Of Mercury at will,after
rn sShas taken the relns In his own destruct
mi %bands! Our gum tleeders, attempt
,ros4cbeck its career, by tanning the mouth dS
-. Eswere. with creosote, an article more poison
ain the mouth, than Caloniel. lJudiclously
'i9 -ssen. in the stomach He who for an ofdin
top cause resigns the fate OF his patent to Mel
sfui. ~. is vile enemy to the sick, and II he is
canserably popular, will in one successful sea
few s4have paved the way for the business OF II
III, Mfor he has enough to do, ever afterwards
stop the mercurial breach ofthe constitution
his delapidated patients lie has thrown
ntoK1self in fearful proximity to death, and has
sto fight him at arms length as long as ms
lent 9tient maintains miserable existence.
ciai Now we come to the point And all
lod- Eporsisted in the use Of calOmel last Summe
1t lsls eyerv stage Of the complaint, in broken
ing ,sswIIl learn from this clause their error.
peo- zlearned their error then, and witnessing
10 Is Reflects Of an abuse of the article, they den
con- cee it, but Notwithstanding their denuncIa
VIZ" h;S thev could not give it up. They .coule
IL Asatisfy themselves in what way itwasalnJu
hon But concluded as many died, and many
noEs hemorrhage from the. gums, that itmIgh'
ock .Ebably be injurious, and that 1t was pol
no# least to condemn 1t.
risea What more do we want, (says Proi
4Chapman.) in the treatment offevers TIL
- excite the secretory action of the liver; an
y '.s9dose of calomel viii just as well do TINS
- IS thousand
llu We found this remark true IN an en-
49, ssdegree last summer and fall. Gentle rea
ibosesathe case of your friend who died last SUI
,rcss. sbefore calomel was condemned, how
yhich3 dcses of it did the physician give, ant
indi- Esoten! We can anticipate the answer
to his ter the article was cried down, ofcours
same. could not tell how much was given,
con Swere told that the use of it was aban
smor- Gentle reader contemplate moment tn
1t wlll cess of physicians both before and ate
ettng denounced calomel: What was their cc
so no tive success? We again anticipate y
k my W. i, 1t 49, success was tbesame. But
- Mlecture: