Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-07-06
Fnr the Sonihnrn Arr,,s

Mr. EDITOR, As the late controversy be.
tween the Steam Doctors and the M. DIS. Of
this county, has produced some excitement,
and not little amusement, in this very excita-
bic community Of ours, you will oblige me, and
at the same time express my views. on the SUBJ
ject Of that controversy, by publishing, the re-
marks Of the celebrated Doctor James Johnson
on the subject Of a0riting dozen Quuckery in
medicine This gentleman does mot appear
to look upon unqualified men, who practices
without diploma, with the same horror, that
he. does the legal,sed qltacks, Gas lie terms
them,) Chat is) regular Doctors Of medicine,
who live by system Of detracton. His re-
marks we're elected by the perusal of a work,
entitled, an "Ex9osition Of Quackery and I'M
posture in Medicine &c" by Doctor Ticnor
ofthe United States.
'Quackery land ,Imposture, viii continue
t in medicine, as long as there are people to be
gulled and lucre obtained by gullng
This we calculate, will be forever. Is
quackery and imposturc confined to physic!
: No verify! 1t has existed in every profession
I. and trade from the very origin Of arts, and is
only now more extensive than hitherto, be.
cause arts are more numerous and general
Was smuggling ever put down by penal en-
actmentsl Never. 1t can only be annihilatet
by rendering the trade unprofitable by taking
off the duties. Can quackery and impostur
ever berendered unpohtable in physic, or an
= profession! We think not. 1t exists, and ha
always existed even in religion. The Priest
were quacks and impostures from the earle:
ages, when they pretended to have the Unfit
y ence on the skies, aud even hold the things
heaven. Have we not plenty of quacks al
npostures IN religion at this very day. Ho
often is the mask of sanctity worn by the by
r. rites for the purpose of obtaining his oy
selfish ends! Don the lawyer impose
ST. their credulous clients and urge them to su
when the lawyers Is only the winner. Is the
single law suitin which one party Is not {
,ES ceived by the opinions of their legal advise
But there is not a single art, profession, or S
ence into which quackery and imposture,
not force their way, and medicine cannot
rect 10 escape. But the unqualified men '
practise physc without diploma, are 81
portion Of the evils ofquackery and impost
in me licinc! The mass oftreachery and h
bug in medicine, and legahsed too, is to
licensed practice as the Atlantic Ocean to
lake of Keswick What is the unbouI
unce practice of detractlon but quackery and
r Dis posture! A medical man, is shown the
, No scription of another medical man, and, as
ter of course pronounces it to be totally
unce propriate to the case, significantly limiting
dldate astonshment that the patient is alive to tt
Court tale! Is this practice frequent! More free
~ we believe, than unlicensed practice, and
more disgracefu, more unchristian, and
State cetriiheh'al III 'ne Gnu ~
ion. fession.
-'On' Many, we have no doubt, commence
ounce nallapraris from necessity, and contn
r kep- from habit, without sinister intentons,-as
at last believe their own falsehoods, so
repeated ~.
ounce He concludes by Saying, that DR.. II
late Tor volume may achieve the object for VIII
; a' Oui was written, the humiliation OF quacke
perform this task, it win outstrip any OF
y bors ofIIeroules, or all twelve put toe
lection. And when 1t suppresses all unlicensed
,o,nce the Doctor viii have plenty ofunqualife
, for re. titioners to sweep from society; he will
.owndes have the unbounded field of legitimate
lry and impostures to weed.