The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-02-02


LOUISVILLE, Jan 10, 1872.
Discussions IN Neuro'ogy-sims AND Buchanan Good
Rop- Failures.
JAMES GORDON BENNETT, ESQ
Public discussions must be admitted by every
thoughtful, unbiased and unprejudiced mind, 10 be
highly beneficial to the community at large; deco.
rum, gentlemanly address, and honorable inquiry
should characterize the meetings for the above
toned purpose. No petty qubbling, no psltry ca
willing, and no personal luminosity should be allowed
to enter an assembly convened for the discussion or
investigation OF any subject, no matter how absurd,
how obscure, or how inconsistent with the funda-
mental laws of nature, or how papably false it may
appear to an intelligent mind, an Impartial hearing
should be givcu to both sides-justce should be
granted to the weak, as well as acceded to the
strong
Such has not characterised the late discussion at
the Medical Institute. between DR.. Sim and DR..
Buo nan; last evening DR.. Sim delivered lecture
..oI Tor the purpose Of totally .annihilating neu-
.oloay, DR.. 3. having Withdrawn, and refused to
meet DR.. S. After the lecture, the report of the
committee, appointed to investigate the truth Of
neurology, was read. In this report it was alleged
that every experiment of Dr.. Buchanan proved un-
successful and unsatisfactory. DR.. Sim rdculed
the science of Dr. Buchanan, and declared him and
his science humbug, CDR. Buchanan was not pre-.
sent;) he then read two letters. one from Or. T s.
DR. Buchanan had declared the Dfs. T. s. a. I.
had given up as hopeless and past recovery, and
that he dr. .,uchansn) had restored and raised the
devoted patient, in a manner from ths grave. In
these two letters, the Drs. stated that they had
left the patient convalsscent and out of all danger.
Dr. T S. b said he p" would swear ON oath what
he had said in his letter was rue; he also believed
D.. L to be a humbug: and had been endeavoring
Judge T., DR. Burhanen's fatherin-law, at dis
critical period arose, "desring the privilege of
reading two letters" one from the patients mother,
the other from the patient himself, youth about
she was confident, that had it not been for DR. Bu-
chanan, her son waud have died. The patients
letter corroborated this statement, Of courses dis.
cussion ensued, in which DR.. T. s. b. denounced
'he had known DR.. B. from childhood, that he al.
WAYS held high reputation for verecity, and that he
CDR. T. g b. did not doubt his veracity, but that
he he had been msled as regarded the statement
s. b. & T should have addressed note to his cor
in law correcting those Statements" DR.. L. 5 B.
alleged shat was Dr. Buchanan's place to enquire
of them whether the case was such as had been re.
presented to him, and not to take the opinion OF the
mother in preference 10 that Of the Doclois." He
also stated lhat had he been present at the writing
Of the letters he doubted not, but that they would
have been couched In quite different language"
his family TO be questioned, he believed Little in
but without the assistance OF neurology
il was mere paything, fit only Tor children; with
the assistance OF neurology lie thought il a master
science, and that his son.ln law would be immor.
talized by discovering thing wonderful; that it
was OF the greatest dlspensatIons that benign
Providence could confer upon his people" DIR T.
8 b. ibid not wish to compromise the honor Of the
- G. Ill ~.lA N.
cere in what he said, and what he professed, but
that he deluded young man." Judge 4. 'did
not care if his should fail in establishing his SCI
ence, he was smart, possessed talents superior 10
hobby (f he fell from the present one,) with which
he would succeed better than he had done with the
one now in dispute"
At the meeuag before this, the rsinerity Of the
majority, in which DR.. Buchanan's experiments
were DECLARED to have been successful This report
was published TO which was an appendix, which
not pubished; ia II was stated, that the malo-
they were willing that the minority should report
first, c nd that they would in the meantime make out
their own. The report was accordingly given IN
as coming from the whole committee, and published
as such.
Last evening the discrepancy between the tw
reports caused great contention and i'll feeling be-
tween the two parties; Mr. G. one Of the majority,
said =" il would look well for Dr.. Buchanan to go 10
Philadelphia and the East. and state the success neu
gy had met in Louisville, as he had done in a
similar case, when he returned from Arkansas, that
he had humbugged the medical faculty here az we'll
as in Arkansas, that he had imposed upon the people
to such an extent as TO acknowledge so iool'sh
thing. SCIENCE il could not be called, il was unworthy
the name" He pronounced DR.. Buchanan hum
bug, his theory humbug, and all who would believe
ia him humbngs."
A great uproar and noise, not unlike wing po-
ltics1 broi, ensued, in which the msst opprobnous
epithe,s were banded from one 60 another; lar and
YOU lie" were among the most conspicuous and most
frequent. The noise in the lecture room was re-
echoed ia the hall, BY. the boys, who thronged
the place and bsrricadcd the doors, with renewed
ypor and en,huslasm.-Their yells were long and
piercing. The majority of the committee, finally,
carried the day. and put stopto the discussion and
fuss. Several Reverend gentle men have been
implicated in the case of DR. Buchanan's resurrect-
ed patient as having made false statements in the
matter. They doubtless, will vindicate themselves
and their actions.
The controversy ended with the lecture of last
evening As DR. Sim said, " il did not require a Sc.
res ef lectures, from him, TO overthrow 50 palTy a
theory as DR.. BIS fine lecture sufficient TO up.
root snd entirely eradicate so trlhing humbug and
that if there yet renamed any present who was
not satisfied that there was no such thing neu.
f 5ol9sy' he would and could convince hun OF The
One of the first houses in the city has failed-it is
owing to the failure Of their agents in ewOreans
THIS tide OF affairs was unexpected and unlocked
for. They have aiwa, stood in the highest reputa.
ticu, and held the standing Of men OF honor.
The weather " most delghuul-the sun shines
each day moot respleadently, and not a cloud dlms
bright dusk OF obsifucis It's rays. The streets are
thronged. Ca Sunday the churches are crowded.
Tee ladies hook chsa,mng. and every thing wears
the aspect Of cheerulness. II .-
IovnviIIE-
TnE BBLE.-We learn that Mr.. rpshur, secre.
tary OF the Navy, has given instructions to the
commanders Of the several navy yards, 10 supply