The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-08-16

Hyou found knowledge Of these necessary
your theory, Of unity of disease. would be
overthrow, Pathology including plurality
OF disease and their investigation. Further
the fact that none of the TIomsonians pos
sess knowledge OF these branches of Med
science, is evidence conclusive, that they dc
not consider them necessary. Is not this
true !! Your unity of disease also supposes
That all the diseases that we enumerate are
but one and the same, and originate from
one cause only. If this is true, as your he
org snPposes, then we acknowledge there is
but one remedy in all cases, allowing moth.
ing for the indIosyueIasy of different indi-
viduals. Therefore our assertion. that
whether 1t be Scarlet, or Tvphus, In,ermit-
tent, or continued fever, Pneumonia, or a
common cold, and Calarrh it matters not.
the treatment is the same in every case" is
most certainly true, and your denial of its
| truth, is but mere puff Of the breath.
Before we close we wish to notice Mr..
Smiths quotations from a dissertation by
DR.. l.. NJ. Whiting, on the investigation OF
disease. In this he urges the necessity and
Importance of thorough Investigation that
we may arrive at Just CONCLUSIONS Now
the quotations Of Mr.. Smith were from those
parts Of the DIS. discourse. where he was
speaking ofthe ancient writer's, Hippocraies,
Boerhaaye, Cullen. Galen, Brown, Darwin,
and in terms condcmnaiory ofthcir spccula.
lions and false theories, of which he says,
"ihey never were established, they are
and always were false" From his asser-
tlon, let not MIR. Smith suppose the DR.. was
speaking against true theories, or what he
found true in the writings of The ancienis
No, but against false doctrines, and theories
Or. Whiting says, " a plan or doctrius
reared by logical differences upon a basis of
principles established BY correct reasoning,
must rs we conceive, be true aud correct
doctrine or theory, and such scheme eau
not be imperfect IN its operation, let lis np-
plIcaiIon be made 10 medicine, or any sub
Ject whatever" We have been thus par
iicular in order TO show that DR.. w. is not
the man. so weak minded as the gcntleman's
CARRIED extracts would make him appearfur-
Their. had we time and space, we would show
that DR.. w. wis contending throughout his
discourse. against ignorance, false theories
and QuackS. Then, let not the ThomSc-
mans tlatter themselves that they are over
looked among them. The Dr's. discourse
was particularly intended for the student,
advising him, with untiring diligence 10
search for truth, that he might found his
theories on correct principles, ard says he,
= If 1t be true. as we have said, thai we are in
possession of the needle which points direct
" TO the long desired haven. Who is there
amongst US that will not steer his ship in &C
cordance with lis dictaiions? For our own
part, we say. that il there exists a single in
dividual, especially if that individual i
young, within the pale Of the medical pro-
fesslon, in whose breast the love of science
does not burn with sufficient ardor, whose
desire for relieving the manifold woes which
the hydra disease entails upon his race, is
not sufficiently strong, 10 prompt him 10
the constant. close and uDtirine observation,
collection, anal sis and arrangement offacis
in relation 10 the morbid condition of the
body, let him De analhema, maraLalha,"
lei HIM be assigned his proper place, among
old women and quacks, and LET his name no
longer backen the esculcbcon of our frater-
nifty. To sucl an one, we could by no
means extend the right hand of fellow.
Ship for the bump which has been lighted
has sent its beams TO US, and its flame grows
brighter and brighter, its penetrating rays
would inevitably search Us out and expose
us, for such degrading act, to the scorn
and derision of all who worthily bear the
title of Scientific Physician. lie can be
regarded only as gangrcnous eschar upon
the corpse medicale, and the sooner he is cut
of the better" But d" the day is coming
and now is' when the names of such men
will be scathed by the liehienings Of public
indignation, and such will be the true desert
OF those who while the sun of science is she'd
ding over The land lis flood Of living light,
will prefer the darkness and persist in quack-
cry.
Now Mr.. Editor, in closing we would
ask Mr.. Smith if this view Of the med. pro-
fession is absurd or foolish, os spoken of by
DR.. Whilingl Is he convinced that he
was contending against ignorance, which
in this enlightened age he considers Grim
nal? And as he was quoting DR.. w. did
he not see the Thomsonians portrayed in
every feature as those who preferred dark
ness rather than light? We do feel our
selves prepared "to define AMI defend our
theory" and practice in all its branches, and
in doing so the Thomsohian theory and
practice will not escape. but its true merits
shall be held forth 10 the gaze of the people
on every occasion that may be presented,
for we believe there is no subject which
should more seriously demand the attention
ofcommuniiy than that in which we all soon
er, or later may feel the deepest interest
1t does become US then, one and all, 10 ex-
anime for ourselves, that we may be prepar-
ed 10 decide whom we will have TO serve US
in the hour of affection, for an error COM
mitted then can never be corrected. You
have your servants around you Of both kinds,
Thomsonians and Regulars, if you find from
experience and observation that the Thorn
sonian is the best qualified TO serve you,
choose him. But if the Regular merits your
confidence preeminenly, then choose him.
h,e