Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-05-07

HTThe Northampton, Mass, Democrat copies
and praises very highly Discourse on Quackery,
by Dr. Knowlton. We are a little surprised at the
ridiculous assumptions of the lecturer, much,
because great deal of allowance ought to lie made
for professional prejudice and bigoy,-the strongest
of all preudices, because it entrences itself behind
the imposing forms of learning. But we more
surprised that one like the editor of the Democrat,
whose judgment and intelligence subjects in ge-
neral extraordinary should exhibit so much ere
dulity and dogmdtism, as he does in the paper
containing the DISCOURSE and that which follows
it. We refer particularly to the latter, in which he
positively asserts of certain SYSTEM that 1T is
false in theory and dangerous in practice, and that
its practitioners VIGOROUSLY ignorant OF anato-
mical, physiological, and medical knowledge, and
should never be trusted" This is sweeping censure,
indeed; sweeping to be utterly absurd applied
to any medical SYSTEM for all must necessarily have
some merit or they could not long exist. Practical
is the test Of all systems and the only one
by which they can be properly judged. If the system
denounced really false in theory and danger
Gus in practice" asserted, how long would it take
the public to find it out and put it down! Not long,
unless it made - sealed book" to the million
friend is greatly mistaken, in our opinion when he
supposes that there is any necessary connection be-
tween anatomical and physiological, and medical
knowledge One may be the best anatomst and
Psychologist in the world, and yet not possess a
particle of medical knowledge Savages, even, are
destitute of medical knowledge; but what do they
know of scientific anatomy and physiology! Nay
more How many years is it since Harvey demon
straed the fact of the circulation of the blood And
what did Hippocrates, and Galen, and other great
physicians of the ancents, whose medical knowledge
has to this day lost none of It's lustre-what did all
they know of anatomy and physologyl Compare
lively nothing. You might just as well say that a
knowledge of Phrenology is as indispensable to a
physician, as a knowledge of anatomy and physi-
ology Just as well. Yet physicians were and are
the last men in the world to admit the truths of
chronology. Medical knowledge is nothing more
nor less than the accumulated facts of experience
this is all the science there necessarily is about it;
and they sometimes be acquired by the ilterate
Just as well as by the learned This is the reason
why ''old women" are oftentimes more successful
than the most refined and learned he to be found.
The pretence, therefore, that anatomy and physiology
indispensable to the physician, is worth just as
much and more than the pretence that dog-latin
and goldheaded cane, equally necessary to
him, or a black coat to preacher
All this is said not to ercaSe ignorance in physi-
clan. BY no means. He cannot have too much of
every kind of knowledge. But is said to rebuke that
ignorance which maintains that no person should be
permitted to give dose of catnp tea, except autho-
thorized by virtue of a sheep-skin diploma thing
which as often any way, gives passport TO pre-
TENS should be tested, also; not by the ignorance
the learning of their professors, but by their
intrinsic merits and demerits This, all, upon sober
reflection, will acknowledge. Let DR.. Knowlton test
quackery upon this principle, and it will be much
more efficient to the confusion of ignorance anC
audacious presumption, than all the lampooning he
is capable, with all his acueness, of besowing upor
it. test of this kind might possibly convince hin
that he is not himself possessed Of quite all the medca
knowledge which exists in the world.