New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-15
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.


u
association composing majority Of the Doctors Of
our City, intended to embrace all that is esteemed
orthodox and regular in the profession and exclude
the considerable aud Increasing class who, though
they have passed through the prescribed course Of
medical training and are unexceptionably fortified
with sheepskin, have been drawn away from the
beaten paths of Medical prescription by the new
lights of Homeopathy. Hydropathy &c. &c. and
thus have fallen under the ban of the order which
fact the Academy il designed to render notorious
and eiectual. We do not find this very clearly or
prominently set forth ia the Address, but it is i'm
piled in its general scope and bearing, and espec
ally in such passages as this:
"a remarkable Characteristic ofour Republic A6soca-
hon ard this powerful agent find brought 10 cog
ulzance by numerous examples; Our social system
sbounds IN It and compelled TO yield 20 ITS in
herent operation though perhaps, remotely connected
with It's pro1mate designs. This principle OF association,
however has for the most part been applied espe
elslly 70 sef-improvement, AID the augmentation Of
knowledge, 20 eloemosynary and charitable designs or 30
fiscal experiments. II ia the broad platform Of the
nrsi Of these three objects that here assembled.
In the present instance organic alton has been formed
the distinctive feature Of which is that Is the inevitable
result the wants Of the profession Itself and of the
community at large. An Academy Of Medicine In this
City moral necessity 1t was demanded by the
daily increasing perversion of noble science, by the sui
lied dignity Of honorable vocation. by the predOm-
nance Of evils Of saddest ISSUE and by the long
claims Of injured humanity. This language cannot, ap-
prshend be deemed too forcbe when contemplating the
condition OF practical medicine in this day and
generation Yes, the venerable art Of physc, rich with
the achievements Of the mghest nteees and the accu
mulaed wisdom Of more than two thousand years with
divine claims Of origin and its vast train OF blessings
in our behalf threatened with dsrut OF its noble
capabilities, have lost OF Its repue disciplined sci
among ard 10 have surrendered Its ongesrned
the specous appearances and absurd practices
which the and zeaots OF the darkest
might hesitate TO tolerate. How sadly such condition
Of the profession harmonzes with the great objects OF the
sacred Philosophy scarcely abide the reflections
which spring from examination Of the causes which
ted the formation Of the Association OF the dci
pies OF Escuapus In behalf Of their cherished science
That Ignorance ot the laws Of HE of the rules OF health
and OF the remedial powers Of medicinal substances pre-
walls 10 wonderful degree even In exalted places, IS an
iDconrovertoe position and hence the innumerable ca
amues which popular deuson Ia the curative art entails
Most unfortunate for It's Victims like fraud In fiscal con-
1t has wider influence in Its effects than with the
imnedats objects with whom II trsffies Its dire mag-
nifty often extended through large circle OF the uncon-
seous and unsuspectiDg
All this is very Just or otherwise, according as II
shall prove that the peculiar tenets and practices oil
the innovators are benefceht discoveries or pesti-
lent qusckeries. The Address assumes throughout
that they are the latter and it is not our province to
prove it mistaken. The points OF difference are not
here put in issue; and, able and learned As Dr.
Francis is known to be, he has here neither given
nor attempted to give us any clue for determining
which is the Justice and which the thief He says
much and very forcbly, of the progressive develop
ment of the Medical Science, repels with spirit aud
force the idea that the Healing Art in the hands OF
the regular faculty, is or has been stationary and
the faculty averse to improvement passes rapidly
before our eyes the imm ense achievements of Med
ica investigation and genius forgetting to tell us
whether the discoveries Of Harvey, Jenner, &c.
were or were not stigmatized as quackeries by
majority OF their immediate medical cotempora'
ries J and proiien pledges that the Academy, at
least shall not prove a clog and hindrance to the
recognition and reception Of new truths Dr. Fran.
els explicitly says
The Influence of this Academy, II is hoped, will conr
butte In % small destroy that casustry which
sometimes insnuses Itself In discussions among minds Of
limited grasp the supposed ultrae0nseyatve tenden
medicine. IL will unfurl the banner OF philosophy,
and the march for truth allow every 10 pursue the
path he deems best for Its attainment. Free discussion
will be cherished IN good faith as the light thus emsnAng
impas the purest usre and detects error In It's most
hidden teiR erkH On discovery II viii he vigil
liant in Investigation, and strive in all becoming ways 10
discriminate the true from the false the certain from the
eoneetura. the indeermnate from the definite. Philo-
sophica doubts nscpars0le IN philosophical research
and true science aims at demonstrave ISOLATION and we
have the authority Of the Stagyrie, that he who g
norsni OF the knot cannot unite it, IL will offer the right
hand OF Fellowship TO the honest aud intelligent seeker as
well as 10 the man Of established Attachments. IL will
cheer the lonely enthusiast whose intellectual
sizes upon the analysis Of facts and hear
~ encourage the assiuous observer Who is weary
OF collecting the materials for induction The only per-
manent object worthy OF liberal mind TRUTH and the
history every science shows ihst her domain infinite
IL the part and feeble spirit suffer any
limits 10 Aspirations and while the rational physician
tsA proceed ,oto beyond ne boundaries Of scientific
authority, he will be the alert 10 detect every
dawning 10 the horizon OF hs art In entering on
this march Improvement. consensl TO sound med
cal misd impressed with It's responsibilities an enlightened
(sl,t.
lr the wisdom which his predecessors have supplied him.
and look with proper caution whittier his steps are tend
ing innovation HI" It's apprehensoHs ana inc uuy o.
reform ought be urgent. Lord Bacon says II IS vel 70
DO aware. that II is the reformation that drswesh on TIE
change and the desire change that preendeh The
reformation
All this is doubtless clear aud consistent to Dr
Francss mind it is no, so to ours. That the estsb-
hshed, demonstrated principles of Science are to be
implicitly deferred TO- is evident, 'scientifcanthori
sy may mean this, and it may mean something very
different. Scientific authority may mean the au
thority Of DR.. Francis and other msgnates of the
Academy when the very issue to be tried is the
verify and worth OF a discovery which they have
overlooked or theory they have peremptoriy re-
jected Great truths have are now been discov.
cred by very simple men; while men Of genius
asd learning have secuted such truth as preposter
Gus and unworthy moments regard without tax
ing time to even fairly understand IT. Had Copper
nicas, Newton and Columbus needed Dr. Fs eau
ton never to proceed an iota beyond the bounds
OF scientific authority, our suthor might now be
leeturins at Rotterdam or the Hague on the sosur-
dity OF certain moonshine speculations, DOW haP-
PLY discarded which affirmed the globuar form OF
the earth its motion round the sun. and the exis-
tence of dry land westward Of the untrsvsrsed
Atlantic.
None are so bigoted as 10 avow hatred OF gen
u'I< discovery. Improvement, progress. All pro
tess TO exslt ia discovery so that it be the real
iaing But suppose some honest seeker lonely
enthusiast, or assiiuous observer who had been
enrolled among the members OF the Academy,
should, by course Of thorough investigation. be
led to the conviction that Homeopathy. for exam
pie. 10 the true philosophy Of Healing will the
Academv exult in such a discovery sDd en-