The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-07-29
| would rather be right than be President-H. CLAY.

lIishment Of divisions in medicinef They
|agree in chemistry, botany, anatomy, ply
isiology, pharmacy, operative surgery,
pathology, therapeutics. causes, symptoms,
diagnosis, and prognosis Of disease aud by
geine. With few exceptions, all stand
here on common ground--here is pre-
vailing concord. But what are these
sciences? Have they much to do with
medicine? They are the basis and ground
work Of the profession. They are the
eternal pillars Of our temple; and agree
ment here is equivalent TO an inseparable
union. In what consists the disagreement?
In but one department do we find HE vari
Gus schools Of medicine, viz, in materis
medica, and in the philosophy coupled with
iit. Here is the great point Of departure
the Gordon knot--,he question issue.--
The dispute is about the materials Of medi-
ication. Around them cluster the Allo-
paths, Physopaths, Homeopaths and Hy.
dropaths, while on other subjects they
merge into one common whole.
Aside from the materials and the philus
ophy underlying them, ! am no other than
student Of general medicine-an integ
raj part Of the profession. With them |
am Physopa,h.
What is Physopa,hy? It is that prac-
tice ofmedicine whose agents Immediately
cooperate with the vital forces Of the sys-
TEN in the restoration of health, with the
least possible iaxto the organization. Il
neither causes another disease, nor simi-
lar disease, but its agents are possessed
with that degree Of power, if administered
with skill and judgment, which will i'm.
media,ely so regulate the ,onicity and con-
Itrac,ibility Of the vascular system as to d.
rec,ly aid and cooperate with the vital
forces in the restoration Of health. Does y
single sect constitute the profession9 No.
1, is composed Of all Of them. Does an,
one inherit all the wisdom of the past cu-
ltivators Of the profession2 Or are ali
equal recipients of,he labors Of the worth,
fathers Of the order2 No one is thus fa :
vored; but i. is legacy 10 all--the proper
Ity Of him who will make the necessary ap-
Iplcation 10 obtain it. 1t alone belongs to
the persevering and devoted student, aud
from all others it is forever debarred.-
Even this restriction il not made By man,
but by the Author Of the human mind.
Are education and talent restricted 10 q
single man, or set of men? No, thank.
to the Ar,ificer Of mind, that one is not
born dolt and another sage; but all are
born with the germs Of eternal progression
tina, all are born with the elements Of
scholars, philosophers, poets and orators
How weak the barriers Of the profession, if
the masses knew the powers that are
slumbering within them! II they would
they nigh, dot the entire face of earth
over with the trophies OF the,s mental
greatness. How soon the earth wonld be
a garden, ifthe toiling millions would but
devote one day in seven to self culture
but half develop the powers that are slum-
bering in their cerebral chambers. Where
are the explorers Of science, the cultisa
tors Of medicine, the lovers Of the race?-
Wherever is found an indomitable student.
or warm, noble heart.
If honesty, talent, education and inves.
,iga,ion are equally distributed among the
different practices; ;if each is alike favored
at the fountains of knowledge. and they all
harmonizc 10 botany, chemistry, anatomy,
physiology, hygiene, pathology, operative
surgery, pharmacy, therapeutics, and in
The causes, symptoms, diagnosis and prog
nosis ofdisease, is il possible that the points
Of difference in materia medica are suffi
cient to justify divisions in medicine?-
Am justified in appearing before you as
the advocate Of certain class OF medical
agents2 Would il not be wiser course
for me to allow my naieria medca to en-
brace every ngent which can, under any
circumstance, favorably affect the system2
Should not the physician--yes, as an hon
est man is be not bound to claim ever,
agent that can increase his strength in con
tending with diseasei Let us see.
The word texture, or tissue, mears a
web constructed out Of threads. The
word cell, in anatomy, means little blad.
der whose wall 10 not woven out Of threads,
but constructed Of particles; and hence
cells, strictly speaking, are not tissue, vet
for convenience, they are said to form tn
cellular tissue. The body contains six
different tissues, and they are woven out
of,hree different threads or 6bres, cells and
their contents. The tissues are the bony
or osseous; the shielding or car,ilaginons
The teing or fbrous; the cellular or gland
lar; the motor or muscular; and The -ens-
tive or nervous. The three threads are
the fbrous. the muscular and the nervous