New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-08-12
DOCTOR .McEARL.4.N-E IN THE FIELD

Il IL
.4G.4IN
DR.. McFarlane comes out again, in the Delta
of yesterday, in long, frothy, confused and
ill-tempered reply to our article of Monday last
touching his theory that filth and decomposable
matter scattered in the streets are favorable to
health. The Doctor pursues his old tactics of
making assertions and putting forward argu-
ments unsustained by proofs, and finding his
position untenable, resorts to ill-tempered abuse
Seeing that his every proposition has been re-
futed, and that he has no reserve to fall back
upon, he flies into violent passion and seeks,
by abusive epithets and vile pun on the name
Of the proprietor of this paper, to brave public
opposition, and failing to convince, resorts to
absolute vulgarity. We do not impugn the
wisdom of this latter course, as from the con-
stitution of his intellect, he is much more likely
to succeed in gross vituperation than in calm
and dignifed discussion. We have yet to learn
that personalities and blackguardism are the
proper defences to be used against reason and
argument
The Doctor is in despair, because no scientific
opponent has taken up the subject. Gentlemen
of the Faculty have too much use for their time
to waste it on the frivolities that occupy the
Doctor, and regard his position as entirely
too untenable to provoke serious opposition.
The Doctor plumes himself on having watched
for the last thirty years the progress of events,
and thinks his experience gives him a regard to
utter authoritative opinions We incline to
differ with him. Age is no excuse for folly, nor
can long perseverance in error give its disciple
a title to public approval
With the design Of being very severe upon
some one, the Doctor tells US that, from circum-
stances, he "may be justified in coming to the
conclusion that g all the fools are not dead
yet" He need not have wasted paper in in
forming us of this ' conclusion as, from the
bare perusal Of the first paragraph Of the arti-
Gle quoted from, any one might have drawn the
inference for himself The article throughout
has neither the merit of grammar, consistency
nor sense
The Doctor attempts by torturing Of the
plain import of language TO get out of a difficult
ty in which he involved himself in his commu-
nication to the Delta, of the 9th inst In that
communication he used the following language.
by way of cathechism, asking us to explain
&C why, from the moment the swamp in the rear
of NewOrleans was laid bare to the heat of the
sun, by cutting away the trees and draining off
the water which formerly covered it, the whole
type of the diseases of New0rleans was at once
changed; that whereas, in the twenty years pre-
ceding that process, not twenty cases of inter
mittent fever occurred in NewOreans, and that
in the six years succeeding that process wiz
denuding the swamp twenty hundred cases Of
intermittent fever occurred, particularly in the
rear of the city, where it had never occurred
before :"
II this is not equivalent to plain declaration
that cutting away the trees and draining the
water from the swamps produced q tcenty Inn
fred cases Of Intermittent feuer in six years,
o twenty cases of the same disease that occur. |
ed in the preceding t,centy years, we know not |
he import of language. Yet the Doctor saws
his was not the change to which he referred.
lie boldly says
No, sir, not change from inROeuouSteSs
10 cru/ence inr0iytng a fearful n0rta{ifu'
mot change from twenty cases of intermlt
snt fever in twenty years to twenty hundred in
x years. This was not the change to which
referred, but the change from periodical
iuieht anu devastating epidemic, yellow fc-
era change from y fearful pestilence, etc,
a mild and tractable intermittent, etc
These" saith he, {" were the changes to
Ihich plainly alluded"
Let any one scan the language first quoted,
ind give 1T what construction it will bear. Ii ,
ays nothing Of change from intermittent
% yellow fever as he now asserts We are
determined that he shall not back out of his
assertions in this manner, and when he does }
We Will pin him to them by production of his
'wn recorded language. t
Or. McFarlane is not fair debater He de. !
hes his own positive statements, and with sucb u
N opponent there are no grounds for argument /
we do not desire to extend this controve,s,,
S any attempt to wean the DR.. from tho err1. I
his ways would be worse than nugatorv We a
now his Partially for these worly contesty =
nd have no wish to crafty it. =,
we SHAH, therefore, take leave Of him ami y
bandon him to the sole and quiet eniovmspt of
IS crotchetty predictions; unless in future ii
shall attempt to overwhelm us with bis mys 81
cal theories, or to befou us with his vulror
pithets-in which case we promise him we shall 5.
o' iaii to meet him in his own style of contro.
efSy' however it may involve us in the neccs. t.
n print '-..-'7 u tt
NOT DEAD From an erroneous ronort ,b.t :
had general currency on the stroots i
Jay announced the death ofCo D M r,