The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-08-02
Mom the NemL rr;dn..
[BY REaUEsr.l
Medical Reform.

The questions are asked, If the teach
ings Of the Reformed System be true, why
does not Allopathy reforms Also; If the
remedicHl agents Of the System be better
than those Of the Allopathic, why have
not the Chemists and the learned OF the
! profession, whose business it was to i'm
prove the Materia Medca, adopted those
agents into usel
Now the obvious import Of those ques-
tlons, is directed to challenge the truth Of
the Reformed System. That this should
be urged rs an objection, is not strange;
but we confess our inability to perceive
any force in it whatever. Were this the
only subject upon which men differed
was there but one party in politics, one
sect in religion-were this the only in.
stance in which men dared to throw oil
the sbackles of error aud prejudice and
follow the light Of truth--did AIlopathy
possess all wisdom, and all knowledge
would perish with her when she died, then
We confess there would be some show of
reason in the objection, we might regard
such move with hoy horror look upon
those turbulent spirits, who would fan the
flame, with mingled hatred and contempt,
and spurn from society such contamin-
ating doctrine. Bnt none of these are
true, and we affirm that the non on-reception
and even opposition of the Old School
does not at all invalidate the truth Of Re-
form and it is only with the view Of IN,
king this manifest that We reply to those
| questions.
Were we to revert back to the time
when Medicine became a!!Science and was
formed into a regular System, and trace
its history down through that period when
| System succeeded system like the shift
ing figures Of a magic lantern" we would
find enough to convince any one that diff
ference Of opinion in Medical matters, and
even violent opposition was by no means
uncommon; that it did not sustain a fall
ing system, nor prevent a ris ng one from
becoming predominant But We have
neither time nor inclination, and will make
few instances, not coLfned to physic, an
swer our purpose.
When n moral reformation was attempt
ed in city Of antiquity, the populace met
the new doctrines with the cry Great is
Diana of the Ephesians." And why -
Did they know them to be wrong, and
that they would be productive Of mischief
If allowed to subvert the popular religion
and become the prevailing system? Or
! was it from selfish motives and considera-
tons, and was there any craft in danger
OF being set at noughtl But it may be
said that this move was instigated by the
interested and that the guardians of the
public health" would not act in this man
uer. How was it when Harvey demon
strated the great truth which he had dis
covered-the circulation Of the blood -
The doctrine was not received because op-
posed to the notions of the School Of Med
icine. He lost his practice and favor Of
the community, and was even perse ,uted
by those who, Of all others, should have
been the least suspected. The whole Med
ical Faculty, he says, were arrayed a.
gainst him like legion Of devils" But
why did those guardians Of the public
health anathamatize one Of their own
number for advancing what he believed
to be true, and hitherto unknown, prin
ciple in ply siology, and the very basis Of
true medical investigation Was it the
result Of determined opposition to any
improvement in the healing art, or an un-
willingness TO have those principles unset
Sl seu ulo" wn.cn y lney nau so ,ong acted,
uo"ese', ,""'' uuPn'1sop"n anu n,auonai
snvy "s'1 pvseu la :" W. Gei Hno'"er n W.
:anoe WIN .unoe. ne" III. 'e"ner
ui"eI'o'eu tue means o' u'sar,n'hg the
""ar' Pon-'na' n greal scourSe OF our race
. 'I' no,orT, no ns snu Plae'ng u under Tue
ono' I " 'n1 ! "yS'''|"' "na' were the
n1"''S nT, TT" nna wnas 'ne nopage ne rece's-
81 - e 'I'. 81; sa''S W anu % '"ie1 Is d'u mar
,y, 10y oI'o' ,L Mn a,'h We wou'u hence 'u'er
- or%s ".. @ Ia. '.;.,' r, p'o'e:s"h % composed
Iou' ,San VIZ" a,;, Nne passions as 0lner men,
s a,";r'i;oS S s. ss sAe Ho'eineu oy Pnde'
P'cuaee' 'ear ~c, anu WIN even oppose