The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-27
Dir. HUNTER.--LETTER NO. XVIII.
IMPORTANT TESTIMONY
Favor Of Inhalation In Diseases Of the Luugs.
Letters from Physicians i'm every
Part Of the Union.
THE JOINT STOCK MEDICAL COLLEGES.
The Woman's Hospital, and Word
Of COuns sci 10 Dr Sims.

Tne WOman'S Hospital, and Word
ofCounsel 70 Dr Sims.
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The Old Fogy school; she Best OF It's Time,
but Its Time Ii Past Physicinns Guilty OF
Ungentieina.liAe Practices DHssected-Tne
Tribe OF imitators-OAd Burton's PHILOSOPHY
Applied Change OF Climate and Fashiens-
BILE Resorts Cruel Practice or Pumpang
Causuc solution Into the Lungs-Nscesssty
for Remodelling tine Treatment OF Cholera
and other Injections Diseases.
Ssverinus the Dane, complains in physic--.sUnhapp
tions and dsspatatops intricate sub,ess ds lana ca
Prtna about mooIsnne IN the water, leaving in the
wherein the bes: medicines for all manner OF dseasss
are to be found and 90 not only neglect them ourselves
but binder condemn forbid and scO At others that
In the discussion of the subject of as the
only efecsusl mode OF treating Diseases the Respt
ratory Organs, at once stepped over ,hose coavsn-
tone rules which have TOO long allowed that mighty
medium Of ideas between man aEd man -tne paDic
press-to be made, IN medcal matters. the Nero
conveyan Of shameless, ignorant and unreasonable
prets nsiops. did 60 from full conviction Of toe
Importance Of my mission adjusted by m olives con
sidered laudable in every pu suit in hfe che GOOD
OF NY fellow man, and the re wards which attend
successful abOrs in every profession and calling in
society. The tire atment Of Diseases Of the Lungs,
time Of my PRODUCTION Of the Of Inh siasioa
WAS at total variance with reason aud com NON
sense, contrary to the true principles Of Scien o. aod
utterly unsuccessful in practice. therefore unnes
tstiDgly denounced it, wholly inadequate TO its
pretensi0pe l did not Thus denoun e the "0'd
practice" however, without at the eams time setting
forth, with ample argument and unsnswerabie
facts, the substitute offered namely, tle trestment
by Inhalation, at once more natural, reasonable,
adequate and successful than what l condemuei.
In the EerieS Of letters precsting this, In which
my views are more particularly expounted, eudea-
cd al tn thcr dn13
of my reaoers, assured that the general intelligence
Of the community was fully sufficient 60 enable them
to cisc inmate between the one and the other, and
duly to appreciate what was rational and wen
ground am happy to SAY was nos mistaken.
The general response which comes bsck TO me from
all pats Of this continent In the form Of correspond
snce, assures me that % ths COZ course ! have sdopteA
have the honor OF being q member, as essentially
designed to be practical profession not for mere
show or display o SCHOLASTIC knowledge. but for the
actyS pnfp6sts OF ie-not to sauntsr about forever
in the gaib Of schoolmen, but to go forth among
their fellow beings with practical science on tseir
tongues, and healing remedies in their hands, Alievi
atiug the miseres curing the diseases and instruct
irg tie ignorance Of humanity And it Is only ineo
far ss the physician accompishes these Dviue Oh
ects that he In any wise affairs the true end Of his
profession. He is bound, moreover, as he respects
the laws Of humanity, to make known TO the widest
TO the health and happiness Of ais fellow msn In
carrying cut this benefcert object, every legitimate
Of com nunication is his, and foremost among
t. ose means stands the newspaper press. A preja-
dice, rather law Of the schools, has existed for
blding the introduction OF medical matters proper
into the columns CT newspapers. For whose good
think you is this Law In existence For
the people the suffering? the uninf lrmsd By
schools Of conbinatioDs 1t exists to the prejudice
OF the teope mainly, and not much less to the preu
dice OF the tue interests Of the profession. By rea
Of Its existence hitherto the advertising columns
Of the press have been turned too generally 10 the
viless purposes, In imposing on the public "patent
Hedich 60" under thousand different smes, upheld
statements put forth by their inventors for tho more
purpose Of gaiD without any regard to the interests
either of that scercs which they degrade or Of the
people whom they deceive.
cussipg medical topic In strictly scientifs and
technical language in addressing that DISCUSSION.
not to Il members Of the profession only but to the
DuS q
the ukual char Iels OF medical communications and
in thus appealing directly to the common sense not
merely OF NY professional BRETHREN but Of the public
but feel that was taking step which would AVA
ken the appreheDsious OF my brethren, and might
possibly remove me beyond the pale Of their PROBES
sioDal inter course for time. or the ultimate result
and complete triumph Of my views, however, could
have no fear and In this nave mot been disappoint
ed.
By pur,uing this course, (and do not say this In
IL,
argument an abort to employ,) have expended
Q larger amount Of money than would have been ns-
cesssry to publish twenty ordinary volumes Of purely
medical literature; than would have been sucieot q
school, and professorship to boot, and IAN would
have enabled me to print medical Journal to advo-
cate the high and peculiar claims Of myself and COL
leagues to the confidence Of the public: might
pulmonary diseases, and had my fame published
gIatuiiously In the newspapers. But preferred
mode of making my views known by which all
as knSy nas 81 ny
OF treatment bad been proposed, but in Whist tnat
treatment consisted the knowledge on which IL was
based, and the manner Of its employment. Ipre-
fened to inform the minds Of the millions in regard
to the laws Of health the of disease and the
best means Of its alienation and cure. Ia word,
my duty physician plain before me, that eli
benefits OF il baaton, rather than that those benefits
should be circumscIibed within the limits Of city,
a. an; dicsi practitioner in speciality Of tn. high
criminal in me to have withheld from the pubic my
views, knowing a. did, by daily experience In ny
practice, the incalcuabe benefits Of Inhalation, and
hs utter .oIthlesness Of the ordinary treatment q
orced itself upon my mind, that to some extent
would be answerable for the lives Of Thousands
lying under the old practice, II hesitatsd TO en-
" my own experience in inhalation.
There Is consciousness at this moment per-
7ading the profession that In medical science Ne are
but at the threshold Of discovery. The uncertainty
. results-the want Of success In practice-sna
INHERENT opinions in theory, have long since estab
ished the fact that medical kno uledges yet made
luste to the requirements Of human ills. Time "a
'quandered In the jealous contentious OF medical
schools and the strife Of rival syStems, which, de
ected TO practical ends, less mindful Of the "oig- :.
nity OF the profession" than the relief Of toe suffer-
pg, would result in untold good to those who.
perish while We wrange. There can bo no progress
without Innovation. The man who closes his aind
lew 70 him, shows himself at onos to b inca.
pablc Of progrs9. having already reached che
ultimatum Of his earthly destiny, his mind
being stretched TO its utmost capacity. Guch
are Inevitably left behind In the on ward march of
lcience, and we look back upon them with "a TIA
vene, alton with which we regard the old foRy scho