The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-08-16
The orls,n Of nlealeal reform.

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- sstf*a'-t
A little more than half century ago there
occurred in the family of SAMUEL THoason,
of surry County, New Hampshire, several
cases sse
which the most learned doctors left, and
The congregated Colleges concluded,
That labcring Art could never ransom Nature
From her inaidable estate;"
but which, by means and remedies afterward
brought to bear by the anxious and devoted
husband and father, were restored 70 health,
thus proving the truth Of the proverb,
"He that of greatest works is finisher
OFT does them by the weakest minister"
Thomson was an obscure New England
farmer. He never enjoyed the opportunities
of literary or scientific education. He was,
nevertheless, en- p, atically one Of Natures
favorite sons, possessing percsptive and re.
Elective faculties large and well developed.
He loved and INDUCED in investigation. At
an early period his mind was directed to the
testing ofthe properties ofmany the plants
found in Flora's kingdom. Here was open.
ed delightful and interesting field Of study.
All that he learned and Witnessed he re.
membered and pro6ted by. These peculi-
arities combined, in time and with some ex.
perience, made him able TO determine the
particular class of remedies indicated in GER
tain forms OF disease, and to administer them
| with astonishing results The time came for
the practical use of this knowledge 4 Hav.
! ing watched with anxious interest the ope-
ration and effects OF alopathic medication
in his own family, and having time and again
been summoned to hear the unwelcome in.
telligence, Your wife--your child must de-
his wonderful powers were more particular.
| ly brought 10 bear in ne,0 direction He
could not give them up without yet another
effort TO save them. The indications to his
| mind were plain. He felt satisfied that the
! allopathic appliances were indirect antag.
onism with what struggling Nature demand
ed. inexperienced as he was he applied
what his judgment dictated, and the results
were wouderful--his wife, his children were
| restored. His practice aud success was not
long limited TO his own family. Others a.
round him, that were given up as hopeless
victims TO the insatate monster applied to
him for relief, and not in vain.s He cured
them. Finally he concluded to devote his
time to attending upon the sick. His fame
begin to spread as being able to relieve what
the leamingof "lhree thousand years" could
not From all sections they thronged to him.
From all directions came messengers solicit
irs his aid
Thus forced as it were to build up a gep
system of medical practice, DIR. Thomson
set himself assidiously 10 the accomplish
ment of the work before him. He resorted
to the most reliable sources of knowledge,
and subjected everything to the test of ex.
pertinent. Step by step he marched on in
the career of discovery, and with increasing
wisdom came fortitude TO surmount the
greatest obstacles. Nor did he remain con-
tent till he had measured strength with those
forms OF disease which were regarded as
giant foes by the profession, and had dis
covered remedy of sufficient potency to
resist their formidable developments. For
this purpose he visited places where violent
epideniics were raging, and practiced with
success where the most eminent physicians
met with constant failures. The cold plague,
spotted fever, yellow fever, epidemic dysen-
terry, and Subsequently the cholera, were
subjected to the new treatment in large
number of cases, and the results exhibited
degree of success never Witnessed in the
annals of medicine
Trn., ,rb;Io mann, aaol-ad - b.,,, xkx~-
were those who, like shakespeare's King
of France, long endured their ills, reason
ing as many of this age do still,
g. We must not
So stain our Judgment, or corrupt our hope
To prostitute our past-cure malady
To empires; l isee3
yet as his success and skill became moro
proverbial, even these were induced 10 seek
his counsel and solicit his aid, and like the
King were cured. -
Thus commenced the gree 1|edical refos.
nation of the nineteenth century, which has
since spread far and wide over the Western
Continent, and has oven made its voics
heard amid the temples consecrated to tho
false gods of medical delusion in the Old
World, and promises, ere long, 10 destroy
those false systems from whose poisonous
fountains streams of disesse and misery have
so long issued. = -
Now we net that Dr.. Thomson's
system was EzIect b, or that he taught
no errors. b say that essentially
he was correct and we do contend that il
,,os bs tbat ravo tho fre. ,rroat -.
pulse to true Medical Reform by develop
ing, illustrating, and demonstrating the great
fundamental truth, that medicines, to be sue
cessful, must moi srar against the vital po,Usr,
but on the contrary rouse up, strengthen and
assist it. This simple truth has been elnb-
GRATED into a beautiful science, and it is tho
basis upon which the superstructure Of Med.
ical Reform is erected --Medicai Rsonsr, /,
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