The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-12-03

- = =
~. - !. .,..,.h.,ss Everv c;,v has it's
"a 80, 80. and ssv,ums. Ia hospitals and
,s:s..,..,;ss --;,f;.war;ss for .ttiie tye and
,hs ~. marine fouudliua. and lyinq-in hos
,,;tsi.. ssvI,,,ns for the deaf and dumb and
.,ba hind far the insane and idio,ic. Under
these kind roofs are sheltered, screened, and
nurssd those who in a harder age sought
relief bv the wayside, as in ancient Persia,
81 n the streets. as in old Thebes and Bab-
Won. But our sick are not all in hospitals,
Every houss has lis sick chamber, and its
nat;ent. Every day some one, unforlunate
Nv field or food. becomes an invalid
Thousands every day are done being sick,
and get well: and thousands are done being
sisk' and die. but The couches from which
,hs .;.L ,;se. arc b.raly ;m.de before tome
more unfortunate, seeks them. Thus the
infirm circle has nj, end: or il a link shouId
fall out, ii falls into the grave, and lis va
cant place is flied by anuti,pr. Not many
men make the journey Of twenty hours
without some incommodity Of mind or
body. To one looking for sickness, our
earth seems a vast lazar-ii6uss full Of wards,
and the wards full of patients. To seek
ont the healing potion and beat II 10 these
sufferers. Is the physicians frs. duty. If
he cannot do this. he is not wanted in 4 sick
world If,he secret anodyne or antido,e is
not IN b;s possess;on and he c.,nno, find II
the world. has no need Of him. He had bet.
ter take himself away. with all his nosirums.
His charIatan presence adds ten degrees 10
our alreadv burning fever, and only mocks
On, ,,adaess into a vet ,r;Ider fnrv. mi
rage = The .ds.art "a ,an,al;ze he weary
,,svsle, i. enoush..., s;c,rS world canno,
endn,e n,;,,ae If moun,shants This
,h.r !. ,vha, ne nbv.;c;an s,,aII saw when
Introduced into q world. in 7uuaran,inc-nf
| have studied sickness, / know something Of
ii, and I can do something for il. i can as
suaae pain in a measure /; i can bring back
something of bloom to the cheek: some
,h;no Of y;por 10 ,he frame: something Of
elasticity 10 Tho stem. of buoyancv To the
soul Of hone and happiness 10 the heart ),
| We saw. .tben. the world il all before Won
WHARF 10 choose. If Won can do. Il some.
what of mod. won are greatly needed.
I To fulfil this first duty--heIping those
who are now sick, the physician needs a
great stretch of knowledge Sickness has
outgrown science, and while the physician
has soughtfor remedies, disease has strength
ened itself by feeding on its victims, and
complicated itself amid varying circum-
stances of time, place, and temperament.
Diagnosisis delicate II often brings under re-
view the whole douiaiuof PATHOLOGY. Euticr
the complications of symptoms, the judge
observation-disclosures Itrequres
the incest discrimination first to weigh
symptoms--and then TO weigh competing
modes of treatment. ] do not wonder that
Hippocrates penned this sad aphorism,--
t'At is long, life is short, opportunity fleet
ing, experience deceptive, and judgement
| difficulty This melancholy strain of "the
old man Of Cos.p was struck out more than
once, at the bedside of a dear patient,
when from the reading of 'sthe votive tab
let" and his own observations, he sought
! the desiderated remedy. Anatomy and
Chemistry have sown much light on the
path of the physician since then, but in the
curious mechanism Of mans frame, are
avenues which the scalpel has never ex-
plored; abnormal conditions, which no anaiy-
sis win ever detect. tsThe variable com.
position of mans body hath made ii an in
strument easy 10 disiemper; and therefore
the poets did well to conioin music and
medicine, in Apollo ;because the Office .oi
medicine is but 10 tune this curious harp Of
mans body, and 10 reduce il to harmony
Itrequires much skill to tune violin or pi-
ano, but how much more to tune mans
body. He that can do this best Is the best
physician, and comes nearest the true idea
\ of his profession. Therapeutics, then, is
the first qualification of the ideal physician.
But people not only get sick, and hurt,
but when cured, are ever tending towards
sickness. Their nature grayitates towards
disease. Mans physical proclivity towards
evil is as marked as his moral procliviiy.--
| Men lean towards the grave, as uniformly
90 trees bow towards the East. Even the