Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-09-24
The Medical Profession by OHe
Who Knows,


In the american Medical Ga
zette," for June, is remarkably in
ieresiing letter from an American
medical student in baris. This wri.
ter says that be once heard Magen-
die, the celeprated French physician
and Psychologist, open a lecture
somewhat in the following words:
GENrLEMEN:-Mediciue is great
hnmbug. know it is called science
science, indeed. 1t is nothing
like science. Doctors are mere en-
prizes, when they are not charlatans.
We are as ignorant as men can be.
Who knows anything in the world
about medicine? Gentlemen, you
have done me the honor to come here
to attend my lectures, and / must
tell you frankly now in the beginning,
that know nothing in the world
about medicine, and / don't know
anybody who does know anything
about it. Don't think for a moment
that / havn't read the bills adyer-
tiseiog the course of lectures at the
Medical School; / know that this
man teaches anatomy; that man
teaches pathology, such one thera-
petics. such another materia medi-
ca = Eh bsin! ct arprsss2
| What's known about all that?
Why, gentlemen, at the school oi
Montpelier God knows it was famous
euough in It's day) they discarded
the study Of anatomy, aud taught
nothing bat he dispensary; and the
doctors educated there knew just as
much aud we're quite as successful
as any others. repeat it, nobod,
knows anything about medicine
True enough, We are gathering facts
every day. We Can produce typhus
fever, Tor example. BY injecting u Ger
itain substance into the veins Of 1
Idog-that' s something; We can al
leviate diabetes, aud, ! see distinctly
We are fast approaching the day wheI
phtbisic can be cured MS easily rs an,
disease.
We are collecting facts in the righ
spirit, and ldars shy in a century
or SO the accumulation Of facts ma,
enable our successors to form medi
Gal science; but repeat it TO you
there is no such thing now as
medical science Who can tell m
how to cure the headache? or th
govt? or disease Of the heart? No
body. Oh! you tell me doctors cur
people. ! grant you people ar
cured. But tow are they cured
Gentlemen, nature does q great deal
imagination docs great deal. Doc
tors do-deyilish little-WbeI
they don't do harm. let me tel
you, gentlemen, what | did when
was head physician at Hotel Dieu
Some three or four thousand patients
passed through my hands ever,
year. ! divided the patients into
two classes; with one, followed ID,
/, dispensary, AM gave them thu
usual medicines without having tn
last idea why or wherefore; to tht
other, | gave bread pills and eolorel
water without, OF course, letting then
know anything about it, - aud oc
casionally, gentlemen. would create
a third division, to whom gave no
thing whatever These last waull
f fret good deal, they would Tee
they we're neglected. (sick peopls
always feel they are neglected
ualess they are well drugged = :
les iB,6eciles!9 and they would irri
tate themselves until they got really
sick, but nature invariably came to
the rescue, aud all the persons 10 the
third class got wei. There was {
little mortality among those who re
ceiyed but bread pills aud coloreG
water, and the mortality was greatest
lsmong those who were carefully
ldrunnad accoldinar 10 the disnansa,