Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-10-07
For the Journal.
OF VHb JUuIUd
The Medical Board. No. 4.

The Medical Board, No. f..
The designs of Board protect the public from
the ignorance and mpOsures of medical pretenders Not
that any be absolutely prohibited from practising
if others will swallow his medicines such prohibition is
implied in the Medical Bill: every body call himself
Doctor who chooses and give physic to all who choose
take but the protection arises from an inability to
collect his fees he has license from the Board and
the moral bearing and force of the law in favor of the
Institution. Thus the Legislature went and farther
Nor commended that any medical legislation entire
~ suppress quacker The history of the world and the de-
that have been and be practised upon mankind
prove would be the attempt to extnguish emp
csm by statutes alone. The eectualy overthrow
errors and evils of this kind, law should be united with
general diffusion of intelligence in the community in
regard the laws health and to the structure and offices
of human system And such rejoiced to know the
tendency of public sentiment now The the truth of
the doctrine is put to test the more will it be adopted
correct the less of quackery will there be- in and out of the
profession, and the more generally will prevail correct
! views among the people.
But because ntc cannot "hoy suppress quaekery is no
argument that does not aid in its suppression. Admit
this sort OF reasoning and there weud be no of any
lawthere would be no need OF laws against stealing Sc
duction and murder because laws do not wholly prevent
these mes They can lessen DO stay the VIC
thief and the brutal vlainy of the bertne What would
mans evil nature what would keep society together
were it not for the power and terror of the law
An additional in favor of the wisdom of the Medi
cal Bill in question: exists in the fact that no subject has had
deuslons connected with than that OF medicine Its
history shows that muudes in all ages have been easily
de1ded and by crafty denonp
ed and still prevail. But unlike medicine the infinite value
Of the soul has not been entrusted to the vain
of His religious pathway has been plainly marked
by flood of divine light that the Creator has cOncentra
ted upon it. Infinite Goodness has sc to erect
to be tested If will not profit thereby, and
himself from deluson it is because of his own per-
verseness and guilt Not reference to mans physical
system knowledge of its changing and pershable nature
not 50 easily obtained M the elements OF med s
those of moral truth in the soul and conscience. In the
latter have Revelation guide but the former left
to mans own Judgment and reason and TO the hints and
searches Of On this oundatlon enlarged and beau
tilted by each succeeding rests the noble fabric of Med
cine But because medical science necessarily limited in
powers all science is because physicians raise
the dead and confer earthly immortality muttudes
from the modest practitioners OF true medical worth and
embrace the arrogant assumptions of quackry has been
well said BY Souhey, well skilled in knowledge of human
nature, that is dupable animal. Quacks in medi-
cine oacks religion and quacks politics know this and
upon that knowledge There scarcely any who
may not, like trout, be taken by tickling The success
of quackery of the truth this saying; and
though the Medical Bill cannot suppress it entirely yet it
will decrease the number quacks lessen their danger
materially ward their approaches and show the peo
that in the opinion of the State human health and
rant and unprincipled The Legislature had as much
right to place an estimate upon life and health as upon
eide calculated to prevent horde
quacks from being let loose society to swell the thron
that already faten upon and nfest it, In the exercise of
this privilege and duty Legislature provisions
the establishment of this Institution whose Objects despite
the aspersons of adversares are to provide suitable med
cal men to supply the of the community. The pas
sage of the ac is but an utterance by State the
nTtan truth that is the great enemy of medicine
AS general thing the community ignorant of the prn
cips of medicine This why empiricsm succeeds at all.
Mutudes regard medicine as mystery They are ready
to believe anything that promises insight into the mys
teres of medicines of e of disease and of death Hence
they are ready to accept the widest and most
death Designing medical men take advantage OF this weak
ness.
curity its just influence with the public The of in
tegence who perceves the conscientious and aborious
hyfh tho nnon
TONER fail perceive the solid basis of facts of
perience of observation of science which the endur
ing fabric of the regular profession He
eevang character of profession in which all the energies
the and all the affections of the heart directed
the pursuit of truth and the good OF He observes the
sedenas the prolonged mental and physical labor the
risk Of health and life of the student and
practitioner of medicine and he speaks bis honest
Vctons he must acknowledge that the true medical charac
ter is of integrity aun nobility The majority of such
pretensons of empsm and the vain dreams of ignorance
/ and fraud.
side, right wrong which he may be Employed it
the mission Of the divine to deal with truth only it has
rereded ascertaned but the physician, differing
from BOTH engaged not alone in the pursuit. but in the
exploration of truthnot only the acquisition but in the
extension of knowledge. He is from the first in constant
pursuit after the revelations of Nature, which but
ifesations of the Creator There can be more noble
studynOne eeVating to the understanding, better
fitted TO refine and purify the heart, than the investigation
of the works of Him who has stamped the whole creation
The legitimate practice medicine is based fixed
and the result luck and chance many suppose
suit Of physical The Alwise Being has not left
out health and disease from His general plan Sickness il
the lot of to the extent often taught 1t is Oftene
than otherwise voluntary transgression of the laws
health, which the laws of God Certain causes acting
under certain circumstances. will always bring disease
Certain remedies given under certain conditions, will
va1aby, with the aid of Nature throw off disease This
luck chance, hap hazard, but the operation
abShed principles in medical science The lucky,
Cesu ply scian he who ascerans these principles
faithfully carries them out in practice The unlucky,
successful practitioner is he who practices in ignorance
disregard of these fixed laws principles But to know
these, he know the structure and offices
human s,stem He must know the of disease ant
what symptoms will give rise to in the different organs
must inform himself Of the nature of remedies and
their effects upon the human frame, in health ant
disease, and how to select this that medicine
how pursue this that plan of treatment order tt
disease and restore the various blessings
health Without good share of this knowledge no mai
should presume to administer physician though
the last Legislature. 1t attained without tim
laborous application. But it is undenable that physi
clans manufactured to order and with the rapdity
steam. They almost spring up like Jonahs gourd ont
night They bear fruit too when thew forth suc
haste but it is apples of Sodom and clusters Of Gomorrah
No needs more OF study needs of
and judgment and moral character than the physician
Properly qualified, he is now, in days past
More than armies to the public veal
Let the Board to it that but the worthy shall
n FRIEND TO THE BILL
Il Oct. 3rd. 1859.
Ardent (:) Spirits.
Judge Edmonds, the Spritualist has been lecturin