Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-06-11

From tho Boston Jourusi.l
The ucdScal Esatesnitys IN u Fesment.
The addrsS Of DrsO. w. Holmes,
which wasA delivered esiore the Massa-
chuS tits Dfedical Snciety on Wednes-
day, has created much excitement among
the medical fraternity, and the sugges-
ton has been made and gravely discuss
ed that the society dsclinesto print it IN
accordance with tie usual custom. But
it is urged that such course would only
defeat its own object, and give to tne ad-
DR. esq more notoriety than is desirable !;
so the society will not depart from its
usual course.
We understand that at meeting Of
the Massachusetts Medical Society yes
terday, a, which about twenty members
ont Of the thousand belonging to the 60
ciety, were present, there was consider
able discussion upon the expediency OF
printing the address, and it was finally
decided to print. but with notification
upon the first page that the society Is
not responsible for its sentiments. The
society will exhibit the dose but will not
be answcrable for its effects. This course
was approved by the affirmative votes Of
only nine members.
There has been of late years a strong
tendency among medical men oflong ex-
periencc and keen observation toward
what is called the expectant treatment
Of disease. They rely more upon nature
and less upon drugs. DR.. Jacob Bigc-
low and Dr. Ira Warren OF this city, DR..
Getting of Roxbury, and some other en-
inent physicians, in recently published
works, have manifested this tendency
toward more rational treatment of dis
ease.
Many other very successful practition-
ers have fully embraced this innovation.
What the conservatives Of the profession
have considered as hcterodox sentiments
have been previously uttered in the au-
nual addresses Of the society, but DR..
Holmes has thrown bomb-shell fairly
into the stronghold Of the dragging sys-
TEN, scattering the pills and powders,
bunting the lancets, frightening the
spothccarics, and creating general
CONSERVATION among those who imag.
J inc that the world is stationary, and
that all advance in medical science
ceased with Hippocrates aud Galen.-
DR.. Holmes did not hesitate to express
the opinion that the public had been
over medicated. 1t had insisted on being
poisoned and had been humored by the
faculty; that every noxious agent which
hurts we'll man hurts sick man and
that the human race would be better off
if the whole matcria medica was thrown
into the ocean, though the fishes wonld
not be the gamers. We do not wonder
that such extreme views shonld have
made a sensation among those who act
upon the idea that they are the masters
and not the servants of nature.
We are glad to see little healthy
excitement among the medical faculty.
1t will do no harm, and poor bled
and blistcred and physicked humanity
will profit by the agitation. The time
will never come when tho human race
can dispense with the services of med
ical men, but the day is approaching
when families can call in their physician
without a misgivIng that his remedies
may do more harm than good. The ser
vices of nature in the cure of disease will
be more and more generally recognized
Neither the Importance nor the emoiu-
lnents Of physicians will be diminished
by this tendency, but they " iii be forced
to turn their attention as we'll to the laws
Of health as to those Of diseases, and
to become the family guides and coun-
sellers in the preservation Of that great
blessing, as well as in its restoration
When called upon to treat disease they
will rely solely upon medicines which
will assist nature, aud that "active"
treatment which leaves the patient who
survives it, the wreck of his former self,
will no longer remain monument Of
the dark ages and of the conservatism Of
medical science.