Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-05-11
WRITTEN FOR THE CEDAR FALLS GAZETTE.
RATIONAL MEDICINE.
Its Past and Present; its True Relations to thu
Partisans Of Exclusive Systems, and to Empires
BY DR.. s. n. PIERCE.
No. 2.

A consideration Of the true position Of tie Medical
P,o,essioa aciM reference to Empires.
Eclectics, Homeopathists, and. all other
empirical sects, take great pleasure in talking
about "Allopathy." This term, when appli-
ed to regular practitioners, has not the least
shadow of appropriateness, and is used by
Quacks for no other purpose than to bring
the profession before the public in the same
ridiculous category as themselves. The reg
ular school has never adopted any such ap-
pellation, nor is the mode Of practice general
ly adopted by them such as renders this term
in any sense appropriate. Our schools have
never adopted any exclusive motto. neither
have they Gas is asserted by Empyrics) ever
laid down any particular mode of practice
The medical student, while studying the SCI
ences which are to qualify him to practice
the art of medicine, and while deciding what
rules he shall adopt, is not bound to follow
any man as guide, nor to promise fealty to
any intellectual master If he is wise, he
weighs the character of his teachers, both
dead and living, and then judges for himself
how far he may rely upon each one for accur-
acy and honesty in statement of facts and the
results Of experience. When such person
commences practice he is bound, as by an
oath, to use his best judsm mt in the treat
ment of every individual case committed to
To ;u +n fln 10, =
teachers, but not to follow them any farther
than their teachings are consistent with his
own experience and common sense. The
methods of cure adopted by the regular
schools, include all such means as science
and experience prove to be of value They
do not attempt to cure one disease by pro-
ducing another, as Quacks would induce peo-
pie to believe, by applying the term "Allo-
pathy" to them, but they aim to all the
Douers Of nature in overcoming the disease,
by the use of every means within their reach
Irregular practitioners sometimes attempt to
convince the ignorant and credulous that the
science is confined to a routine that was laid
down centuries ago, and that practitioners
are still confined to these old dogmas. This
is entirely false. 1t is true that the science
of medicine is founded upon certain general
principles which can never vary any more
than can the principles of Astronomy OF
Chemistry; still, like these sciences, medicine
is a progressive art, and is studied as such,
and any man who does not so study it. is
neglectful of his duty to himself and to the
community to which he belongs. The med
ical literature of the present day embraces a
much larger field than any other profession.
A knowledge of Anatomy, Physiology, Path.
ology, Chemistry, Materia Medica, Mfnerolo-
gy, Zoology and Pharmacy, is now consid-
cred indispensable to well qualified physic-
ian; and all the improvements and discover
les, that are constantly being made in every
branch of science, are submitted to investiga-
ton. The whole history of medicine shows
that she has always made use of every valu-
able discovery that has been brought to light.
Whenever anything nes has appeared, it has
been investigated and sifted, that portion Of
value being adopted and what was worthless
being discarded as such. The archives Of
the regular profession contain to-day all that
is known Of medicine, and whatever is re-
jected may be set down as useless. 1t is
now, and has ever been, the aim of the regu-
lar schools to teach the medical science as a
nhole, and it IS the design of the faculty to
instruct their students thoroughly in every
branch of the science. When man has en-
joyed and rightly improved the proper ad-
vantages of study in medical science, and is
found upon examination to be properly quail
flied, he receives diploma and becomes
licensed physician.
Having given brief description of regular
let us enquire what is Quackery
A Quack is any person who pretends to
and skill that he does not possess,
and may properly be applied to all practitioners
who sail under the banner of any particular
$ Patty" or "lsns," and who oppose the
principles adopted by the regular schools
1t also may properly include many of those
calling themselves regulars" for it cannot
be denied that there are those in the regular
profession who have no competent medical
and who are every way unfit to
practice the art. There are those who di-
rectly or indirectly trumpet forth their skill
and success, always attributing the recovery
Of their patients to the medicines they have
and never to the spontaneous ef-
forts of nature. Such persons, whatever title
may be appended to their names, are Quacks
They quack that they may attract attention,
and while they cxtol their own remedies they
are ever seeking their own glory and profit.
The true physician, on the contrary, cannot