, 1860-06-07
Tho Medical Fraternity iii n Fernent.

lFEuu the Eo,0n JEuruat.1
The address of DR.. D. ". Holmes. which was
delivered before the Massachusetts Med cal s..
clety on "Wednesday, has created much excite.
ment among the medicaifraternity. and the SUI.
question has been made and grarely discuss I'd
that the society decline to print it in accordance
with the usual custom. But it is urged that
such a course would only defeat its own object.
and give to the address more no&oriety than il
desirable; SO the society will not depart from its
usual course.
We understand that at meeting Of the Mas
sachusetts Medical Society yesterday, n. which
about twenty members out Of the thousand be-
longing to the society were present, there was
considerable discussion upon the e1pediepcY
Of printing tho address, and 1t WIS finally deci.
ded 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 answerable for iss effects.
This course was approved By the affirmative
votes # only nine members.
There has been Of late years strong tenden-
cy amonE medical men Of long experience aud
keen observation toward what is called he e5.
pectant treatment Of disease. They rtly more
upon nature and less upon drugs, Dr. II.
cob Digelow and DR.. Ira Warren Of this
city, Dr.. Getting Of Koxbusy, aud some
other eminent physicians, in recently pub
!:shed. works, have manifested this tend :ncy
toward more rational treatment Of disease.
Many other very successful practioners have
fully embraced this innovation. What the con.
serrattres Of the profession hare considered a.
heterodox sentiments have been previously Ut
tered in the annual addresses Of the society. but
Or. Holmes has thrown 4 bomb.shell fairly into
the sironghotdso ofthe drueging system, scatter
terIng tie pills ard powders, bluntine the Ian.
Gets, Frightening the apothecariee, and creating
general cous'ernatien amoug those who iuaa-
inc that the world is stationary, and that all ad.
vance in medical science ceased with Hippo.
crates and Gaten. DR.. Holmes did not hes11tate
to express the opinion that the public had been
oned znd had been humofed by the faculty.:
that every uoxious agent Which hurts well
man hurts sick Ian; and that the human race
would be better Oft if thr whole 1nateria medica
was thrown into the ocean, though the fishes
would not be the gainers. We do not wonder
that such extreme views should hare made
sensation among these who act upon the idea
that they are the masters and not the servants
OF Nature.
We ara glad to see little healthy excitement
among the medical faculty. It will do NO harm.
and poor bled and blistered and physicked hu.
mapity will profit BY the agitation. The time
will never come when the human race eau dis
day is approaching when families can call in
their physician without q misgiying that his
remedies may do more harm than GOOD. The
services Of nature IN the cure Of disease will be
more and more generally recognized. Neither
the importance nor the emolume1ts of physi-
cians will be diminished by this tendency, but
they will be forced to turn their attention as
well to the laws of hath as to those Of disease.
and to become the family guides aud couusellors
in the pr<strrotion Of that great blessing. asTel
as In its restoration. When called upoa to treat
disease they will rely solely upon medicines
which will assist nature. and that t.active"
!1eAsn emf Wh'ch leaves the patient who survives
il, the wreck Of his former self viii m lonoer
remain monument Of the dark ages and Of ihe
conservatism of medical science.