Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-04-04

| TAG different issues started by the war,
the side shows as it were, of the great
drama now being played in the country,
are numerous and amusing, and not the
least interesting is the struggle going on
between the disciples Of the different
schools of medicine, allopathy and homOe-
pathy, for the privilege of doetOring the
soldiers. The allopathiea have hitherto
had things almost entirely their own way,
owing to that conservatism and reverence
for precedent which is the principal char
acteristic of a regular army officer. As
allopatby always has been practiced in the
army, and as all the regular army surgeons
are allopathfstz. so say the officers in com
maud, al!Opathy always shall be practiced
among volunteers aud regulars, to the to-
tai exclusion of the homeopathic wor-
shipper Of Esculapius. This decision
has excited the ire of the vendors of MOLE
cular medicines, aud their efforts to intro
duce the contrabaud system to men in au-
thOrity have been numerous aud persistent.
They argue With good deal of plausa-
bility. that many of the soldiers are ac-
customed to the homeopathic treatment,
and that other medicines are distasteful to
them, as in fact they seem to be to most
people. They are not able to see, when
soldier has cold, why he cannot, it he
chooses, swallow a few globules of AGO.
mite, even if it is poison, and not be COM
PEELED to imbibe a dose of gin aud
molasses; aud when threatened With a fe-
yer, why, if the patient only thinks so, ten
pin-head pills, dissolved in a barrel OF
water and administered iu hourly spoon :
fuIs, will not be equally eficacious with
the nauseons remedies of the old regime,
while they are certain to be much pleas
anter to the taste.
ThemOstreceut development of this contest
of the doctors, is petition of the Massa-
chusetts homeopathic society to Congress,
setting forth the grievances of the craft,
and asking for the appointment of hom9-
oPathic surgeons in the army; brigade
surgeon where considerable number ofany
brigade desire it, aud regimeutal sur.
geon where majority of any regiment are
in favor of this system. Aud this request
seems reasonable. No man, or set of men,
ought to be allowed to dictate to a-soldier
in therapeutics any more than in theology.
1t should be sacred right to every man
to be blistered. leoched, pbysiced or phle-
botOmized at his pleasure; or if he does
not please to submit his person to any Of
these energetic methods of treatment, to
have the privilege when sick of relying for
cure upon the mysterious Influences of
the "microscopical, miasmatic. molecules
of the homeopathic. Congress has no
right to set itseIt up as medical censor,
for in spite of the large number of medi-
cal works in the Congressional library, il
cannot be supposed the members are com
petent judges of what's the only correct
system of medicine. The homeopathic
only ask for an equal chance with the old
practitioners, and they should have it,
Their medicines could not kill any more
than the old fashioned condiments; and
there are many who believe that in most
cases, nature, unimpeded by anything
more than homeopathic pill,wouId effect a
cure where there is now fatal Issue.