New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-01

Adyiaes from China some time ago reported that "a
new end strange disease " had appeared in Hong
Kong and had carried Oh already AZ per cent Of the
British garrison. This il all the information which
hascyer beenreccived the main fact beingthat the men
are dead. In time, however, will come perhaps this
medical gentleman dathesis, and tba. medical gem
tleman diagnosis, with a long pharmaceutical cata-
loguc Gn Ta,n) OF the various drugs which have been
exhibited and found to be good for nothing. 1t is
hard to believe that there are sanitary conditions so
totally unprecedented to give rise to absolutely
new and distinct diseases; but if there were
such, We suspect that they would be less en-
barrassng, that they would at Least be more
easily managed than the uncertain modification of
physical disorders forwhch the has been Sweated
and sayated bled and blistored timdly treated and
herocay tortured eyer since the days Of ppocrates.
We know that there is nonsense like the nonsense
Of medical antiquity, but fortunately not pro-
uLetc and cannot see the medical schools of 1866
grinning over our prescriptions. We hold in high
contempt the esses which the doctors OF Charles III.
forced down the royal throat; but we have known
a oh, stefan Of high standing in tins Nineteenth
Century Of Christian enlightenment, to put not
less than eighteen different ingredients into a
b9lus as big rs a marble and TO send L
down the gsophagus ola helpless woman in the
forlorn hope Of conquering stouiach-ache No
der that in this the poor paten; betook herself to
pellets and was soon able to announce to her de-
lighted friends that she had been restored to perfect
health bv the millionth of grain Of belladOnna in
the moraing, and the deconth Of grain of toxco-
dendron in the evening. To get well soon as pos
sblc was the least espec which she could show to
these lcariuy impressive names.
Il is but fair however. it is but common gratitude
to a profession towhich all resort upon the slightest
emergency (uness we do worse, and dose ourseyes),
TO acknowledge all the difficulties by which it is bese
the multitude of human Compartments, the scandals
Gus imprudence of the race in eating and drinking
and dressing the ignorance and ialsehood Of nurses
who have always a pet remedy Of their own hid away
from the doctors eyes in closet, tho impossi-
bility of getting from patient anything like an
intelligent report or Ms symptoms, the sopbs-
tcation of drugs and the general fact
that, doctored or undoctOred man always
dies when his tine has come 1t is bad enough that
a phvsician must-work-tOo oilen in the dark and
cannot be sure that he is wrong until death decide
against him; but he abors under great disadvantage
in the very confidence which we repose in him. He
is expected to be infablc. lawyers may make mis-.
takes. but doctors are to be omniscient, omnpotent
and b. virtue Of Nor gigs, oTinpresent. We make
no allowance for the ialbility of human judg-
ment We have no patience to wait for the
atural disappearance Of = scff'iiInitrt disease.
We insist that the doctor shall do some
thing; and the moment We detect his bread
pills and nctured water, we pay his bill, discharge
him upon the spot and send Oft 10 the druggist for
bottle of some concentrated nastiness with long
Greek name, which has already cured all the children
of all the ccrgymen in the State of ell the ills to
which flesh is herr with the single exception of orig
inal sin. So Tommy gets well, and the learned pro.
prietor of the panacea receives and prints certificate
while the poor doctor swsars in the privacy of his sur
gerry, and in sheer selfdeiense physics the next pa
tient within an inch of his life -------.----..-'
These, we are aware, would beimprOper discussions
for an unproessona journal like ours lit were not for
thepositivc material and practcalnerest ofthe public
in the preservation ofthepublio health. Everybody
cent spectators in cemetery lots desresth dmluton