The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-11-13
When Doctors Disagreed"
From the Memphis Bulletin.

When doctors disagree, who shall de-
eide 2" is 9 question that has become pro-
verbal, and Memphis is at this moment
furnishing proof. Tint ifan important prob.
lem for the welfare ofouf citizens depends
upon their agreement, our case is nothing
less than desperate. Have we the yellow
fever among us !? Yes! say the telegraphic
dispatches. Y es! say returns made to the !
health oificer--and the Eyes" is loudly |
proclaimed throughout the land, By the
establishment Of that settled concomitaDt
of yellow fever, a Howard Association, and
by the arrival here of those indispensable
co-laborers of the members OF that Assoc
citation, corps of practiced New Orleans
nurses. Put Howard Association on the
summit of Mount Blanc, and that alone
would be proof positive, all over the Uni
ted States, of the presence of yellow fever
there. Could further, profounder, stronger
proof be wanting of the presence OF the
yellow fever among US than this array OF
facts 2" Can all the aduncts of the yel.
low fever be present, while the fever itself
is absent? This would be playing the
tragedy of Hamlet, with the part OF Hamlet
left out, on large scale! Yet there are
doctors, and other persons well acqualnt d
with, yellow fever, who deny that the
malignant disease we have been suffering
from in Memphis is that fever. Its evil
dent that this conviction has been strong
and confident, in some instances, for 70
one would give jalap. colocynth, and gam
boge as charge, in combination with Gallo
mel, as percussion cap to ensure their
taking effect-as has been done in Mem
phis-if he believed he had yellow fever to
deal with. a person unaequalnted with !,
medicine, expects that disease so well
known as the yellow fever, will be recognl-
zed by the medical expert, as readily as a
: horticulturist distinguishes an apple from
pear; but such does not appear TO pc the
case. Some reader-one Of the class who
thinks it cares more for things than words
is probably asking, in his mind, as ne
reads this-what does is signify they cal
,, it yellow fever or intermittent fever, or nc
,, fever at all ? the thing is not to find anam'
for the disease, but to cure it Our com
i, nonsense friend is right as to the thing tt
! be done, bnt unfortunately-splte OF tn
poet asking, s.twhat's in a name?'-lt names
? are not things, they indicate things and
: the wrong thing is indicated, somebod..
). has to suffer the penalty Of the blunder
: If an engineer, fuding something wroD
e with his engine, should call the der ing
; ment cylinder complaint, and do his doc
> toring accordingly, when the matter
$ really disease Of the neglected boiler
0 there will probably be an explosion betor
J. long. with the engineer who made NIL
:, take oflname for the first victim.
a While pointing out the uncertainty th'
Is many feel as to the disease that is nc,
% troubling us being yellow fever, we mus
e in iustice to the faculty of Memphis, a
~ knowledge that they are not alone IN the e
* dilemma, as the following extract from IL
10 New Orleans Picayune Of Tuesday last WI
- show:
p $50 uncertain science is that OF me-
81 icine that the disagreement of doctors nj
'li passed into proverb. The present Sc sc
~ son of disease and death furnishes anoth
lie and further illustration of the ditfereD
w We of opinion and conclpsion, which shows u
en- inactness Of medical knowledge, for hard
- any two Of our physicians agree as to
ne nature or causes Of the fever or teve
e u which have desolated ovr city, not lew
~ them having long experience, stoutly {
al al, claring that it is not the yellow fever
' nn ALL" q ff{4'b pgftgSE M :.
~; on The Vicksburg Telegraph, OF the l;
M quotes the following from a letter IT.
:y received from New Orleans:
III. "There is not much yellow fever he
ia. the disease which proves most fatal Is
noii general combination of yellow and put
y, fever something now here. 1t Is very
i1ii tai, and attacks acclimated and unac
" VI, mated indiscrinlioately. The sufferer r
YIN ' ly lives longer than three days, and ab
one out OF ten RECEIVERS. yellow lever tn
ment fails altogether ia arresting its
Tn gress, and as yet nothing has been disc
~ cred to arrest it's ravages.
"When doctors disagree" who shall
eide?