Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1868-03-19
Persecution Of New Ideas.

harvey. WHO ulSG dlSCoNClth AHO VII
sulation of the blood, was styled 'vaga-I
bond or quack,' and prosecuted through
life. Ambrose Pare, in the time of
Francis l., introduced tue Rgdtdre as Il
substitute for the painful mode of staun
ching blood after the amputation of Il
Gmb--namely, by applying boiling pitch
to the surface of the stump. lie WAS,
in consequence, prosecuted with most
remorseless rancor by the faculty of
physic, who ridiculed the idea of putting
the life of man upon II thread, when
boiling pitch had stood the test for cell
turies Paracelsus introduced anthony
as a valuable medicine; he was persecu-
ted for the Innovation, and the French
Parliament passed an act making it pc
nal to prescribe it; whereas, it is now
one of the most important medicines III
daily use. The Jesuits of Peru intro
duced to Protestant England the Peru
Wan bark (invalnable as IL medicine,)
but being Il remedy used by the Jesuits,
the Protestant English at once rejected
the drugs as the invention OF the devil.
In 1859 DR.. Cromwell discovered the
curative power of cantharides i'll dropsy.
AS soon as his cures began to be noised
abroad he was committed to Newgate
by warrant of the President OF the Col
| lege of Physicians for prescribing can
tharides internally. Lady Mary Mon
tague first introduced into England
smallpox inoculation, having seen Its
success in Turkey in greatly mitigating
that terrible disease The faculty all
rose in arms against the introduction,
| foreteiling the most disastrous conse-
quence; yet it was in Il few years gener-
ally adopted by the most eminent mem
Ebers of the profession. Jenner, who in
troduced vaccination, was treated with
ridicule and contempt, prosecuted and
oppressed by the Royal College of Ply.
sicians; yet he subsequently received
large peculiarly grants from govern
ment for the benefit he had conferred Oh
/ his country, by making known his val
liable discovery; and at the present time
it's observance is very properly enIolneo
by the whole medical profession, and
the legislature.
The above is very short list of mer
who, in the single department. of medI
4 cine have suffered persecution for the
considered crime, and the man who
dares think better than others must lay
his account with the loss of reputation
if not of life. 1t is not at all peculiar
to medicine to treat its brightest orna
ments and greatest benefactors in thi:
manner All other departments of so
ciety have an equal measure of this per
scouting spirit. The history of Calico
who for lack of courage had to abjur'
/ his astronomical discoveries, is familiar
to all. But most of all this malignan
spirit manifested itself i'll the walks o
religion and morals. Martyrdom ant
reform are scarcely distinguishabl'
terms. No matter how blind, how mis-
taken, how besotted the public OF thu
Church may become, the introduction o
Il new truth has usually cost the life o
him who dared to give it utterancc
Christ was crucified for announcing th'
very fact which makes him head of th
, Church forever. All his followers mus
/. expect the same treatment while walk
ing in the same way. The world, b,
: which we mean those who stand still
! will never forgive the man who has al
: original idea.-[ Exchange.