Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-05
judge Daris and Temperance.

VIII tie READ Win lNteft>t, aStpHiahiitSh'
and indignation by many of your rea-
,lers and whether il meets your apprO-
hation or not. it is hoped that you will
not exclude few remarks i'll relation 10
It. He says deliberately and in writing
Outside of political and legal questions,
nothing seems To me so worthy OF spe-
cial notice, as the medical use OF alco-
bolic liquors. believe that one Of the
greatest obstacles we now have to con-
tend with, is this use of liquors, encour-
aged as it j., by the great majority OF our
regular physicians. Thirty years ago
The medical profession took the lead in
the temperance reform, everywhere de-
nouncing the use of liquors rs a prolific
source Of disease, and condcmning 1t,
even as medicine, except in rare cases.
Now very few physicians manifest any
special interest in the cause. and the
practice Of prescribing whiskey OF other
alcoholic liquors in nearly all forms of
disease. is becoming almost universal.
The habit of indulgence Ia thus fostered.
and the use of liquors 10 prevent or cure
read or fancied ill-, is greatly encouraged.
As necessary consequence, our numer-
Gus apothecary stores have become the
most pcrnicioas and dangerous rum shops
in the State. For this result, believe
the ply sicians are largely responsible.
When the Maine Medical Society, in
stead Of rebuking this practice, publishes
a paper commenting natural wines rs
food. the use of which Is beneficial 10
the human system. We have great reason
To be- discouraged in our efforts. never
had much faith in homeopathy; but If al
lopathic physicians continue to SOW the
seeds of intcmperanee among Us, we
shall be compelled tn turn 10 the more
modern school, rs the only means of
saving Us from becoming n nation of
drunkardS.'
One brief. stern. comprehensive and
short denial of nearly all this belief and
all these assert ions. is all that the fore
going paragraph merits. But knowing
that judge Davis j. an honorable man
that he is a Christian man--and that he
would not In his right frame of mind ut
ter false or an unkind assertion, some
thing more may be dine
First. then. it is denied that the ma
jori,y of regular physicians are obstacles
to temperance or that they encourage in
temperance. II has been said with truth
nv the best physicians in this country. ne
fact within their knowledge and cN-
pe riencc, that although they had pre-
Scribed alcohol in some of It's forms 10
thousands Of patients, they never knew II
single instance where the habit OF drunk
ennesS WAS contracted from this cause.
II is further denied that physicians now
differ in opinion from those Of thirty
years ago. Physicians then asserted that
ardent spirits in health were unnecessary ;
and that their excessive use was n source
of poverty and disease. That is still the
general and well settled opinion of the
profession.
Concerning apothecarics, ii would he
hard 10 believe the assertion of Judge
Davis. Without knowing what they do
and whether they keep the most PERM
cious rum shops in the State, they shall
be leil To answer for themselves. Ply
sicians are not the guardians of apothe-
carries any more than they are of the
Liquor Agencies or the manner in which
questions of temperance shall be dis
cussed; and they are therefore in no de-
gree responsible for their habits, prac-
tees or assertions.
Again, il is asserted by the Judge that
the Maine Medical Society, instead of re-
buking this practice (what practice?)
publishes paper commencing natural
wines as flood" the use OF which is ben
eficial. In answer 20 this, suffice il TO
say, that the Maine Medical ("Society")
Association has never published paper
commenting natural wine as food" nor
any paper on that subject. The assertion
is without the least shadow of founda-
ton. The Maine Medical Association
gives hearing to all papers on medical
subjects, and refers them to Committee
on Publication but if that committee had
published such paper, so referred, the
Medical Association, like all scientific
bodies would not thereby have endorsed
its directions or conclusions; but would
have expressly denied such endorsement,
simply because it would at the time OF
publication be impossible to ascertain
the views of majority.
Finally, the Judge, after showing such
a cordial love for the regular physicians
threatens to abandon the Allopathic and
freeze to the Homeopathic persuasion.
Now here is the climax of reason, JUS
tee and logic. Love is really singular
quality, blind as well as fluctuating, cut
ting strange fantasies as it strains itself
first to pity, then to endure and finally
to embrace. The Judge, like all learned
men, mas had luii accees " '"' i i''
eopea, the Materia Medica, and the In
stitutes and Practice of Medicine of both
of these schools; and he knows, if he has
examined them as he might, that the
practice of one is the same as that OF the
other, concerning alcoholic stimulants.
What gain, therefore, in passing from
one TO the other for this reason? But
what the author of this paragraph threat
ems to do is nothing here or there. The
temper and logic are the things to be
noticed, and they simply indicate state
of mind which would spite one evil Tor
the sake. of another, according to his