Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-03-29
The Administration and the Doe.
tors"


The article which appeared under the above
title in the " Watchman and Journal" Of the
18th inst, deserves criticism and review. The
original inquiry concerning the merits Of Van
Aernam, the present Commissioner of Pensions
seems likely 10 result in a discussion Of the mer
its Of homeopathy.
Homeopathy is aggressive, and consequently
meets opposition, Its not surprised or disheart
ened by this Like all else that is new it must
fight its way and like all else that is true, It
must eventually prove itself so. It has most to
fear from Misrepresentation. 1t is by its enemies
heralded as a school Of quacks. And although il
has been recently settled by the courts that ho-
mnopathic physicians arc not quacks, and have
legal redress when so called, many, like this cor
respondent, persist in heaping this SANDER upon
men who are guilty Of the enormous crime of
holding to what they believe to be true.
The correspondent treats homo lpathy as if it
were a humbug denies the truth Of the law
SimiAa SmihJus Curantir and then res0rts 10
hun5uggey TO eurs haoi5ug. As in religion and
politics, 80 in medicine, it best becomes a man to
be fair and truthful. lf the learned Doctor is in
teigent enough 10 know, and Of this there can
be no question, he should be fair enough to admit
that the course Of study and method Of practice
Of the two schools, differs only in what relates to
the choice of remedies. In Surgery and Pathology
it is the same. Whatever llahnemann's d" yis-
ionary theories were, they have never been
adopted by this school Of medicine. Only upon
one principle do all homeopathic physicians agree,
and that is the S,miHa upon which they rely to
select the appropriate remedy. The whole matter
Of dose is still unsettled many holding to small
and others to larger doses. lie who prefers the
smallest doses, advocates them and he who pre-
iers the larger, contends against the smaller. But
the matter Of dose is left to the discretion of the
i physician and the reason why homeopathic
physicians commonly use small doses is because
they prefer 10, because their experience proves to
them that they operate more safely and are more
likely to effect a speedy and permanent cure.
1t is most surprising that an intelligent physi-
clan should attempt to abuse the mind Of the
public by stating that the homeopathic school
discards Pathology and postmortein e1amina-
tions Nothing is more false. The colleges
teach this branch Of study, each encouraging
and requiring the students to dssect and hOmg-
opathic physicians always stand ready and anx-
ious to pursue such investigations when any good
seems likely to result.
1t matters not if Ilahnemann or any individual
member Of this school has cautioned those who
deal in massive doses, against post-mortem ex-
aminations which will reveal most prominently
and first of all, what was produced by your
treatment" 1t matters not if an individual ply
sician of the homeopathic school happens to dis
believe in post-mortems the same may be true Of
the allopathic school.
But why do the homeopathic colleges desire
the Pathological plates from Washington, and the
same that are freely distributed to the alopathic
colleges if the statement oftho learned Doctor
true, that hom@opaths " ignore" such study and
g deny the utility of Pathological investigations.
lie asks Of what use such plates can be to them
Let him be reminded that if the homn)pathists
are men Of such calibre and views as he in
Inmates, full of ignorance, whose distinguishing
dogmas are groaadiess and iH4sory, why not give
them the means of Instruction. Who, before
March 10, A. d. 1871, knew the glorious prn-
cple enunciated by the profound and philosophc
Doctor, that the means Of education, information
and instruction, should be withheld from the
ignorant on the ground that it is Of no use to
them?
The author Of such a sentiment deserves that
his memory should be perpetuated by lasting
monument bearing the inscription
=" W'thold education from The ignorant; dsny
The means Of instruction 10 msn Of small cai5er
for 10 afford such is like casting pearls before
soiae ,ohich ice are commanded not to do"
The learned doctor accuses the homp)paths Of
an unwillingness to cooperate with the alopaths
Who is it that refuses to counsel with any but
alopathic physicians? What county, or state,
or national medical association deny their mem
bers, under the threat of expulsion, the privilege
of assisting homeopathic surgeon in setting
limb, or in any case or operation, even though it
does not involve the giving of medicine
1t should be matter of satisfaction to the Doe
tor to know that he is so henmed in by the laics
and regulations Of his medical societies as not to
be contaminated by professional contact with
those he deems to be SO inferior, such as indulge
in " habitual errors :" and " unsound reasonings,
not to say dishonest practices"
1t is no compliment to those who employ no
mnopathic physicians, to be reminded by the Doc
tor that the delightful eGrirs, the compound syr-
ups, and the aromatic decooions of his school are
reserved for the strong minds of the nation
who exclusively foster and keep on its legs the
PGregorie, Cod-hrer-Oii, Sails & Senna School Of
Medicine. 1t is notifying to learn that the mod
crate doses of the homeopathis are suited only 10
weaker minds.
A surgeon is in a strict sense, one who cures
diseases and injuries Of the body by manual opor-
alton 1t does not involve the exhibition Of
remedies. If leg is to be amputated dislocated
bones to be adjusted musket balls to be extract
ed, why may not one physician be as well qualified
to do it as another, though holding different views
of remedies in pneumonia, cholera, scarlatina or
typhoid fever? What has medicine to do with a
purely manual operation? But tan army surgeons
duties, include not only this, but the giving Of
medicines in all cases of sickness incident to
military service. Here then the Government may
have choice between the allopathc and homoo-
pahic schools Of practice, and that too with some
show Of fairness although we must confess that
there is an appearance Of injustice in compelling
soldier to foregO a system of treatment to which
he has been accustomed, and which he prefers,
and compelling him to be treated by one he
dstrusts and dislikes.
But as to the matter Of examining pensioners,
it involves simply physical examination pro-
essiona opinion solely as to the character of the
disability which entities him to draw from the
pension fund. If man has lost leg or an arm,
finger or an eye, cannot one surgeon discover it
as well as another? Cannot one as well as anoth-
er discover a physical injury? What has the
question of practice and Of medicine to do with
it? 1t involves a knowledge of Anatomy, Path
ology and Physiology which are taught as much
in homeopathic schools as in any other, and in
most cases from the same text books.
These physical injuries, together with that
meaningless, yet very expressive disease, General
Debility, are the grounds upon which nineteen
twentieths Of the invalid soldiers draw pensions.
Inasmuch as an examination is no difficult affair,
only one dollar and fifty cents is allowed for it,
and rs 1t does not involve any medical treatment,
II is unfair and unreasonable to contend that