The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-04-13
- DR.. Dio Lewis writes the following
of tar tn TooIo Uo1coLoIH MTDu-1np.

Boston. Mass, Feb 10, 1872.
Dear Edior:-I prepared recently for
your magazine, an article under the head
ing -Nanaes of Diseascs.1 I have no
doubt that many readers thought it eceen-
trio and Improbable, but in my opinion
that brief paper contains the most vital
thought have ever expressed with tongue
or pen.
But the nomenclature of medicine, like
the nomenclature of theology, is the out
growth of a necessity. Doctors like cler
gymen, must make professional learned
profession of their calling. The laws of
health are so extremely simple, it really
requires SO little leGrniRg to comprehend
them, that, naked and alone, it would be
impossible to make their administration a
learned profession. In order to make a
professional learned profession out of the
business, it must be fixed up in some way.
Developed during period Of the worlds
history when learned men, so called, re
sorted to the use of dead languages to keep
themselves aloof from the people, medi-
cines very naturally fell into the trick. The
thousand and one medical theories have
brought with them jargon of names
which have been appropriated as they have
| been found to serve. In this way wilder
ness Of learning has come into vogue.
The doctor gets three dollars for dropp-
ing in and selecting one out of the endless
! list of names to label the case with, and
writing prescription in Latin; while the
nurse gets one dollar for nursing the pat
lent twenty four hours, and doing all that
is really done to achieve cure, including,
in most cases, the difficult task Of relieving
the patient of the doctors drugs.
! Strip the doctor of his nomenclature, and
he would lose not only this rapid and easy
way of making money, but very soon the
confidence of the people.
! When l was a small chap, my older sis
ter used to talk with her young lady friends
in Latina kind, | believe, known hog
latin. For example: if she wished to say
to the young ladies'
"Let US go out into the garden, and
leave this young scaawag in the house.
she would add something at the end ofcach
word, and if | remember rightly, it was
gre" pronounced in two syllables. With
this addition the sentence, you will observe,
would read:
'Letare usare goare outare intoare theare
gardenare. andare leavare thisare youngare
scalawarc mare theare houseare.'
My sister could get no advantage over
me in hiding, or tricks Of any kind, but
| when she retired in the classic shades
| to be big enough to study Latin. How |
envied people who had been to college and
Studied Latin. How Wondered that girls
could talk Latin SO easy.
This is exactly the kind of advantage
which we doctors have over the people.
! For example: A man has a sore throat.
Suppose the doctor were to tell him to mix
a little red pepper, salt, vinegar, honey
and water, and garsle when necessary
The man might step into the kitchen and
/ tell Bridget to fix up some for him, but If,
upon trying it, relief did not come at once,
he would throw it aside. But suppose the
doctor gives him the prescription in the
following formula, and he goes to a drug
gst and pays dollar for the mixture done
up in a pretty bottle, now its very differ
ent thing.
See now how grand pepper, salt and vim
egar look when put into scientific ship
shape;
r. Pulveris Piperis Rubri.
Hydro Chloride Sodii.
Acidi Aeetic.
Mellis despumati.
Aqua tluvalis.
Msce-Fiat gargarisma.
Signa-Sumatur pro rata.
There, rather bad Latin, but that's the
way they write it; and don't you see now
that pepper and salt are quite grand"
\ silly woman once came to consult me
about drinking the waters Of a certain
mineral spring. She brought the analysis
with her, and pointing to one ingredient
the sesquixide of maganese-she exclaim-
ed: '.Ah! but" said l, ''you ought to try
prot0riGe Of Hydrogen;* that is the great
est remedy in the world; it has cured more
sick people than all other remedies ever
discovered"
''But, Doctor, that is very strong med
icine Wouldn't it be too much for my
nerves? A cousin of mine tried that in
Paris. She was there under the celebrated
Dr.--,for nearly year, and he tried
that medicine you just spoke Of on her,
and it nearly killed her; it stimulated her
nervous system so dreadfully, and yet she
took only few drops at a time
"Are you sure it was protoxide ofhydro-
gen that Dr.-gave her
''Oh, yes; I am sure that was it. 1t was
protoxy Of blanagy: l am sure that was it.
But, DOCTOR if you think it will help this
terrible weakness in my head, will try it:
but you must take the responsibility
l assured her that the testimony of the
great Priessnitz, and other distinguished
SuCdnS, gave lHIlulte ASSURANCE vi tue per-
feet safety of the remedy. So gave her
the following prescription:
Protoxide of Hydrogen, Octarii ii.
Aqun Flurials, tluidunci;c quantum fuf-
felt
II. o. Congii ii.
Misce: X. Cochleara bis die XVI.
Caring nothing for the bad Latin, she
folded up the precious scrap, and went
away bewildered and delighted. At last,
she had found doctor who knew some
thing and not one of your cheap quacks.
She had found a physician who had lived
in Paris, and who understood his business.
But when she took ny prescription to an
intelligent apothecary and found out that
the whole rigmarole meant, when trans
lated into plain English
90 Drink tumbler of water twice a day."
O, what q fall was there, my countrymen
They say that she had to be held, so terri
BILE was her rage. She has not consulted
me since, and have now given up all hope
of seeing her. If am rightly informed,
ln 10, n,