New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-25
PHYSIC TO THE DOGS!

As a general rule people are fanatical about
taking physic-bitters, pills, powders, all sorts
of patent fluid nastiness! Two panaceas IN
the market involve an genealogical absurdity'
and we have two thousand. The valetudina-
rian tries one infallble remedy after another,
and never thinks that he should be skeptical
about No. 90 because the preceding series from
1 to 10 was total failure. The whole matter
is mass and mess and middle of confusion,
involving the absurdity that what cured Cor
is said to have cured) bronchitis will
just as infallibly cure Brghts Disease.
The stronghold Of the quicksilver Is
in that indefinite trouble called General De-
bility. the victim of which thinks on Monday
that his liver is out of order, is certain that
he has consumption on Tuesday, suspects indi-
gestion on Wednesday, will swear that his
brain is affected on Thursday, settles down
upon rheumatism on Friday, cannot get can
Ger out of his head on Saturday, and makes
ND his mind to die of epilepsy on Sunday !!
Empty bottles accumulate in his closet. The
dust-bin is full of exhausted pill-boxes. There
is an electro magnetic machine, very much
out of order, on the shelf. Happy he whom
fortune has led to prefer globules to goblets.
His medicine chest, full Of little bottles which
in turn are full of pretty little pellets, Is
perpetual source of amusementsand of expert
ments which are at least harmless. If the
prescribeIs for themselves must swallow Gallo
mel, opium, ipecac, rhubarb, mandrake, and
the like, let it be in infnitesimal doses.
The last martyr mentioned in the English
newspapers was Mrs. Elizabeth Benton of
WoOlwich. According to the evidence,
she was resolute in her testimony against
dosing to the last. The Lord was her
doctor, and she refused to be treated by any
minor and mortal NJ ID. What is to be done
in case like this7 When children are re-
calcitrant against birthstone and molasses, or
castor oil, very slight degree of force re-
duces them to submissive swallowing with
more or less slobber and spatter; but it is
impossible to wrestle with an old lady, and it
would be an ignominious insult to hold her
nose. Yet the Coroner, who was probably
Doctor himself, when called to investigate the
death of Mrs. Benton, was exceedingly angry
with the Peculiar People, and would have
been happy, no doubt, to find verdict of
manslaughter" against the whole sect. 3" 1t
dis all very well.n said the outraged func-
"with themselves, but a husband is held re-
"sponsible for the life of his wife, and it is his
"duty to see that she has proper medical
" Attendance"
But what is "proper medical attendance 7"
Benton did call the attendant in whom he
had confidence, viz: the Lord-called upon his
knees in very loud and long way. Suppose
that he had sent for homeopathic practi-
TONER, or for mesmerist, or for botanical
doctor-would the Coroner have been any bet
ter pleased 7 If we are to be forced to take
medicine by law, it becomes matter of seri-
GUS consequence for us to know what kind of
medicine we are to take. The fact is. medi-
cines are so uncertain, medical notions are so
numerous, and the question whether the pa
tent needs medicine or not always such
doubtful one that if we attempt to make the
treatment of the sick an affair of statute regu-
laton we shall first have to settle what the
treatment shall be, and thus give the sanction
of the State to one school at the expense of
oil ba