New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-15
THE PAPER.

I have been requested by several eminent physf
clans Of New-York to give to the profession and
the world the general results OF my observation aud
perence the a. that have been engaged IN
the study and practice of medicine.
was educated In Scotland, at the University OF Glas-
cow, what may properly be styled the heroic school,
wherein taught that the lancet was to the phys
elan what the sword the warrior In those days
tho chambers OF the sick were scenes OF combat In
which blood flowed almost as freely as upon the battle
field The great ruling idea the necessity OF deple
ton 1t demanded for every alment and for every
accident, and the fear that haunted the mind OF the
conscientious practitioner, in almost every case was
that he had neglected TO take away sufficient guam
ty OF blood When the veins had yielded up the
last drop was safe to abstract then 30 tS
AyDister, the tartar emetc ointment Granville Iotoo
s qs tue Sy nS S ssaa t. these
Nperadded IN many eases, succession OF drasuc
covers Of the SYSTEM were sufficiently reduced,
the aid Of mercury was invoked The strongest
and It was generally considered necessary to
push u TO the extent OF producing saivaton, TnRa
~ system. 1t cannot be denied that these measures
generally eesga IN saOdo ar , p ~ eao n
tain that they sometimes also destroyed the patient
winch they proved positively fatal, but REGAL
Instance IN which miu was carried by the use OF tue
lancet near u the gates OF death that an indepie I'M
preston made upon nv mind, and ever since nave
exercised more caution In It's employ men Inc patient
lived at the distance OF - miles from my residence an
! was Obliged 10 travel 10y night, throagn a puInea
forest, In the most tertic buuuuerstOrnI L cNSr
saw. I reached my destination at O'Clock IN the
morning. and found that the patient had been suffering
The length existed, ana the ravages 1t mad
committee on the powers OF the system snSsest ,m,
had never seen nor heard or an Instance o.
recovery from this disease without IT, much less
had been informed that it has natural tendency to
and having leeches, oreupping apparatus at
tanned about half put blood ht patient fell back in
fut from wlach he rallied slowly. ana then ouly 10
and pant for hours though his emf had come in
sye OF the most powerful stImuanIs. He had not
fully recovered from this condition when was oOligei
TO leave hn aud 80 hours elapsed before could see INN
shall never forget the anxiety felt on bis ac-
There may nave been time in which the stamina Of
But that had passed aud wassno longer lired
TIE had become too great. reaction was nevi-
table. and II came, and like reactions geuerdlY has
gone entirely Too far The pendulum has swung to no
other IL has been poserfutly aided by remark
ease. Ii is impossible deny that acute diseases do
IT now make their appearance IN tne same violent
Gid 80 An Inflammation
fever which then attended with pulse of from
100 10 I6O tu ami bounding gives much
puIse OF from Sc to Os win all the other symptoms
respOndlncIy mild i have obtained che testimony OF
loary distinguished physicians, IN both lnis city and
elsewhere. who all agree with upon this point. IL
nay difficult TO ascertain the causes of THIS variation
s. the character OF acute diseases put tue fact rcmalu
The reaction III question received also great mo-
nrOtum nom he changes produced III the constitutions
advance i'll commerce and the arts, tncy acquire habits
o. e"se anu I1s SUI iySe pat or cndnrnre are
Weakened. and there is general revolt against every
Ia
fire the property OF giving pain though
every child that should be born thereafter should run
.S nun MN ho uoisouea by using il as an article
Of Tney sight of great fact that IN D3th the
moral aud tue ply seal departments OF nature tue N0
at.on of law is followed by punlshment and mat all
remedial measures are necessarily disciplinary, and,
therefore eiul, and 50 they demand VI ther spf-
ual advisers thai they should smootn nnH'
Gud cry peace, peace" wnen there Is no peace,
aud Of their medal adysST that ihey SnU
H. perfect harmony with this new spirit OF luxury and
folly came homeopathy holding III LIS hand wal OF
sugar pellets and Proposing 10 thrust aside at one fell
swoOp the accumulated results of the wisdom ana ex
perIence OF ages and proclatming the law OF sb1"'d
sim,iiLus eurdniUr the great and only law OF
euical science. If the mutitudes who embraced this
have seen that IL never by tucu sudden aud
revolutionary measures that any science or arr Is a.
vsnced; Lhat contrary II IL 10y the gradual add
ton discoveries OF fact aud prl1clpe, and law
structure is slowly reared frOtn age TO
lee never 10 DC completed Till timo stall eud They
would also that that Which has been 80 osteu
tstuu-y put forth s u Oiy law of medical s.iegce
MOI law OF medical at all, bat simply Jaw OF
certain classes OF agents called snlahls ana Onlcs
lIOm tne imDemOriaii has been known that If these
agents used in they produce weakness OF
the parts upon which they operate, and that # these
paIts nave become deDitaIed or co1ges ed through
cold or an Injury, or any other cause Thea
these agents IN Woo G1'ei bay are s sag a
In pursuing the inquiry, that there are other
agents OF vast Importance which act upon the law
C Opposl'es, and others again wc act upon principle
OF from either. lu short they would have uls'
enrs are varied manifold ana tnat tue attempt 10
restrict the science OF medicine to one law Is Just as
Ieir TO can be cured by one remedy Aid II they
90 still further, and examine into the practice
Of he founder Of the system, they would have net wlh
f&c,s when would have both amused ana astOuuded
tem For Instance, III Lis "o!h emitted TIE OrGanon
b. says: I" In sudden affection OF the stJnlhcn, with
frequent naueOus eructatOns as OF spoediJ u accom-
panied with depression OF nlno cold 81 the tert hands
sc.. II tue patent snOud Only sme' Oace Of gOOule
rf the OF mustard SEED, unprecedented with
tue space OF TWO hours" Now, Pro- simpson OF Elin-
bursI, in his admirable To5k upon HomeSp my
according 10 the prescribed formula, - one gram vi
pdsatd an ocean oil a'cOnO equal To several
globes ,he diameter which would reach irOm this
10 the nearest fixed star II Hdhneinaun had de-
rl~red that he was The Emperor Ol Germany VI The hing
o. the CdnniDal Islands, ne woIid not nave mage
statement whit more prrposterOus OF Incredible AMI
yet, later wOrH, he atirns as tue result OF MS una
tUred experience, that dose OF the two-nundredh anu,
Inc best dose for ali diseases poth acute aud
nBECILITY OF MODERN PRACTICE
Aud now cone the inquiry. what have the faculty
Aoe 10 Withstand homeopathy aud resist the spirit OF
tne agei Hive they studied and weighed the nodica-
ton occurred u the type Of disease aud care
fully adjusted their methods To meet that modhcationf
Have they maDfuy stood up for the dignity OF the
purged II OF It's errors ana under s Venerde
banners in the OF God and humanity dcspsed the
Of fashion, rebIked the eeminacy OF the
and Insisted upon vigorous and effective system
teatment IL is not province 10 prefer acnarge
against brethren to impugn their motives Out am
bound 10 declare my solemn conviction tnat the practice
medicine, at the sadly deficient in force
viSor ana that II u continues much longer III ITS
nWard course will become as weak aud poweress
produce its legitimate fruits. have to be-
citui shed for Their knowledge OF pathology and skill
daguOS4s, WHO, when they To the great object
OF tier ART. their want of confidence the
mower OF medicine 10 cure disease. Tne young
re forth from the laboratory and iccturerO0m with
IL minds fully stored with every kind OF techncaIy
"a lore but, they are called upon 10 graphic with
Il terrible realities OF professional es they hesitate
80 know not what course 10 pursue.
,Ine inDecily OF modern practice is most strEingy
rhown IN he preraicnce Of ehTolc diseases aId M me
s]Tsrai skcphcism BON "a ne protesson and out Of H.
60 recard Ael cTakitty The hrst POINT, Dciieye
4 universally admitted, ana requires no Argument III
aere any doubt Oh inc subject thlnk ~ would 90
of.DeIed fact, which was neutl0ued 10 me ny
s. Ind ylsltrd Yves Ba1cn Iast suInct lhat theTe