Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-10
REGULARS TO THE FRONT!
Reply to the Homeopathic Dose Of
last week.

Mr.. EDIToR:-We are aware that the
BULLETIN is not suitable journal for the
discussion of medical subjects. 1t is not
possible that the general reader is quail
| fed to judge of, or would be interested in
a technical controversy concerning medi-
cal science, or the comparative merits of
the various systems that are struggling for
popular favor. My incidental and gener-
al allusion to such systems, in late issue
of your paper. does not expose me to the
charge of violating the above principle
although writer replying in your last is
sue appears to think otherwise. MOODY
difficult to contend with. He raises the
cudgel of argument as if to crush all be-
meath it; and then, by some pertinent ad-
mission, or otherwise, breaks the force of
the blow entirely. If we can judge of ex-
istence and good health by vigor of
thought, it is fair to presume that
moody Grow" still lives. And this fact
is difficult of explanation after reading
Lis thilling account of the dosing he sub
mitted to at the hands of that death deal.
ing old doctor, who, in ancient times, car
RED him safely through an attack of
typhus fever. M. G. admits, and we all
know that the disease was terribly fatal,
and the inference is that he was so fortu
nate as to call man who by "spariDg
not" saved his life, while other cases were
often lost. If "all is well that ends well"
our friend, after all, may owe that old
doctor something better than u grudgc.-
Again, we'are spared tho necessity of re-
futing his criticisms and condemnation of
the practice of regular physicians, by
mere reference to his own words, when he
says ''thc lance is now sheathed and calo-
mel put out of sight (they used to put it
"out of sight'O. Really, NJ G. has left
little tor us to do except, perhaps, to at
tempt the correction of some points of
fact wherein we think him slightly astray.
The "Allopaths' have not, as stated by
Mr. G >, asked State aid in Iowa for TWEEN
ty years, or one year. If a few men, dub
bling themselves professors, and playing
lecture at Iowa City, constitute the Allo-
paths of Iowa, then Mr.. G. Is right, and
we are wrong. We before stated that the
body of the profession in our State do not
advise or endorse medical teaching a la
Iowa City, and never have done SO Mr..
G. speaks Of the present status of medical
practice" making proud personal refer
ence to Eclectics and Homeopathics among
US (his cudgel is nearly a boomerang here)
and the ''tcn thousand successful Homeo-
pathic doctors" Let Us see what is the
real 'status Of practice The last [. S
census gave a total in round numbers of
$4,000 physicians in our land, Of these
$4,000 We're regular or Allopathic, the
nthnr = ONO ,1iN,lrl tho
other systems. The army and navy of
this and all the great powers are under
medical charge of regulars. All the great
hospitals are, and always have been, under
the same system. These facts, we think,
are enough to warrant the "broad ground"
taken by myself, and of which M. G.
complains. There cannot be more than
one true science of medicine, any more
than there can be more than one true re-
ligion. All may possess merit, but some
one must be specially correct. 1t is true
that Allopathy boasts of age, but more of
progress. If. like some orders or religions,
it claimed its work to be infallible, then |
its age would constitute defractng fact |
as infallibility contravenes progress. This |
brings us to notice the last point raised |
by NJ. G. viz: that the changes and ad |
vances in medicine are the result Of new
systems enforcing them
If we could afford the time, and the
BULLETIN the space, it might be interest
ing to enter upon the question at some
length-by showing that disease is no
more what it was fifty years ago, than is
the daily life of the people what it then
was 1t could be shown that steady |
change in the type of disease has occurred,
and many entirely new disorders arisen.
Of course, treatment must be modified to
suit the changed character of disease,
and what might kill to-day would be
curative had it been employed years ago.
For proof, read NJ G. experience. The
hosts of studous laborcrs in the medical
art, who for hundreds CT years have sac
riiced worldly interests and pleasure to
discover the hidden mysteries of nature
and disease, have not worked in vain. |
Who discovered circulation of the blood, |
and those inestimable blessings to hui
mainly, vaccination, and chloroform?
According to some, they should be discl
piles of medical reform" and modern
science" but strange to say every such |
great discovery has been the work of an
tiquated fogy "Allopaths" who are "out-
grown" and 'behind the age" Let US
60 slow in the matter of these self-styled,
loud voiced reform gentlemen, and
take heed to properly estimate and appre-
ciate firmly established truth, both in |
science and religion.
SHAKESPEARE.