Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-28
MEDICAL EMPIRICS.

more than in America, lot of empires
who, on every occasion of public emergency.
place themselves forward as the dictators of
public policy. These people are found in
every walk of life-in politics, in religion, in
law and in medicine, as we'll as elsewhere.
They manifest themselves in the most OBJ
noxious manner on all occasions, overriding
the opinions of men better qualified than
they to judge as to the best means to be
adopted to tide over any emergency. They
set themselves up as authorities upon this,
that or the other subject, and laugh to scorn
suggestions from any other source. Appa-
rently they regard themselves as the foun-
tains of all knowledge, and are offended if
their opinions are even questioned.
1t is marvel how these empires succeed
in getting themselves to the front or every
occasion. They are always forward with
their advice, are always loud in the defense
of their particular theories, and by means
for which no one can satisfactorily account
they finally emerge as the leaders of this or
the other enterprise, and fill the country
with their learned opinions or dispositions
on whatever subject may be given to their
charge. If any one presumes to dispute
their wisdom they are crushed beneath ter
rible lead of scorn, supplemented by what
ever of official authority they have been able
to attain.
Conscious of the risk it runs, the GLOBE
ia irnna11o1 To coll attention, 70 oco IS Az
worst frauds which long suffering people
are called upon to endure-the infection of
medical empirlcism upon the people in times
of pestilence. The national board of health
is fair sample of the genus. All along it
has assured the country that thorough inves-
tigation had demonstrated that the yellow
fever could not prevail in this country the
present year, and long after it had broken
! out at Memphis, and when the panic stricken
citizens were fleeing by thousands, it issued
manifesto asserting that no case had yet
occurred in tho limits of the United
States Another instance of this same
character has been brought to public
notice by the dispatches of
yesterday. It seems that John H. Rauch,
health commissioner of Illinois, has been in
conference with the health officer of St.
Louis as to the best means to be adopted to
prevent the introduction of the yellow fever
into Missouri and Illinois. The conference
resulted substantially in adopting pro-
position to ask the national board of health
to station two vessels in the river near the
quarantine station, upon which all refugees
shall be placed and retained ten or more
days before they are allowed to come to the
city to 60 into Illinois or elsewhere. The
idea is to man these vessels, if they can be
procured, by federal soldiers, who are to
maintain proper discipline and thoroughly
fumigate all baggage and effects of passen-
gers. We only marvel that these disciples
of Esculapius did not propose to place a
squadron in the river with instructions to
blow up all vessels conveying passengers
from the plague-haunted district, and hunt
those who happened to escape to the death.
The character of the men who compose
our State and national boards of health NAV
perhaps be OWNED by an analysis of the ca
reer OF Mr.. Rauch, now the health commits
sioner of Illinois, authorized to issue edicts
that may involve momentous results. For
years he strove to build up a practice in Chi
oago, but failed, for he possessed neither
medical knowledge nor common sense. He
was quack in the common acceptation of
the word. Finally he managed to secure an
appointment upon the board of health, and
during his incumbency of the Office succeed
ed in making himself the butt of ridicule for
the whole city. A change of administration
resulted in his being turned out of Office.
Again he tried to build up a practice, but
people with ailments Stunned him
as they would plague. Finally he succeed
ed in securing the passage of an act creating
State board of health, and in getting him
self appointed as its head. Ever since he
has gone about like turkey-cock, showing
his dignity and his ignorance in the most
conspicuous manner. He is charlatan of the
first water, but is only sample of the class
that succeeds by various devious ways in
keeping conspicuously before the public. No
medical man of reputation will accept an Of
fcial position such as Rauch and his class hold.
They can do better by attending to their le-
climate practice. Only those who cannot
make living in their chosen walk of life
can afford to take sinecures under either
State or # deral government as fgure-heads
to an ornamental department.
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