The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-05-07

sense, put are radically igHoEan
Of much that is necessary to make
them competent physicians. Some
Of them-a good many. in fact-arf
plain blockheads. whom nc amount
of culture could possibly fit for their
responsible business. while now and
hen we see one whose lack of moral
character should exclude him wholly
from professional standing. For all
these facts we have the authority OF
eminent medical gentlemen as well
as the evidence OF our own daily OBJ
servations.
| When one is sick enough to need
medicine at all, he certainly needs
the advice of thoroughly compe-
tent physician as to what that med.
icine sheuld be, as blunder in this
matter may prove fatal. Blunders
are made every day by reason Of the
incon potency and ignorance of men
who call themselves physicians,
there is no room to doubt. Many
of these blunders prove fatal in
many cases every year is also un
questionabIy true. And when a
man dies at the hands of one of these
pretenders, it looks to the unprofes-
eional mind very much like MUIR
der. We have laws against murder,
but no law which adequately meets
cases of this sort. The time has
come, to keep pace with the intel
lectual advancement of the age,
when this matter should stop. We
should have stringent laws to pro-
teet the people against the hosts of
preteHders. quacks and imposters.
It is difficult to convince toe cred
ulous public that every word in
these putting announcements are in
tended only to allure the unwary,
and that very nearly every state
ment put forward is untrue that the
paten; processes peculiar to the ad
vertiser's manufactory is delusion
that he is himself as unpriueipled as
he is ignorant, and we're he to cease !
putting forward his announcements
his vaunted practice would fall to
the ground. In some measure the
habit of gushing about everything
new brought out is notional. 1t is
not 30 common IN Europe. There
the strictest laws regulate the prac-
tice Of all the professions. and more
particularly that of medicine. The
natural desire to arrive at perfection
has no doubt something to do with
it. But in free America man is
granted the privilege of being muir
dered in any manner he chooses.
Buff David lived in our time, and
read the praise lavisheds indiscrimi-
nately upon some of the most per-
Feeted humbugs, he would not likely
retract in his leisure. the sweeping
opinion of human falsity which he
said in his haste. A little judieious
legislation upon the subject might
sery properly require every physi
sian to practice for a considerable
line in The hospitals, under the tu.
,elage of learned principals. before
setting up in independent practice;
)r it might estabfish examining
boards, composed of men Of rec03-
lized eniinence in the profession.
whose duty 1t should be to make
cal and thorough examinations into
he true qualifications Of all candi-
lates for license to practice medi-
zine. In whatever shape it is to
,ome, we should have a remedy Of
'ome sort, and that right speedily. f
As a rule every doctor who adveF-
ises ohimself-more than his name h
md place Of business-1his medi.
lines, or his practice, in circulars or
newspapers, is quack, utterly un,
VerthY of the least oonfdenoa what
'ver. This includes those Offering
o cure consumption, cancer, ca.
arrh, eyes. ears, private diseases,
tc., etc. Trust no Medical Instt. :
utes, Howard Association and the.
ike, advertising medicines. medical
.dvice, cures. Books on Marriage,
Marriage Gnides, Errors Of Youth.
tc., etc. No reputable physician o.
my school Of medicine adyertises
MEDICINES or advice. But unfortu |
ately empiricism stalks so boldly
Iefore the public. our daily prints
sem with so many tempting allure.
nents, and our Ietter,boxes fairly !
yroau under the surfeit OF regularly J
upplied charlstan literature, that
be peer and ignorant patient can,
iot sometimes help being Influenced
y these means, and like the ven
uresome moth only learns, when
90 late, how little dependence can
e placed in advertised ability ard
he loudly asserted integrity pub.
shed 10 a public print.
Mr.. EditeE it ia due the medical
-oeoss;,,,,s A., ,o =, 49, "a So. 81