, 1880-09-13
Popular Fancies for Physic.

Popular Fancies for Physic.
There is no science which has to be
so much modified by reference to popu-
lar prejudice and superstition as medi-
cine. A young doctor may come fresh
from his hospital course, full of sound
theories on the conditions necessary to
health, and on the impotence of drugs
to counteract an unwholesome way of
life; he may resolve never to give med
icine unnecessarily or to exhibit :"
elaborate remedies when simple ones
will answer his purpose; but he will
soon find that he must either alter his
determinations or lose his patients.
Since the days of Naaman the Syrian,
simple remedies have always been sus-
pected by the ignorant. and to suggest
to dyspeptic farmer that his illness
may be cured by such commonplace
means as abstinence from indigestible
food or reduction of his consumption
of beer aud spirits is regarded by the
patient as a gross personal insult. 1t
is reflection Oh his constitution. and
tends to reduce his malady to the
level of ordinary ailments. Such
people are apt to argue, like Mr..
Nadgett in Martin Chuzzlewit," that
it is their own liver, and they ought to
know whether there is anything seri-
ously the matter with it or not. Many
of them, moreover, do not. to borrow
the language of Henry's Latin Exer-
cises," eat to live, but live to eat, and
they hold that bottle of good strong
physic at once relieves the system from
the uncomfortable effects of over-in-
diligence. and clears the way for fur
ther qualification of the appetite. Any
ulterior consequences of such method
will concern the doctor should they
ever arise, and meanwhile they are too
remote to come within the sphere of
practical hygiene. Patients of this
class, too, are always very anxious to get
their moneys worth, while they meas
ure by the size of the medicine bottle,
just as they Judge of the doctors skill
by the strength of his drugs. However
excellent his intentions, the time comes
when he finds it necessary to give up
his common-sense methods of treat
ment, and to order an extra supply of
Epson salts, and such cheap medicines
from his drysalter. He has still, how
ever, something to learn before he is
fully qualified to minister to the tastes
of his clients. A simple solution Of
EPSON salts is colorless, and is, there
fore, regarded with suspicion. 1t leaves
too much to the Imagination, and does
not by its mere appearance inspire that
implicit faith which it is SO desirable
to kindIe in the patients mind. The
idea of strength is what must be con-
veyed. and, therefore, those delicate
tints OF transparent red and clear gold
en- yellow with which town chemist
delights his lady customers are quite
out of place, for they are suggestive of
refinement rather than power. The ju-
dicious doctor adds to the row of bot
ties on his surgery shelves large one
containing dark brown vicious fluid.
A few drops of this impart to the most
Misunderstanding mixture richness of
color which carries conviction with it,,
and even induces patients to pass over
any deficiency of nastiness in the mat
ter of taste This bottle is regarded
with awe and admiration by all who
are admitted into the surgery; and un-
til benefcent government has intro
duced the study of Latin into village
schools, country people are not likely
to discover that the mysterious words
sACcH: UsT: which appear on the label
mean nothing more nor less than burnt
sugar. Meanwhile, this one bottle
does more than any amount OF tact on
the part of the doctor to reconcile med
ical science with vulgar prejudice.-N.
Y. Heme Journal.
When James T. Brady first opened a
lawyers Office in New York, he took a
basement room, which had previously
been occupied by cobbler. He was
somewhat annoyed by the previous oc-
cupant's callers, and irritated by the
fact that he had few of his own. One
day an Irishman entered. The cob
bler's gone, see" he said. - should
think he had, tartly responded Brady.
"And what do you sell ?" he said,
looking at the solitary table, and few
law books. Blockheads," responded
Brady. BE gorra," said the Irish
man., ye must be doing mighty fine
business-ye hain't got but one left. !"
Woroop of &bo xror1J ,oyor y,ca horoh