The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-11
The NOSTRUM FALLACY.

When 9 child complains of head
ache, lsssitude, or, want of appetite,
the nurse concludes that be must
take something" II the complex
ion of a young lady grows every day
psler and psstier, her mother will in.
sist that she must "get something"
to purify her blood. II the baby
squeals day and night. q doctor is sent
for, and ia expected to "prescribe
something" What that something
should be, the parents would be uu.
able to define, but they have vague
idea that it should come from the
drug store, and that it can not be
good for much unless it is bitter or
nauseou5. Traced to it's principles
their theory would be about this:
sickness and depravity are the nor
NAL condition Of our nature; salvation
can come only through abnormal
agencies, and remedy, in order to
be effective, should be as anti-natural
as possible" Perfectly logical from
a ScripturaI point of view. But Ma
tuIe still persists in following her own
laws. Her physiological laws she
announces by means OF the instincts
which man ehares with the humblest
of his fellow creatures, and health is
her free gift to all who trust them.
selves to the guidance of those in
stincts. Health is not lost by acct.
dent, nor can it be Tepnrchased at the
drug. store. 1t is lost by physiological
sins, and can be regRined only by sim
ming no more. Disease is Natures
protest against gross violation OF her
laws. SURPRISING the symptoms OF
disease with drugs means to silence
that protest instead of removing the
cause. We might as well try to exc
tinguish a fire by silencing the fire.
belle; the alarm will be sounded from
another quarter, though the first bells
may not ring again till the belfry
breaks down In general confagra-
ton, For the laws of health, though
liberal enough to be apparently plas-
tic, ale in reality as memorable 90
time and grsvitation. We can not
bully Nature, We can not defy her
resentment by a fresh provocation.
Drugs may change the form of the
disease. e., modify the terms OF
the protest-but the law can not be
baff1ed by complicating the ofense:
before the drugged patient can re-
cover, he has to expiate a double sin |
the medicine and the original cause |
of the disease. But shall parents
look on and let a sick child ask in |
vain for help? By no means. Some.
thing is certainly wrong, and has to |
be righted. The disease itself is cry |
for help. But not for drugs. Instead |
Of taking something" something
ought TO &c done. and oftener SONS |
thing babitually done ought to be
emitted. II the baby's stomach has |
been tormented with ten musings g |
day, omit six OF them; omit tea and
coffee from the young lady's menu;
stop the dyspeptie's meat rations, and
the youngster g-ammar-lessons after
dinner. But open the bedroom win
dows, open the door and let your
children take a romp in the garden,
or on the street. even on q snow
covered street Let them spend their |
Sundays with an uncle who has
good orchard; or, send for barrel OF
apples. Send for the carpenter, and
let him turn the nursery or the wood
shed iato a gymnasium. In case
you have nothing but your bedroom
and ketchln, there will still be room
for a grappie-swing; the Boston BY
gienio Institute has patented a kind
that can be fastened without visible
damage to the ceiling II the baby
won't stop crying, something ought
to be done about il. Yes, and as soon
as possible: remove the straight
jacket apparatus, swaddling clothes,
petticoat, and all, spread a couple of
rugs in a CON Portable corner, and
give the poor little msrtyr q chance
to move his cramped limbs; let him
roll. tumble, and kick to his hearts
content, and complete bis happiness
by throwing the paregoric-bottle out
Of the WindoW.-P pular Science
Monthly.