The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-15
Doctors Disagreeing.

AT the recent meeting of the Medi-
cal society of the state of New Y ork, a
spicy discussion took place concerning
that section of the code of ethics,
adopted last year by the American
Medical association. which allows
allopathic or orthodox physicians to
hold consultations with homeopathic
doctors. There seemed at one time
to be a strong disposition on the part
of some members of the state society
to secede from the American associa-
ton, unless the latter will repeal or
eXpunge the Objectionable rule. 1t
would seem from the proceedings of
these learned medicalS that hom9o-
pathy, mild and harmless as it is upon
ordinary sick people in general, has a
most extraordinary effect upon the
cerebral organs of certain New York
doctors. We give few disconnected
abstracts from the speeches:
DR.. HI. r. Hopkins, of Buffalo, said:
To maintain that one may refuse to
consult with another because he does
not like him, is absurd. The practice
under the old code may be fairly ex-
pressed by putting it in this way:
THAT no consultation shall be held
with regularly licensed physicians
who hold eclectic or homeopathic
views" The people have created this
society, and also eclectic and home-
path1c societies. When this society
assumes that its members may not
meet regularly licensed physicians in
consultation, it makes itself ridicu-
lOuS.
DR.. II. d. Dldama, of Syracuse: A
consultation is fraud, where no
good can possibly come to the patient,
when physicians consent to consult
with persons who differ from them
as light does from darkness. Those
gentlemen who support the
new code, will they tell me
how any possible good can
come to the patient by consulting
with man who believes that an ordi-
nary dose-five grains of quinine-
should be diluted in twenty-eight
hogsheads of water, of which solu-
ton one drop should be given as a
dose? DR.. Rosa knows that the
ihomeopath would not give a dose
containing any appreciable quantity
of medicine. We claim that we give
something, and they give practically
nothing.
DR.. Thos. F. Rochester, of Buffalo:
| rise with the full consciousness of
the Importance of this question. The
American association has been called
a junketing association, Rip Van
Wrinkle association. What is this
word progress" 1t is a good deal
like the Irishman's definition of a
retrOgrade movement-"an advance
backward" What are we to gain by the
first clause of this new code? 1t says
we may go into consultation with
homeopaths or others. Thus we
have started down from our plane to
meet them; they don't come up to
meet us. What do we expect when
we do go to them? We meet, we
talk, we don't agree in therapeutics or
diagnosis, but the people are satisfied.
We cannot do this without degrading
ourselves, and cannot see any posi-
bic advantage to result. We cannot
reform homeopathy. 1t is impossible
for anything of this kind to take
place.
DR.. G.. r. Agnew, of New York:
This is very serious moment in the
history of this society. These gentle
LhCl, dlAi1dD1C do OilCJ may OC, al z Cll-
deavoring to lead this society not
only to the edge of an abyss, but down
into an abyss. Adopt the resolu-
tons, repeal the present code and
re-enact the old one, and you put this
society in opposition TO the policy of
the state, and you attempt to coerce
the members of this society into an
attitude in which no person who is
capable of constituting the laws will
agree with them.
DR.. Hutchison-I am ready to step
into the abyss, and consider it the
proudest moment of my life. / desire
to read a petition which has been cir
culated in the city of New York, and
which have been requested to pre-
sent here. The petition has only been
circulated for short time, or there
would have been more names on it,
but it contains already 102 names;
among them are the names of such
men as Alonzo Clark, Austin Flint,
and others of like character. The
petition opposes the new code. de-
sire also to read letter from DIR.
Sayre. CThe letter was explanatory
of the circumstances of the consulta-
ton with the homeopathy
DR.. William z. Seymour, of Troy:
think it damning shame that a