The Portland daily press., 1883-06-21
a Reply to Mr.. Crandall.


TO the Editor Of the Press:
Surely great is logic. At the recent annual
meeting of the Maine Medical Association,
DR.. Wedgewood, in an address, according to
report IL the PRESS, said
"The worst re-orts and nurceries OF quackery
are thee supported by the church. and the
best directed efforts toward legislation for the
elevation OF rational medicine have been de-
feated by men prominent in other temperance
and religious reforms"
Attention having been called TO this state
ment, correspondent Of the Press, while not
attempting to make any defence OF DIR.
Wedgewood's statement, proposes ito show in
a general way that there are valid reasons for
believing that Eome OF the nurseries OF quack-
cry are supported by the church." How does
he do this? He has short and easy method.
Quack medicines are advertised in religious
newspapers These newspapers are the mouth
piece Of some particular sect or church. There-
fore the readers Indirectly become liable to
the imputation OF supporting quackery."
Let us carry out this reasoning a little far
ther Quack medicines are advertised in pc
litical newspapers. These newspapers are the
mouthpiece of some particular party, Republi-
can or Democratic. Therefore these parties
indirectly become liable 20 the imputation of
supI orting quackery."
NV copy Of the North American Review for
July is before me. find in its advertising
Vegetable Compound, Hunts Kidney Remedy.
etc / suppc . the correspondent Of the PRE-
would call there queck dicine-. Let us try
his logic once moe. Qurck medici are ad-
verified in the North American Review. The
North American Review Is the mouthpiece OF
hal abr Qffr n fEnf1 1trts sfr.I
men in the United States. Therefore these
men s'indircctly become liable to the imputs-
tion OF SUPP orting queckeFy."
But the correspondent OF the PRESS he a
further purpc g. DIR. w 1gewt d i'd, cord
ing to the req ort: THE bcSt direct d efforts
towards legislation for the elevation of rational
medicine have | sn defe ] by men promi-
nent in other tenn s3raaee ard religious re-
FORMS The reference we fre informed to
efforts made by the Maire Medic i Associc on
10 get a bill through the Maine Lagisl tlre
compelling registration o. dcetors and ow-
ing only such to practice mt dicine as have had
thorough training aud graduation from medi-
cal college. The bill, we are told, was "de-
feated by men prominent in temperance and
religious reforms-mep, for instance, like
Joshua Nye." The logic of the torrecl )ndent
of the PRES would doubtless show us why
men prominent in temperance aud religious
reform should oppcse such bill. So far as
Joshua Nye is concerned, however, / think his
oppoation TO the bill may be accounted fol
from The fact If / an not misinformed, that
some years ago. by one Of thee "quscks," he
was cured of painful di .. e, after having,
and doubtless at greet expen ?. availed hime IL
of the services of regularly educated medical
men," and all to no purpo e. Now when there
is before the Legislature bill which would
nos allow such ''quack" to "impo-e" on the
Ignorant and afflictef," I am inclined to
think that Jc1hua Nye would oppo-e it on
other than temperance grounds. In other
words, believe that the second part of DIR.
Wedgewood's address is as unjust as the first.
FAIR PLAY.