Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-14
Ouack Doctors.

81. Louis GlObe-DeleOcTgt.
The failure to indite the Dean" of the
Bellevue Medical College" of MasSachu-
setts for using the United States mails to
carry on a fraud in the shape of selling
diplomas to bogus doctors. because it
COMA not be shown any law of the State
was 5roke~a would seem TO indicate that
there IS an opportunity for the Massachu-
sets Legislature to provide the statue
that IS obviously needed. 1t appears that
United States Commissioners in such
cases are governed by the local law. But
even with laws it is practical impOssi-
bilIty TO defend the people from qUacks.
In some fiagrant cases, like that Of Or
Buchanan in Pennsylvania. who was ac-
Cumulating a fortune in the way of Civ
ing the commission Of a chartered institu-
ton 20 charlatans to practice medicine.
the power of the State can make itself felt
but the people have TO take care of them
selves pretty much altogether i'm this re-
SpecT nevertheless.
There Is an insuTmOuntable difficulty
met with in drawing the line between
quackery and what is called legitimate
practices. Any institution which sets
itself up for a medical college and goes
through the form of giving professional
instruction has a basis on which to rest
It's claims TO carry on business. There are
different schools and an cutlery on the
part Of respectable physicians is met at
once 5y the raScals with the charge of
blgotry and persecution. Who is to de-
eide what is lawful theory of medicine
and what Is not: 1t is only the fiagrantlv
and manifestly fraudulent concerns that
can De reached. Perhaps il is not too
much To say that half Of the doctors who
are employed by the public are totally
unit 10 be trusted with a case involving
any sort of danger. And what can be
said Of the patent medicines with which
the country is flooded and which are
tOlsted upon ignorant people by means of
lying advertisements: And not only are
Ignorant people made the victims but
those who are credited with ordinary in
telliSence. There is no one probably who
can carry his deception on Systematically
with Is much immunity as a quack doc
tor. 1t viii be strange if the common
education OF the future does not impart
some general ideas of the laws of health
and medical treatment which Will limit
the field of the nefariOus operations which
are now going on under the cover of pro-
fessiOnal services. 1t is the absence of
this kind of knowledge which permits
these rank weeds to flourish i'm prOfuSiOn
In the community.
The fact that nine people out Of ten who
rise from beds of sickness would get we'll
without medical attention, anyhow, gives
the charlatanS an opportunity to claim
uttiilCl Jus anu SoluGlllHeS apparently re-
markable cures. Where there is recOv-
cry the skillful treatment of the case is
advertised by the gratited friends, and
the business of the humbug extended.
omen are particularly valuable as adj
YertlslnS mediums of this kind. and many
OF them who have not the first glimmer of
a medical truth will talk as gliblv about
the qualifications of one physician for one
kind of disease, and of another for a diff
ferent kind, as if they were fully prepared
to sit in high judgment upon the whole
variety. Some families employ one school
of physicians for adults and another for
children. In fact, it is an amusingly com
non belief that allOpathy is the thing for
own people and homeopathy for infants.
ne Will assure YOU grayely that when
thing serious is the matter they go to
ne doctor, and when their ailment is
slight that they 90 to another.
IL IS wonder that Il competent, SenSi-
bic practitioner has any respect for hui
manity at all. People are constantly
revealing their nonsense in medical mat
tiers 10 him, and he has to grin and bear it
as best he can. lie finds himself sup
planted by man he knows to be a ouack.
and is assaulted with a series of therapeu-
TIC experiences by larger percentage of
the elderly females he is thrown i'm con-
tact with That Is calculated TO set an I'M
hardened man crazy. The separation of
the true from the false among physicians
IS truly one of the great social problems.
Pixies TOOTHAcuE DROPS cure in one
minute.