New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-25
ETHICS OF PHYSICIANS.
VIEWS OF HoMGoPATHIsTs.

INNATE TIE MOTIVES AND ACTION OF BOTH
PARTIES.
rh.ra is one class of medical practitioners who
.ow the controversy raging among the regular
bxscians over the question of IN ethical code Win
perfect equanimity and undisgnisod amusement
These are the homeopathists. 1t has been repeat
ealy admitted by the advocates OF both the Nalons
and tne State codes of ethics that their "hoie
difference narrowed down, is whether regular
musician shall be couutenanced In consultation
With n homnopathist. The question is looked AT,
however from very different points OF vlew' ohe
faction of the old coolers boldly say that regular
physician cannot consult with a homeopaVhieV
without conniving at fraud Oh the puDnc; InA''
in short every homeopathic is either knaVe OF "
fvl-a fool If be believes in the principles OF iahhe-
,.,nn and a kpaye if he doesn't believe in them
and uses the name only because IL mas oecoio PoPu
lar and llcace Is n lucrative Trademarks
.n,,ber and larger faction of tho same party say
that tb, contest is not against the homeopathic plY-
xic,ans because of the peculiartles. OF the"
nra.tioe but because they uphold an exclusive
aaema and by SO doing have endeaYored TO heap
contenCt upon the practice OF medicine ahd surgery
as followed by tho old school They say that the
homeopathic physicians would be entitled 10 all
the privileges of menbers OF the County ana o'ate
societies If they would not call themselves by DIS
regular profession.
rho new-code men are also divided i'll sentiment
m the ouestion Of their relations with hom@opath'
isis bat they not going to let the position OF ths
old-cnls men pass unchal.snged, and committee is
gathering evidence to show that intolerance OF any
thing savoling of homeopathic practice has been
shown repeatedly by the expulsion and oStraclsm OIL
,nempars of regular societies because they aid
things which were once looked upon as medical
heresies but now common enough.
To learn how the homeopathic physicians Wow
the controversy. and especially what they nave TO
saw about the charges of the old school men, TRIB-
UYE reporter recently talked with two of THEN
representative men.
HOMEOPATHY NOT SMALL DOSES
DR.. William Tod Hellmuth said, in the course OF
conversation:
@rhe first thing for the people to understand Is
this: that homeopathy does not consist in the dose
OF medicine You may give bucketful to one man
and smell TO another, provided you adhere to the
law believe that sifRijjG simitlbas c4raatur Is
true law in medicine and that .Hppocrates- Galen,
and Paracelsus all believed it. When Hippocraths
said door dolorem solvit' the enumerated the law
and so did Paracelsus by implication when he sand
.coutrara cOntrariis curantur has never been true
in medicine But while belle 20 the truth OF this
law do not believe ii to DO the only way In which
medicine may act. There may be a chemical way or
amechanical way as well dynamieal way and
the latest and best bo0is OF the old school sO-caed
recommend not only very many medicines IN the
treatment of diseases strictly homeopathic prln
ciples but also advise their administration IA The
smallest possible quantities. Why, in a late num-
Der of The Medical Record read that few drops of
castor oil were recommended TO administered for
the gastric irritation OF children the prescription
bsins not only homeopathic in principle, bat also
.;1 NJ dok Ruf ~ hat bnlipyn
that every educated man in the profession is cod
scentiously bound to 10 for his patient what IN HE
experience is the best and allow himself 70 be tram
melted by law, by person, by no school. by no
dogma. The OF the patient is the great end to
be attained by the doctor and the rapidly and
pleasantly this can be accomplished. the better it
will be for the community; and the community
very soon appreciates the benefit arising from such
a method of practice.
THE FOLLY OF AN ETHICAL CODE
al believe that Code of Etmcs is all humbug. If
man in the profession is not nstinctivey guided by
his sense of honor IN his relations 70 his brother
practitioners in any school a code of ethics will be
of no avail The true instincts OF gentleman in a
profession as elevated as that of medicine should
be and will be always sufficient to guide him with
his brothers in the profession. no matter to what
school they belong. i have had any trouble in
my consultations with MY brethren OF any per
sussou. and if gentlemen of the old school (which
name desVise have become anxious TO consult
with homeopathic that they allow political intrigue
70 take the place of honest dealing among them
selves 10 disturbances in their societies and
academies. the sooner these consultations are
allowed the better il VIII lie Tor them 1t 10 with
feelings of the greatest surprise that haye i9ot ca
different portions of the country and have seen
party spirit rise such Insight that the dignity of
the profession appears To have been forgotten and
the cOntro made 10 SAVIOR strongly oil The
lowest form of political contests
AS for this exclusive dogma which appears to be
the bu gbear in all these highly wrought discussions
the fact is this: that the terms homeopathy and
homeopathic physlcians were forced npon these
gentlemen who early took uD the cause oil hond0-
paihy, and If mistake not tho very Academy OF
Medicine as formed in order 10 exclude from fell
lowship physicians who believed in homeopathy
and who being graduates of the old school,
necessarily members OF the County Society. And
thus You see this eXciusIveness, which was highiy
diStasteful, was thrust upon every member. OF inc
fraternity " no espouscd the cause OF Hahne@ann.
An educated and conscientious physician soon be-
comes recognized in the community, and tho truly
liberal and scientific men seOn learn appreciate
the labors each other and in the naloi1ty OF i'll
stances are willing nlutuaIy 10 achhoWlease u1oh
ability, matter how they may diier I'D very ma
terial points Of science. And believe that II Won
to-day were to ask the majority of the well-read
men In the profession whether they did not believe
that the law sifaa sitbus curaAfRr was to say the
least very frequently true In medicine, they would
give their assent. AS for believing that the gentle
Ynsn who have eSpOused the new code nave been
actuAted by peeunIary motives In endeayorng to
establish a broad aud liberal platform in the pro
fenfiOn, appears 10 me inoSb uHWAtIbHtSu' wv
not believe that those gentlemen whose names ap-
pear on tho liberal side have "A single mercenarY
motive but 1 think that their ynueavors TO break
down an antquatsd and arbitrary code OF ethics
have been tased on anything hut truly liberal and
scientific spirit"
THE CAUSE OF HOMEOPATHIC ExcLUsTYENEss.
Dr. S. p Burdick. who is professor OF obstetrics
In the Homeopathic Medical college. said:
81 y persecution in the Grst place We were CON-
pelei by tho old school to an individual
stand. They would not recognize a law that was
discovered not primarily by IIahuemann. but which