The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-08-15
A PHYSICIANS POWER
The Uniformity of Natures Destroyinl
Agencies.

The Uniformity of Natures Destroying
Agencies.
The art Of the physician can do much
to remove It's subjects from deadly and
dangerous influences, and something to
control or arrest tho effect Of these in
luences. But look ut the records OF the
dfe-insurance offices, and see how uni.
orm is the action Of natures destroying
agencies. Look nj the annual reports
Of the deaths in any Of our great cities,
and see how their regularity approaches
the uniformity Of the tides, and their va.
riations keep pace with those Of the sea.
sons. The foundations Of the Nile are
not more certainly to be predicted than
the vast wave Of i~nfantile disease which
flows in upon all our great cities with
the growing heats of JulY-than tho
feyers and dysenteries which visit our
rural districts In the months Of the fall
ing leaf.
The physician watches these changes
as the astronomer watched the rise OF
the great river. He longs 10 rescue in
diyiduals, TO protect communities from
the inroads Of these destroying agencies.
He uses all the means which experience
has approved, tries every rational meth.
cd which ingenuity can suggest. Some
fortunate recovery leads him to believe
he has hit upon n preventive or n cure
for II malady which had resisted all
known remedies. His rescued patient
sounds his praises. and q wide circle OF
his patients friends joins in a chorus Of
eulogies. S~elf-love applsuds him for
his sagacity. ~Self-intcrcst congratulates
him on his having found the road TO for.
tune; the sense Of having proved n ben
efactor Of his race smooths the pillow
ON which he lays his head to dream Of
the brilliant future opening before him.
II a single coincidence may lead a
person of ssnguine disposition TO be-
iieye that he has mastered a disease
which had bsfled all who were before
his time, and on which his contempora-
rics looked in hopeless impotence. what
must be the effect Of a series Of such
condolences even on a mind Of calmer
temper! Such series Of condolences
will happen, and they may well deceive
the very elect. Think OF DR.. Rush.
you know what a famous man he was,
the very head and front Of American
medical science In his dAy.-and re.
member how he spoke about yellow
fever. which he thought he had mas.
teredi
Thus the physician IL en,angled in
the meshes Of \ wide conspiracy. In
which he aud his patient and thelt
friends, and Nature herself are Involved.
What wonder that the history Of Medl
cine should be 10 80 great an extent q
record Of seli-delu.iont
II this seems = dangerous concession
to the enemies Of the true science and ART
OF healing, will remind You that Il /.
all implied In the FIRST aphorism Of Hin.
pocrsies, the Father Of Medicine. DO
not draw a wrong inference from the
frank statement Of the d~inicultie. which
beset the medical practitioner. Think
rather, II truth isso hard Of attainment.
how preciou. aru the results which the
consent Of the wises, and most expe
rienced among the h~ealers..of men agree.
in accepting Think what folly his to
cast them aside 10 favor Of pslpable i'm.
positions stolen from the records Of for.
gotten charlatanism. or Of fantastic
s~peculstions spun from the squirting
brains Of theorists as wild A. the Egyr
tain astronomer.
Begin your medical studies. then, by
reading the fortieth aud the following
four chapters Of Rassclas. Your iirst
lesson will teach you mcdesty ani eau.
ton in the pursuit Of tho most decep.
tive Of all practical branches Of knowl.
edge. Faith will come later. when you
learn how much medical science and
art have actually achieved for the relief
Of mankind, and how great are IN.
promises II holds out u still larger
triumphs ovcr the enemies Of human
health and happiness-0lirsr Wendell
HolfHrs ia Atlantic MDukblu.