Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-03
DOCTORS FURIOUS
Shall Physician Tegl TIE Truth o.
Metz 4 Nice Point IN Ethics.


BALxEAokE. Ma decided stlE fss been
caused here Ossr The question a. tO the ~ hs
II ibs slclAD - certify - the merlts 81
relneoy not IA ths uQeern p14ru.acoysgeia.
DF. James A. osxuart. oGe Of tke uAoSt eEiii-
nsnt physicians IL the South. end Health
Commissioners OF thus ciiy, had aEals xsc q
ne~ls discovered article, and oertife.a 0ffi-
ci4ily not o1is 10 lts Efficacy bus 10 the faoi
that II replaced old TINS pfelara ions of q
similar character wtlcb, analyses hsd proved
we're adalterated aud poisonous The Me~dl-
leal and ChirDrglcal facGlg3, Of which he h
3 member. held that he had violated the cOs3e
0f medical ethics, and much Esublic lnteFesf
was aroused b@csUse Of the confidence felt
"a hiS professional standing and official in
tegrity.
IL - a. argued that 10 thas place hmits-
tlOa on the acts Of physician, and especially
Of health officer Was opposed tO the spirit
Of the age; that such reasoning might have
been logical enough when II was 90 the in
tefeSt of rulers OF sOcltles 10 invest them
selves With a supernatural halo, bat nov
when thought should be free aud untram-
neled, such things sayored Of barbarism. II
Was the duty of physician, especially of a
health officer, 10 condemn publicly any
remedy which he knew 20 be injurious. bat
il was not right 10 say that he should be de-
barred from testifslng 10 the merits Of any
thing which he knew 10 be good. Ii thls
benefit of half the discoveries made IN art or
science Thus The people argued, While the
faculty threatened expulsion and talked of
time hOnOred customs, ethics, professional
courtesy and traditions.
Bu. the matter soon assumed a new and
surprising phase. A few days afterwards a
Certificate appeared Ia the daily papers bear
ing the autograph signatures of Governor
MeLane, Attorney General Roberts, Mayor
Iatrobe. City Postmaster Adreon. Chiefs of
State and municipal departments, Judges
and Clerks of Courts, Federal officials aud
congressman, emphatically endorsing the
action of the Health Commissioner, and
concurrlng IN his opinion as 10 the efficacy
of the remedy, asserting that they did so
| from personal experience with il and prac-
tical tests and observations.
There could be no gainsay ing such evidence
as this. but as II 10 cap the climax, shortly af-
terwards there appeared another certificate
with autograph signatures of leading prsc-
ficing physicians from all parts OF the State,
| including the physicians of all the leading
| hospitals. the physician TO the City Fire De
| partment. the Port physician. vaccine ply.
stefan and resident physician of infirmarlee
/ all endorsing the discovery and stating that
il had been tested by them in hospital:
and private practice for weeks with
wonderful curative effect, and that analyst.
/ had shown no trace of op'ates or poISons
I
further stated that they had been induced q
| take this step in view of the many hurtfu
preparations which contained narcotics anc
| poisons and of the dangers cons Quent OF
their use. The remedy in question Is Re,
! Star Cough Cure. Such a conclusive an
wer a. this TO the narrow arguments Of ths
few, arrayed public sentiment ON the side oi
he Health Commissioner. and IL IS signif
cant that DIR. Steuart has since been ap
pointed TO office by the Mayor for third
! term. and has had his appointment unani.
mously confirmed by the City Council.
Owing To the high professional reputation
of the gentlemen who endorsed his action, al
well as TO the enviable standing 0f the own
ers of the remedy. The Charles A. Nogele
| Company. of this city, widespread interes
has already been created ia the subject, no
only here. but ir Philadelphia, Washington
and other neighboring cities. The feeling Il
generally expressed by professional mel
that Red Star Cough Cure. ON account of il
| freedom from narcotics and poisons, in
! augurates a most desirable new departure il
medicine. This is the pronounced opinion
| of authorities like DIR. Fawcett, wh,
| has been for thirty-three years res
dent physician of the Union Proteetan
Infirmary. in this city. and Prof. John j
| Caldwell. NJ. D.. member of medical socie
ties of Baltimore, New York and Brooklyn
| and with n long experience in civil and mill
tary hospitals. Both of these gentlemen
together with no less than fifty other prac
ticing physicians of Maryland, have publicl!
| put themselves on record a. to the evil o
narcotic medicines, and the consequent valu
! and importance of the new discovery re
ferred to. i, il conceded that public opinion
has completely vindicafed DR.. Steuari in hi
action and that in his whole course he Wa
actuated simply 10y an earnest desire &
benefit the community at large.