The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-02
DOCTORS FURIOUS.
shall a Physician Tell the truth OF
Nutl Nice Point in Ethics.
A Sensible Health OG,cial.

| A Sensible Health Onlcfal.
BAt,r1MoRE MD-A decided stir has been
caused here over the question as to the r1gh1
If a physician to certify to the merits OF a
ramadv not in the modern pharmacopn!a.
Dr. james A. Steuart; one of the most emit
nant 1,hysicians in the South, and Health
| Commissioner of this city, had analyzed
newly-discovered article, and Certified ON
cially not only to ITS ecaey par IL ,no Of
similar character which, analyses had proved,
were adulterated and poisonous. Inc medl-
cal and cli,urgical faculty, OF "hlch ne IS
/ member, held that he had violated the code
of me lical ethics, and much public interest
was aroused be.auss of the confidence
felt both in his professional sIand-
inc and official integrity.
It WIS argued that to thus place Hm!ta :
ton on the acts of a physician ana e3pec!any
of a health officer, was opposcd 10 ne sihii
of the age; that such reasoning mlSht nave
been logical enough when it was to the inter
est of rulers Or societies to invest 1hehlsei'e e.
with a supernatural ha'o, but now "hei'
thought should be free and TN: ramneieo' sun
thinas savoreI OF barbarism. II was the duty
of a physician, especially of health ol1lcer,
to con Tenn publicly any remedy which he
knew to be in. furious, but it was not right 10
Ga v that he should be debarred from testify
ing to the merits of anything which he knew
to ia Good. If this were so, The world would
not receive the benefit OF half the discoveries
made in art or scenca. Thus the people az
r,s.i, while the faclI ty threatened expuls- on
and talked of imc-Eonored ca toms, cthlcs.
prof; 5onal courtesy and traditions.
But the matter soon assumed a new and
surprising phase. A few days after ward a
G. rtifca c appeared in the daily papers Eoar-
ing the auto graph slgnata es of Governor
McLans, Attorney General 1obcrts, Mayor
LatroAe, city postmaster Adreon, chiefs of
State and municipal d apartments, judges and
clerks O. courts, Federal officials and Con
grcssmen, emphatically en- lorsing the action
of the hea TIA comm ssioner, and concurring
in his opinion IS to the efficacy of the remedy,
asserting that they did SO from personal eS-
pe1ience with it and practical tests ana obser
VatIOGS.
There could be no gainsaying such evidence
as this, but, as if to cap the clinaxshorty after
ward there appeare another certific ate With
autograph signatures of leading practlt1ng
lhysic ans from all paris OF the State, riclud-
ing the physicians of all the leading hospitals,
the physician to the city fire del artlnent, the
port physician, vaccine physician and resident
physicians of infirmarie' all endorsing the
discovery and stating that it la been tested
by them in hospitals and priva e practice for
weeks with wonderful curative effect,
and that analyses had shown no trace of
opiates or polsons, prevalent III o-Eer
cough mixtures. They further stated that
they had been induced to take this step III
view of the many hurtful preparations which
contained narcotics and poisoas and of the
dangers consequent on the L use. The RENE
DIV in question is Red star Cough Cure. Such
q conclusive answer is this to the narrow ar
guments of the few, arrayed public sentiment
on the side of the Health Commissioner, aid
it is significant that Dr.. .Steuart has since
been appointed to Office by the. Mayor for q
third ter1ifss ana Iris had his appointment
unanimously confirmed by the City Council.
Owing to the high Professional reputation
of the gentlemen who endorsed his action, as
well as to the enviable standing of the owners
of the remedy, The Charles A. Vogeler Com
pany, of this city, wide-s pread interest has
already been created in the subject, not only
here but in Philadelphia, Washington and
other neighboring cities The feeling is
generally expressed by professional men that
Red Star Cough Cure, On account OF Its Tree
dom from narcotics and poison5 inaugurates
a most desirable new departure in medicine.
This is the pronounced opinion OF authorities
like DIR. Fawcett, who has been for
thirty-three years resident physician OF the
Union Protestant Infirmary, i'll this city ard
Professor John j. Caldwell. NJ. D., member
of medical societies OF Baltimore, New York
and Brooklyn and with long experience in
civil and military hospitals. Both of these
cent emen, together with 10 less than fifty
other practicing physicians of Maryland,
have publicly put themselves Oh record as to
the evil OF narcotic medicines, and the conso-
ouent value and Importance of the new dis
cove1,y referred TO. 1t is conceded that pub
lie opinion has completely vindicated DR..
Steuart in his action, and that in his whole
course he was actuated simply by an earnest
desire to benefit the community at large.