Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-03-12

hall n Physician Tell the Truth or Not ?
A Nice Point in Ethics.

n Nice ioint IN bthlca.
A SENSIBLE HEALTH OFFICIAL.
BALTIMORE, MD.-A decided stir has
oeon caused here over the question as to
he right of a physician TO certify 20 the
merits Of a remedy not In the modern
oharmacopoia. DIR. James A. Stouart,
,ne Of the most eminont physicians In the
south aud Health Commissioners OF this
,ity, had analysed a newly.discovered
article, md certified officially not only TO
is efficacy but 70 the fact that II replaced
old-time preparations of n similar char
acter which, analyses had proved, were
adulterated and poisonous. The Medical
and Chirurgical Faculty, OF which he Is n
member, held that he had violated the
code of medical ethics, and much public
interest was aroused because OF the conf
ience felt both in his professional stand
ing and official integrity.
IL was argued that to thus place n limita-
ton on the acts Of a physician, and espe-
cially OF n health officer, was opposed 10
the spirit of the age; that such reasoning
might have been logical enough when u
was 10 tho interest Of rulers or societies 10
tIyest themselves with n supernatural
halo, but now when thought should be free
and untrammeled, such things savored Of
barbarism. IL was the duty OF a physician,
especially OF n health officer, 20 condemn
publicly any remedy which he knew to be
Injurious, but II was not right to say that
he should be debarred from tcstilying %
the merits Of anything which be knewto
DO good. IL this were SO, the void would
not receive the benefit OF half the discov-
cries made IN art or science. Thus the
people argued, while the faculty threat
ened expulsion and talked Of the time.
honored customs, ethics, professional court
esy and traditions.
But the matter soon assumed n new and
surprising phase. a few days afterwards
A..sgA--N .....-.N 4. III 1.HN.H aUW.W
bearing the autograph signatures Of Gov
ernor McLane, Attorney General Roberts.
Mayor Latrobo, City Postmaster Adreon,
Chiefs Of State and Municipal departments,
Judges aud Clerks Of Courts, Federal off,
cials and Congressman, emphatically en-
dorsiug the action of the Health Commits
sioner, and concurring in his op Mon as &c
the efficacy OF the remedy, asserting that
they did so from personal experience with
II and practical tests and observations.
There could be no gainsaying such evil
dence as this, but, as IL TO cap the climax,
shortly afterwards there appeared another
certificate with autograph signatures OF
leading practicing physicians from all parts
OF the State, including the physicians OF
all the leading hospitals, tho ply stefan &c
the City Fire Department, the Port physi-
cian, vaccine physician and resident ply
sicians of intirmaries, all endorsing the
discovery and stating that IL had been
tested by them in hospitals and private
practice for weeks with wonderful
curative effect, and that analysis
had shown no trace OF Opiates or poi.
sous, prevalent in other cough mixtures.
They further stated that they had been in
duced 10 take this step in view Of the many
hurtful prepare lions which contained mar
cotics and poisons and Of the dangers con-
sequent on their use. The remedy IN
question Is Red Star Cough Cure. Such a
conclusive answer as this 10 tho narrow
UW1uuNaWNa Of NhA NgNw UHFmNaH WUIlIf
sentiment on the side Of the Health Com
missioner, and 10 Is significant that DIR,
Stguurt has since OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
by the Mayor for a third term, and las had
his appointment unanimously confirmed by
the City Council.
Owing to the high professional roputa.
ton Of the gentlemen who endorsed his
action, as well as to the enviabls standing
OF the owners Of thercmcdy, The Charles
A.. Vogeler Company, Of this city, wide
spread interest has already been created
in the subject, not only here but in Phila-
delphia, Washington and other neighbor-
ing cities. The feeling Is generally ok
pressed by professional men that Red StaI
Cough Cure, on account OF its freedom
from narcotics and poisons, i~naugurates a
most desirable new departure in medi-
cine. This Is the pronounced opinion
Of authorities Ike DR.. Fawcett, whC
has been for thirty three years resi-
dent pt ysician OF ths Union Protestant
I%nfirmary, in this city, and Prof. John J,
Caldwell, NJ. D., member Of medical So
cieties OF Baltimore, Now York aud Brook
lyn, and with "A long experience In civil
and military hospitals. Both OF these gem
tlemen, together with no less than fifty
other practlcing physicians OF Maryland,
have publicly put themselves on record as
10 the evil OF narcotic medicines, and the
consequent value and importance of the
new discovery referred to. II Is conceded
! TINT nuh1fa pnfnfQn has qppnUlnfalU utulf-
Gated DR.. Steuart in his action, and that IN
his whole course he was actuated simply
by an earnest desire TO benefit the comInu-
atty at large.