Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-12
DOCTORS FURIOUS.
Shall a Physician Tell the Truth or
Not? A Nice Point in Ethics.
4 Sensible Health Official


BALTIMORE, MD.-A decided stir has
been caused here over the question as to
the right OF a physician to certify to
the merits Of remedy not in the mod
ern pharmacop9ia. DR.. James A.
Steuart, one of the most eminent ply
sicians in the South and Health Com
missioner Of this city, had analy zed
newly d scovered article, and certified
ff1cially rot only TO its efficacy but to
the fact that it replaced old time prep
arations of similar character which,
analyses had proved, were adulterated
and poi -on0us. The Medical and Chirur
gical Faculty, of which he is a member,
held that he bal violated the code Of
medical ethics, and much public in
terest was aroused because OF the con-
fidtnce felt both in his professional
standing and official integrity.
1t was argued that to thus place a
limitation 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 1t was to the interest Of
rulers of societies to invest the mselves
with q supernatural halo. but now whe
tlOughG should be free and untrammel-
d, such things SavOred of barbariSm.
1t was the duty Of physician, especi-
Il Y of a health officer. to condemn
publicly any remedy which he knew to be
injurious, but it was not right to say that
be should be debarred from testifyiny
to the merits of anything which he
knew to be good. II this were so, the
world would not receive the benefit of
half the discoveries made in the art or
-cience Tkus the people argued, while
Guilty threatened expulsion and talked
CT time-nonoree customs, ethics, pro.
fessl nal courtesy and traditions.
But the matter soon assumed a new
and surprising phase. A few days
afterwards certificate appeared ia the
daily papers bearing the autograph sig
nature of Governor McLane, Attorney
General R ,berts, Mayor Latrobe, City
Postm Easter Adre.n, chiefs ef State and
municipal departments, Judges aud
Clerks of Courts, Federal officials and
Congressman, empha tically endorsing
tae action of the Health Commissioner,
and concurring liz his opinion as to the
efficacy of the remedy, asserting that
they did so from personal experience
with it and practical tests and observa-
tions.
There could be no gainsaying such
climax, shortly afterwards there APP.
peared another certificate with auto
graph signatures of lead ng practicing
physicians from all parts of the state,
including the physicians of ali the lead
ing hospitals, the physician to the City
Fire Department. the Port physician,
vaccine physician and resident physl-
clans of in6rmaries, all endorsing the
discovery and stating that it had been
tested by them in hos pital5 and private
pro ctice for weeks with wonderful
curative effect, and that analysis had
shown no trace of 0piates or poisons,
prevalent in other cough mixtures.
They further stated that they had been
induced to take this step in view of the
many hurtful prep arati0ns which con-
tanned n arcotices and poisons and of the
dPngers consequent on their use The
remedy ia question IS Rid Star Cough
Cure. Such a conclusive answer as this
to the narrow arguments of the few,
array ed public sentiment on the side of
the Health Commissioner, and i6 is
significant that DR.. Steuart has since
been appointed to Office by the Mayor
for a third term. and has had his ap-
pointment una nimously confirmed ky
the City Council.
Owing to the high professional repu-
tation of TIE gentlemen who Endorsed
his action, as we'll as to che enviable
standing of the owners Of the remedy,
The Charles A. Voge1er Company. of
this city, widespread interest has al
ready been created ON the subject, rot
only here, but in Philadelphia, Wash
jngton and other neighboring cities
The feeling is generally expressed by
professional men that Red Star Cough
Cure, on account of it's freedom from
narcotics and poisons, inaugurates a
mot desirable new departure in medi-
cine. This is the pronounced opinion
Of authorities like DR.. Faucet, who has
been for thirty-three years resident
physician OF the Union Protestant In
Urinary, in this city, and Prof. John J.
Caldwell, M. D.. member of medical
pcieties of Baltimore, New York and
Brooklyn, and with a long experience
in civil and military hospitals. Both
of these gentlemen. together with no
less than fifty other practicing ply
sicians of Maryland, have publicly put
themselves on record as to the evil of
narcotic medicines, and the consequent
value and Importance of the new dis
covery referred to. 1T is conceded
that public opinion has completely vim
dictated DR.. Steuart in his action, and
that in his whoe course he was actuat>
ed simply by an earnest desire to benefit
the community at large,