The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-01-12
"ErIrOR's Rack STAIRS"
The Interesting VIE VS. " the Late DIR, j
g. II Jlland.

The columns of ne newspapers appear
to flooded with proprietary medicine
advertisements. A we cast our eye over
them, it brings to mind an article that
was published by the late DIR. Holland
in Scribner's Monthly. He says: Never
tbeless, it is fact hat many of the best
proprietary medicines of the day we're
more successful than many physicians,
and most of them, it should be remem-
bered, were at first discovered or used
in eotual medical p actlce. When, how
ever, any shrewd person, knowing their
virtue, and foreseeing their popularity,
secures and adver ises them, then, in
the the opinion of the bigoted, all virtue
went out of Them
Is not this absurd?
This great man appreciated the real
merits of popular rlmedies. and the alb
surdity of those that derided them be-
cause public attent on was called TO the
article and the evidence of their cures.
If the most noted physician should an
noupce that lie had made study OF any
certain organ or disease OF the BODY, or
make his sign larger than the code size,
though he may have placticed medicine
and been a leader in ali medical coun'
sells, notwithstand ng all this, II he
should presume to advertise and decline
to give his discovery TO the public, he
would be pronounced quack and
humbug, although he may have spent
his entire life and ell his available funds
in perfectiug his investigations,
Again we say, "absufd."
If an ulcer is found upon ones arm.
and is cured by some dear soul OF
grandmother, outside Of the code, II VIII
be pronounced bytle medical profession
an ulcer of little Importance, But II
treated under the code, causing sleepiess
nights for a month, with the sclentlhc
treatment, viz, pla5ters, washes, dosing
with morphine, ar enic and other vile
substances, given TO prevent blood
poisoning or deadan pain, and yet the
ulcer becomes ma gn6nJ, and amputa
ton is made neces -ary at last, to save
life. vet all done according to the ''isms"
of the medical code, this is much more
gratifying to the ediCal profession, and
adds more dignity that distinguished
order than to be cured by the dear old
grandmother's remedy.
This appears like 4 severe arrangement,
vet we believe that 1t expresses the true
standing of the m sdicsl profession in
regard to remedies discovered outside
of their special ism4.' One of the
most perplexing things of the day is the
popularity of certain remedies, es-
pecially Warmers afe cure, which we
find for sale everywhere The physician
of the highest stan ling is ready to con-
cede its merits snd sustain the theories
the proprietors b I'VE made-that Is,
that n benefits in II. Ost of the ailments
of the human syst m because 1t assists
in putting the kidneys in proper condi
ton, thereby aiding in throwing of the
impurities of the blood, while others
with less honesty AID experience deride,
and are willing to ee their patient Ole
scientifically, and according to the code.
rather than have him cured by this
great remedy. =.
Yet we notice that the popularity of
the medicine contiI ues to grow year by
year. The discoverer come boldly be
fore the people With It's merits, and
proclaIms them from door to door in our
opinion much more bonorably than the
physician who, per chance, may secure
a patient from SOM catastrophe, and is
permitted to set a bone of an arm or
finger, which he does with great dignity.
yet very soon after takes the liberty to
climb the editors ok stairs at O'Clock
in the morning to have 1t announced in
the morning paper hat abr. Soand so
was in attendance, thus securing Tor
his benefit beautiful and free advertise
ment.
We shall leave it our readers to say
which is the wiser and more honorable,