Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-26
EDITORS BACK STAIRS"
The Interesting views OF the Late Dr.
j. g.. Holland.

The Interesting Views Ofthe Late DE.
j. q. Holland.
The columns of the newspapers appear
to be flooded with proprietary medicine
advertisements. AS we cast our eye over
them, it brings to mind an article that
was published by the late DR.. Holland
in Scribner's Monthly. He says: Never
theless, it is fact that many of the best
proprietary medicines of the day were
more successful than many physicians.
and most of them, 1t should be remem-
bered. were at first discovered or used in
actual medical practice. When. how
ever, any sbrewd person, knowing their
virtue, and foreseeing their popularity,
secures and advertises them. then, in the
opinion of the bigoted, all virtue went
out of them"
Is not this absurdf
This great man appreciated the real
merits of popular rememdies, and the
absurdity of those that derided them be-
cause public attention was called to the
article and the evidence of their cures
If the most noted physician should an
nounce that he 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 practiced medicine
and been leader in all medical counsels.
Notwithstanding all this, if he should
presume to advertise and decline to give
his discovery to the public, he would be
pronounced quack and humbug, al
though he may have spent his entire life
and eli his available funds in perfecting
his investigations.
Again we say, absurd"
| If an ulcer is found upon ones arm,
aud is cured by some dear old grand
mother, outside of the code, il will be
pronounced by the medical profession an
ulcer of little importance. But if treated
under the code, causing sleepless nights
for a month. with the scientific treatment,
viz, plas,ers. washes. dosing with NOR
phine, arsenic and other vile substances,
given to prevent blood poisoning or
deaden pain. and yet the ulcer becomes
malignant, and smputation is made neces-
ssry at last, to save life, yet all done ac-
cording to the 'isms" Of the medical
code. this is much more gratifying to the
medical profession, and adds more dignity
to that distinguished order than to be
1 CuiCu ny tue dCul .
remedy.
| This appears like severe srrsignment,
yet we believe that it expresses the true
standing of the medical profession In re-
gard to remedies discovered outside of
their special ''is,ns." One of the most
perplexing things of the day is the popu
larity of certain remedies. especially War
ner's Safe Cure, which we find
for sale everywhere. The physician
of the highest standing is ready
to concede its merits and sustain the
theories the proprietors have made
that is, that it benefits in most of the all
ments of the human system because ii
assists in putting the kidneys in proper
condition, thereby aiding in throwing of
the impurities of the blood, while others
with less honesty and experience deride.
and are willing to see their patient die
scientifically, and according to the code.
rather than have him cured by this great
remedy
Yet we notice that the popularity of
the medicine continues to grow year by
year. The discOverer comes boldly be
fore the people with its merits, and pro-
claims them from door to door in our
opinion much more honOrably than the
physician who. perchance. may secure a
patient from some catastrophe. and is
permitted to set bone of an arm or a
finger. which he does with great dignity,
yet very soon after takes the liberty to
climb the editors back stairs at 2 o'clock
in the morning to have it announced in
the morning paper that DIR. So and 80
was in attendance, thus securing for his
benefit a beautiful and free ADVERTISE
ment.
We shall leave it to our readers to say
which is the wiser and more honorable