The national leader., 1889-04-13
ssEDITOR'S BACK STAIRS"
The Interesting Views OF the Late DR..
]. g. Holland.

The columns Of the newspapers ap-
pear 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 Monthlu.
He says: Nevertheless, it is a fact
that many of the best proprietary
medicines of the day were more sue
cessful than many physicians, and
most Of them, it should be remembered
were at first discovered or used in
actual medical practice. When. how
ever. any shrewd person, knowing their
virtue, and forseeing their popularity.
secures and advertises them, then. in
the opinion of the bigoted, all virtue
went ont of them"
Is not this absurdp
This great man appreciated the real
merits Of popular remedies, and the
absurdity Of those that derided them
because public attention was called to
the article and the evidence OF their
cures. If the most noted physician
should announce that he had made a
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, notwith-
standing all this, If he should presume
to advertise and decline to give his dis
covery to the public, he would be pro-
nounced quack and humbug, al
though he may have spent his entire
life and all his available funds In per-
fecting his Investigations.
Again we say, absurd
If an ulcer is found upon ones arm,
and is cured by some dear old grand
mother. outside Of the code, 1t Will be
pronounced by the medical profession
an ulcer of little Importance. But if
treated under the code. causing Sleep
less nights for month, with the
scientific treatment, viz, plasters,
washes, dosing with morphine, arsenic
and other vile substances, given to
prevent blood poisoning or deaden
pain, and yet the ulcer becomes malig-
nant, and amputation is made neces.
sary at last, to save life, yet all done
according to the ''ismso OF the medi-
cal code, this is much more gratifying
to the medical profession, and adds
more dignity to that distinguished
order than to be cured by the dear old
grandmother remedy.
This appears like a severe arraign-
ment, yet we believe that it expresses
the true standing of the medical pro-
fesslon in regard to remedies discovered
outside of their special ''isms." One
OF the most perplexing things Of the
day is the popularity of certain reme-
dies, especially Warmers Safe Cure,
A which we find for sale everywhere.
bThe physician of the highest standing
is ready to coIcede its merits and Sus-
tain the theories the proprietOrs have
made-that is, that 1t benhts In most Of
the ailments of the human system
because it assists In putting the kid
neys in proper condition, thereby aiding
in throwing off the impurities OF the
blood, while others with less honesty
aNd experience deride, and are willingl
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!
before the people with its merits, and
proclalms them from door to door lnI
our opinion much more honorably than
the physician who, perchance, may
secure patient from some catastrophe,
and is permitted to set bone OF an|
arm or finger, which he does with
great dignity, yet so very soon afterI
takes the liberty to climb the edltor'sI
back stairs at 2 O'Clock in the morning.
to have it announced in the morning.
paper that "Dr. So-and-so Was in at
tendance" I" thus securing for his benefit
a beautiful and free advertisement.
We shall leave it to our readers to
say which is the wiser and more honor
able.