The state capital., 1891-12-26
OLD AND NEW PHYSlC.
The Physician of Today Thinks More OF
Hygiene Than of Medicine.

The PhySlC1an OF 1OuAy AAAuAs AAoHo "a
Hygiene Than of Medicine.
In his method of treating the sick the
practitioner of the old school had lively
sense of the pMiue of medicines and OF
remedial substances generally. He cared
little or nothing about hygiene. he let
his nurses draw down the blinds of the
windows in the sickroom, and make it
dark and dirty dungeon, and without the
slightest conjunction. He had no love
for open windows, and, unless the weather
were very cold he never troubled about
the fire or the external temperature. but he
enforced freedom from noise, and secured
mental repose by directing the street be-
low to be covered with straw.
He ordered low diet in acute cases, and
as a rule he knocked off stimulants so
vigorously that his permission to admins
ter glass of wine or beer was looked upon
by the joyful family as a first and certain
sign of recovery. He never for moment
forgot his potent remedies. The lancet,
the cupping glass, the leech, the calomel
pill and black draft, the effervescing mix
! ture to be taken every three or four hours,
| the sleeping draft. the cooling lotion to be
applied to the head. the blister and the
| blister ointment, followed by the ''tonic"
these were almost inseparables from his
| routine.
Say what we may of him now, the doctor
| of the old school was right loyal to his
remedies He had at his command fearful
means and he stuck to them. They were
| not many nor much varied, but such as
| they were there was no mistake about
them. Tartar emetic in sixth of a grain
- H&2fn Tod
| until it touched the gums" half an ouncs
| or even an ounce Of EPSON salts; effer-
| vescing tartrate of potash or soda mixture
| ad libitum, bark up to clnchonlsm and
| occasionally a bOlus.
But the great remedy was blood letting;
every man carried lancet, and tortoise
shell lancet case holding two bright blades
| was considered the most beftting present
| for youth about to be articled. Mine
keep still as souvenir. 1t was a joke to
direct youth to learn to practice venesec-
ton on what were called "the veins of a
cabbage leaf" and some, thinking it proper
advice, did in their innocence begin in that
style. The lancet, in frequent use, was
supplemented by the leech and the cupping
| glass. There is no wonder that, in the
treatment of acute diseases. medicine was
/
| The wonder is, rather, that patients recov-
cred as we'll as they did.
| The famous DR.. Gregory, when piling on
the "heroic treatment" would say to his
| students, Don't be alarmed, gentlemen
| it takes great deal to kill man" Greg
| ory was right, and if some were not really
1 killed it was more by good luck than by
good management. 1t was not successful
| treatment, as all who have lived to com
pare 1t with our reformed treatment admit
1t was bad at the time, for it left many bat
after effects, and it was far worse than M
treatment at all Of medicinal kind. a fac
the discovery of which every honest oh
server must in justice accord to the schis
matte school of homeopathy,
| The contrast between new and old physi
in matter of practice Is striking Ou
fathers followed Galen in the view tina
every practitioner ought to hold all hi
remedies in his own hand and dispens'
them himself; the chemist and druggis
was the demon. Now it is considered tot
commonplace for the doctor to dispens
his own remedies, and when he does so Il
is sort of favor or necessity
thrown in, to form, incidentally or not a
all, an addition to the fees for attendance.
The pharmaceutist pushes his trade in
dustriously to meet our wants, and ou
wants are many. He grows bolder; he In
vents for us in advance Of our needs. Fl
foods our breakfast table with his nos
trums advices and temptations. He is
professor of materia medica, pharmacol
ogy, hygienics, diet and regimen all rolle'
into one He has new remedy for ever
day in the year, with two for holy days, g
that any remedy that lives for year has
long life. The result is that large sec
ton of practitioners is flying after every
thing, trying everything and holding fas
by nothing, while another smaller sectio
is giving up everything, or, in state Q
greatest activity, is playing place-bo wit
considerable luck in the play, to their ow
, astonishment.-Dr. B. w. Richardson i
. | ;o1