New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-30
i pEssrMrsrIc ESTIMATE OF DOCTORS.


john burroughs III Inc tHTISlItu HlJu.
There is another dclusion attempted 70 touch upon,
Gelu,iOn we are all more or less pndeC; namely, tlo
de,ion Of the doctor, Of the virtue oi drugs del
sion which has caused great waste Of human
lie SURGERY /, science. path lOSy Is science,
ny glcnc is science. but what shall we "a!
OF therapeutics The conclusion OF me Wlsess
head, upon the subject is well summed up IA
the contcmptu5us saying. Throw medicine TO u,
dOss"-if YOU want to Kill them. surgery has made
astonishing EoSmSs has pathology, but the progress
which medicine has made Is chiefly Of negative Guar
nctr namely In di,carding old remedies and n aban.
donins the old treatment There is little doubt that
the Indian doctor with his charms and ORDINATIONS U.
tho practitioner Of the Middle Ages with his powdeNd
mummy and other fantastic remedies, cured Just Z,
many diseases does the average country d0ct r %
today with his drugs-and killed far fewer patients.
Tho chief aim OF the doctor has been, and to large
extent still is To suppress the symptoms II there -
fever, give fcbrifuges if thccc is Inflammation, tahs
blood II there is prustmtion. give tones, II there ~
secplessncss. give 0piates etc.awayS aiming TO SUM
and destroy the symptoms the signal, 81 dstres, "fn
cause and romovc that We pluck the silver ont 81
our finger that causes the inflammation, and there Il
utions OF me body II you are dyspep'r' your uU
will probably prescribe blNmuth or pepsn or ca ara
or some other remedy to spar the stomach. once.
when was boy, hound was running fox across
one f my fathers fields An old neiglbor came aont
on hor;cbac and gapsed to point out the of 40
as it could. II YOU stood just the'e behind tnat r0ct
WHERE ne IS pas' ana %SFs 10 r5 5eR cS oE Of the doe
tor, remedies for indigestion seems to be that When
the stomach is doing all it can yon can HpS s sP9
lans that will make II do little more. ,ol; a,
sense would sav. give It q rest. Drugs ana pt,cW
medicines give only temporary relief. The second coz
dition Of the person who uses them Is worse IMAM Wv
first Take one pin this week, and you must Ilhs
two next II sleep fails, shall We take some nus;
to induce il The course Is fatal. TO 10 tc tnV.
the matter look your food. your drink your lios
and OCCUPATION To take drug Is worse tfan DortV.
ing money 10 pay yow debts-it Is borrowing hio"0' "
bride the sheriff. , ,,,,ics vhicr
I'm s,ilfu hands may BE- said to be >clen,h ,p "a,
certain effects always follow their use but hD ~"
these effects are permanently curative Is iU bic
question. The average practitioner. however, Ike A
wholesale dosing for disease IS very nl u,n ntrrct
M an eScaplng prisoner. the chances arc lla' AZ "
do more mischief than he VIII do good An. uno-
Fcw of have the courage OF our oonNi ~ rrie a
this subject Men who can dispense win the Pr hi,
same weakness myself When one very a .S t,ndIy
falls sick, what do but soma lor wv and
physirani The very sight OF him IS hepiui t IS
rcassuring Then doctors DO know Soihc ,I. I'M, ,rha.
laymcn do not. Among other thlnss tv t ,hnt ltte
remedial power lies In the Imagination, anu ,,a+ viii
sweetcncd water or powder Of salt ana sa"uu'' WIZ
Ht the Old system of artificial medication OF a os
fathers like their theology, must 70 llto u, r.oro
heap il indeed IL has not already gone ther rhS
old theology abhOrred nature. ana tHc ou pla' ~, i
did the same. \ man was saver ny sia'S a., and
virtue and the patient was cured ~ u'"e ~
not by anv recupcratve powers on ms Owl, ,o .hs
Bnt whether we dispense wi,i III" az iri liz Th(
dispenser OF drugs has doubtless hlu Ms uH, ,o his
skilled surgeon and the trained nurse arc - tie ro
place. II you have fever tie nurse S T' ure NAV
through II pneumonia. both surgeon anu h".s moved
be required. A German surgeon Iect rec 49,. IA,
hopelcsSy diseased lung WIN peicc' S"''
patient entirely recovered. IN ~, IN renoye
The physician Of the future Will aim 10 re"
causes not to suppress symptoms.