New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-03
nit any longer to the exacting requirements OF
he War Departments at Berlin and Vienna.
s,ta7ErR DOCTORING.


Tho death of Young woman from an over
dose OF morphine ought to be useful warn
ing. The poison was prescribed by friend
whom she trusted for the reason that he was Il
medical student. and who knew, therefore, just
enough about drugs to make his advice dan
cerouS because likely to be taken. We do not
suppose that he consciously did wrong, nor thar
he is more cu.pablc than thousands have been
before him. He certainly attempted no decep-
ton. for his victim knew him well, and he
took the precaution to show by his signature 10
tho nrcScription that he was not physician.
The clerk who compounded the fatal mixture
,vas as mich n fault as the student who pre-
sCibcd it..
This startling occurrence suggests comment
mon familiar fact which has not received the
sort and degree Of attention which 1t deserves.
Undoubtedly doctors give far less medicine
than formerly. 1t is not an uncommon thing
for musicians of the strictcSt all0pa,hic school
70 cary patientS through severe illnesses with
out administering other drugs than tones
Scarcely anybody Is too prcjudccd to deny that
bom0eopathy has ut least caused the fact to be
understood and appreciated that n1ture Is en-
titled TO a fair chance and generally justiiieS
confidence in her processes The result Is that
there was never a time when so little medicine
was prescribed by the physicians rs now; and
this result is in singular contrast with the ac'
that there never was a time when so much
medicine was swallowed. The drug stores are
crowded with customers who feel out OF sorts
or who imagine that they do; which perhaps
amounts for the moment, to the same thing.
They beg to be told what is good for head
ache, indigestion, colds, the liver, sore throat,
backachc, melancholia, rheumatism, vertigo,
neuralgia. secpleSSncss loss of appetite. and
score of other ills by which they are or sup
pose themselves to be afflicted. Observation
and information lead us to believe that, III
most cases, these appeals arc cheerfulIy re-
spondcd to. Some druggists invariably decline
90 prescribe any remedies whatever, and there
are few, we imagine, who advise the use
Of poisons But there are still fewer who can
re,S. the temptation to dart pill into the
intestineS' of customer as sydney smith
loved to do, if they judge that pill is what
is wanted
We are not advising our readers to run IN
terror 10 a doctor a. often n they feel pain
or a depression. The person who should do
that. provided he paid the fees, would undergo
a considerable risk OF being buried ultimately
at the expense Of the county. But the doCle
and even eager acceptance Of doses which You
know nothing about from those who know
something about You is always foolish and no'
seldom porilOuS. Nine times ont Of ten all that
nature wants is to be lei alone, and the tenth
time she would rather be let alone than NAL
treated. IL is mistake to suppose that any
drug is always innocent \ prominent ply
stefan of this city has been heard 10 say that
more human misery has been produced by
q" harmless prgIiivcS" than by any other one
cause. Thi, is probably one of those eNaggcra-
tons which make a sober truth impressive and
thereby justify their utteHnce. The ancient
adage that 1.-THE man who needs drug needs
a doctor; may be interpreted too literally but
rightly understood. il is a pretty safe rule to
follow, since il suggests that IN most G>cN
neither is needed