Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-02

in medicine is that of the natural law OF
cure. 'similia similibtis curantur.' No doubt
infinite good has been accomplished by the
labors OF progressive men in pathology and
therapeutics, but IL IL equally obvious that
Hahnemann went further in both directions
and accomplished greater good than re-
mains to the credit of any other man, living
or dead.
"No profession has more bitterly opposed
reforms and the truth than that OF medi-
cine, and no profession has been noted for
SO much bigotry, jealousy and superstition.
Let us cultivate a friendly feeling among
ourselves and endeavor to wipe of the
| stigma which has so long attached to our
profession, and redeem it from its rCputa-
ton Of being the most contentious and
quarrelsome people in existence
In many respects great improvements
have been made, in the last decade, in the
laws governing The medical practice, but
every community is flooded with ignorant
Qudcks and mountebauks. The pharmacists
and even the dry goods men keep large
stocks Of patent medicines and audaciously
evadc the law and prescribe their poisonous
compounds on every possible occasion for
the ills of a too credulCus people.
NO USE FOR THE KNIFE.
"Thc medical colleges have a very serious
charge against the medical profession at
large, whose business it is to make the
first examination of the natural and the
acquired dbllllN OIL men anu Npilth VIII
Offer to study medicine. MCmbers OF the
profession should not advise students who
do not possess the requisite qualifications to
undertake a task so difficult. In my opinion
the United States government should, by a
general law, regulate medical education and
the licensing power. In all states there
should be uniformity or requirements, so
that legal practitioners of one state can re
move to another state without the trouble
aud expense of another medical eXamina-
ton"
The president criticised most severely
what he said was the tendency OH the part cf
the allopaths to substitute the knife for
medicine. He urged that homeopathica
materia medica was an ineNhaustiblc mine
which contained remedies for many of the
cases which had been operated upon with
the knife. He said the neCd Of the hour
was for less surgical specialists and more
reliable homeapathists, more skiliful dag
nosticians and better Psychologists.
He said he did not wish to be under
stood as believing that there are no medi-
cal colleges in the United States which are
worthy Of support, but on tho contrary
he though any ore having the disposition
and caracity can obtain as complete q knOvl-
edge of medicine and surgery iii the medi-
cal schools Of this country as can be Lad n
any foreign land. He also said he did
not wish to be understood as admitting
that homeopathists were not surgeons. He
held that the allOpathists were not ahead
of the homeopathists in surgery and are
far behind them in materia medica and
there neuties.
In conclusion the president protested
against the practice of the homeopathic
medical journals of advertising proprietary
medicines.
At the conclusion of the presidents ad-
dress it was referred to a committee CON
siSting of Drs. 4. p. HanChett Of Council
Bluffs. Quimby of Omaha and McElwee of
st. Joseph. Mo.
The program was then waived 70 allow
DR.. Quimby to present a clinical case OF
enlarged glands of the neck which had been
entirely cured without the use of the knife.
He gave a history of the case and the
course of treatment.
The bureau OF clinical medicine, DR.. c..
G.. Sprague of Omaha chairman, was then
taken up. The first paper was read by
Dr.. L. l.. Alexander of Omaha, his subject
being Erroneous Prescribing The essence
of the paper was an injunction to stick to
the course laid down by Hahnemann. in
volving a careful diagnosis of every case
before prescribing. The paper was discussed
alCng the same lire by DR.. Qutmby of
Omaha. Or Hawks Of Chicago, DR.. Finney
of Lincoln and others.