The evening times., 1898-10-26

this is so--whether the fact Is not OF
itself a proof of the inefflciency OF the
medical profession. It is chiefly in mat
tiers that DO not admit OF demonstration
that the pretensions OF charlatans are
successful. We need only to review
the history of the best medical practice
to find it a succession of what are ad-
mitted to be the grossest absurdities.
Among the medical colleges of the high
est rank of today are some of great age
that have dogmatically taught doc
trines that are now regarded as ground
less follies. There is no evidence that
the great advance in chemistry. physi-
ology, biology, and even pathology has
contributed in any degree to the better
treatment of the sick by drugs. The
chief improvement is in the fact that
fewer drugs are administered. If this
were the result of greater knowledge
of the studies mentioned, then some
thing could be claimed for the physi-
clan who has spent his time in the
laboratory; but it is due rather to ex-
perience, largely of the laity, if not also
to the departures that have been de-
nounced as quackeries.
1t is surely unbecoming in medical
journals to ridicule the credulity of the
masses of mankind in the light of the
many fallacies that have ruled the pro-
fession and in the light of its present
uncertainties in therapeutics. What
the profession has learned of value is
that most of its dogmas were fraudu-
lent. Any man who should attempt to
cure disease in this day by the methods
of the regular profession of only CEN
tury ago would be condemned as a
quack more mischievous than all the
army of 'healers' who have found
some use for a discovery of which they
exagS crate the Importance as much as
the profession undertakes it. In spite
of its greater knowledge of physiology
and psychology, the medical profession
negleoIs the virtues Of moral treatment
and thus opens the way to persons
who magnify them. 1t makes large
claims to exclusive authority in healing
because of studies that have as little
apparent influence in the treatment OF
disease as the knowledge of microbes.
DR.. Holmes was not alone in deploring
the helplessness Of the physician in the
presence of sickness and a modern sur
geon has solemnly predicted that in
another quarter of a century there will
/ be no physicians, but only surgeons
/ and nurses. The mention of DR.. Holmes
recalls the difficulty he had TO convince
/ the doctors that they carried death
| from patient to patient, because they
! refused to believe in the contagious
/ character of a disease that is now
! known to be communicable.
| When the doctors abuse the public
/ for its credulity and threaten to in
| crease the restrictions about the en-
ployment of others than regulars, the
memory OF their own long-continuet
and often-repeated blindness, varied
with astounding gullibility, is likely tC
exasperate people of common sense. i
would be all right TO mourn over tht
/ suffering that ensues for lack of proper
treatment" if there We're any reason
70 believe that by employing physi
clan who simply administers expert
| mental drugs. we are sure of getting
proper treatment. Very few homes
physicians will assert that we are. Th'
more experienced the physician. the les
enthusiastic he is in urging more sewers
| restrictions.